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I’m home!!! I’m home, I’m home, I’m home! And after a fun few weeks traipsing around Europe, a 9.5 hour plane ride with a 1-year-old kicking the back of my seat and crying half of the ride, and a nearly lost luggage fiasco, boy did it feel good to walk in the door to my loft last night. And I had three things on my must-happen-immediately list:
1. a big ol’ glass of ice water
2. a full night to catch up on some zzzz’s in my own bed
3. and MEXICAN FOOD
Oh man. I rarely go 3 days without eating Mexican food, so 3 weeks without my chips and salsa felt like an eternity! We did pass by a few “Mexican” restaurants in Germany and Austria and even considered stopping in one evening. But one peek at their menus full of BBQ wings and New York steaks and shrimp scampi (true story) suggested we might be better waiting until we got home. So we did. And now I fully intend to make up for lost time…beginning with this white chicken enchilada casserole recipe!
It’s kind of a riff on my (red) Chicken Enchilada Casserole recipe, which has become a bit of a hit on the blog. But as you can tell, this is the “white”, creamy, green-chile-y, total comfort-food-y version. Although this version is even slightly healthier than traditional white enchiladas, and easy to make by “stacking” the enchiladas into a casserole instead of rolling them all up. Interested? I think you will be… :)
I’ve actually been eating white chicken enchiladas as long as I can remember. Mom used to make them with the cream of chicken soup shortcut when we were kids. Then for years I made them with sour cream. But recently I’ve switched to using plain Greek yogurt in the cream sauce, which provides some extra protein and I can’t even taste the difference! (If you don’t have Greek yogurt, though, you can totally use traditional sour cream.)
But in addition to the yogurt, the key to the sauce is to add an entire can of flavorful Old El Paso chopped green chiles (always a staple in my pantry for Mexi dishes), lots of chicken stock, and cumin. It’s a simple sauce, but surprisingly full of flavor just beyond the typical creamy base.
Then once you’re sauce is ready, it’s time to start assembling your enchilada casserole! This is basically your typical white enchilada recipe, but instead of rolling them all up, you just stack the ingredients layer by layer.
We begin with some halved soft flour tortillas. Then top those with a layer of the sauce.
Then add a layer of cooked shredded chicken (I used rotisserie as a shortcut). Follow that with a layer of white beans, which work great as an extra filler and protein source.
Then add a layer of shredded cheese. If you like milder food, I recommend using Monterrey Jack cheese. But I love making mine with Pepper Jack, or even the Habanero Jack cheese for some extra heat.
Then repeat all of those layers, followed by a final round of just tortillas, sauce and cheese. Bake it all up until it is cooked.
Then top the final casserole with some fresh avocado and cilantro as a garnish. And then serve it up!!!
Seriously, whether you eat Mexican food all the time (like me) or just occasionally, I’m positive this will satisfy any craving. I served it to three different groups of friends, and then all gave it raving reviews before I left for Europe. And now after looking at it, I’m realizing that there’s basically no choice — I must make it again for my Mexican foodathon this week. It’s too good and too easy not to enjoy again.
2 (14-ounce) cans White Northern beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray, and set aside.
Heat butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add flour, and whisk to combine. Cook for 1 minute until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add half of the chicken stock, and whisk until combined. Then add the remaining chicken stock, green chiles, and cumin, and whisk until combined.
Let the mixture continue heating until it reaches a simmer and thickens slightly, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in Greek yogurt (or sour cream) and whisk until combined. Remove from heat and set aside.
To assemble the enchiladas, place 8 tortilla halves in the prepared baking pan so that they cover the bottom of the pan. Spread about 1/3 of the cream sauce evenly on top of the tortillas. Sprinkle half of the chicken on evenly on top of the sauce, followed by half of the beans, and 1 cup shredded cheese. Repeat with a second layer of tortillas, cream sauce, chicken, beans and cheese. Then add a final layer of just tortillas, cream sauce and cheese.
Cover the casserole with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the aluminum foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and begins to brown around the edges and the casserole is cooked through.
Remove pan, and sprinkle with avocado and fresh cilantro. Serve warm.
I am glad you made it home safe! From what I saw on IG, it looked like you had a great trip! And this is one epic meal to make after just coming back from a vacay, you’re a start girl! Pinned!
