Best Enchilada Casserole Recipe – How To Make Enchilada Casserole

I love a good casserole, and this one doesn’t disappoint. It has all of the flavors of chicken enchiladas (with a few worthwhile additions), but eliminates the only tedious part of making enchiladas: all that rolling. In this recipe, you just layer all your components in a casserole dish, bake until melty and saucy, add your desired toppings, and serve! In under an hour, you’ll have a crowd-pleasing weeknight dinner on your hands that everyone will get excited about. Here’s what you need to know:

How to make enchilada casserole:
Instead of rolling all of the enchiladas, this casserole untraditionally speeds up the process by layering everything together in the pan. You’ll first cook your desired fillings, then add half of your enchilada sauce to combine. Next, spread your remaining sauce in the pan, then begin to layer your tortillas, filling, and cheese. After layering, bake until melty and bubbling, top with your desired toppings (sour cream and avocado of course), and get to eating!

For the chicken, I prefer to use shredded chicken to make things quick and easy. As far as the cheese goes, Monterey jack and cheddar are my preferred choices, but you can choose your favorite melty cheese. If you’re looking for the ultimate casserole, I highly recommend freshly shredding your cheese. 

Variations:
Like most casseroles, this recipe is completely customizable. Switch things up and use ground beef in place of chicken, or add extra veggies like bell peppers, mushrooms, multiple kinds of beans, or sweet potatoes. While you can totally buy store-bought, if you have the time, I highly recommend making homemade enchilada sauce. It takes very little time and effort, but results in a truly unbeatable flavor. 

Storage & freezing:
If you have any leftovers then you’re in luck! This casserole stays great in the fridge (4 to 5 days) and freezes even better (up to 2 months). The main piece of advice I’d offer is that you should skip the microwave for any reheating. Tossing a slice in a 350º oven for a bit will help you crisp up the tortillas again and get the cheese nice and melty.

Made this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below!