Cheesy Doritos Chicken Bake!

This yummy recipe was sent to me by one of our readers, Sheryl and it is delicious.  When I saw it, I knew it was a winner.  It had chicken, cheese, Doritos and Rotel in it...could it get much better?  It's also inexpensive and easy to put together.  I usually have all of these ingredients on hand, except the Doritos.  Here is what you will need:

4 cups chicken, you can use the meat from a rotisserie chicken or from about 4 boneless chicken breasts you have roasted and diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 Tbs. butter
2 cans Rotel tomatoes (use the Mild if you do not like too much spice or 1 can regular and 1 can mild)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
4 oz. cream cheese
1 Tbs. chili powder (adjust according to your level of taste for spiciness and heat)
3 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
1 bag nacho cheese flavored Doritos

Shred or chop the chicken in bite size pieces and set aside.  Saute onion in 1 Tbs. butter in a large dutch oven or pan until tender.  I did add this step to the recipe, because my husband says he doesn't eat onions, although he has eaten them for years now and never even realized it.  If he can see them or crunch them, he complains and I just don't have time to listen to that.  When I sauté them down they are not as noticeable.  Sheryl's recipe just adds them in to the tomatoes and soups and brings them up to a boil, which is fine if you aren't married to or cooking for picky eaters.  

Add the 2 cans Rotel, 2 cans of soup and the cream cheese to the sautéed onions and mix and cook on low until the cream cheese is melted. Add the chopped or shredded chicken to the mix.   Add whatever amount of chili powder you like for your families tastes.  If you are making this for children or those who cannot tolerate too much spice, use the mild Rotel and adjust the chili powder.  If you use the 2 cans of regular Rotel and the 1 Tablespoon of chili powder, this recipe has a definite kick to it, which is fine for me, because I love hot and spicy.

Spray a 9"x13" pan with nonstick spray.   Coarsely crush the Doritos and layer 1/3 of them in the bottom of the dish.  Layer half of the chicken mixture over the Doritos layer.  Sprinkle about half of the shredded cheese over the chicken.  Spread about another 1/3 of the Doritos over this layer and then spread the rest of the chicken mixture over all.   Finish with the rest of the Doritos and then the rest of the cheese. 

Place in a 350 degree oven for about 30 to 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly and the cheese has just started to brown.

Thank you to Sheryl for sharing such a delicious recipe with us!

Cheesy Doritos Chicken Bake!