Welcome home!! I love traveling in Europe but I have to agree that the thing I miss most is Mexican food. I tried a Mexican restaurant in Paris once…..never again!! I still shudder at the thought. P.S. I have literally been craving a chicken enchilada casserole – perfect timing! It looks so creamy and cozy and just what I need today. :)
I used to eat a lot of Mexican food when i was preg. with my son and used to eat green chilies quite a bit actually every time we had ant kind of food i had to have the Hot and when i say HOT That’s What I mean and the hotter the better!! So anyway i ended up not being able to eat spicy hot stuff anymore so i just have to buy the mild salsa and no pepper Jack cheese either! But the recipe sounds so good and the looks of it are even better!! So Thank You For Sharing The Recipe!!
This looks absolutely delicious! I LOVE that you used Greek yogurt, too. I always make that substitution myself and it’s awesome to see recipes actually written that way!
Yay for safe travels and the comfort of home :)
I have never actually heard of an enchilada casserole, but this sounds and looks amazing! I love the layers this has, and the extra avocado sprinkled on top, definitely a show-stopper!
I tried this recipe out for the first time tonight. I made two 8×8 casseroles, one for now and one to freeze. I cannot speak for the freezer version yet, but the one I made for tonight was DELISH! I added 1/2 cup chopped onion to the butter and used two 4oz cans of green chiles instead of one. This one is a keeper!
Made this recipe for dinner tonight, it was fantastic! I loved the taste of the creamy green chili sauce as well as the spicy kick from the Pepper Jack cheese. So so so good!
Got to make this already last night and it was awesome! My husband says I have to make it again soon, and my toddler twins loved it. I completely forgot to buy the beans and had bought an onion to add to it, so I just sauteed a chopped up medium onion in a little olive oil and then threw in a couple of minced cloves of garlic a few minutes later to sub for the beans. So good. I used plain nonfat greek yogurt which I love since it’s extra protein and no extra fat. I also cut the cheese by a whole cup and just used one full 8 oz block. Next time I will likely try white whole wheat flour in the sauce. I used the fresh in store tortillas which were so much better than buying in the bread aisle – next time I might try their whole wheat for extra fiber. You can’t beat easy, healthy, and inexpensive! Thanks again for the recipe!
My 10 year old daughter made this for us tonight, and it was absolutely fantastic! She said to tell you that it is very very good, and thank you for the recipe!
Made this for dinner tonight, but we’re mostly gluten free, so I used oat flour for the roux and corn tortillas. It. Was. AMAZING. The roux needed three VERY heaping tablespoons of oat flour, but you always have to use more than regular flour. My husband, who started out saying it was “pretty good” had to change that to “REALLY good” when I caught him sneaking some off of our toddler’s plate. :)
Elizabeth —
How did the corn tortillas turn out? I was thinking of using corn but was unsure if it would taste good. Did you have to alter the recipe any?
Would it be okay to use a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar instead? I don’t have any Monterrey or pepper jack and I cant get to the store before dinner!
Ali– I’m the hometown friend of Liam’s who is now a daily reader of your blog! I had fun going back through some earlier recipes and decided to make this casserole this week. It was YUM!! My husband is a native Texan (as am I, although those years in New York State balanced it out!) and he loves himself some creamy, cheesy goodness! Your photos are gorgeous and I can’t wait to make some more dishes! (Oh, I happened to end up in a gourmet/natural food store the other day and totally bought some of the Delallo ww orzo so am looking forward to that soup!)
One quick note: the first line in the recipe instructions talks about heating the oil but it’s butter in the ingredient list. I got a little confused and then decided butter was the correct one. Hope that was right! :-)
I do something very similar for my chicken enchiladas! The only substantial difference in mine is that I also flavor the sauce and the filling with ground chipotle chile (adds a ton of flavor). Instead of canned chiles, I roast, peel, dice and freeze Hatch chiles every year – just did a case last week – and these cubes are then AMAZING to use in food. I also use more cheese and include diced onions (or sliced sauteed when I make the time) in the filling. Finally, I add some sliced black olives and green onions to the top for color more than anything else. I am going to take your suggestion and include the white beans in my filling next time as I have some I’d like to use up. Thanks!
Gayla —
P.S. I forgot to add that I include roasted tomatillos in my sauce and then puree it. A quick shortcut to that, not quite as good, but close, is just to add some green tomatillo salsa into the sauce.
I tried printing this but for some reason, your pic and bio covered the middle of the instructions…ended up copying and pasting into Word document to print. Can’t wait to try it tonight!
Hey Alix! So glad you love Mexi food too! Unfortunately we don’t provide nutrition facts on here, but you can calculate them (approximately) over at My Fitness Pal. Sorry, until I have the tools for super accurate nutrition counts, I’m hesitant to provide them on the site.
Oh.my.GOODNESS!! I just put this in the oven and can’t wait to eat it. The sauce is so simple and DELICIOUS!! This will be my new go to White Chicken Enchilada recipe mmmmm :)
Can you make ahead and freeze it? Do you cook it and freeze it or just make and freeze and cook when thawed? Did not see a answer to this question asked below. Thanks!
