Weeknight dinners. We all have to make them. And we all know there are many a nights when, after a busy day we just want to get some food on the table. As. fast. as. possible!!
But, of course, you don’t want to chintz on your taste buds. I mean, if I am going to spend time prepping food and getting it ready for dinner, it better taste good!!
Well one week night dish that I crave a lot is enchiladas. We love mexican food in our family and on the weekends, my husband Erik can whip up some amazing authentic mexican meals as a result of his Hispanic heritage and his work as an intern at Chicago’s Frontera Grill.
But I don’t have those kinds of skills or time during the week to make all that happen. So I definitely take some shortcuts. (Nothing wrong with that when you’re trying to get dinner on the table for your family during a hectic week. ;))
One thing I hate spending time on is rolling up the tortillas around the mixture. I mean seriously; “Ain’t nobody got time for that”, right? So I make it easier on myself by just layering the tortillas flat. That way, this whole dish turns out like an enchilada lasagna.
It tastes yummy, it’s easy to make and the kids like it because it has a bit of spice but not too much, you know what I mean!! (By the way, if you need to adjust the spice level for your kids, you can always omit the green chiles and use plain diced tomatoes!)
We busy adults have got to put dinner on the table for our families. Why not make it a yummy meal without all the hassle! This Chicken Enchilada Verde Bake is the perfect weeknight meal for your busy schedule. It has all the flavor you are looking for without all the fuss! That is muy bueno in my book!! 😉
Ingredients
- 1 lb of rotisserie chicken breast meat, shredded ( Or use your own cooked shredded chicken)
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 1 10 oz can of chile verde enchilada sauce (divided)
- 1 10 oz can of diced tomatoes with green chiles (drained)
- 1 4 oz can of mild green chiles
- 1 8 oz package of shredded mexican cheese blend (divided)
- 18 soft corn tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- Reserve 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce and 1/2 a cup of the cheese for later. Put aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the shredded chicken, the sour cream, the enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes, chiles and cheese together until well blended.
- Spray a large 9/13 glass baking dish with cooking spray and lay down six tortillas to cover the bottom of the dish.
- Spread about half of the chicken mixture thinly, and evenly on top of the tortillas. Cover the mixture with another layer of 6 tortillas. Spread the rest of the chicken mixture on top and cover with the remaining tortillas.
- Using the reserved enchilada sauce, cover the top of the tortillas evenly with the sauce and sprinkle the reserved cheese evenly on top.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top of the cheese develops a slight crust.
- Slice and serve immediately.
Try these similar recipes:
Grilled Tri-tip Tacos with Homemade Tortillas
I love chicken enchiladas! This bake looks so much simpler and it looks amazing! Pinned 🙂 Hope you have a great weekend!
Thanks for the pin Chelsea!! 🙂
These look great and looks quick and easy. Just printed it and probably will try next week!
I’m excited about trying it out. Thanks!
Cool Jen! Let me know how it turns out!! 🙂
Hey, just wanted to let you know I fixed this for dinner Saturday night. It was so good! And so easy. Jeremy loved it too! Thanks for the new dish! I’m always looking for new recipes to try (that aren’t too complicated) and have in our dinner rotation. =)
Oh good Jen! I’m glad it worked well for you! Thanks for letting me know!! 🙂
This looks divine! I love enchiladas, so this bake would be great for me to try out!
Thanks Jessica!! 🙂
This looks sssooo good! And, I love that it’s much easier than rolling each tortilla. That always takes so much time!
Any little minute we can save right Kristi!! 🙂
Green chile anything, yes please!
Also, Frontera Grill? How cool! I ate there once. It was fantastic. I still dream about the mole!
Isn’t Frontera Grill amazing!! Yes, my husband had a wonderful experience there as an intern. And now he gets to use those great skills he learned on food for our family!! We ARE lucky!! 🙂
yum! looks really good! such a comforting dish!
Thanks Sarah and Arkadi!! 🙂
What a great idea Renee! Even when I do roll up the enchiladas, they never come out perfect enough anyway. This “lasagna” version is much easier, and I bet it tastes even better.
Exactly Natalie!! Mine never turn out perfect either so why bother rolling!! 🙂
I’ve been making enchiladas like crazy lately, and one was a layered version like this. The kids went crazy over it, and it was so nice to make something that made everybody happy! This would be a hit in our house, too — it looks delicious, Renee!
My kids are the same way Marcie!! 🙂
I love enchiladas too- but you’re right! Rolling is for the birds. This is a great idea and I love that you added green chiles!
I love green chiles too!! and I love your line……”rolling is for the birds”!! SO true Allie!! 🙂
I am with you on the rolling up tortilla around the filling. It seems that I am always trying to hurry them on before the kids decide they want mommy. Trying to roll tortillas with a kid in one hand? Well you get the point!
This looks so tasty and yummy – I will have to try it out!
Too funny Zan!! 🙂
Ohh you are so speaking my language. I LOVE chicken enchiladas, but hate the hassle, like you said, of having to roll them up. This enchilada bake is just perfect for busy weeknight dinners AND for Cinco de Mayo coming up! 😀
Thank you Sarah!! 🙂
Love that there’s no rolling involved! I always put too much filling in and end up ripping the corn tortillas!
Exactly Christin! I do the same thing when I try to roll them! Mine never end up looking like magazine enchiladas!!
Yum! I love chicken enchiladas! This dish looks delicious! I love that it is easy to put together No messy finger from rolling and you still get all the same flavors!
You know what Cindy, as much as I cook and bake I HATE it when my fingers get messy. So yes, this definitely saves your fingers in that regard!! 🙂
We love enchiladas too and my husband requests it every week. But totally agree, the rolling part is a pain so this bake version sounds perfect! Yum, it looks so tasty and I love the green chiles in here too 🙂
Thank you Kelly!! 🙂
I love that you don’t roll these individually, such a time saver! My hubby could live on enchiladas, if I let him! 😉 I’m going to have to try this way out!
WE eat enchiladas a lot too and let me tell you….I love this way of making them! So much less frustration!! 🙂
This sounds yummy, and maybe my younger son (who won’t eat chicken unless it’s been turned into taco meat???!!!) would even give it a try. But I have a question: does the sour cream go into the meat mixture? It’s listed in the ingredients but not mentioned in the directions. Thanks, Cheryl
Boy, I hate it when I do that!! Thanks for letting me know Cheryl. Yes, the sour cream gets mixed in with the chicken and salsa mixture. I just corrected it!! I hope you and your son enjoy it!! ( I have some picky eaters myself! I swear that one day they will wake up and realize how lucky they are to have all the great food we make them in our house!! 😉 )
This is definitely MY kind of recipe – LOVE any kind of mexican dish, especially when it’s so easy to throw together like this one! Now all we need are a few margaritas 🙂
I like that idea Kristy: Bring on the ‘ritas!!
This looks like such a tasty weeknight dinner. I love that the tortillas are stacked instead of rolled, it saves so much time!
Thank you Annie!! 🙂
i made this last night, had it for dinner and it was great (except i left out the joenpleas thinking it would be too spicy and it ended up a bit bland). so i had some leftovers for lunch today and threw in some red pepper flakes and a little extra salt. it was phenominal! i put it over cauliflower rice and steamed spinach (i HATE both of these veggies) and it masked them so well. it was great for me as a very very picky eater! recommending to all my friends. thank you!
So happy it worked out well for you!! Try the chilis next time. They give great flavor without being too spicy!! 🙂