This past Sunday I was a dinner organizing machine! I prepped various components for dinners this week to make my life easier and dinner quicker. One of those prepped items was my salsa chicken recipe, which I love and make all the time. Having done that, it saved me so much time making this enchilada casserole!
The funny thing is, I meant to actually make enchiladas but I had one of those nights that truthfully, I was lazy. The night before I made sausage lasagna and thought “hey, I could just layer these and save the time of rolling!”. I did just that and will never go back! This was so delicious and quick…easily a new weekly staple of mine.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
You’ll need:
2 chicken breasts
1 Jar Salsa
3 cups shredded cheese (I used Pepper Jack and Cheddar)
3 sliced green onions or 3 tbl cilantro (whatever you have on hand!)
5 corn tortillas (1 cut into quarters)
1 Jar Enchilada sauce
2 chicken breasts
1 Jar Salsa
3 cups shredded cheese (I used Pepper Jack and Cheddar)
3 sliced green onions or 3 tbl cilantro (whatever you have on hand!)
5 corn tortillas (1 cut into quarters)
1 Jar Enchilada sauce
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Simmer the chicken with a jar of salsa until cooked through and tender. Shred the chicken and reserve. I grated my own cheese because I think it melts better but obviously the pre-shredded saves a ton of time! So use whatever you prefer.
This was the first time I used this Trader Joe’s enchilada sauce and it was actually pretty darn delicious!
Butter or spray your baking dish and pour in about 1/2 cup sauce to coat the bottom.
I cut one of the tortillas into quarters to fit my baking dish to avoid too much overlapping (more carbs). This sort of felt like a food puzzle and I love puzzles!
Use about half of the chicken for the first layer and just spread it out evenly.
Pour a nice layer of enchilada sauce over the chicken, about 1/2-3/4 cup. Also sprinkle on a layer of fresh green onions or cilantro.
I’m a cheese lover so it’s easy to go overboard! Layer half the cheese over the chicken without neglecting any corners or edges!
Repeat the process all over again, alternating the corners with the quarter pieces.
I gave the top layer a more generous pour of enchilada sauce because I like things saucy!
Top with every last shred of cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and melty.
Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.
I prefer the cheese past the golden stage. This is true for frozen pizza as well. I like when the edges and corner are slightly crisp and caramelized.
Holy moly. This is so good! I was in a hurry to eat otherwise I would have topped this with sour cream, jalapenos, fresh cilantro, black olives, guacamole, tortilla chips, shredded lettuce…possibilities are truly endless!
Enjoy!!
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Welcome! I’m a trained chef, wife, mom of two littles, and a small business owner. Here you’ll find tasty recipes, cooking tips/tricks, some motherhood content, and occasional things I’m loving at the moment. Thanks for visiting!
I just made this for dinner! Its in the oven cooking. It looks and smells so yummy!
I'm so glad to hear that! How did it turn out? Email me a picture!
looks yummy! fresh and healthy