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They weren’t kidding when they named it March Madness.
My loft in downtown Kansas City happens to be just a few blocks away from the Sprint Center, where the men’s basketball Big XII tournament was in full swing last week. And the energy around here was crazy!! Everywhere I turned, fans were milling around the streets, proudly sporting their team’s colors and scouting out a place to watch the next game. And their cheers all day (and all night) long were my soundtrack for the week, echoing off the buildings and in through my open windows. And you’d better believe that everyone from KC was cheering extra loud for our Kansas Jayhawks, who are still moving forward in the #1 seed. (Rock chalk!)
Of course, many of my neighbors are not a fan of the madness that takes over downtown (and specifically, our parking lots) each spring. But I always find it really fun, and love the energy it brings to the neighborhood. And while I’m the first to admit I’m a “social sports fan”, and have watched a grand total of about 1.2 games so far this entire season, I’m totally there when it comes to watching the tournament games with all of our friends. And of course, I’m also totally there with a snack to share.
So today, I’m sharing a new one — Easy Enchilada Cups.
These guys came about thanks to a good ol’ spring cleaning of the fridge and pantry, where I discovered that (like always) I had an inordinate amount of enchilada sauce, beans, and tortillas on hand. I thought about making some enchiladas, but wanted to try something a little more finger-food-friendly for game day. So I decided to experiment and see if I could transform a bag of flour tortillas into a pan of little baked tortilla “cups”.
Turns out, they worked like a charm! I just poked the tortillas into standard-sized muffin cups, and then baked them up until crispy.
Then I whipped up a simple enchilada filling mixture with rotisserie chicken, corn, black beans, chopped green chiles, and a can of enchilada sauce. (You could nix the chicken and add in your favorite cooked protein, like steak or fish or shrimp, and/or add in some cooked vegetables for a different twist!)
Then I filled the cups with the mixture…
…and topped them each with a pinch of cheese, and then baked the cups until everything was warmed through and melty.
Then once they were cooked up, I topped them with some cilantro and green onion, and — voila! — they were ready to go!
So cute, eh?
And even more fun, so easy to eat with your hands! They’re definitely a little juicy inside with all of that tasty enchilada sauce, so you might serve them with a place or some good napkins in tow. But there’s definitely no forks needed, which is how I roll for game day entertaining. ;)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (*or other desired filling, see options below)
½ cup whole-kernel corn
1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup thinly-sliced green onions
Instructions
Heat oven to 350°F.
Tuck each of the tortillas into the cups of a standard-sized muffin pan, gently pleating the edges of the tortillas so that they fit snugly inside each cup, careful not to let the tortillas fold too closely into the middle (since we’ll need an opening for the filling later). Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the tortilla cups have hardened slightly on all sides. Remove and set aside.
While the tortillas are baking, combine the enchilada sauce, black beans, green chiles, chicken, and corn together in a large mixing bowl. Toss until the ingredients are evenly combined.
Once the tortilla cups are ready, carefully spoon the filling into each cup until it is filled nearly to the brim. Place a pinch of cheese on top of each tortilla cup. Then return the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the filling is warmed through.
Remove from the oven, and sprinkle the top of each cup evenly with cilantro and green onions. Serve warm.
Notes
*Feel free to substitute 2 cups total of another cooked protein (steak, fish, shrimp, etc.) and/or cooked vegetables in place of the chicken.
Well aren’t these guys just the cutest little things! Definitely the perfect game day snack, and if we’re being honest the only reason I go to game days things is for the food.
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
We think that’s an excellent reason! It’s all about the food. :D
These look delicious, and I can’t wait to break them out for our next party appetizer!
Side note…I’m guessing this was also an Old El Paso sponsored post? Just let us know so we can continue to support your inspiration, authenticity, and credibility.
Elyse —
Hey these look amazing! Question for you, do you have any of the nutritional information?
What a great recipe! i will definitely try it this weekend. the best part is that it doesn’t need a lot of ingredients and making it won’t leave my kitchen in a mess that I have to clean all day. Thanks for sharing :)
I like the concept of this recipe….born & raised in Albuquerque, I am, somewhat, a traditionalist when it comes to Mexican food .. therefore, the concept of using white flour tortillas to make enchiladas does not work for me. I will use corn tortillas,
I will spray a bit of Corn Oil Spray on each, nuke them for a few seconds to soften them, so they will take shape of the muffin tin. Fill them with your list of ingredients for something different.
thankyou !
Seriously so quick, inexpensive, easy and good!! My 10 year loved helping and the whole family devoured them as is. Fun!! Thanks for sharing your genius!!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks for sharing, Lara — we’re so glad you and your family enjoyed these! :)
Won ton rounds work even better. Lighter and easier to mold in the muffin tins. I use carnitas and chili verde sauce and top with a tiny dollop of sour cream before the cilantro and green onions. Yummy!
Made these and my husband loved them! Said we need to make them again. Had them for supper, no sports needed! Easy to make – I heated the tortillas in the microwave to make them more flexible.
★★★★★
Dianne —
I would like to make these for Christmas. Can these be completely assembled, frozen and popped in the oven to warm?
Hi Ali – These little gems look delicious and am trying today for friends luncheon. Will make again easy recipe and quick to make. Can filling be made several hours before filling cups and putting in oven and can leftovers, if any, be refrigerated for next day??? Thank you for your reply.
