An old-fashioned recipe for a creamy chicken enchilada casserole with a creamy sour cream sauce made with cream of celery soup, chicken broth, and green chiles.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
I love Mexican food and if you look around my blog, you’ll find lots of Mexican-themed recipes in our main dish section like Easy Mexican Pie with a Cornmeal Crust and Homemade Chicken Flautus, or Mexican-inspired breads like Mexican cornbread
This recipe is one of those yummy, old-school, classic recipes. It’s the kind that’s loaded with Cream of this soup and Cream of that soup and a good amount of sour cream under bubbly melted cheese. The kind of recipe that mom would proudly take to church potlucks. As you probably know, only the best recipes are reserved for the church potlucks.
To be clear – I never claimed it was a healthy recipe. It’s fun to indulge once in a while, right? I sure did. I took one gooey enchilada out of the casserole for pictures. It didn’t make it into the photo. I couldn’t resist.
Ingredients
- shredded cooked chicken – I used a store-bought rotisserie, but you can use boiled chicken that is cooked low and slow then shredded
- onion powder – onion powder provides an onion flavor without the chunks of onion
- garlic salt – this seasoning gives a rich flavor to the casserole and adds a hint of salt.
- cumin – a seasoning that is commonly used in Mexican dishes. It has a nutty flavor that I think you’ll love
- Mexican Style Cheese – divided. You can use a white cheese if you prefer like white cheddar or Monterey Jak cheese
- medium tortilla shells 9-10 inches – these are a mediium sized shell. Larger than a taco, but not as big as a burrito
- chicken broth – mix this with the cream of celery soup and sour cream for a rich and delicious sour cream sauce
- sour cream – a must in this recipe to provide a creamy sauce
- mild green chillies (do not drain) – substitute “hot” chillies for a spicier enchilada
How to Make Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
- In a medium sized bowl – Mix chicken, spices and 1&1/2 cups of the cheese together
- In a large bowl – mix the soup, chicken broth, sour cream and chiles
- Grab a 9×13″ pan and spread half of the soup mixture over the bottom
- Use a damp paper towel to wrap the tortillas in, and microwave the tortilla shells for 2 minutes
- Divide the chicken mixture up, placing some in each tortilla shell
- Roll the shell up and place – seam side down into the soup mixture on the bottom of the pan. You can do this burrito style or just roll them up until you get to the edge and place them seam side down on the sour cream mixture
- Continue until all of the tortilla shells have been placed over the soup mixture
- Top the enchiladas with the rest of the soup mixture
- Top the sour ceam and soup mixture with the rest of the cheese
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden
Expert Tip
You can easily substitute small tortilla shells for 9-inch. This will give you smaller portions but more enchiladas to enjoy
Variations
This recipe has been slightly modified from the original which used cream of chicken soup and cream of celery soup together. If you decide to go back to that version and keep it true to that version, then take out the additional chicken broth, which I added to make a thinner sou cream sauce and provide additional flavor.
You can use corn tortillas instead of flour, but you’ll want to flash fry them before filling them. This will help prevent them from falling apart
What to Serve With
FAQs
Popular cheeses for enchilads is a Mexican blend, Queso, cheddar, and Monterey Jack cheese
Flash fry them before filling them
Montery Jack cheese and Queso Fresco
Heat the oil to frying temperature which is about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Quickly fry each side of the tortilla for about 30 seconds on each side
Storing and Reheating
Store chicken enchiladas covered in the refrigeratore for up to three days
Reheat by covering pan with foil and baking until warmed through or microwave on a microwave safe plate
Serving Size
This recipe should make about 6-8 enchiladas
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Easy Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken – I used a store-bought rotisserie
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. garlic salt
- ½ tsp. cumin
- 2&1/2 cups Mexican Style Cheese – divided
- 10 medium tortilla shells 9-10 inches
- 10 oz. cream of celery soup
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 12 oz. sour cream
- 4 oz. mild green chillies (do not drain) – Change to "hot" chillies for a spicier enchilada
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl – Mix chicken, spices and 1&1/2 cups of the cheese together
- In a large bowl – mix the soup, chicken broth, sour cream and chillies
- Grab a 9×13″ pan and spread half of the soup mixture over the bottom
- Microwave the tortilla shells for 2 minutes
- Divide the chicken mixture up, placing some in each tortilla shell
- Roll the shell up and place – seam side down into the soup mixture on the bottom of the pan
- Continue until all of the tortilla shells have been placed over the soup mixture
- Top the enchiladas with the rest of the soup mixture
- Top the soup mixture with the rest of the cheese
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden
Can I make this ahead of time?
Sure! You’ll want to change the directions up a bit or the tortillas might get soggy. Go ahead and fill the enchiladas with the chicken and cheese. Place them rolled up in the pan, but withhold the soup mixture. Cover the enchiladas and store in the refrigerator. Pack the soup mixture in an airtight container and place it in the fridge alongside the enchiladas. When you’re ready, spread the soup mixture over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheese and bake as directed. (you could probably get away with preparing this a few days in advance with this storing method.)