Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole is by far one of our most favorite weeknight dishes. The flavor, the spice, the heat – all comes together in the most delicious creamy and cheesy way and in every single mouthwatering bite. I always ask Corey to make enough for leftovers the next day…it’s that good! I’m serious! I will even eat these suckers cold. But if the kids are home from college, you better eat what you can in one sitting!

The number of ingredients and the length of the instructions in this incredible Mexican food dish may look intimidating but this super easy-to-follow recipe will be well worth the time you put into it. Plus, I love hanging out with Corey while we prep and cook. Don’t be discouraged by the prep time for this cheesy chicken enchiladas recipe since you can make enough to cover lunch the next day or make an extra batch while you’re at it – to freeze for another day. Plus, you can always pick up a rotisserie chicken from your local market or use leftover chicken from the night before to save you time and clean up.

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole baked in a white casserole dish.

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So throw your aprons on, turn on your favorite tunes, and sneak in a few dances while you get to cookin’! We hope you enjoy this casserole as much as we do! Let’s get started…

One word of warning though… you will want to taste-test the chicken mixture and the cheese sauce as you go to get the flavor seasoned to perfection. However, every single time we do this, I eat too much of it. It’s so delicious but you risk having a full cheese bloated tummy right before dinner. SO… pace yourself and just test a tiny little taste as you go.

What do you need to make this easy Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole?

I find it so much easier to cook a dish like cheesy white chicken enchiladas when I have all the simple ingredients laid out before me, measured, and ready to go. Plus, it’s pretty to look at and for some reason it makes me feel all fancy.

Here’s your shopping list for the grocery store:

First, the chicken…

3 cups (1 to 1 1/2 pounds) chicken breasts cut into tenders – cooked + shredded
3 tablespoons chicken fajita seasoning (Old El Paso has some yummy spice packets)
Kosher salt + black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Next up, the veggies…

2 tablespoons unsalted butter to saute your veggies
8 small sweet peppers or bell peppers (red, yellow + orange)
2 small jalapenos or green chilies, seeded + diced (or more if you want to turn up the heat!)
1 large white onion or red onion, diced
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon paprika

And you can’t forget this AMAZING cheese sauce…

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (for your roux)
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper *optional
1 3/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (Monterey Jack cheese and colby jack are also great options)
1 cup sour cream (or low fat sour cream )
Kosher salt + black pepper, to preferred taste
2 tablespoons corn startch + 2 tablespoons water *for sauce thickening, if needed

And last but not least, the assembly…

1 package of store bought corn tortillas or flour tortillas *or use both!
1 3/4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Serving and garnish to pretty up your dish…

salsa
sour cream
chopped cilantro
chopped green onions
black olives

How to make Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas:

Is your mouth watering from all those ingredients? Mine is, so let’s not delay this creation any further. This great recipe for Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole does come with its hefty share of steps but it’s super easy. Just follow along and you’ll have your belly full of these tasties soon enough.

chicken cheese and spice mixture for chicken enchiladas in stainless steel pan

Instructions:

Let’s cook this chicken…

Season chicken tenders with kosher salt, pepper, and chicken fajita seasoning on a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour (or longer).
Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Toss in seasoned chicken and cook all the way through. Set aside to allow it to cool. Then shred the meat with two forks.

chicken mixture cooked on stovetop in stainless steel pan

How about those veggies…

Set your oven to broil and roast the sweet peppers on a baking pan until just slightly charred. Remove from oven then core and seed each one.
Core and seed the jalapeno peppers. Then dice along with the sweet peppers.
Using a large skillet, saute the chopped onions and garlic in oil and butter over medium heat, until softened. Toss in cooked chicken tenders and stir in 1 1/4 cup of chicken broth and 1 1/4 cup of heavy cream.
Add 1 teaspoon of paprika, 3/4 of the diced peppers, and salt and pepper to your preferred taste. Blend together well. Add a sprinkle or 2 of chicken fajita seasoning, if preferred. Then transfer to another bowl and set aside.

cheese sauce for the enchilada casserole.

Oh! The delectable cheese sauce…

Using the same skillet to cook the chicken, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Once melted, whisk in flour to combine. Continue to whisk for 1 to 2 minutes. This will create a nice roux to create the sauce.
Pour in the chicken broth and stir constantly for about 2 minutes. Then pour in the heavy cream, 1 teaspoon paprika, 2 cups shredded cheese, and sour cream. Add a little sprinkle of cayenne pepper, tasting as you go.
If the sauce is too thin, add a mixture of 2 tablespoons corn starch + 2 tablespoons of water, slowly to your cheese mixture until it is the desired consistency.
If the sauce is too thick, slowly add more chicken broth until it reaches the desired consistency.

How to assemble Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Give yourself enough space to roll the enchiladas. A large piece of parchment paper works great and alleviates mess.
To begin assembly, you will have a package of tortillas, a chicken + veggie mixture, cheesy sauce, and a small bowl with 1 cup of shredded cheese.
Place 1 tortilla on the parchment paper. Add one scoop of the chicken mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Roll tightly and place in the bottom of the baking dish in a single layer, with the seam side down.
Continue this process until the baking dish is full of layers of rolled corn tortillas or flour tortillas.
Pour the cheesy sauce over the top of the tortillas, allowing it to fill into the sides of the baking dish.
Top it with the remaining shredded cheese.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the topping has melted and the sauce is bubbly.

Let’s make her pretty!

Optional: Garnish the top with chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream, a few sprinkles of paprika, and serve with salsa on the side.

