Mexican Enchiladas are one of my go-to weeknight meals! Ooey gooey cheese with chicken and veggies make this recipe irresistible. 

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“Why don’t you come over for dinner with the kids tonight”! In my seemingly never ending attempt to always make Kenya, Chloe and Gemma’s dinner times fun, those words fly out of my mouth to my mom friends on a weekly basis. And, without fail, moments after asking I think to myself, “Who am I kidding? When am I going to have time to prepare dinner for 4 kids and 4 adults when I’ve already got a crazy day of work ahead of me?” 

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As a result of my big mouth and boundless optimism, I’ve been forced to become the (self-proclaimed) queen of doubling recipes and freezing them for these types of occasions. And these enchiladas are a perfect candidate for doing just that. No matter if you’re cooking for 2 or 12, there’s nothing easier then pulling these out of the icebox, popping them into the oven and, 30 minutes later, enjoying warm tortillas filled with chicken, veggies and tons of gooey cheese.

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At my last impromptu kids dinner, we were all sitting around, chowing down on this Mexican treat, and a mom friend leaned in to me to say, “I can’t believe you had the time to make these!” When it’s really that easy, why not have friends over every night?! If you’re looking for more freezer friendly meals try Crock Pot Meaty Pasta SauceCheesy Turkey Meatloaf BitesSweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas or this hearty Beef Stew in the Crock Pot

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Let me know what you think of these Mexican Enchiladas and tag me on social media if you make them!

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Mexican Enchiladas

Mexican Enchiladas are one of my go-to weeknight meals! Ooey gooey cheese with chicken and veggies make this recipe irresistible. 
5 from 3 votes
Author: Catherine McCord
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 chicken breasts or 2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
  • 1 cup frozen corn, defrosted
  • 1 1/2 cups Mexican cheese blend
  • 1 28 oz can enchilada sauce
  • 8 flour tortillas

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook onions and salt for 3 minutes.
  • Add red bell pepper and sauté for another 2 minutes.
  • Add cumin and garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
  • Remove the mixture from the pan and place in a bowl. After the mixture has cooled, add the chicken, corn, and 1 cup cheese and mix to combine.
  • Pour half of the enchilada sauce in a 9 x 11 inch baking dish.
  • Divide the mixture (about 1/2 cup each), placing it in the middle of each tortilla and rolling it up like a wrap (burrito shape).
  • Place the rolled enchiladas close together, seam side down in the sauced baking dish. Continue to roll the rest of the filled enchiladas.
  • Once you have finished making the stuffed enchiladas, pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over them and top with 1/2 cup cheese. *If you’re planning on making this dish another day, cover it and freeze at this point.
  • Cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes (30 minutes if you are starting with frozen enchiladas.
  • Serve.
  • *Enchiladas will stay in the freezer for up to 4 months. For best results, prepare enchiladas then freeze. Do not bake.

Nutrition

Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 1440mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g
Did you make this recipe?Mention @Weelicious or tag #weelicious!

About the Author

Catherine is a mama of three. A Kentucky girl living in California. Here’s what I know: all kids can be great eaters and mealtime must be easy. I create simple, healthy recipes the whole family will love.

Comments

  1. If I use corn tortillas instead of flour, does that change cooking time? Do you not te amend corn? My daughter is gluten sensitive.

  2. I made these last night with chicken poached in vegetable broth and my husband loved them! I used Rick Bayless’ Frontera sauce in a bottle and fresh whole wheat tortillas from Whole Foods. Also skipped the garlic and cumin since I didn’t have it, but didn’t miss them at all. I used a 3 quart glass pan and still could only fit 5 tortillas since they were big. Thanks for the recipe!

  3. You do not have to thaw it before putting it in the oven, as long as your casserole dish is strong enough to handle going from the freezer to the oven!

  4. Yumm..these are good. Would love some tips on how to freeze casseroles without having to use up my casserole dish. And, am I understanding it correctly that you don’t have to thaw before putting in the oven?

  5. Up north in Canada I couldn’t find an enchilada sauce so we improvised. My husband actually made them, and they were delicious!

  6. I made these last night for dinner, super easy and SO GOOD. I’ll be adding in black beans next time and cooking the chicken in a crock pot to save time. Thanks for the ideas, and for this recipe. Looking forward to left overs tonight!!

  7. These sound great! And I love the idea of cooking the chicken in the slow cooker – how much chicken broth would I use in the cooker with the chicken breasts???

  8. Yum, so delicious! Used red, green & yellow diced peppers. Followed Laura’s suggestion & cooked three chicken breasts in slow cooker all day. Shredded easily and cut prep time significantly. Will make again and again.

  9. Catherine, I made this last night and it was excellent. I added tomato and a little sauce inside. They were flavorful and healthy tasting. thanks!

  10. For vegetarians, it’s easy to replace the chicken with black beans and the chicken broth with veggie broth. I also add diced zucchini to mine. Just once more veggie I can get in this way. (Also good with shrimp, by the way!)

  11. To make a non-spicy enchilada sauce, just saute some red bell peppers with onions then put them in the food processor with a pinch or salt or two and some water and puree and pour over your enchiladas 🙂 its toddler friendly and healthy! 🙂

  12. I would love it if you had thoughts on how to make the enchilada sauce from scratch. I’ve tinkered with it and it never quite works out. Enchiladas are one of the best ways of getting lots of great nutrition into little ones… and they taste great! But everytime I’ve tried a canned sauce, even the “mild” ones seem to surprise us with spiciness which our toddler just wont do!

  13. I am drooling just looking at this! It’s what we’re having for dinner tomorrow. To make shredded chicken, I put chicken in the crockpot with chicken broth and cook all day on low. It will be ready for dinner!

  14. So weird, I can’t ever figure it out. When you put in an ‘8’, it makes a smiley face. Argh!! You can freeze it for up to 4 months. Make sure to label it so you know when you made them!!

  15. I made this with a few modifications, as most of my flmiay members like mild to medium spicy food. I used fresh jalapenos, seeds and insides removed, used green and yellow peppers, instead of green chilies.This was so delicious! I am glad a friend shared this with me. Next time she makes it with no modification, I am going to be there eating a bowl full, ads I love the heat.

  16. what is up with the smiley face where is says it makes *how many*??

    Also it says they can stay frozen for *XX* months. I need these numbers! Love the blog 🙂

  17. I love to make enchiladas with left-overs from “Mexican Night” Whatever happens to be left gets rolled, covered in sauce and cheese and into the freezer it goes for an easy meal later on. Chicken, Beef, Pulled Pork, rice, corn, peppers, tomatoes, the combinations are endless and yummy!!

  18. LOVE THIS! I am expecting my first baby this August and trolling the web for easy, healthy, make-ahead-and-freeze meals for those first couple of months. Keep the freezer-friendly meals coming!

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