Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

The other day I found myself face to face with MyLittleTwinBoyNate.

I was telling him this-and-that, and some important things about remembering the rules and not arguing so much and being sweet and nice. Which he is, almost all of the time…I would like to point out in this very sentence. He just happened to be having trouble with the aforementioned issues on the day I was advising him, face to face.

After I finished my extremely motivating lecture, I looked into his big brown eyes while they rolled around a bit.

“You know.” I told him. “It’s REALLY rude to roll your eyes at your Mom. Especially when your Mom is as nice (and freakishly average looking) as I am.”

“Oh, don’t worry Mom.” he said. “I wasn’t rolling my eyes, I just want them to rest at the top of my head for a while.”

Good to know.

Good.

To.

Know.

This recipe is one of the first I posted on this blog, almost 3 years ago. It desperately needed a photo facelift and a few tweaks and changes to the recipe and instructions. So, I thought it best to bring it to the top of the pile and share it with you all today. It has been a family favorite for years. Hope you enjoy it! It goes wonderfully well served with Cilantro Lime Rice, a nice green salad and Cilantro Lime Dressing.

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
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Time: 30 minutes prep + 45 minutes baking
Yield: 8 servings
Recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up!

***NOTE: This casserole can be made in the morning and then baked in the afternoon. It also works well as a freezer meal. Build your casserole according to directions, but don’t bake it. Cover it tightly with aluminum foil and pop it in the freezer. When you are ready to use it, let it defrost completely and then bake.

3 large chicken breasts, about 2 pounds
water
1 (1.25 ounce) fajita seasoning packet
2 (10.5 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chilis
3 C cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 C milk
1/2 C chicken broth (from the water/fajita mixture the chicken cooks in)
10 flour tortillas

1. Toss 3 large chicken breasts into a deep skillet, frozen works fine.

2. Pour enough hot water over the top of the chicken, so that they are almost completely covered.

3. Sprinkle one package of Fajita seasoning mix over the top of the chicken. Use a fork to stir it into the water. Bring the contents of the pan to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium high and let the chicken simmer away for about 20 minutes, or until the insides are no longer pink and the chicken is easily shredded with a fork.

4. Remove each chicken breast to a plate and shred it up with two forks.

Place the chicken back into the simmering pot and let it cook for about 10 more minutes. You want the shredded chicken to soak up the good flavors in the pan.

5. Remove the pan from the heat. Don’t drain the broth-ie  juices into the sink, please. We are going to use a bit of the broth. Place the chicken into a large mixing bowl, or into your stand mixer.

6. Add 2 cans of diced green chilis,

2 cans of cream of chicken,

2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese,

1/2 cup of milk

and 1/2 cup of the chicken broth from the pan.

7. Use some beaters and mix the ingredients together. This helps to shred the chicken further and to blend everything else up nicely for you.

8. Spray the bottom of a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Spread about 1/2 cup of the chicken filling over the bottom.

9. Layer 4 tortillas over the filling.

10. Spread a little less than half of the chicken filling over the top of the tortillas. Cover the filling with 4 more tortillas and spread all but 1/2 cup of the chicken filling over the top. Cover the filling with the last two tortillas.

11. Spread the remaining filling over the top and sprinkle 1 more cup of cheese over the top.
12. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the inside is nice and hot. Take the pan out of the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!