Foolproof Chicken Enchilada Casserole (with veggies!) - Hummusapien (2024)

Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole layered with corn tortillas, refried beans, and cheese, made extra convenient with frozen veggies, rotisserie chicken and jarred sauce. The ultimate dump and bake weeknight meal the whole family will love! This feeds a crowd and is packed with flavor, fiber, protein, and cheesy goodness. It's on repeat at our house! Gluten free.

My very first chicken recipe, wowza! Look how far we've come. If you read my post about my journey to eating meat again, you know that I'm in a place where very easy, "beginner" level chicken recipes are my jam. Don't try to get technical with me!

Soul-nourishing layers of punchy enchilada sauce, ooey gooey cheese, refried beans, veggies, and shredded chicken...that's what I'm talking about. But make it easy!

This recipe made introducing meat feel waaaaay more accessible. Truly anyone can successfully make it, no crazy carnivore experience necessary.

You'll find a dozen variations of this recipe on the internet but this is mine. It's special to me because even thought it's just a simple recipe, it's been a gateway to finding my true self again.

Ingredients

If you've been itching to break lose but the thought of raw chicken gives you the heebie jeebies, I gotchu!

• Chicken breast: Cook from raw chicken or use pre-cooked chicken, like rotisserie chicken. You'll need about 1 ½ pounds or 3 cups shredded chicken.
• Enchilada sauce: It wouldn't be enchilada sauce without it!
• Salsa: Choose whatever spice level you like. I love the combo of salsa and enchilada sauce for extra moisture. You could also sub more enchilada sauce.
• Cheese: Shredded cheddar, Monterey jack, colby jack...they're all yummy. Yes, it's ideal to grate a block of cheese for superior texture but I'm not gonna lie and said I did that. This is a time-saving recipe after all!
• Refried beans: A can of refried beans adds delish flavor and a fiber boost. You can omit them if you hate beans.
• Peppers and corn: Texture and veggie goodness. Bonus points if they're fire-roasted!
• Chiles: An added layer of tang and flavor.

Behind the scenes of recipe testing

I've made this recipe approximately 97 times. Sometimes I use fresh veggies, sometimes I use no veggie. Sometimes I use pre-cooked chicken, sometimes not.

On a mission to make a chicken enchilada casserole that could become a weeknight staple, I tested this a bunch of times and landed on this version. Here'sthe whybehind it all:

1. The more cheese the merrier, no secret there. When I made it with less cheese and it's just not as good. This isn't a dish I recommend trying to "health-ify."
2. Diced green chiles add a little something extra flavor-wise. I don't recommend skipping them!
3. You can use more enchilada sauce in place of salsa, but don't use more salsa in place of the enchilada sauce (sauce has a more concentrated flavor). Green and red both work, just make sure you like the flavor.
4. I really thought refried beans are superior here compared to black beans. They're already seasoned so it just makes it more flavorful.
5. Corn and peppers add much-needed texture! Without them, it's rather mush-forward. But we have lots of options with veggies; you can use spinach or broccoli or whatever you love. Just be sure to cook them first or else the casserole will be watery.
6. It tastes the same with rotisseries chicken or chicken you cook at home, just be sure to season the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder if you cook from raw. Season every layer always!

Let's make it!

Cook frozen bell peppers and corn until softened.

Top with half the cooked veggies, half the beans, half the chiles, half the chicken, and ½ cup cheese. Add half the salsa.

See Also

Breakfast Casserole So Good, It'll Become a Tradition53 Praise-Worthy Vintage Church Cookbook Recipes - PinkWhen32 Slow Cooker Dinners and Sides to Warm Your Soul20 Best Strawberry Recipes

Place ¾ cup enchilada sauce in the baking dish. Top with 4 tortillas.

Repeat with 4 more tortillas (8 halves), remaining veggies, beans, chiles and chicken, another ½ cup cheese.

Top with salsa, remaining tortillas and enchilada sauce. Add ¾ cup of cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.

How to serve

I like serving this beaut with extra salsa and guacamole on the side. Tortilla chips are an added bonus for crunch!

A bright green salad with pepitas on the side is divine to round out the meal.

Let me know in the comments if you make this one! I hope it can be an equally easy and delish meal you come back to time and time again.

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