This fast and easy chicken enchilada casserole is loaded with black beans and vegetables and then baked to cheesy perfection! A perfect way to make a tasty weeknight meal, this casserole combines different cultures and palates, culminating in one big, satisfying meal the whole family can enjoy.
Rather than buying a chicken why not learn How To Make Rotisserie Chicken in your Crockpot to use the leftovers for this recipe? Make sure to check out this Easy Chunky Homemade Guacamole Recipe for the perfect side!
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Enchiladas have a bit of a reputation as being something that you can only really enjoy when out at your favorite Mexican restaurant.
But what if you could make your own enchiladas, and not only enjoy them in the comfort of your own home, but turn them into a big, filling, and satisfying casserole as well?
Should You Make Your Own Enchilada Sauce?
This recipe uses a convenient enchilada sauce, either from your favorite supermarket or a Mexican brand.
However, there is always a temptation to make your very own sauces when it comes to recipes like this.
Homemade enchilada sauce is basically nothing more than a simple blended concoction of tomato paste, stock, onions, garlic, and a few Mexican seasonings, making it really easy to make yourself.
Keep in mind, though, that because it is so simple, there isn’t really a lot of extra flavors gained by making your own – unless you really put a lot of effort into it, you might just be better off buying it from a store.
Basically, feel free to be extra and make it yourself, but just make sure it is worth it for you.
How To Serve Your Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Garnishing is always going to be a personal decision, as garnishing a dish is how you add a huge amount of personality to it.
The key thing is to consider that you want to garnish it for visual appearance, but you also want to add a few extra bits for flavor as well.
Things like cilantro give both a visual appearance, but also a good hit of flavor, whereas avocado can do that, while also providing a little bit of additional texture as well.
In the very least, you want to add a good-sized dollop of sour cream as well – not only will the fattiness contrast beautifully with the typically acidic sauce; but sour cream is also just… really good, so why not add it where you can?
What To Do With Leftover Casserole
Casseroles are one of those dishes that are basically guaranteed to end up as leftovers by the end of dinnertime.
This isn’t because it doesn’t taste good – it is simply because of the immutable law of casseroles that there is always more than you could possibly eat in one sitting.
For this casserole, you should absolutely store any leftovers in the fridge for the next day.
If you have loads of leftovers, feel free to store them in the freezer instead. Just make sure that you keep them in a really tightly sealed, lidded container, and make sure to press as much of the air out of it as possible.
If you struggle to avoid freezer burn, try storing your casserole in lidded containers with a sheet of plastic wrap pressed down on top of them to really make sure they don’t get touched by any air whatsoever.
Could You Use Other Proteins In Your Casserole?
While chicken is a mainstay of many households for a reason, why not consider going down the route of a different form of protein instead?
- Grilled Vegetables
Okay, grilled vegetables aren’t exactly a main source of protein, but there is still a lot of flavor and health to be gained by using veggies instead of meat in your casserole!
- Pulled Pork
Pulled pork is not only arguably the best meat in the world, but it is perfect for this kind of recipe. The meat sits in the casserole, clinging to your sauce and lending every bite a ton of porky flavor.
- Beef Mince
The classic meat choice for things like this, simple beef mince might look boring, but if you get the higher fat varieties, there is an insane amount of flavor hidden there.
Looking for more delicious weeknight Casserole recipes? Try these out:
• Crock Pot Lazy Pierogi Casserole
• Hamburger Hotdish Tater Tot Casserole
Happy Cooking
Love,
Karlynn
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Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 18 small corn tortillas
- 1 medium medium yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 medium red bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- one 14 ounce can black beans (rinsed and drained)
- one 7 ounce can corn niblets (drained)
- one 4.5 ounce can diced green chilis
- 2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce
- 3 cups shredded Monterey jack
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Toppings
- chopped avocado
- sour cream
- chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Pour 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 pan and spread over the bottom in an even layer. Set aside the remainder of the sauce.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, then add in the red pepper. Cook until both are soft, then add in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Stir in the black beans, corn, chicken, and green chilis. Saute for 4-5 minutes, until the ingredients are hot.
- Pour in the remaining enchilada sauce and stir to coat everything.
- Place 6 tortillas on top of the enchilada sauce in the pan, overlapping them to cover the bottom completely.
- Spread out 1/3 of the hot bean mixture on top of the tortillas.
- Spinkle one cup of Monterey Jack on top, followed by 1/2 cup shredded cheddar.
- Top with another layer of tortillas and repeat, making two more layers of tortillas/mixture/cheese, finishing with a layer of cheese on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling through the top in places and the cheese has melted. If needed, cover the top lightly with foil to prevent the cheese from browning too much.
- Garnish with the avocado,sour cream and cilantro, then slice like a lasagna and serve.
Cindy says
Great recipe!! So glad to find one that doesn’t use canned soups!!
We use two red peppers and two cans green chilies as we like a little more kick😏
B says
My family is on a special diet and many of your yummy recipes show no nutrition information!
This is very disappointing as I cannot adapt or use without this
Please include this information as often as possible so that we can continue to use your site!
Thanks! B
Bonnie says
Nutrition info? Cannot make it without calorie count! Thanx!