What can I serve with Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole that the whole family will enjoy?

cheesy chicken enchilada casserole on a white gray plate with black fork and spanish mixed vegetables

You have so many options when deciding what to serve with this easy recipe. Black beans and Mexican rice are always a great addition to the meal. Or try a mixed green salad sprinkled with fresh corn, tomatoes, and slices of avocado. And of course, you can never go wrong with a scoop of tortilla chips and salsa.

Can I refrigerate Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole and reheat for another day?

Yes, but make certain you seal the assembled Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole up good and tight before refrigerating. Then heat and eat within two days.

cheesy chicken enchilada casserole in white baking dish with fiesta corn on the side

Can you freeze Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole?

You sure can and I highly recommend it! When you’re preparing for dinner, why not double up the recipe and make a second casserole while you’re at it. One night, fully exhausted from a long day, you may find yourself dreading the thought of cooking a meal. It’s at that moment when you’ll think of the Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole you have in the freezer and your life will instantly improve!

Looking for more tasty recipes? Try one of these …

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Coogan’s Kitchen

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 1

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1 35

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings servings

Equipment

9×13 baking dish
Large skillet or cast iron pan
Medium skillet
Cooking spray
Parchment paper
Small Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

Chicken

3 cups (1 to 1½ lbs) chicken breasts cut into tenders , cooked + shredded
kosher salt + black pepper , as needed
3 tbsp chicken fajita seasoning
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Veggies

2 tbsp unsalted butter (to saute onions, peppers, and garlic)
2 tbsp olive oil
8 small sweet peppers (red, yellow, + orange)
2 small jalapenos, seeded + diced
1 large white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1¼ cups chicken broth
1¼ cups heavy cream
1 tsp paprika

Cheesy Sauce

4 tbsp unsalted butter (for your roux)
3 tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth
¾ cup heavy cream
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper *optional
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 cup sour cream
kosher salt + pepper, to preferred taste
2 tbsp corn starch + 2 tbsp water (for sauce thickening, if needed)

Assembly

1 pkg corn or flour tortillas *or both
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend * plus a little extra to sprinkle on top
salsa (to serve with your meal)
sour cream (to garnish on top)
chopped cilantro (optional)

Instructions

Chicken

Season chicken tenders with kosher salt, pepper, and chicken fajita seasoning on a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour (or longer).
Add olive oil and butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Toss in seasoned chicken tenders and cook all the way through. Set aside to allow it to cool. Then shred the meat with two forks.

Veggies

Set your oven to broil and roast the sweet peppers on a baking pan until just slightly charred. Remove from oven.
Core and seed the jalapeno peppers. Then dice along with the sweet peppers.
Using a large skillet, saute the chopped onions and garlic in oil and butter over medium heat, until softened. Toss in cooked chicken tenders and stir in chicken broth and heavy cream.
Add 1 teaspoon of paprika, 3/4 of the diced peppers, and salt and pepper to preferred taste. Blend together well. Add a sprinkle or two of chicken fajita seasoning, if preferred. Then transfer to a separate bowl and set aside.

Cheesy Sauce

Using the same skillet to cook the chicken, melt butter over medium-high heat. Once melted, whisk in flour to combine. Continue to whisk for 1 to 2 minutes. This will create a nice roux to create the sauce.
Pour in the chicken broth and stir constantly for about 2 minutes. Then add heavy cream, 1 teaspoon paprika, 2 cups shredded cheese, and sour cream. Add a little sprinkle of cayenne pepper, tasting as you go.
* If the sauce is too thin, add a mixture of 2 tablespoons corn starch + 2 tablespoons of water, slowly to your cheese mixture until it is the desired consistency.
* If the sauce is too thick, slowly add more chicken broth until it reaches the desired consistency.

Assembling the Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Give yourself enough space to roll the enchiladas. A large piece of parchment paper works great and alleviates mess.
To begin assembly, you will have a package of tortillas, a chicken + veggie mixture, cheesy sauce, and a small bowl with 1 cup of shredded cheese.
Place 1 tortilla on the parchment paper. Add one scoop of the chicken mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Roll tightly and place in the baking dish, with the seam side down.
Continue this process until the baking dish is full of rolled tortillas.
Pour the cheesy sauce over the top of the tortillas, allowing it to fill into the sides of the baking dish.
Top it with shredded cheese.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the topping has melted and the sauce is bubbly.
Optional: Garnish the top with chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream, a few sprinkles of paprika, and serve with salsa on the side.

Chicken Options

Use a whole cut-up fryer chicken OR 4 chicken breasts, boiled in a large pot of water.
Fill a large cook pot about 3/4 of the way full with water, and add salt. Cut up a whole fryer chicken or use 4 large chicken breasts, add the pieces of chicken to the water, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low or medium-low to keep the water temperature at a steady boil and cook for about 25 minutes or until the chicken is white all the way through.
OR use leftover cooked chicken or a rotisserie chicken from the market. Shred the chicken and follow the above instructions.

Notes

Nutrition Disclaimer

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© Coogan’s KitchenAll content and images are copyright protected. Sharing the link for this recipe is encouraged and greatly appreciated, however copying and/or posting full recipes to any social media/blog/website without full credit and the appropriate link is prohibited. Thank you so much for understanding!

Keyword Casserole Recipes, Chicken Enchiladas, Comfort Food, Enchiladas, Family Night Dinners, Sunday Suppers

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© Coogan’s Kitchen. All content and images are copyright protected. Sharing the link for this recipe is encouraged and greatly appreciated, however copying and/or posting full recipes to any social media/blog/website without full credit and the appropriate link is prohibited. Thank you so much for understanding!