Homemade Fajita Seasoning
Tomato Sauce
In this recipe we are using canned tomato sauce as the base for the sauce of the casserole. You want to look for something that is labeled tomato sauce, and it contains just tomatoes, no seasoning. This is just tomatoes that have been cooked down with all the seeds, skin and pulp removed. Even better, I have instructions for making this casserole ahead of time and baking it from frozen. It is the perfect thing to pop in the oven at the end of a long work day, and it is soul warming home-cooking.
Cook your pasta. See my tips below for this step. Sauté the vegetables. While your pasta cooks, add the bell peppers, onion, and garlic to a skillet and sauté until the veggies are soft. Stir in the tomato sauce and season with fajita seasoning. Put the casserole together. Stir in the cooked pasta, shredded chicken, and one cup of cheddar cheese. Put the mixture in a baking dish. Bake the casserole. Top with remaining cheese and bake for 10 minutes.
This recipe has two sets of measurements, a small batch that replaces the packet of seasoning if that is called for in a recipe, or a big batch that you can keep in your pantry.
Use plenty of water. A pound of pasta needs four to six quarts of water since it expands as it cooks. Make sure to add plenty of water to your pan along with salt for extra flavor. Bring your water to a roaring boil. Don’t add the dry noodles to the water until you see big, constant bubbles. Cook the pasta for two minutes less than what the package says. Since it will be baked with the casserole, the pasta will continue to cook. Set your timer for two minutes less than what the package says. Set a timer so you know exactly when it is done.
Buy a rotisserie chicken. This is a super convenient and cost-effective way to get cooked chicken for a casserole. Grab one on your way home from work from your local grocery store. Boil chicken breasts. Put raw chicken breasts in a saucepan and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Simmer the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Shred the chicken using two forks or your stand mixer. Use frozen cooked chicken. Cooking chicken and freezing it is a simple and quick way to have chicken on hand and ready for easy weeknight recipes. In my post for Freezing Cooked Chicken, I share tips to make the process easy, including three different cooking methods. Since the casserole will bake, you can add it right to the recipe from frozen.
When you are ready to bake it, remove the foil and bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit covered for 30 minutes and uncovered for 10 minutes, or until heated through.
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