Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Add to CollectionCheesy 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.
Equipment
- 9x13 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 9x13 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
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