Chicken Enchilada Casserole

From the kitchen of Carly

Stack instead of roll. The casserole approach to enchiladas: layered tortillas, sauce-poached shredded chicken, and a generous Monterey Jack pour. Less fiddly than rolling, same flavor, feeds the table. Make this a day ahead and refrigerate before baking; the layers set up firmer and slice cleaner.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Total
45 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
easy

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 14 oz jarred enchilada sauce (mild or medium)
  • 3 cupsMonterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • 6 tortillascorn tortillas
  • 2boneless skinless chicken breasts

Instructions

  1. Cut each chicken breast into 3 pieces so they cook faster. Place in a small saucepan.

  2. Pour the enchilada sauce over the chicken. Cover and cook on low to medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so the sauce doesn't scorch on the bottom. The chicken cooks straight in the sauce; no extra water needed.

  3. Lift the chicken out with tongs onto a plate. Reserve the sauce in the pan.

  4. Shred the chicken with two forks while it's still hot. It pulls apart easier this way.

  5. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

  6. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce across the bottom of a baking dish. A long rectangular dish works best so two tortillas fit side by side.

  7. Layer 1: lay 2 tortillas on the sauce. Top with 1/3 of the shredded chicken, 1/3 of the remaining sauce, and 1/3 of the cheese.

  8. Layer 2: 2 more tortillas, then chicken, sauce, cheese.

  9. Layer 3: 2 final tortillas, then the rest of the chicken, sauce, and cheese on top.

  10. Bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, until bubbly and the cheese on top has started to brown.

  11. Rest 5 minutes before scooping into bowls.

Substitutions
  • Monterey Jack to sharp cheddar, pepper jack, or queso quesadilla. Pepper jack adds heat. Quesadilla cheese melts like Jack but tastes a touch milder.
  • chicken breasts to rotisserie chicken or leftover roast chicken. Skip the poaching; warm the shredded meat in 1 cup of the sauce for 5 minutes instead.
  • enchilada sauce to salsa or fire-roasted tomato sauce. Salsa is chunkier; tomato sauce is smoother. Both work; adjust salt to taste.

Pairs well with: Cilantro lime rice and black beans on the side, A green salad with avocado and lime vinaigrette, Cold Mexican lager or a margarita

Adapted from TheMealDB.