Shaun and I recently hosted a family dinner at our house and after a summer of BBQs, we were in the mood for something else that would be easy to prep and feed 8+ people.
I've been making these for years, but I recently discovered my love for the Crock Pot - so here's the recipe for Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas 2.0!
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Prep time (including crock pot): 4 hours
Cook time: 30 minutes
Feeds 8 -10 people
Ingredients:
- 6 chicken breasts
- 2 packets taco seasoning
- 1 large jar of salsa (any variety)
- 1 package of 8 large flour tortillas
- 1 bag of shredded cheese (I used an entire 1 lb. bag. Did I mention I love cheese)
- 1 28-ounce can of enchilada sauce (I used red La Palma sauce)
Here we go!!
Step 1: Cut each chicken breast into 4 smaller pieces. Why? I think it helps it cook faster but who knows...
Step 2: Put a liner in your crock pot (You'll thank me later on this one) and fire that baby up. Throw your chicken in there and sprinkle in your taco seasoning and make sure to coat each chicken piece evenly. Pour in your salsa and mix it together. At this point, I like to add some extra minced garlic, Cholula and chili powder, but these are totally optional.
Step 3: Turn the Crock Pot to high and stir everything around about once an hour. Once it gets to hour 2-3, cut into a piece and see how it's doing. If it needs more time, keep it on high, otherwise turn it to low. Then pour yourself a glass of wine - you deserve it!
Step 4: Once you feel it's cooked, spoon out each chicken piece into a large mixing bowl, keeping the sauce in the crockpot on low. Using two forks, start to shred all the chicken. It will be tender from the Crock Pot, so it will only take a few minutes. Once you're done, throw it back in the Crock Pot and mix it around with the existing sauce - cover and cook on low for 20-30 minutes.
Step 5: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and plan to use center rack. At this point, we have some super juicy, yummy chicken and we're ready to go!
Step 6: Using a large glass casserole dish, spray the whole thing evenly with some Pam. Then pour a small amount of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the dish - not too much, but enough to cover the whole bottom by a couple centimeters. Now get your supplies ready: enchilada sauce, chicken, cheese and tortillas.
Step 7: Lay your first tortilla out. Brush 1 tsp. of enchilada sauce all over it and sprinkle some cheese. Then scoop a bunch (this isn't an exact science here - but I would say 1 cup-ish) of chicken into the center of the tortilla, extending from top to bottom. Then, sprinkle more cheese on (duh) and roll it up, placing it in the casserole dish. You can make these as thick or thin as you want.
Step 8: Once the whole dish is full, pour the remainder of the enchilada sauce over the whole thing as you see fit. Then sprinkle on the rest of the cheese - don't be shy! Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. For the first 20 minutes, cover with foil and then remove for the last 10 minutes or so. Feel free to tack on a few extra minutes if the cheese isn't bubbly yet. Let cool for 5-10 minutes after pulling from oven.
Serving suggestions:
- I set out fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, a cornucopia of hot sauces, sour cream and lime juice for our guests to garnish their meals.
- For an appetizer, Shaun had picked up yummy homemade tortilla chips, salsas and guac from the Mexican food market. So yummy! #AdiosTostitos
- As a side dish, we served Spanish rice and black beans. I love to put a little sour cream and Cholula on my rice - makes it so yummy and creamy!
Next time, I think I'll add some cream cheese to the last step of the Crock Pot process - making this recipe even cheesier than before. **insert heavy breathing here**
Now it's back to my low-carb, low-cal diet - but hey, life is too short not too indulge in cheesy goodness!
XOXO,
Lauren
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