OMG…This turned out great. I used a can of Rotel instead of the green chiles….this added a little more flavor. I also used gluten free tortillas (NOT CORN). Definitely a winner for our family. Thank you. I figure you could also sneak other veggies in this recipe like zucchini and squash. Thank you.
I am glad you made it home safe! From what I saw on IG, it looked like you had a great trip! And this is one epic meal to make after just coming back from a vacay, you’re a start girl! Pinned!
Oh my! Steaks and shrimp scampi. Glad you passed that up and waited for this instead. This is so beautiful it makes my eyes happy. Pinning it!
This looks so comfy cozy, and yummy. Glad you made it home safely. I can’t wait for a recap! It looked like so much fun on instagram.
My mom used to make an enchilada stackup when I was growing up, but I’ve never seen a white enchilada version. This looks so delicious!
I love enchilada casseroles and this white version looks so tasty! Welcome home. :)
Perfect weeknight dinner! Love these flavors!
I never realized what a big Mexican fan you were. ;)
Loving this casserole. I’m sure the whole family would enjoy it!
Pinning.
Welcome home! And thanks for the fabulous recipe. :) Easy and yummy…I love it and I’m sure my family will, too.
Welcome home!! I love traveling in Europe but I have to agree that the thing I miss most is Mexican food. I tried a Mexican restaurant in Paris once…..never again!! I still shudder at the thought. P.S. I have literally been craving a chicken enchilada casserole – perfect timing! It looks so creamy and cozy and just what I need today. :)
This is our kind of casserole for sure, can’t wait to make this for the boys!
I used to eat a lot of Mexican food when i was preg. with my son and used to eat green chilies quite a bit actually every time we had ant kind of food i had to have the Hot and when i say HOT That’s What I mean and the hotter the better!! So anyway i ended up not being able to eat spicy hot stuff anymore so i just have to buy the mild salsa and no pepper Jack cheese either! But the recipe sounds so good and the looks of it are even better!! So Thank You For Sharing The Recipe!!
I have made three recipes from your page and my boyfriend and I love them!!
Can’t wait to try this. You’re amazing!
Mexican food was the first thing I wanted too when I got back from 2 weeks in Southeast Asia.
This looks absolutely delicious! I LOVE that you used Greek yogurt, too. I always make that substitution myself and it’s awesome to see recipes actually written that way!
Loved following your trip on IG. Welcome home! LOVING this enchilada casserole!
This looks seriously delicious! I wonder if it would work as a good freezer meal for me to make pre-baby…!
This looks amazing. Something my hubs would love. Pinned.
Yes for white chicken enchilada’s! These are my fav and your healthified version is happening in my kitchen soon!
Hiya! This looks super yum, but alas I am lactose/dairy intolerant…any ideas or plans for a dairy free version?
What a fabulous comforting meal!
Yay for safe travels and the comfort of home :)
I have never actually heard of an enchilada casserole, but this sounds and looks amazing! I love the layers this has, and the extra avocado sprinkled on top, definitely a show-stopper!
Hooray, you’re back! Let’s go eat some Mexican food. I want to hear about your trip! This casserole sounds awesome.
YUM. That casserole looks SO good. Love it!
I tried this recipe out for the first time tonight. I made two 8×8 casseroles, one for now and one to freeze. I cannot speak for the freezer version yet, but the one I made for tonight was DELISH! I added 1/2 cup chopped onion to the butter and used two 4oz cans of green chiles instead of one. This one is a keeper!
I will be making this week! Could I assemble the night before and put it in the fridge then bake it the next night?
Yes, you could. Just be sure to cover it with plastic wrap while being refrigerated. :)
Made the dish last weekend. Really good enchilada flavor and texture and much easier than rolling enchiladas. From Houston TX.
Made this recipe for dinner tonight, it was fantastic! I loved the taste of the creamy green chili sauce as well as the spicy kick from the Pepper Jack cheese. So so so good!
Got to make this already last night and it was awesome! My husband says I have to make it again soon, and my toddler twins loved it. I completely forgot to buy the beans and had bought an onion to add to it, so I just sauteed a chopped up medium onion in a little olive oil and then threw in a couple of minced cloves of garlic a few minutes later to sub for the beans. So good. I used plain nonfat greek yogurt which I love since it’s extra protein and no extra fat. I also cut the cheese by a whole cup and just used one full 8 oz block. Next time I will likely try white whole wheat flour in the sauce. I used the fresh in store tortillas which were so much better than buying in the bread aisle – next time I might try their whole wheat for extra fiber. You can’t beat easy, healthy, and inexpensive! Thanks again for the recipe!
