This is a creamy chicken enchilada casserole recipe that will have your taste buds cheering "YAY!" One baking dish will bring together a sour cream sauce with corn tortillas, shredded chicken breasts, green chiles, and creamy cheesy goodness for a special dinner the whole family will love. It's a synch to make for busy nights so let's start cooking.
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A Twist on a Family Favorite
This super easy recipe takes a twist on a more traditional sour cream chicken enchilada recipe by layering all of the ingredients in one big casserole dish. Because of that, this recipe is quicker to make than a traditional enchilada where you would roll up individual enchiladas. We still get all of the great flavors you are looking for though with green enchilada sauce, spices, and melted cheese.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole Ingredients
I don't think I've met an easy Mexican dish that I didn't like. This one is a great weeknight recipe because most of the simple ingredients are always on hand.
- 12 corn tortillas
- 3 cups shredded chicken
- 3 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup green enchilada sauce
- 4 ounces diced green chilis
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- cumin
- black pepper
- salt
*You can use flour tortillas if you prefer. More ingredient substitutions listed below.
Making the Sour Cream Sauce
This amazing sour cream sauce just needs to be heated up in a sauce pot and stirred until it's smooth.
Combine the sour cream, room temperature cream cheese, chicken broth, enchilada sauce and green chilies in a medium sauce pot over medium heat. As the sauce heats, the sour cream and cream cheese will melt into the other ingredients. Whisk or stir the sauce it's smooth and then turn off the heat.
Preparing the Chicken
So, there are a lot of ways you can get 3 cups of shredded chicken. We prefer all-white meat chicken from either chicken breast or tenders, but this is your recipe now. You choose what you want.
- Cook chicken breasts just for this recipe. I season 2 pounds of chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then I drizzle them with a little avocado oil and bake them at 350˚F on a sheet pan for 25 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165F. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, I put on disposable gloves and hand shred the meat.
- Leftover Chicken. If you have any leftovers from a grocery store rotisserie chicken or your own chicken from a roast, use it here.
- Pre-cooked chicken. Whether you like canned, frozen, or any kind of precooked chicken, I won't judge.
How to Assemble Enchilada Casserole
Once all of your ingredients are measured and assembled, it's all downhill from there.
- Toast the tortillas in a pan with a little olive oil just until they have blistered on the edges.
- To layer the casserole, start with a few spoonfuls of sour cream sauce in the base of your baking dish. Then layer the tortillas, top with half of the chicken, 1 cup of shredded cheese, and more sauce.
- Repeat with another layer of chicken, cheese, and sauce topped with a final layer of tortillas.
- Pour the rest of your sour cream sauce over the top and all of the remaining cheese.
Bake the casserole at 350˚F for 20 minutes. Increase the temperature to 375˚F for an additional 5 minutes of cooking so the top get's just a little golden brown. YUM. YUM. YUM!
Kitchen Equipment and Supplies Needed
The best part of this recipe, no special equipment required.
- 9x13 baking dish
- Large bowl for the shredded chicken
- Maybe a cheese grater if you're like me and shred the cheese yourself
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Garnishes and Serving Suggestions
I love to garnish with fresh cilantro or sliced green onions because it creates the feeling like I have my life together. If you use fresh herbs to garnish, you are winning! I also like diced avocado with a squeeze of lime for the bright pop of citrus.
For a good side dish, black beans are a quick and easy option that compliment the soft meaty texture of the chicken casserole. A traditional Mexican rice is always a good option too.
Recipe Modifications and Substitutions
Optional Add-ins: black olives, diced bell peppers, or cooked mined onions are all good additions to your sour cream enchiladas.
More Spices: chili powder, paprika, or Mexican oregano all fit the flavor profile here if you want a little more.
No cream cheese: substitute for cream of chicken soup. This ingredient is a stabilizer and thickener, so either option will work.
Other Cheese Options: I love the melting factor and flavor of Monterey Jack cheese, however, you can also use sharp white cheddar cheese, pepper jack, or a shredded cheese blend.
Extra Protein: if you are woman trying to increase your total grams of daily protein or just like it meatier than most, you can fit up to 4 cups of shredded chicken in to this casserole dish. Stay strong, ladies!
How to Save, Reheat, and Freeze Leftover Casserole
How to SAVE: transfer leftovers to an airtight container such as glass snap ware. Keep refrigerated for 3-4 days or follow instructions for freezing.
Vacuum Seal to FREEZE: you can also transfer individual portions of leftover enchilada casserole to a freezer bag. Gently remove the air with the pulse option so you don't squish the casserole. After it is sealed, place in the freezer for up to 6 months.
REHEAT: the next day, you can reheat leftover casserole in the microwave on a half power or "casserole" option. Heat for 60 seconds. It also helps if you cut the portion in half to allow air circulation for more even heating.
More Mexican Food For Any Night of the Week
If you think this casserole is a great recipe, check out these:
Sour Crean Chicken Enchilada Recipe Card
Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Recipe
Equipment
- 1 9x13 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 12 corn tortilla or flour if preferred
- 3 cups shredded chicken
- 3 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature is best
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ½ cup green enchilada sauce
- 4 ounces diced green chilis
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Sour Cream Sauce
- Set a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add the cream cheese, chicken stock, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
- While the sauce heats, gently stir until the cream cheese and sour cream have incorporated completely.
- Once the sour cream sauce is smooth, add the diced green chilis and ½ cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Continue to stir and increase the heat to medium. When the sauce comes to a low bubble and the cheese has melted, turn off the heat.
Assemble the Enchilada Casserole
- Preheat your oven to 350˚F.
- Set a medium pan over medium high heat and add a light coating of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, toast one tortilla at a time until they are slightly blistered.
- To assemble the casserole, pour ½ of a cup of the sour cream cream sauce in the baking dish and spread it evenly. Layer the bottom with a single layer of corn tortillas. To that, add half the chicken, 1 cup of cheese, and another layer of tortillas. Repeat with more sauce, shredded chicken, and shredded cheese.
- Finish the top layer of the casserole with the rest of the sour cream sauce and shredded cheese.
- Bake the casserole at 350°F for 20 minutes. Increase the temperature to 375°F and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before.
- Cut and serve. Garnish with fresh cilantro or sliced green onions if desired.
Nutrition
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