South by Southwest Casserole

I call this one "South by Southwest Casserole" because it reminds me of a cross between chicken and dumplings (a southern specialty) and chicken enchiladas ( a staple of southwest/Tex Mex cuisine). I've seen various iterations of this recipe online but was dying to try my hand at it because it is an extremely cheap, quick and delicious family dinner. What I love most about it is that you can use any kind of meat you have handy. This recipe would work with ground beef, ground turkey or any type of chicken. On the night that I tried it, I had a leftover baked chicken in the refrigerator and wanted to put it to good use.

2 cups chicken
1 cup of shredded cheese (I use a taco or Mexican blend)
1 can (8-12 ounces) enchilada sauce
3 Tablespoons of taco seasoning 
1/4 cup water
1 can refrigerated biscuit dough (the one I used made 10 biscuits)

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet

2. If you are using uncooked chicken, cook the chicken until no longer pink and cooked through. If using cooked chicken then you just want to heat  it through.

3. Add taco seasoning and water. Cook until water is evaporated

4. Add chicken and enchilada sauce to baking dish and stir.

5. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces and dot the top of the casserole before placing into a preheated 350 degree oven.

6. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until biscuit tops are just slight browned. At this point sprinkle the cheese on top and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

If you want to make this a one pot full meal without a side dish, you can add corn or black beans when you add the chicken to the baking dish. I love the texture of this dish because the top is slightly crunchy and the bottom is soft and does resemble the flavor and texture of flour tortillas cooked in sauce.