The joke about married life really just being all about one of you asking “What do you want to eat?” and the other answering “I don’t know” over and over again until you die is pretty darn accurate. Most days Mr. ASD (a.k.a The Engineer) and I just look at each other completely baffled. He’s usually suggesting kale. I’m usually thinking cake. But if either of us even breathes the word “Mexican,” you may as well just go ahead and pass the chips and salsa. Mexican wins every time. And one of our very favorite make-at-home, family-style Tex-Mex dishes? This easy layered Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole.
This is one of those recipes that I brought with me into our married lives. We ate it every now and then growing up. I thought it was pretty special when it graced our table because it was a break from our regular meat and 3. So when I met The Engineer, I was super excited to show him my skills by sharing this fiesta on a plate.
And I will let you in on a little secret, my being able to whip up a little Tex-Mex at home just about made that proud Texan weak in the knees. The old adage about the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach is 100% true. And I might have 100% used that to my advantage in the early days, but that is another story for another day.
The point now is this green chile chicken enchilada casserole is the perfect family dish. Its layers of corn tortillas, creamy green chile chicken filling, and melted cheese goodness is long on flavor and makes enough for plenty of leftovers, which is a plus for anybody with busy week nights.
Your family isn’t wild about leftovers? Don’t worry. This casserole freezes well, so you can pack up those leftovers in a freezer storage container and get them out 2 weeks from now when you need an easy, no-cook night. This dish can do it all.
What You’ll Need To Make Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- diced yellow onion
- butter
- cream of chicken soup
- cream of mushroom soup
- chopped green chiles (canned)
- white corn tortillas
- grated Monterrey Jack/Colby Cheese
- chicken breasts
- chicken broth
Let’s Get Started:
One of the things I love about this recipe is its ease and convenience. It does use canned cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soups. If using canned soups isn’t your jam, I get it. Just substitute with homemade soups. They require some extra steps and planning, but aren’t hard to make if that’s where you’re leaning.
To get started is simple. Combine the soups, melted butter, broth, diced onion, chicken (boiled and diced) and green chiles all in a large mixing bowl and just mix it together.
Next, we need to get our tortillas ready. I like to use the white corn tortillas for this recipe. We have experimented with yellow corn tortillas and even flour tortillas. But let’s face it, we’re making enchiladas not burritos. So the flour tortilla idea went straight out the window as soon as it came in. It was a definite no. We finally settled on the white corn tortillas because they seemed less tough to cut after they had been baked in the casserole than the yellow. To use them in this casserole, cut these babies (do several at a time) into quarters, resembling a tortilla chip shape.
Hallelujah! All are prep work is done! Now it’s time to put this layered green chile chicken enchilada casserole together. Just line the bottom of a deep 4 qt baking dish with your white corn tortilla “chips.” Overlapping a little bit is a good thing. You don’t want to double up, but you don’t want any gaps either. Just Goldilocks this thing and get ready for the next layer.
Spoon â…“ of the chicken mixture over the first layer of tortillas. Sometimes I think about this recipe almost being like a Mexican or enchilada lasagna because of the layers. But that gets things all mixed up, so I just try to stick to the point, which is how good this family style Tex-Mex dish really is. We make sure the chicken layer is full of meat because we have some eaters around here and we can’t have anyone leaving the table hungry. This keeps the dish hearty enough to stick to your ribs but also keeps it from being too runny after it’s baked.
Lastly, we top with cheese. Now, we all know it’s the cheese that makes it good, but don’t get too carried away. Just like the chicken layer, we are only going to use a third of what we have. This is a 3 layer casserole, so we have to have enough to make 3 layers. I will admit, I’ve been known to skimp just a little on the second layer so that I can have more cheese for the top. That golden top layer of cheesy goodness is like a crown of virtue when it comes out of the oven.
Finish by repeating all the layers two more times. Starting with tortillas, then chicken, and finish strong with the cheese on top. When done, pop your layered green chile chicken enchilada casserole in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until it begins to bubble around the edges.
When I take it out of the oven, I let it sit for about 10 minutes. This lets it cool just a little and set up a tad more so that it isn’t too runny or saucy on the plate.
Also, I use this time to cut up a little green salad. We love to eat this green chile chicken enchilada casserole topped with a little Romaine or Iceberg lettuce and a few finely diced tomatoes. It doesn’t hurt to add a dollop of sour cream either. All that color makes this dish a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds. It’s the only way to eat!
Look at all that goodness! Here is another secret. Oftentimes, I just skip the fork and dive right in with some corn chips. The creaminess, the crunch, the cheese! You can even put a little salsa on it. Why not? It’s your Mexican feast. You dress it up anyway you like! And I hope you will.
This green chile chicken enchilada casserole might not solve the problem of what to eat every night, but it sure will come in handy for answering that question for a lot of nights. I can’t wait for you to add this to your meal plan rotation.
***Pin this Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole here!***
Green Chile Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 tablespoon butter melted
- 1- 14 oz can cream of chicken soup
- 1- 14 oz can cream of mushroom soup
- 2- 4 oz can diced green chiles
- 1- 12 count pkg white corn tortillas
- 16 oz Monterrey Jack/ Colby Cheese grated blend
- 4 chicken breasts boiled and chopped
- 1 C chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together onion, melted butter, broth, chicken and mushroom soups.
- Add chiles (do not drain) and chopped chicken.
- Cut tortillas into quarters.
- In a 4 qt casserole dish, layer tortillas, chicken filling, and cheese. Finish with plenty of cheese on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
- Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Check out this and other great recipes on Meal Plan Monday, Foodie Friday, and Weekend Potluck.
I made this today and it is delicious!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe! Your blog is very uplifting and I enjoy it so much! Thank you!
Cathy,
You don’t know how excited it makes me to hear that you made this dish and love it! I am doing a little happy dance. Thank you so much for letting me know and letting me know how much you like ASD. It’s such a blessing. I love cooking, putting together tables, and sharing with y’all! I couldn’t imagine doing anything else!