Corn Chip Casserole: Two Ways – Jackfruit (Vegan) or Chicken

Today we’re making comfort food! Deliciously cheezy, mildly spicy, pseudo-Mexican comfort food that is. You can make this Corn Chip Casserole recipe completely vegan/plant-based by using jackfruit or you can make an omnivore-friendly version by using chicken instead.

Making Corn Chip Casserole

Preparing the Jackfruit

For this recipe, you want to use jackfruit in its own brine, or the kind that is packaged as a meat alternative. You don’t want the kind packed in syrup as it will be too sweet. To minimize the somewhat fruity taste inherent in jackfruit, you soak it for about 30 minutes in almond milk and salt. Then drain off the liquid and use a fork to shred the jackfruit.

Once it’s shredded, you saute the jackfruit with the spices for a few minutes and then set aside until you’re ready to assemble the casserole.

Preparing the Chicken

This recipe starts with cooked, shredded chicken. Saute it with the spices for a few minutes and then set it aside until you’re ready to assemble the casserole.

Preparing the Cheese Sauce

This recipe uses my 4 minute cheeze sauce mix. This is a vegan cheese sauce mix that contains just 4 ingredients. If you’re making an omnivore-only version of this casserole, you can substitute my simple cheese sauce for the vegan cheeze sauce. Use a mild cheddar cheese, or Monterey Jack.

Assembling the Casserole

Once you’ve got the components ready, you’re ready to assemble the casserole. Start with a layer of chicken/jackfruit, using about one-third of the total amount. Then spoon on about 2 tablespoons of salsa. Next, you make a layer of corn chips. You can break the corn chips if necessary. Now you pour on the cheese sauce/cheeze sauce layer, using about one-third of the sauce.

Repeat this same order three more times: chicken/jackfruit, salsa, cornchips, cheese sauce.

Top the whole thing with the tomatoes, cut side down.

If you’re vegan, you can top with additional nutritional yeast.

If you’re an omnivore, top with cheese of your choice. If you’ve chosen to make the dairy-based cheese sauce, add more of the same cheese that you used for that.

Now you just need to pop it in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes until it’s hot and bubbling. It’s great as is, but you could serve with more salsa, or chimichurri, and extra nutritional yeast.

Eating Vegan Cheeze Sauce and Dairy Cheese Together

You might be wondering what it will taste like if you use both the vegan cheeze sauce along with a dairy-based cheese topping. Well, you’ll only know once you try, but at our house, we eat this combination quite frequently. It’s totally tasty and it’s a great way to reduce your cheese consumption.

Eating Together Made Easy

If you want to make this recipe for a mixed group, the only difference in ingredients is the jackfruit for the vegan version, versus the chicken. All the rest of the ingredients are common ground. Obviously, you will have to use two separate casserole dishes, but you’ll follow the same process for both, so it’s pretty straightforward to make both versions at once.

Corn Chip Casserole: Two Ways – Vegan and Omnivore

Corn Chip Casserole is an easy comfort-food meal that can be made vegan, using jackfruit, or omnivore friendly using chicken. The prep time is for the jackfruit version only and it’s passive prep time. 

Print Pin Rate

Course: dinner, lunch, side

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: 4 minute cheeze sauce recipe, comfort food, corn chip casserole, easy casserole, easy mexican food, jackfruit recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 2 generous servings

Calories: 304kcal

Author: Sylvia Eastman

Ingredients

For all versions

• handful corn chips
• 1/2 cup tomatillo salsa (or green tomato salsa, salsa verde) or just use your favourite salsa
• 1/2 cup small tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon hot chili powder (optional, for more heat)
• 2/3 cup 4 minute cheeze sauce mix + 1 cup water {See recipe notes for link}

Optionally, if you don’t have 4 minute cheeze sauce mix

• 1/2 cup almond flour {also called almond meal, or ground blanched almonds}
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
• 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

If you are making the vegan (jackfruit) version

• 300 grams packaged jackfruit {Do not buy the kind in syrup as that kind will be sweet.}
• almond milk, for soaking jackfruit
• salt, for soaking jackfruit

If you are making the chicken version

• 1 1/2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• If you are making the jackfruit version, drain the brine off the jackfruit.

  Put the jackfruit in a small bowl and pour on enough almond milk to cover it. Shake a few dashes of salt on it.

  Let this sit for about 30 minutes or so. This somewhat minimizes the fruity taste inherent in the jackfruit.

  Drain off the almond milk.

  Shred the jackfruit with a fork.
• Heat a small saucepan with 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the spices and shredded jackfruit or shredded chicken. Stir and cook for a few minutes, getting the spice mix coated all over the jackfruit/chicken. Turn off heat.
• Make the cheeze sauce by combining 4 minute cheeze sauce mix plus water OR the cheeze sauce ingredients and water in a blender. 
  

  Blend for one minute.

  Transfer to small saucepan, heat over medium heat, and stir until sauce is thickened and stretchy – 3 to 6 minutes. 
• Assemble in a baking dish. I used a 4 1/2 inch by 8 inch pan, about 4 cup capacity. 

  Put a layer of chicken/jackfruit, using about 1/3rd of the total amount.

  Spoon on about 2 tablespoons of salsa.

  Put in a layer of corn chips, breaking the chips if necessary. This does not have to be perfect coverage!

  Pour on about 1/3rd cup of cheeze sauce.

  Repeat the above steps 3 times.

  For the final layer, put any remaining corn chips and the tomatoes, cut side down

  If you have leftover cheeze sauce, pour that on.

  Optionally, you can add a few tablespoons of your cheeze/cheese of choice. Monterey Jack or cheddar would make great choices.
• Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes until hot and bubbling. 

  Enjoy with more salsa, some chimichurri, and/or nutritional yeast. And/or crunch up some extra corn chips and sprinkle those on top.
  

Notes

Storage and Reheating

You can store any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge and reheat in a 250F oven until warmed through.

About 4 minute Cheeze Sauce Mix

This is just a pre-combined version of the cheese sauce ingredients, except the water. You can find the recipe for this awesome pantry staple here. I made the pantry-staple version because I was using the cheeze sauce so often, it just saved a bit of time. I make new recipes it frequently, so check back often. And I’d love to hear if you used it for the base for your own awesome creations. 

Nutritional Information

Nutrition information is an estimate and is based on the jackfruit version with no optional toppings. 

Nutrition

Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1045mg | Potassium: 388mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 22.2% | Vitamin C: 8.8% | Calcium: 5.9% | Iron: 10.4%

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Corn Chip Casserole: Two Ways – Vegan with Jackfruit and Reducetarian with Chicken.

More cheeze please!

If you are looking for more cheezy recipes, check out Stovetop Green Bean Casserole, Easy Cheezy Broccoli Soup,  Cheezy Roasted Cauliflower with Smoked Almonds and Dates, hot chili grilled cheeze, and this awesome dairy-free spinach dip.

I’ve made “4 minute cheeze” a category, so you can easily find the recipes on my site.

Say hello!

Scroll on down and say hello! I’d love to hear from you if you make this! And let me know if I can help you use 4 minute cheeze to simplify making your favourite cheeze/cheese based recipe.