Simple Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

Ok, I am going to start with a simple disclaimer about this chicken enchilada recipe.  This recipe is not intended to be a gourmet recipe.  It’s intended to be a quick and easy dinner recipe that everyone will enjoy, it’s as simple as that.  So if you are looking for something a little more gourmet or complicated these chicken enchiladas might not be for you.  However, if you are a mom restricted on time and looking for something quick and easy to make, keep reading!

What You Will Need:

• 9 x 13 inch Casserole Dish
• Medium Sized Mixing Bowl
• Pam or Other Cooking Spray
• Large Spoon or Spatula
• Some Foil, enough to cover the casserole dish up

Ingredients You Need:

• 2 Cups of Cooked Chicken OR (this makes it simple) a 13 ounce can of chicken
• 3 Cups of Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I actually prefer to use a mix of Monterrey jack and cheddar cheese or a Mexican cheese mix that you can get at the store already shredded. The actual amount will vary depending on how much cheese you want to use. I love cheese and probably am a little TOO generous with it.
• 8-10 6" Tortillas. If you are cooking for your family these might not go very far so you will want to double the recipe so make sure you have 2 casserole pans and follow the same steps for each.
• 1 Cup of Sour Cream
• 1 Can of Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce: This runs a little hotter than most so if kids are eating it or you don't like really hot foods just stick with the mild sauce will be plenty hot enough. They also have 2 can sizes and it doesn't matter which you use, it really depend on one of the recipe variations you use.

These Chicken enchiladas came to be because of a mix of a recipe my mom makes and a recipe of a friends. I liked both by themselves but thought I would like it much better if I combined the two recipes. It has worked great and it is really simple and easy. While you can cook the chicken, if you are in a hurry I tend to use canned chicken. Of course, this isn't as fresh tasting, but it cuts down on the prep time. One of the nice things about using the canned chicken is I get a big pack of it at Sam's Club or Costco and I almost always have that on hand, whereas, I don't always have the fresh chicken.

-Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

-In a mixing bowl, mix chicken, 1.5 cups of cheese and the sour cream. 

-Warm the tortillas.  This is a really simple process.  Just take 2 or 3 tortillas at a time and put them in the microwave for about 12 seconds.  You don’t necessarily want them to be really hot but the main purpose of this is to soften the tortillas so that they don’t break when you fill them.

-Spray the pan with a cooking spray so the enchiladas don’t stick to it!

-Next, I’ve done both of these methods and depending on which one you use is going to depend on which size can you want. 1st, spray the pan with a cooking spray so the enchiladas don’t stick to it!

Options: Pour a little sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish, I prefer my le creuset casserole dish because I am a little biased to Le Creuset stoneware but you can use whatever you have on hand, swish the sauce back and forth, making a thin layer that you will set your enchiladas on. This will allow the enchilada to get sauce on it and not just the top.
***2nd option, get another bowl out pouring a little enchilada sauce in it. You are going to take each tortilla and quickly submerge them into the sauce. This will often soften the tortillas. It does make it a little messy so make sure you have something to clean that red enchilada sauce. It seems to stain things!

-Then, take your silicone spatula or a spoon and scoop some of the chicken/cheese mixture out of the bowl. You will want about ¼ c. of chicken mixture for this (maybe a little more). I sometimes start out putting to much or too little on the tortilla and change it as I go along. Your going to put the mixture on the very edge of the tortilla, not in the middle. You will then roll the tortilla up starting with where you put the mixture. You want to make sure you make it a very tight roll.

-Place the enchiladas side by side into the casserole pan. Wrapping them tight makes sure they fit well. Also, I like to place them seam down (this is where the edge of the tortilla overlaps) and this makes it so the mixture in the middle doesn't seap out while it is cooking.

-When you’ve got all of your chicken enchiladas in the pan, pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese, or more if you like, on top.

Cover with foil and bake in the over for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.