Layered Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This easy layered chicken enchilada casserole recipe is a flavorful alternative to traditional enchiladas — and was a standout hit with everyone here!

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Here’s an easy-peasy Layered Chicken Enchilada Casserole recipe to round out our collection for 2018: Just a little something I threw together with part of a fortuitously priced clearance pack of chicken from ALDI earlier this week.

What this recipe lacks in colorful looks, it makes up for in taste. You need just a few simple ingredients to create this whole pan full of comfort food — without the time or hassle involved in rolling up individual enchiladas.

Whenever you shop at ALDI (or elsewhere), be on the lookout for clearance meat to round out your week’s meals or to stock your freezer! And, if you see dollar-off stickers, always look for the smallest package available in order to save the most proportionally per pound.

• *** Find more ideas here on how to save on meat!

I picked up six pounds of chicken here for a little over $1.00/lb after clearance sticker, which I used to make three separate meals — along with plenty of leftovers.

Layered Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients

1-1.25 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1 Tbsp minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
20 oz green Enchilada sauce
1 can Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 oz cream cheese, cut into chunks
9 medium flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar or cheddar-jack

Directions

Trim chicken, slice it lengthwise to make it thinner, then cut it into about six pieces. Add the chicken, garlic, and enchilada sauce to a large pot. Simmer covered over medium heat for about 17 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, stirring and turning chicken over occasionally. (Note: If it starts to boil, reduce heat to medium-low.)

Meanwhile, rinse and drain the beans and chop the cream cheese into smaller chunks to help it melt more quickly. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Once chicken is cooked through, turn off the heat under the pot. Remove chicken to the baking dish temporarily (so that you don’t have to dirty another one), shred it with two forks, and return it to the pot.

Turn the heat under the pot back on to medium-low. Stir in the beans, then keep stirring in the cream cheese until it is melted. Turn the heat back off.

Start layering your chicken enchilada casserole into your prepared baking dish in the following order: About 1/3 of the chicken mixture across the bottom of the pan, then top that with three tortillas (tear to fit), then sprinkle with 1/3 of the shredded cheese.

Repeat this process until the casserole is fully assembled. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and browned and the chicken mixture is bubbly.

Let the chicken enchilada casserole sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing, then serve with your favorite fixings. (I highly recommend avocado and sour cream! Yum.)

Note: You can also substitute corn tortillas in this recipe, if you prefer those.

Yum. That’s all I can say about this chicken enchilada casserole, really!

How could this be bad, right? Layers of creamy chicken and beans alternate with cheesy tortillas, so that you get a bit of every type of goodness in every single bite. This easy layered chicken enchilada casserole is a flavorful alternative to traditional enchiladas — and was a hit with everyone here! I hope that your family enjoys it as much as mine does. 🙂

Layered Chicken Enchilada Casserole, printable recipe

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Layered Chicken Enchilada Casserole

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This easy layered chicken enchilada casserole recipe is a flavorful alternative to traditional enchiladas — and was a standout hit with everyone here!

Course dinner

Keyword chicken, chicken enchiladas, enchilada casserole, enchiladas

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6

Author Rachel Singer

Ingredients

• 1-1.25 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic about 6 cloves
• 20 oz green Enchilada sauce
• 1 can Cannellini beans rinsed and drained
• 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
• 4 oz cream cheese cut into chunks
• 9 medium flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded cheddar or cheddar-jack

Instructions

• Trim chicken, slice it lengthwise to make it thinner, then cut it into about six pieces. Add the chicken, garlic, and enchilada sauce to a large pot. Simmer covered over medium heat for about 17 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, stirring and turning chicken over occasionally. (Note: If it starts to boil, reduce heat to medium-low.)
• Meanwhile, rinse and drain the beans and chop the cream cheese into smaller chunks to help it melt more quickly. 
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
• Once chicken is cooked through, turn off the heat under the pot. Remove chicken to the baking dish temporarily (so that you don’t have to dirty another one), shred it with two forks, and return it to the pot.
• Turn the heat under the pot back on to medium-low. Stir in the beans, then keep stirring in the cream cheese until it is melted. Turn the heat back off.
• Start layering your chicken enchilada casserole into your prepared baking dish in the following order: About 1/3 of the chicken mixture across the bottom of the pan, then top that with three tortillas (tear to fit), then sprinkle with 1/3 of the shredded cheese.
• Repeat this process until the casserole is fully assembled. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and browned and the chicken mixture is bubbly.
• Let the chicken enchilada casserole sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing, then serve with your favorite fixings. (I highly recommend avocado and sour cream! Yum.)

Notes

You can also substitute corn tortillas in this recipe, if you prefer those.

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