Chicken Enchilada Casserole

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Chicken enchilada casserole is a family favorite packed with flavor, protein, and a zesty poblano green sauce! This is a great dish for a weekend dinner or to make ahead of time for easy meal prep during the week.

My husband and I cooked up this recipe one night after trying a beef enchilada casserole with a homemade red sauce. I’ve always been a big fan of poblano crema and chicken enchiladas, so I thought it would be the perfect combo for a unique casserole. We brainstormed, cooked it up, and never changed a thing. It was perfectly divine.

Why You’ll Want This Recipe

Unique Flavor: The poblano crema for this recipe is a bright, velvety, green sauce that knocks any kind of canned enchilada sauce out of the park!

Great Meal Prep: This casserole is easily frozen and reheated after being fully prepared making it a great meal to throw in the freezer for a busy day in the future.

Nutritious: Masked into the blended sauce, this casserole is a great way to get your kiddos to eat some veggies and mild peppers without ever even realizing it.

Ingredients

Chicken Breast – Use boneless, skinless for ease in cooking and shredding the chicken.

White Rice – Cooked

Cream Cheese – This helps keep the rice from drying out and adds a creamy, richness to the dish.

Spices – Oregano, Cumin, Onion powder, Paprika, Chili powder

Poblano Crema – This ingredient really is the star and backbone of this recipe. If you try to substitute, it will not be the same. I recommend making a larger amount than what you need and freezing the rest for future use.

Flour Tortillas – Flour tortillas are good at soaking up the sauce. If you like, you can substitute for corn, but the texture will change.

Black Beans

Green Onions

Mozzarella Cheese – Or you can substitute with Monterey Jack Cheese.

Tools You May Need

Casserole Dish

Large Mixing Bowl

How to Make Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Step 1: Place the chicken breasts in a pot or skillet and fill with water until it is just barely covers the chicken. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water comes to a boil, reduce the temperature to medium or med-low until the liquid is at a steady simmer. Partially cover the pot and let the chicken cook for 10-12 minutes. Remove your chicken to a bowl to cool.

Step 2: Mix your cooked rice with warm cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl. Try not to mash the rice up too much, but instead gently fold the cream cheese into it.

Step 3: Using two forks, a handheld mixer, or your hands, shred the chicken. Once it’s shredded, mix all of the spices into it and set it aside.

Step 4: Time to layer everything! Take your un-greased casserole dish and spread around 3/4 cup of sauce on the bottom of it. Add a layer of tortillas, then all of the rice mixture, all of the chicken, the black beans, and green onions. Add another layer of tortillas, then pour the rest of the sauce over everything. Finally, cover the casserole with a generous amount of shredded mozzarella.

Step 5: Bake the casserole at 350° F for 20 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and it is hot throughout. Enjoy this dish hot out of the oven!

Tips

• The more sauce the better.
• The actual fillings in this casserole are pretty flexible so feel free to experiment! Try adding fresh bell peppers, grilled onions, or even some spinach to change it up.

What to Serve Alongside This Casserole

• Southwest Salad
• Refried Black Beans
• Spanish Rice
• Corn Salad
• Elote
• Fresh toppings such as avocado, cilantro, limes, Pico de Gallo, or my favorite, sour cream

Storage

• Fridge: Cover the casserole and store in the fridge to use within 5 days.
• Freezer: You can freeze the casserole both before or after the initial bake, but I recommend before. Store the casserole in an airtight container in the freezer and use within 3 months.

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