Why You’ll Love This this Layered Chicken Enchilada Casserole
This casserole is basically the lazy cook’s dream come true – all the flavors of enchiladas without the tedious rolling and stuffing that makes you question your life choices.
You just layer everything like you’re building the world’s most delicious lasagna, then let the oven do all the heavy lifting while you sit back and pretend you’re a culinary genius.
The tender shredded chicken, zesty enchilada sauce, and sweet corn create this perfect harmony of textures and flavors that’ll have everyone asking for seconds, and maybe thirds if we’re being honest.
Ingredients List
This simple casserole requires just a handful of pantry-friendly ingredients that you probably already have lurking in your kitchen somewhere.
- 4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- 3-4 cups enchilada sauce
- 9-12 flour tortillas
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1½ cups corn
Here are a few things to keep in mind when gathering your ingredients:
- You can absolutely use rotisserie chicken from the store to save time – nobody’s judging your shortcuts here.
- For a healthier twist, swap regular flour tortillas for whole wheat ones, though they might be a bit sturdier to work with.
- Frozen corn works just as well as fresh, and canned corn is totally fine too if that’s what you’ve got.
- The enchilada sauce is where most of your sodium will come from, so if you’re watching that, look for reduced-sodium versions.
- This recipe is naturally pretty balanced with protein from the chicken, some veggies from the corn and onion, and carbs from the tortillas.
Step by Step Directions
This layered casserole comes together quickly with simple assembly steps that anyone can master.
- Cook the chicken breasts and shred them into bite-sized pieces.
- Layer 3-4 flour tortillas on the bottom of your baking dish.
- Spread the shredded chicken evenly over the tortilla layer.
- Spoon enchilada sauce generously over the chicken.
- Add a layer of diced onion and corn.
- Top with the remaining tortillas and pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over everything.
- Bake at 350°F until the casserole is hot and bubbly throughout.
For exceptional heat retention and even cooking, consider using cast iron cookware which will give your casserole a perfectly golden bottom and superior temperature control.
Substitutions and Variations
- Frozen corn versus fresh – Either works perfectly fine, though if you’re using frozen, don’t bother thawing it first. The oven heat will take care of that.
- Add some green – Diced bell peppers, jalapeños, or even spinach can sneak extra nutrients into this comfort food masterpiece.
- Make it ahead friendly – Assemble the whole thing, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. Then just add an extra 15 minutes to the baking time.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
This casserole is basically a meal in one dish, but to be frank, sometimes you want a little something extra on the side to make dinner feel complete.
- Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice – Because carbs on carbs is never a mistake, and the fluffy texture makes a nice contrast to all those layers.
- Simple black beans – Just heat them up with some cumin and garlic, maybe a squeeze of lime, and you’ve got protein and fiber covered.
- Fresh guacamole and chips – I mean, tortilla chips with a tortilla casserole might seem redundant, but who’s counting when it tastes this good?
- Quick pickled jalapeños or red onions – The tangy bite cuts through all that creamy, saucy richness perfectly.
- Shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes – Sometimes you need something fresh and crunchy to balance out all the comfort food ambiance.
- Sour cream and hot sauce on the table – Let everyone customize their own heat level and creaminess factor.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
A few little tricks can turn this good casserole into a great one, and trust me, some of these I learned the hard way.
- Let your shredded chicken cool completely before assembling – Hot chicken will make your tortillas soggy and turn the whole thing into a mushy mess, which nobody wants.
- Brush each tortilla layer lightly with enchilada sauce before adding the next ingredients – This helps everything stick together and prevents dry spots that taste like cardboard.
- Don’t overfill the layers – I know it’s tempting to pile everything high, but a thinner, more even casserole cooks more consistently than a towering mess.
- Cover with foil for the first 20 minutes, then reveal – This prevents the top tortillas from turning into crispy chips before the inside gets hot.
- Let it rest for 10-15 minutes after baking – The layers need time to set up, or you’ll end up with enchilada soup when you try to serve it.
- Use a mix of mild and medium enchilada sauce – Most store-bought mild sauce is pretty bland, but all medium can be too spicy for some people.
- Drain your corn if using frozen – Excess moisture will make your casserole watery, and nobody likes watery Mexican food.
- Make sure your baking dish is actually big enough – A 9×13 works best, but don’t try to cram everything into something smaller just because it’s what you have.
Nutritional Facts
Based on the core ingredients in this Chicken Enchilada Casserole, here’s the nutritional breakdown per serving (assuming 8 servings):
- Calories: Approximately 285-320 per serving
- Protein: 22-25 grams from the chicken breast
- Carbohydrates: 28-32 grams, mainly from tortillas and corn
- Fat: 8-12 grams, depending on sauce and tortilla type
- Fiber: 3-4 grams from corn and whole wheat tortillas (if used)
- Sodium: 800-1,200mg, primarily from enchilada sauce
- Vitamin C: Good source from onions and tomato-based sauce
- Iron: Moderate amount from chicken and enriched flour tortillas
- Calcium: Some from fortified tortillas and sauce ingredients
- Potassium: Decent levels from chicken, corn, and onions
- Added sugars: Minimal, mainly from processed enchilada sauce
- Cholesterol: 60-70mg from chicken breast
Fun “Did You Know?”
Here’s something cool: traditional enchiladas were considered peasant food, but they’ve become Mexico’s national dish.
The casserole style we’re making actually originated in Tex-Mex cuisine, blending Mexican tradition with American convenience.
Each layer you’re building connects you to centuries of culinary evolution that transformed simple ingredients into comfort food gold.
