Selena Gomez's Go-To Childhood Casserole Calls For This Cheesy, Fan-Favorite Chip

If you love easy-to-make comfort dishes, you need to know about actor and musician Selena Gomez's go-to casserole that she makes with her grandmother, or "Nana." Gomez and Nana share the casserole recipe in a segment of Gomez's HBO Max show, "Selena + Chef," which typically consists of Gomez learning new recipes from prominent figures of the food world. This time, however, Gomez took a break from learning so that she and Nana could showcase their cheesy tortilla chip casserole.

Gomez explains that it was always a "staple in the house" and remains a beloved recipe. All it calls for is shredded rotisserie chicken (or any leftover chicken), chicken broth, jalapeños, Velveeta cheese, onions, and tortilla chips — specifically Doritos. (Before you get started, though, just make sure you know how to avoid these 14 casserole mistakes.)

To make the family favorite, Gomez and Nana start by putting a layer of crushed Doritos in the baking dish. The next layer is chicken, followed by the diced onions and jalapeños. Next is the Velveeta, which Gomez says is her "favorite part." They then repeat all the layers before pouring chicken broth over the top. Finally, they add one more layer of cheese and an extra layer of chips because Gomez "likes a crunch." The result is a cheesy, gooey, crunchy casserole that's both savory and spicy.

Throughout the segment, Selena Gomez and Nana reassure viewers that this casserole should be customized exactly to their liking. After all, that's why they add extra chips on top: Gomez prefers the dish extra crunchy.

For example, if you're someone who avoids heat, the original casserole is quite spicy, as it features two layers of jalapeños. Gomez and Nana note that you could add fewer jalapeños or make one side spicy and one not spicy so that each person can choose for themselves. Alternatively, you can choose to omit the peppers when baking and simply serve them on the side. If, on the other hand, you do want the casserole to be super spicy, then make sure you learn how to pick the spiciest jalapeños at the store.

While they use Velveeta, any cheese will do if you'd rather use your personal favorite. In fact, if you look into what kind of cheese Velveeta is, you'll learn that it isn't actually cheese at all, so feel free to swap in a "real" cheese like cheddar, pepper jack, or mozzarella. Finally, if you're not a fan of Doritos, you can swap them out with traditional tortilla chips instead — just make sure you retain that crunch factor.