This delicious Chicken Enchilada Casserole is made by layering juicy shredded chicken, homemade red enchilada sauce, corn tortillas, and loads of melty cheese!
pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, cilantro, lime wedges, etc for garnish as desired
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish.
In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients for enchilada sauce: tomatoes, water, garlic, cumin, onion powder, oregano, salt and chipotle powder. Taste and adjust to your preferences add 1 teaspoon brown sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes if needed.
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
Add onion and peppers and cook, stirring often, until softened. Add chicken breasts and 1 cup enchilada sauce.
Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes (it should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F).
Remove chicken from pan and shred with two forks. Stir chicken back into the skillet with the vegetables.
Assemble the casserole: Spread ½ cup sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
Cut tortillas in half and lay in baking dish so that they cover the bottom (I used 3 on the first layer, and 4 on the next two layers. Do what works for you!).
Top with ⅓ of the sauce, ⅓ of the chicken, and 1⅓ cup of cheese. Repeat 3 times, using enough tortillas to create a complete layer and topping with ⅓ of the sauce, ⅓ of the chicken and 1⅓ cup of cheese until finished.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Broil if desired to brown the cheese further.
Serve with optional garnishes as desired.
Video
Notes
*This recipe makes 4 cups enchilada sauce. To save time you can also use about 4 cups prepared enchilada sauce