April 10, 2021

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

 

Photo Credit: Mel's Kitchen Cafe


I have two chicken enchilada recipes (one with red sauce and one with a sour cream sauce), but when I spotted this recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe, I thought it might be a good alternative. I was mainly interested in the green sauce option, but after making the casserole, I realized how brilliant it is to make a casserole rather than individual enchiladas! The casserole assembly is much easier (read: faster!) than filling and rolling each tortilla. I can't wait to try this method with my other enchilada recipes.

20 ounces green enchilada sauce
12 ounces salsa verde
3-4 cups cooked shredded or chopped chicken
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12-14 white or yellow corn tortillas, cut in half 
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Fresh chopped cilantro
Sour cream
Guacamole or avocado slices

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside. 

Whisk together the enchilada sauce and salsa verde. 

Toss the chicken with the garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. (See my notes)

Spread 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer eight tortilla halves across the sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over the tortillas followed by 1/2 of the chicken. Drizzle with 1/3 of the sauce. 

Layer another eight tortilla halves, 1/3 of the cheese, last 1/2 of the chicken, another 8-9 tortilla halves, remaining 1/3 cheese and remaining sauce. 

Cover with greased foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes until bubbly and cooked through. 

Garnish with chopped cilantro. 

Let rest for 10-15 minutes (it will set up and be less runny as it rests) before serving. 

Serve with sour cream and guacamole, if desired.

Serves 8

Mel's Notes: 

You can use all enchilada sauce if you want (omit the salsa verde and increase the amount of green enchilada sauce by 10-12 ounces).

The casserole can be assembled and refrigerated for up to 8 hours (the tortillas will soften more than if baked right away).

My Notes:

I prefer to use my own roast chicken; rotisserie chickens tend to be dry and salty.

If you don't like your food too spicy, just use enchilada sauce (30-32 oz. total), as Mel mentions in her notes. You can always serve a salsa verde on the side for those who want more heat. 

Diced onions would be a good addition. I'd sauté 1/2 a cup in olive oil before adding them to the enchilada sauce.

If you want to stretch the meal or add more protein, beans (white, pinto or black) would be great mixed in with the chicken Be sure to drain them before adding.

For even distribution, I mixed all of the seasonings together in a bowl before mixing them with the chicken. 

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22 comments:

  1. We love enchiladas here. This sounds much simpler than a traditional enchilada recipe.

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    1. Deb, I could eat Mexican food every day! Enchiladas are a family favorite.

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  2. Yes on the casserole method. That's what I always do now. And I love green sauce!

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    1. Candace, it really doesn't seem like it'd be a whole lot easier since there are multiple layers, but not having to fill and roll the individual tortillas is SO much quicker. I love a green sauce, too, but this had a little more kick than my husband and I care for. I'll tone it down a bit next time around.

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  3. My Sunset Mexican Cookbook, published in the Stone Age, had a green enchilada casserole with cream cheese as well as green sauce. I always loved it. Yours sounds similar. I would love it too.

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    1. Mae, I used to have several of those ancient Sunset cookbooks! I'm pretty sure some of my tried-and-true recipes originated from some of those.

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  4. I'm a longtime lover of chicken enchiladas with green sauce, and this casserole take is super. Much easier.

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    1. Claudia, chicken enchiladas are one of my favorite meals. This is such an easy recipe and delicious casserole.

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  5. I love a good enchilada recipe. I've gotten a few recipes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, this one will be added to my Pinterest board.

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    1. Diane, I've discovered a few good recipes from Mel's Kitchen, too. Enjoy!

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  6. It's like a Mexican flavoured lasagne! I think I would enjoy this one!

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    1. Marg, let me know if you try it. It's a winner!

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  7. Enchiladas are a favorite around here, we even make our own tortillas with whole wheat flour. They were a trial and error process, but get better with each batch.

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    1. Melynda, I think these would be fabulous with homemade tortillas, although I prefer my enchiladas with corn tortillas. I plan to make this recipe again later this week. Thanks for stopping by with your comment!

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  8. Definitely thanks for this recipe. I want to give it a try. I like making casseroles so they'll last for a few meals. That's a big plus. I sort of like to do less cooking .... so casseroles are my ticket! It is also looks very good.

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    1. Susan, I was just making up my grocery list and decided to add the ingredients for this casserole so I can make it again! Like you, I want to do less cooking, but when I do cook, I want something that will create several day's worth of leftovers. Maybe I'll make two casseroles; one with red sauce and one with green. I'm sure the leftovers would freeze well for even more leftovers!

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  9. This looks very good. I made green enchiladas for the Super Bowl and it made enough for two trays which is always nice. It turned out well but man, did I make a mess of the kitchen. I did roll them but I've done the casserole version too. Easier. Much.

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    1. Ti, I always make a big mess when I make enchiladas, too. It feels like there are so many extra steps when I roll them rather than make a casserole with the same ingredients. I'm sure if I counted all the steps, it wouldn't be that many more, but mentally it feels like more. And more dishes! Plus, with all the cheese, it's difficult to see where each enchilada starts and stops, so scooping them out winds up being a little messy, so why not just make a casserole, right?

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  10. Looks so delicious. This just reminds me how much I miss Mexican or even Tex-Mex. We haven't been to a restaurant since the pandemic and I'm dying for some yummy tacos or enchiladas or anything else. Once we are full vaccinated we'll try to venture to at least dine-outside options.

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    1. Iliana, it's a wonderful casserole. I'm planning to make it again later this week. I really miss good Mexican food, so I have to rely on my own cooking. It's not at all authentic, but we like it. Even when we can finally return to eating in restaurants, sadly, we don't have good Mexican restaurants anywhere near us. :(

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  11. I like this version of enchiladas. I have made chicken enchiladas before but never used salsa verde.

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    1. Tina, this is such a good casserole. I'm making it again tomorrow night!

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