I made these yesterday and my husband loved them. I thought they were delicious I will definitely be making them again. I gave 5*’s . Easy and fun to make.
★★★★★
Hey, I’m Ali!
My favorite thing in life is time spent around the table. And all the better with some seriously tasty food to bring us all together. more about me »
This looks amazing. I will be whipping up a vegetarian version asap. Thanks, Ali!
Awesome Stacy — we hope you enjoy! :D
I am such a social sports fan too!!! Love the getting together, the energy, and the snack bites such as these enchilada cups!
These look so beautiful :) And yummy! :)
Thanks Samantha — we hope you enjoy! :)
Well aren’t these guys just the cutest little things! Definitely the perfect game day snack, and if we’re being honest the only reason I go to game days things is for the food.
We think that’s an excellent reason! It’s all about the food. :D
Just yum! These would be the best party bites ever!!!
Thanks Tori — we hope you get a chance to make them soon!
These look super yummy! Would this be doable as a dinner option?
Thanks Candice! And yes, of course! We hope you enjoy. :)
What a neat idea! I’ll have to try this soon!
Could I substitute corn tortillas? Or would they crumble or crack too easily?
You certainly could, but we do think the flour ones are sturdier — we hope you enjoy!
What a perfect party appetizer! I love bite size things that you can pass around.
Kari
Such a neat idea! I will definitely try these soon. I think they’d be great for having people over or a football party. Thanks for the recipe!
Sure, we hope you love them! :)
These look delicious, and I can’t wait to break them out for our next party appetizer!
Side note…I’m guessing this was also an Old El Paso sponsored post? Just let us know so we can continue to support your inspiration, authenticity, and credibility.
Hey these look amazing! Question for you, do you have any of the nutritional information?
★★★★★
This recipe looks so good! I work downtown at CMH and also enjoy the KC March Madness excitement. I might make these for my next KU viewing party :)
Thanks Brenda — we hope you enjoy them! :)
This recipe is AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for sharing
Thanks Vera — we hope you enjoy! :)
Wow looks so tasty! Thank you for this, totally gonna try :)
Wow.. The pics are stunningly fresh. It is on top of my to-do list for the coming weekend.
What a great recipe! i will definitely try it this weekend. the best part is that it doesn’t need a lot of ingredients and making it won’t leave my kitchen in a mess that I have to clean all day. Thanks for sharing :)
Thanks Holly — we hope you enjoy it! :)
What a perfect little recipe! Thanks for sharing <3
Thanks Ashley — we hope you enjoy these! :)
I like the concept of this recipe….born & raised in Albuquerque, I am, somewhat, a traditionalist when it comes to Mexican food .. therefore, the concept of using white flour tortillas to make enchiladas does not work for me. I will use corn tortillas,
I will spray a bit of Corn Oil Spray on each, nuke them for a few seconds to soften them, so they will take shape of the muffin tin. Fill them with your list of ingredients for something different.
thankyou !
Delicious! This would make such a fun appetizer! I almost want to watch basketball just so I have en excuse to eat these :)
As always, fantastic recipe Ali! Seriously this blog is my favorite!
Thanks for your sweet words Kiera — we’re glad you’re here! :)
This looks awesome! Allergic to tortilla’s so will be using pre-baked mini phyllo cups! Thank you for sharing your love of cooking with us all.
You’re so welcome Ferryal — we hope you enjoy them! :)
Has anyone tried freezing these? I am wondering if that might work as these look like perfect for an on-the-go meal.
I bet my kids would love this recipe!
this is perfect for my who is in college.
Making these today for a bonfire get together. Making one with chicken, and a vegetarian one with jackfruit. Can’t with to seer how they come out.
Awesome, hope you enjoyed them!
Seriously so quick, inexpensive, easy and good!! My 10 year loved helping and the whole family devoured them as is. Fun!! Thanks for sharing your genius!!
Thanks for sharing, Lara — we’re so glad you and your family enjoyed these! :)
I made these along with your homemade Enchilada sauce! DELISH
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed the recipes!
Won ton rounds work even better. Lighter and easier to mold in the muffin tins. I use carnitas and chili verde sauce and top with a tiny dollop of sour cream before the cilantro and green onions. Yummy!
Sounds delicious!
Can these freeze & reheat?
So good! Do the cups fall apart after you take them out of the muffin pan?
Made these and my husband loved them! Said we need to make them again. Had them for supper, no sports needed! Easy to make – I heated the tortillas in the microwave to make them more flexible.
★★★★★
I would like to make these for Christmas. Can these be completely assembled, frozen and popped in the oven to warm?
★★★★★
What do you have with the Easy Chicken Enchilada Cups, like salad and soup or rice and vegetable
I’ve made these several times and they are delicious!!
★★★★★
Son took one look and was tuned off by beans. Then proceeded to eat 3 and said how good they were after each one!! Wouldn’t change a thing
Delicious and easy to prepare.
★★★★★
Hi Ali – These little gems look delicious and am trying today for friends luncheon. Will make again easy recipe and quick to make. Can filling be made several hours before filling cups and putting in oven and can leftovers, if any, be refrigerated for next day??? Thank you for your reply.
LOVE LOVE LOVE THESE ENCHILADA BOWLS!
★★★★★
Easy, quick and tasty!!
★★★★★
I made these yesterday and my husband loved them. I thought they were delicious I will definitely be making them again. I gave 5*’s . Easy and fun to make.
★★★★★