Cheesy chicken enchilada filling over rice
Enchiladas are one of my go-to Mexican dishes. However, if I am serving a crowd or need to make dinner on a tight timeline, the process of filling and rolling each enchilada simply won’t work. The solution? An enchilada casserole!
The beauty of this dish is its simplicity. You don’t have to have perfectly thawed meat, you don’t even have to bake the casserole for hours, you only have to have a few ingredients on hand and in under an hour you will have cheesy enchilada goodness.
Start by making your rice. This will form the bottom layer of your casserole. I own a rice cooker so I simply press a button and let it do all the work for me. Rice will take about 20 minutes which gives you time to fix the rest of your dish.
In a large frying pan you will cook your cubed chicken with your spices until it is cooked through. I cut my chicken in pretty small pieces to help it cook quickly. Frequently I start with only partially thawed chicken breasts as well – they are easier to cut in this state. After the chicken is cooked, add in a can of chiles and a package of cream cheese and stir to combine. This is your next layer.
Your layers are enchilada sauce (green is my preference for this recipe) and shredded cheddar cheese, rice, and chicken. Once your rice is done, all you have to do is layer the rice, enchilada sauce, chicken filling, and finally cheese in a 9×13 pan in that order. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or broil on high until the cheese and sauce is bubbly and melted. The broiling method only works if you have made sure your rice and filling were hot when you layered it in your pan.
Remove your casserole from the oven and enjoy! I enjoy this casserole with a salad on the side. A fresh salad, such as this Fresh Mexican Salad, pairs perfectly with this meal and is easy to mix up while the casserole bakes. You could also serve with chips and salsa as an appetizer if you don’t have time to make a salad.
– The Recipe –
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
prep time: 10min
total time: 30-50min
makes: 8, 1 1/2 c servings
Ingredients
- 2 c uncooked rice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2.75 c water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 chicken breasts cubed
- 2 tsp papricka
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 oz can of green chiles
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 10 oz can of green enchilada sauce
- 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
- Cook the rice with a 1/4 tsp salt and water in either a rice cooker or on medium low heat on the stove.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit
- In a large frying pan, sauté on medium high heat the chicken in the oil. Adding the spices as the chicken cooks.
- Once the chicken is cooked (about 5-7 minutes) add the chiles and cream cheese.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and stir until the cream cheese is melted.
- Spray the bottom of a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray.
- Add the rice in a layer on the bottom of the pan then pour the enchilada sauce on top. Next add the chicken. Finally, cover the top with the cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes (or if the filling and rice are hot broil on high for 5 minutes) until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Apricity 