Name: Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 4 cups cooked chicken breast (cooked chicken thighs work well too, or rotisserie chicken); 16 white corn tortillas (or yellow although I prefer white corn); 4 cups mozzarella cheese (or other cheese blend - do not use pre-packaged shredded cheese); 14.5 oz canned black beans (my favorite brand is Gyro or use homemade black beans); 1-1/2 cups enchilada sauce; 1 cup low sodium chicken broth; 2 tbsp all purpose flour; 2 tbsp grape-seed oil (or other cooking oil)

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From the oven to the table, this hot, sauce-y, bubbly Chicken Enchilada Casserole loaded with chicken, black beans and melt-y cheese is easy, tasty and bakes in 25 minutes.

So, here's the deal. I must admit that I love the idea of meal prepping but in reality I'm inconsistent and that's okay. Certain weeks I have good intentions on planning ahead by spending a couple hours cutting this and roasting that but unfortunately it just doesn't always happen and that's when I turn to meals like this easy chicken enchilada casserole.

Luckily, I had some left over grilled chicken breast from the other day in my fridge and the other chicken enchilada casserole ingredients in my pantry.

If you do not have any leftover chicken, grab a rotisserie chicken from Costco, Sprouts, Albertsons, Ralphs or your favorite local grocery store and you're well on your way to making a delicious, easy, and stress-free weeknight dinner.

On the other hand, if you're making the chicken yourself. Season some boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs really well with a minimum of kosher salt and black pepper. I also love using a Cajun spice blend seasoning. Heat up 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet and place over medium high heat and sear both sides of the chicken until no longer pink and the internal temperature has reach 165 degrees F.

Ingredient List

Chicken (grilled, baked, or rotisserie)
White Corn tortillas
Red enchilada sauce (store bought or homemade)
Black beans (store bought or homemade)
Mozzarella cheese (or cheese blend)
Cilantro for garnish (optional)

Essentials

Cast iron skillet (or oven-safe baking dish)
Can opener
Knife or kitchen shears for cutting chicken breast into cubes

How to make chicken enchilada casserole

Chicken

If you have already prepared chicken, either shred it up or cut it into cubes as I did using chicken breast and set aside.

Enchilada Sauce

When using canned enchilada sauce from the grocery store, I always "doctor it up", so it tastes even better and less spicy.

I started doing this when my son was younger as he always complained about the sauce being too spicy. I can't remember where I read this Pro-tip, but it worked like a charm.

Add 2 tablespoon of cooking oil to a skillet and place of medium high heat
Add 2 tablespoon of flour to the skillet and cook for a few minutes
Whisk in 1 cup of chicken broth and 1 large can of your favorite enchilada sauce
Allow the enchilada sauce to simmer for about 5 minutes

Black Beans

Open a can of black beans and drain all the liquid reserving the black beans.

How to Assemble

Place about ¼ cup of enchilada sauce to the bottom of the skillet or casserole dish
Add a layer of tortillas and more enchilada sauce
Add a layer of black beans and chicken
Add a layer of shredded cheese
Add a layer of tortillas
Another layer of enchilada sauce
Another layer of black beans and chicken
Another layer of shredded cheese
Add the 3rd layer of tortillas
Another layer of enchilada sauce
Top with more shredded cheese
Place in a preheated 400 degree oven for 25 minutes or until the cheese is nice and bubbly
Garnish with cilantro (optional) and enjoy

step 3 of layering chicken enchilada casserole

step 2 of layering chicken enchilada casserole

step 1 to layering chicken enchilada casserole

What to serve with enchiladas

This chicken enchilada casserole recipe is great on its own of course also feel free to top with a dollop of guacamole, sour cream, or spoon over fresh salsa or pico de gallo.

Serve alongside:

A fresh green salad
A Mexican salad
Black beans
Refried beans

Can you make ahead

You can absolutely make chicken enchilada casserole ahead. All you need to do is to make sure all the chicken, tortillas, cheese, and enchilada sauce or at least at room temperature.

Grab your skillet or baking dish and begin layering then wrap securely with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.

The next day remove the casserole from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Remove the plastic wrap and place in a preheated 400 degree oven and bake until the cheese is nice and bubbly.

Tips

My number 1 tip when it comes to baking casserole dishes like this is to grate the cheese yourself. It melts beautifully unlike pre-shredded cheese which has a preservative that prevents the cheese from clumping which also means that the cheese doesn't melt well.
Store bought rotisserie chicken is definitely a time-saver or plan ahead and make a double batch of baked or grilled chicken.
You can use either yellow or white corn tortillas. I've always preferred white corn over yellow corn.
Do not use corn tortillas that are labeled 'thin' I find that these do not hold up very well against the enchilada sauce. In my opinion.
No need to preheat the corn tortillas for this dish. You can use the tortillas straight from the package.