This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
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.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post in partnership with Old El Paso. I am partnering with them and a group of other bloggers this year to develop some fresh Mexican recipes, which I love. But all opinions are 100% my own as always. Thanks for supporting the brands which help make this site possible.
Here are 3 more non-traditional chicken enchilada recipes you might like too:
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.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I have been making a chicken enchilada casserole that includes cream of chicken soup. This recipe is similar, but so much tastier and so much healthier. My family loves it too!
I put these together last night, then refrigerated until this afternoon when I got home from work, and baked them. I was so disappointed. They smelled wonderful, but the tortillas turned to mush, and this made them very unappetizing. I am assuming this because I didn’t bake them right away. Any thoughts?
I made this but adjusted it a bit and it turned out amazing! I used corn tortillas instead of flour and instead of the green chiles, I used a jar of salsa verde when making the layers. I was worried it might turn out soupy but it was perfect.
Hi! I made these last night and they were really delicious. I found my tortillas crisped up a lot, which was tasty but made it hard to cut through the casserole. Have you experienced this and if so, any suggestions for fixing this? I was thinking maybe letting it sit for a little bit (maybe an hour in the fridge) before baking so the tortillas could soak up a little of the sauce? Great recipe though, I’ll be making it again soon!
24 tortillas, halved? I got 48 tortilla halves. I used less than half this amount.
No way does this thing cook in 20 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered. I’m nearing an hour in an over that tends to cook things faster than what’s called for.
I’m sorry, but we currently aren’t publishing nutrition facts on the site. The nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. But many of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. I hope that helps!
Awesome recipe!!!
Tried it last night and it was absolutely delicious! I’ve tried which chicken enchiladas before using store bought sauce and this recipe totally blows that one out of the water!!!! Family loved it (some of the little ones didn’t care for the beans), but definitely a family keeper!!!
Hey Minnie! I’m sure it can if it’s just for a few hours or so, but I haven’t tried doing that for longer. I would just wrap it really closely/tightly, with plastic wrap, so the tortillas don’t dry out. Good luck!
Whipped this up for choir potluck this afternoon. It’s a keeper!
Must echo earlier comment re: # of tortilla halves.. Old El Paso may only come in one size, but brands like Misson come in at least three and the bigger ones require half as many halves if not less. Suggestion: cut as you go and stop when you’ve got a layer covered. Repeat.
Went a tad heavier on cheese (4c) and enjoyed the texture…but found Crystal Farms habanero-jalapeno pepper jack cheese to lack any heat whatsoever in the result. Also went 1.5 cans on the chilis with no appreciable effect. Next time out might leave cheese as-is and substitute diced jalapenos for the chilis. Comfort food with a kick…is that a thing?
Prep Time:
Yield:
Print
Pin
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!
Pingback: The easy way to freezer cook | Wagner Household
Could I substitute the white beans with refried beans?
Sure, you totally could. Enjoy!
These were absolutely divine! Even the picky teenager liked it.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I have been making a chicken enchilada casserole that includes cream of chicken soup. This recipe is similar, but so much tastier and so much healthier. My family loves it too!
I put these together last night, then refrigerated until this afternoon when I got home from work, and baked them. I was so disappointed. They smelled wonderful, but the tortillas turned to mush, and this made them very unappetizing. I am assuming this because I didn’t bake them right away. Any thoughts?
Yes, unfortunately the tortillas will soak up the liquid if they sit for too long unbaked (or unfrozen).
Pingback: Roasted Chicken Stock | Plum Pie
Pingback: 20 Casserole Recipes That Are Actually Delicious | Darnmeme
Pingback: 17 Easy Dinners You Should Know How To Cook After College - Blog
Do you have the nutrition facts on this casserole? It would be very helpful with portion sizes.
Pingback: 17 Easy Dinners You Should Know How To Cook After College
Pingback: 17 Easy Dinners You Should Know How To Cook After College - Seatbelt Guitar
Pingback: 17 Easy Dinners You Should Know How To Cook After College - Ecfluo News
Pingback: Easy Dinners You Should Know How To Cook | WORLD Warotter
Pingback: 17 Easy Dinners You Should Know How To Cook After College - Ice Trend
Pingback: 17 Easy Dinners Everyone Should Have In Their Arsenal ⋆ The NEW N!FYmagThe NEW N!FYmag
Pingback: 17 Easy Dinners You Should Know How To Cook After College - Food Foni ( :
I made this but adjusted it a bit and it turned out amazing! I used corn tortillas instead of flour and instead of the green chiles, I used a jar of salsa verde when making the layers. I was worried it might turn out soupy but it was perfect.
