The Fall and Winter can be super hectic with Holiday and school functions.  For this reason, I like finding a make-ahead dinner recipe, but when you can do all the work once and make an extra casserole for another night, I am in love. This make ahead dinner recipe for Easy Chicken Enchiladas is really not that time-consuming and well worth the effort of rolling another pan of enchiladas.

My kids loved these and I am eating leftovers, well 2 enchiladas for lunch while I am typing this. If you prefer to make a tex mex casserole instead try our Deliciously Easy Mexican Lasagna ,  Chicken Enchilada Quiche Recipe  or Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe

 

 

Easy Chicken Enchilada Recipe To Feed A Crowd

Best Way to Shred Chicken for Recipes

Make Chicken At Home

My husband cooked 2 chickens on his rotisserie this weekend so we had a great start for this recipe. However, you can buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, make your own shredded chicken in the instant pot,  oven, or crockpot.

Buy Cooked Chicken at the Store

Our store sells yesterday’s rotisserie chicken for a discount. The hardest part of this recipe was shredding the chicken. This is a great recipe to feed a crowd, as it will feed 10 people with a single recipe.

Now don’t let your blood pressure go high just looking at the ingredient list. This is an easy Chicken enchilada recipe, I did not say healthy.

Make Low fat Chicken Enchiladas

I used low-fat and low sodium ingredients when I could find them. I buy the healthy select condensed soups, but the cheddar I could not find that variety.

Substitute skim milk, low-fat sour cream, and cheeses. Don’t use iceberg lettuce and use Romain instead. 

How to Make Ahead Chicken Enchiladas

 

How Many Chicken Enchiladas per Recipe?

Once you have the chicken shredded, you can have 2 pans of chicken enchiladas, 21 to be exact in just minutes.

Can I freeze Chicken Enchiladas?

Of course, you can.  I made the first pan, put it in the oven and then made the extra pan for the freezer to save time.  Just be sure to allow the enchiladas to cool, then wrap them tightly. 

Be sure to label your extra tray of easy chicken enchiladas so you remember how to make them

What type of tortillas for Chicken Enchilada Recipe?

I also used corn tortillas the first time and flour tortillas the second time I made this recipe.  I thought that the corn was more authentic but my kids like the flour tortillas.

They were a little smaller than the 8 inches recommended in the regular recipe so I use less filling in each.

How Do I Cook Frozen Chicken Enchiladas?

For this recipe, they ask for you to defrost them first.

Wondering if you could just bake them longer frozen??? Anyone have thoughts on that?

Should have used Pan lining Paper-like my video from Reynolds. I just soaked the pan overnight.

What Do you top Chicken Enchiladas with?

• Cheese
• Lettuce
• Guacamole
• tomatoes
• Salsa
• Hot sauce 

 

What a yummy recipe I might even try adding a can of rinsed black beans next time. Oh, wait I have a pan waiting for me in the freezer.

Easy Chicken Enchilada Recipe! 

Easy Chicken Enchilada Recipe

Yield: 20 Enchiladas

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Make this Chicken Enchiladas Recipe to Feed A Crowd or make two casseroles and freeze one for another day. This makes over 20 enchiladas so feed a crowd or feed your family for two dinners.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 rotisserie chicken or 6 cups of chicken shredded
• 2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilis
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup condensed, undiluted low sodium
• 1 can cheddar cheese soup undiluted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 8 oz low fat cream cheese , room temp
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsps garlic powder
• 2 tsps oregano
• 20 tortillas, 8 inch
• 4 cups mexican blended cheese

Instructions

1. Remove meat from bones; discard bones. Shred chicken with two forks and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, soups, milk and seasonings. Transfer 3-1/2 cups to another bowl; add chicken and cream cheese.
2. Spread 1/4 cup soup mixture into each of two greased 13-in. x 9-in baking dishes. Place 1/3 cup (1/4 for corn tortillas) chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in baking dishes. Pour remaining soup mixture over tops; sprinkle with cheese.
3. Bake one casserole, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Cover and freeze remaining casserole for up to 3 months. Be sure to label the casserole with the date and cooking instructions
4. To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted. Yield: 2 casseroles (5 servings each).

Nutrition Information

Yield 20 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 464Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 91mgSodium 1032mgCarbohydrates 35gFiber 2gSugar 1gProtein 27g

All information and tools presented and written within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on stayingclosetohome.com should only be used as a general guideline.

Pin this for the next time you need a make ahead meal or a casserole to feed a crowd.