Looking for a quick easy meal? Maybe where you can use up some of those leftovers you have stored in the fridge? These cheesy chicken enchiladas are the best leftover meal!
Chicken can be substituted for chopped pork or cooked ground beef. It is very versatile to use any chopped or shredded cut of meat that fits your tastebuds. For this recipe I actually used both chicken and pork.
What makes this meal quick, is there is not much prep time involved. Trying to run on time with family can be hard. So an easy quick meal is what every family needs!
Whatever meat you use needs to be shredded or chopped into small pieces. Place this in a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients and mix together well. Reserve some cilantro, cheese and enchilada sauce for later.
Make sure to try the mixture before filling up the tortillas. More garlic salt can be added here if you like more that salty flavor. I found adding only 2 tbsp of sour cream is sufficient to make the mixture creamy, but more can be added for that additional taste if you prefer.
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My kids like less enchilada sauce with their tortillas, so I only use 2 oz inside the mixture, but more can be added to your liking! Just give it a trial taste before placing it in the shells and baking them. Add more spice if you like to give it extra flare, like hot sauce.
See how easy these cheesy chicken enchiladas are to make?
Once mixed, spoon it on your tortillas. I like to place at least 8 shells on my counter. From there I can see how much to spoon in each shell. This will allow me to distribute equal amounts to each enchilada.
Keep the mixture off to one side, then roll each one and place on a non- greased glass baking dish. I prefer glass pyrex baking dishes. It tends to bake the shells more evenly.
Take your enchilada sauce and pour over the tops of the newly formed shells. You can add as much sauce or as little as you like. I tend to add more toward one end of the dish, leaving the other side with just a bit less. This will help with those who prefer less sauce.
Then top with the remaining cheese. Don’t be shy!! The cheesier the better!! I prefer to use sharp cheddar, but you can use a mexican blend. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30, or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.
The enchiladas will be hot! so let them sit for a few minutes before serving. Sprinkle the remainder of the cilantro on top for extra flavor and color. Finally serve warm with sour cream and/or salsa.
You can make this the night before and keep in the fridge. When you are about to bake the dish just set it out to room temp before baking. This is also a great idea for potlucks, parties or dishes for new moms! They can take the dish and bake when they are ready to eat.
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 cups Leftover pork or chicken chopped
- 1½ cups Sharp cheddar cheese (reserve 1 cup) shredded
- 8-10 Flour tortillas I use fajita size
- 10 ounces Enchilada sauce (reserve 2 OZ) mild or hot depending on preference
- 2 tbsp Sour cream
- 1 small Onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Fresh cilantro (reserve a ½ tbsp) chopped
- ¼ tsp Garlic salt
- pinch Cumin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- In a bowl, combine the chopped ckicken and/or pork, ½ cup shredded cheddar, 2 oz of enchilada sauce, sour cream, onion, ½ tbsp cilantro, garlic salt and cumin.
- Place 8 – 10 flour tortillas on a counter. Spoon the above combined mixture on one side of each tortilla. Making sure to add equal amounts to each.
- Then roll each tortilla mixture and place rolled side down in a glass baking dish. Line up each tortilla next to each other.
- Finally take the remaining enchilada sauce and pour over the tortillas. Sprinkle the top with the remainder of the shredded cheese, trying to cover each tortilla.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.
- When done, remove from the oven. Let cool before eating, for sauce will be very hot. Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top.
- Then serve warm with salsa and/or sour cream.
I hope you enjoy this dish as much as my family does! I would love to hear how you made it your own and what other ingredients you may have tried!
