Layered with gooey cheese, enchilada sauce, shredded chicken, and those yummy, refried beans – it takes only 15 minutes to prepare this delicious Mexican casserole.
Just 15 minutes to prepare and five little old ingredients to layer and you are on your way to sitting back, popping on your favorite 30-minute show, and waiting on the oven to melt everything into ooey-gooey deliciousness.
There’s nothing kids won’t love here – just lots of melted cheese. There are no adult add-ons like hot peppers that might make it overly spicy either. In short, as far as kid and family-friendly goes, this could become your guaranteed delicious, go-to Mexican casserole.
Plus, despite the fact that it’s so quick to table, you can feel really good about serving this casserole to your family because it uses no artificial ingredients or spice blends. Instead, you get the more distinctive and delicious flavor that comes from using healthier-sourced and fresher ingredients.
You and Your Family Will LOVE This Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Boy, do my clients love this casserole. Just yesterday, my client Beth called and said, “Whatever the layered Mexican thing was, me and Zach (her hubby) didn’t get much of this. The boys (three hard-charging, tween and teen boys I now cook for: Luke, 14, Drew, 12, and Will, 11) devoured it before we’d even come to the table. Could you please make two of those each mealtime and four frozen ones for big after-practice meals for the boys?”
Then Jillian calls, “That Mexican casserole chicken thingy”- everyone loved that and they want that again for the next three weeks, with two freezer casseroles for snacks.”
So yeah, I’m glad I tried this as the Mexican bake of choice for them last week (I give all my clients a day where it can be “Italian Day: Chef’s bake of choice” or “Mexican Day: Chef’s bake of choice” and if they choose that, that’s a good way for me to try out a recipe and see if it’s a hit – and boy was it.
These good boys help me and my disabled veteran, Sherry, in so many ways, from helping us catch a wayward running pup to heavy lifting of portable air conditioners up long flights of stairs. Indeed, Luke, Drew, and Will (who love all things Star Wars) would get Yoda’s stamp of approval any day, because as Yoda says, “do or do not, there is no try.” And these boys most definitely “do”- as young Jedis should.
How to Make Ahead and Store
This is so quick to throw together, the only things to do are air fry or bake those chicken parts and get them all done and flavorful and make a bunch of enchilada sauce to freeze for later! Yum. Once cooked, you can refrigerate leftovers for 3 days or freeze an entire casserole for 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with some Homemade Tortilla Chips, some Easy Bean Dip (if you, wisely, used a rotisserie chicken, you’ll have plenty of leftover shredded chicken to sprinkle over this dip) and my new favorite Mexican-inspired corn salad Esquites – all my clients adore this.
I’ve also been making a lot of these new salsas that combine just the right hint of fruit to create the most delicious hot, sweet, sour, tangy, acidic complements to any Mexican side or entrée. Try this Homemade Watermelon Salsa for example.
And, if you like this casserole I bet you’ll really love these easy-peasy Sheet Pan Nachos.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce store-bought or homemade
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 6-8 small flour tortillas corn tortillas are also fine
- 1 can refried beans
Instructions
- Start by heating your oven to 375°F, which will be just the right temperature to bake the casserole to perfection.
- Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9×9-inch baking dish to create a non-stick surface and add a bit of flavor to the bottom tortillas.
- Lay down two tortillas in the dish, slightly overlapping them to cover the base completely, forming the first layer of your casserole.
- Evenly spread half of the refried beans over the tortillas, followed by half of the shredded chicken, half a cup of cheese, and pour about 3/4 cup of enchilada sauce over it. Repeat these layers one more time to build your casserole.
- Finish by topping the casserole with the remaining enchilada sauce and the rest of the cheese. Cover the dish with aluminum foil that’s been lightly greased to prevent sticking.
- Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and continue to bake for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.
- Let the casserole sit for about 15 minutes after baking. This rest time helps the layers set, making it easier to cut and serve. Garnish as desired with fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime, a dollop of sour cream, or some avocado slices.
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