My 10 year old daughter made this for us tonight, and it was absolutely fantastic! She said to tell you that it is very very good, and thank you for the recipe!
I bought little corn tortillas – do you think those will work out okay in lieu of the flour tortillas?
Yep, they will!
Looks and sounds awesome!!
YUM!! If I were to freeze this, would I do it before or after I baked it??
Thank you for the recipe! It was so delicious and easy to make, I will definitely be making this again many times!
Made this for dinner tonight, but we’re mostly gluten free, so I used oat flour for the roux and corn tortillas. It. Was. AMAZING. The roux needed three VERY heaping tablespoons of oat flour, but you always have to use more than regular flour. My husband, who started out saying it was “pretty good” had to change that to “REALLY good” when I caught him sneaking some off of our toddler’s plate. :)
How did the corn tortillas turn out? I was thinking of using corn but was unsure if it would taste good. Did you have to alter the recipe any?
Would it be okay to use a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar instead? I don’t have any Monterrey or pepper jack and I cant get to the store before dinner!
Sure thing! Enjoy!!
I don’t care for beans- any ideas for another filler I could use to substitute ?
You could just leave out the beans, or substitute in some veggies or pico.
Ali– I’m the hometown friend of Liam’s who is now a daily reader of your blog! I had fun going back through some earlier recipes and decided to make this casserole this week. It was YUM!! My husband is a native Texan (as am I, although those years in New York State balanced it out!) and he loves himself some creamy, cheesy goodness! Your photos are gorgeous and I can’t wait to make some more dishes! (Oh, I happened to end up in a gourmet/natural food store the other day and totally bought some of the Delallo ww orzo so am looking forward to that soup!)
One quick note: the first line in the recipe instructions talks about heating the oil but it’s butter in the ingredient list. I got a little confused and then decided butter was the correct one. Hope that was right! :-)
Definitely craving a bite of the cheesy goodness of this enchilada casserole.. it looks delicious. Pinned!
Om Nom Nom!! What a great recipe! It turned out oerfect, and everybody loved it. Thanks for sharing!
Hi,
I do something very similar for my chicken enchiladas! The only substantial difference in mine is that I also flavor the sauce and the filling with ground chipotle chile (adds a ton of flavor). Instead of canned chiles, I roast, peel, dice and freeze Hatch chiles every year – just did a case last week – and these cubes are then AMAZING to use in food. I also use more cheese and include diced onions (or sliced sauteed when I make the time) in the filling. Finally, I add some sliced black olives and green onions to the top for color more than anything else. I am going to take your suggestion and include the white beans in my filling next time as I have some I’d like to use up. Thanks!
P.S. I forgot to add that I include roasted tomatillos in my sauce and then puree it. A quick shortcut to that, not quite as good, but close, is just to add some green tomatillo salsa into the sauce.
Do you think you can use plain yogurt instead of Greek yogurt?
Sour cream would probably be a better substitute, but yes, plain yogurt will also work. It’s just not quite as thick.
Sure thing! I would use full-fat, though, instead of fat-free.
I tried printing this but for some reason, your pic and bio covered the middle of the instructions…ended up copying and pasting into Word document to print. Can’t wait to try it tonight!
Hi Patricia,
So sorry about that, we are getting ready to launch a new site design which will hopefully fix that asap!
~Ali
Hey Alix! So glad you love Mexi food too! Unfortunately we don’t provide nutrition facts on here, but you can calculate them (approximately) over at My Fitness Pal. Sorry, until I have the tools for super accurate nutrition counts, I’m hesitant to provide them on the site.
Love this recipe! So yummy! I love being able to make the sauce from scratch and not have to rely on store bought! Thank you!
Oh.my.GOODNESS!! I just put this in the oven and can’t wait to eat it. The sauce is so simple and DELICIOUS!! This will be my new go to White Chicken Enchilada recipe mmmmm :)
Can you make ahead and freeze it? Do you cook it and freeze it or just make and freeze and cook when thawed? Did not see a answer to this question asked below. Thanks!
OMG…This turned out great. I used a can of Rotel instead of the green chiles….this added a little more flavor. I also used gluten free tortillas (NOT CORN). Definitely a winner for our family. Thank you. I figure you could also sneak other veggies in this recipe like zucchini and squash. Thank you.
Beans for more fiber and check out the e cups
That Mexican white yogurt sauce looks delicious. I LOVE Casserole dinners -Will definitely try out this one!
Could I substitute the white beans with refried beans?
Sure, you totally could. Enjoy!