I’ve been making a chicken enchilada recipe from Slow Cooker Revolution for a few years.
As fussy as it is, the delicious factor is well worth it, and I make it for special occasions, or when I just really feel like making something fun.
None of the steps are hard, but sometimes I grow weary of forming the enchiladas. You have to spray the tortillas with oil and heat them in the oven so they don’t tear when you wrap the filling in them. It makes a mess!
That’s why I converted this recipe into a casserole! It does still takes time to make the chicken filling (time spent doing whatever you want because it just bubbles away in your slow cooker!), but other than that it’s just a matter of layering and baking. Since you don’t have to bend the tortillas to make the casserole, you don’t have to oil and heat them. They’ll be nice and soft just from baking in the enchilada sauce.
All you do is make the chicken filling, make the sauce, and layer those two between some tortillas and a few other ingredients, like cheese. Pepper jack cheese.
Tortillas + Sauce + Chicken Filling + Beans + Cheese + Tortillas + Sauce + Chicken Filling + Beans + Cheese + Tortillas + Sauce + Cheese = Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Are you sick of step-by-step build-a-dish-shots? I toned it down for you this time!
One reason I love this recipe is because it’s so unapologetic with the spices. 6 tablespoons of chili powder? There’s no question about what we’re going for with this one. Savory Tex-Mex flavor land, and I’m the first one on the bus!
Also, cumin is pretty much a flavor staple in anything savory in my kitchen. Sweet potato fries? Cumin. Roast Chicken? Cumin. Anything Mexican, Indian, or otherwise has cumin in it. I’m not crazy enough to mix it with sweets…not yet.
Just be warned when you mince the onion and jalapeño together in your food processor, your husband and children may cry from the fumes wafting through the air. I wonder, do your eyes ever build an immunity to onion/pepper vapors? Doubt it.
The original recipe called for pickled jalapeños chopped up in the chicken filling, and they are delicious, but I forgot this time. I tried to save the day by putting them on top, and ended up preferring it that way. Having bigger pieces on top, rather than little chopped pieces in the filling makes you taste the contrast of the vinegar and spice better. Yum!
On the spiciness scale, I’d put this casserole at about a 3 out of 10. One fresh jalapeño for the whole casserole + some in the cheese is pretty weak. I’m good with that though. I’ve told you before, painful food is not my forte. The only reason I want food to make me cry is because It is causing me to experience joy, not pain.
See those two forks? What does that tell you? It tells you that me and somebody else stood there and ate straight out of the casserole right? That’s the story I’m portraying to you, world. Well, I confess! It’s a lie. There was no one else!
I ate that whole section by myself! That’s a lot of cheese, my friends. There were no regrets.
Also, I didn’t really eat it out of the casserole pan, I saved it on a plate for later and inhaled it as a reward for finishing the recipe/photo shoot. Yes, food motivates my life!
- FILLING:
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and cored
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 3 tbl chili powder
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (can use breasts or a combo of both)
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbl fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ENCHILADA SAUCE:
- 1 tbl vegetable oil
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 tbl chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- salt and pepper
- ENCHILADA:
- 9 corn tortillas
- 3 cups pepper jack cheese, grated
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
- OPTIONAL GARNISH:
- pickled jalapeños
- sour cream
- fresh tomatoes
- avacado
- salsa
- more fresh cilantro
- FILLING:
- Add onion, garlic, and jalapeño to food processor and mince very fine.
- In a medium sauce pan, heat oil until barely shimmering. Add minced onion mixture, chili powder, coriander, and cumin until soft and broken down, about 5 minutes.
- Put chicken thighs in crock pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Add vegetable/spice mixture and tomato sauce to crock pot and stir to make sure chicken is evenly covered.
- Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
- Remove chicken pieces to large bowl, add about ½ cup of liquid from crock pot, chopped cilantro, and lime juice.
- Using two forks, shred chicken into bite size pieces. Set aside until you're ready to assemble casserole.
- ENCHILADA SAUCE:
- Add onion and garlic to food processor and mince very fine.
- In a medium sauce pan, heat oil until barely shimmering. Add minced onion mixture, chili powder, and cumin and saute until soft and broken down, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and fill can all the way with water and add to sauce.
- Let mixture simmer until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
- Set aside until you're ready to assemble casserole.
- CASSEROLE:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and move rack to middle position. In a 9 X 13 casserole dish, layer 3 tortillas (one ripped in half to distribute tortillas evenly), ⅓ of the sauce, ½ chicken mixture, ½ can black beans, and 1 cup shredded cheese.
- Start the second layer with 3 tortillas (one ripped in half to distribute tortillas evenly), ⅓ of the sauce, ½ of chicken mixture, ½ can of black beans, and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Top with the last 3 tortillas, the last ⅓ of the sauce, and the last cup of cheese.
- Bake in 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until cheese is bubbling and casserole is heated through. Cool for 10 minutes, and serve with optional toppings.
Christine H. says
I love this! I also shy away from enchilada recipes because of the tortilla prep. And I love my crock pot! Thanks!