Pingback: 17 Easy Dinners You Should Know How To Cook After College - Alrighty Then
Pingback: 17 Easy Dinners You Should Know How To Cook After College - Whatevers
Pingback: 17 Easy Dinners You Should Know How To Cook After College | Uber Trends
Hi! I made these last night and they were really delicious. I found my tortillas crisped up a lot, which was tasty but made it hard to cut through the casserole. Have you experienced this and if so, any suggestions for fixing this? I was thinking maybe letting it sit for a little bit (maybe an hour in the fridge) before baking so the tortillas could soak up a little of the sauce? Great recipe though, I’ll be making it again soon!
Pingback: Stash Feed – 17 Easy Dinners To Cook After College
Pingback: 17 Easy Dinners Everyone Should Have In Their Arsenal - Seatbelt Guitar
Pingback: 17 Easy Dinners Everyone Should Have In Their Arsenal - Alrighty Then
Pingback: 17 Easy Dinners Everyone Should Have In Their Arsenal - Whatevers
Pingback: 17 Easy Dinners Everyone Should Have In Their Arsenal - Ecfluo News
Pingback: 17 Easy Dinners Everyone Should Have In Their Arsenal - Ice Trend
There’s no way these proportions are correct.
24 tortillas, halved? I got 48 tortilla halves. I used less than half this amount.
No way does this thing cook in 20 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered. I’m nearing an hour in an over that tends to cook things faster than what’s called for.
btw, your link for the tortillas is a 404.
Pingback: L1: Freezer Cooking | Team Wastell
Pingback: 17 Easy Dinners Everyone Should Have In Their Arsenal | Uber Trends
I made this tonight and it was delicious! My whole family loved it!
Wow an enchilada casserole?! Why didn’t anyone think of this earlier :) It’s so much simpler than rolling those tortillas, and easier to portion out.
Pingback: 101 Things Update - The Fashionable Wife
Nutritional values?
I’m sorry, but we currently aren’t publishing nutrition facts on the site. The nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. But many of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. I hope that helps!
Awesome recipe!!!
Tried it last night and it was absolutely delicious! I’ve tried which chicken enchiladas before using store bought sauce and this recipe totally blows that one out of the water!!!! Family loved it (some of the little ones didn’t care for the beans), but definitely a family keeper!!!
Thanks so much!!!
Thanks Tiffany! So happy you enjoyed it! : D
Can this be made ahead and then refrigerated before baking?
Hey Minnie! I’m sure it can if it’s just for a few hours or so, but I haven’t tried doing that for longer. I would just wrap it really closely/tightly, with plastic wrap, so the tortillas don’t dry out. Good luck!
Pingback: Roasted Chicken Stock | Sunday Markets | Blog
Tweaked this to be gluten free and it’s delicious!
That’s awesome, Georgianna! So glad it worked well gf, and that you enjoyed it! : )
OMG. This is so delicious! I had every intention of posting a picture on IG.. but it went so fast I couldn’t.
This was super easy to assemble and the sauce is incredible! I added fresh jalapenos to my sauce for a tasty zip.
I will DEF make these again! (:
Thanks, Angela, I’m so happy you liked it! : )
Whipped this up for choir potluck this afternoon. It’s a keeper!
Must echo earlier comment re: # of tortilla halves.. Old El Paso may only come in one size, but brands like Misson come in at least three and the bigger ones require half as many halves if not less. Suggestion: cut as you go and stop when you’ve got a layer covered. Repeat.
Went a tad heavier on cheese (4c) and enjoyed the texture…but found Crystal Farms habanero-jalapeno pepper jack cheese to lack any heat whatsoever in the result. Also went 1.5 cans on the chilis with no appreciable effect. Next time out might leave cheese as-is and substitute diced jalapenos for the chilis. Comfort food with a kick…is that a thing?
Will make sure my better half pins this. Thanks!
Awesome, thanks for sharing, Carl!
Pingback: 17 Easy Dinners Everyone Should Have In Their Arsenal - TrulyTimes
Pingback: Meal Plan {6/8 - 6/12}
Pingback: 20 Casserole Recipes That Are Actually Delicious | VEGAN Topics
Pingback: 20 Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes + Meal Plan Monday Week 26 - Sustaining the Powers
Pingback: 19 Yogurt Recipes for Any Meal