Chicken Enchiladas With Cheese Sauce

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The Famous Ancho Chile Pepper:

Pinterest Cheese & Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream White Sauce
  • An ancho chili pepper is simply the dried version of the poblano pepper. After roasting a poblano pepper, it becomes an ancho chile.
  • They are a deep red in color and have extremely wrinkled skin and a smokey flavor.
  • On the Scoville Scale these peppers range from 1,000 to 2,000 SHU, so they are nice and mild. Very mild.
  • Ancho Chiles can be reconstituted by placing them in hot water and wallaaaa, they soften up!
  • Ancho chilis can be ground up and used as a dry rub for meats, in soups, chili, marinades and salad dressings.
  • The Ancho Chile was said to be introduced by Christopher Columbus.

Now although everyone has a slight variation to making an ancho chili sauce, an authentic Mexican red sauce recipe for enchiladas will usually have the basics, ancho chilis, guajillo peppers, garlic, mexican oregano, salt and pepper.

So yes, another pepper used in this ancho chili sauce is another famous and favorite to Mexican cuisine.the guajillo pepper. Guajillo peppers range between 2,500-5,000 SHU and are considered a mild to medium pepper.

One Note About The Tortillas

As I mentioned above, you can use flour or corn tortillas to make these enchiladas. Corn are the more traditional choice, but it depends on what you have on hand and the texture youd like.

Flour tortillas soften in the oven, while corn tortillas will hold up a bit better. If you use corn tortillas, look for thicker tortillas since they hold up a bit better than thin.

You will need to soften the corn tortillas up a bit before filling and rolling them. Frying them in a little oil softens them and enhances the corn flavor of the tortillas.

How To Assemble The Enchiladas

  • Use a quarter of the sauce to cover the bottom of the dish, so the enchiladas don’t stick to pan while baking.
  • Spread a tablespoon of the sauce over a tortilla, making sure the edges are clear
  • top with shredded chicken, black beans and grated cheese, then roll and arrange on the dish – repeat with the remaining tortillas
  • top the enchiladas with more sauce, beans and cheese and bake in the preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the enchiladas are bubbling hot

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How To Make The Easiest Salsa Verde Enchiladas

I love enchiladas with red sauce, but my favorite way to make chicken enchiladas is with salsa verde. Salsa verde is a green salsa made from tomatillos, garlic, onion, and peppers. Its absolutely delicious. You can make salsa verde yourself or you buy it at the grocery store. I especially love using the Hatch brand when I dont have homemade on hand. If youre in the mood for red chicken enchiladas, use our homemade enchilada sauce instead. Heres our recipe for red chili chicken enchiladas.

Did You Make This

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe: How to Make It

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  • Alex and Kimsays

    Posted on 9/10/14 at 11:03 pm

    just wanted to let you know that we are making these enchiladas for the third time tonight. It is a sophisticated and modern take on classic enchiladas. Whoever came up with the pulled chicken recipe deserves a medal.

  • Posted on 9/11/14 at 6:52 am

    Thank you so much! All of the credit for that pulled chicken recipe should go to my husband Jack . Were glad you are enjoying the recipes! Thanks for writing to us!

  • H & Csays

    Posted on 7/31/14 at 11:09 am

    Just made this recipe last night! We made one red , and one white. Delicious!! Perfect amount of spice, so caution if you think you want more We thought we needed more , and the red dish was super spicy, good, but oh boy was it spicy. Thank you so much for the great recipe!!! This is going to be a regular dish for us.

  • Posted on 7/31/14 at 11:13 am

    Thanks H & C! Were glad you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for sharing your adaptation!

  • Stephaniesays

    Posted on 2/16/14 at 2:23 pm

    Id love to make this gluten free. Any idea how much cornstarch I should use in place of the flour?

  • Posted on 2/16/14 at 6:34 pm

    Hi Stephanie This article suggests using half the amount of cornstarch in place of flour. Hope this helps!

  • Posted on 5/5/13 at 8:00 pm

    Thanks Pat!

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    Best Way To Freeze Enchiladas

    The best way to freeze enchiladas is to keep the sauce separate. This is because the sauce soaks into the tortillas, making it excessively soggy AND leaving you with less sauce.

    To freeze fully assembled chicken enchiladas, cool the sauce and the rolled up enchiladas completely, THEN assemble. Reason: Tortillas absorb less sauce when both are cold.

    Bake from frozen The enchiladas can be baked from frozen. If assembled separately, I thaw the sauce , pour it over the frozen enchiladas sprinkle with cheese then pop it in the oven.

    How To Freeze Chicken Enchiladas

    I always make a second pan of these Easy Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas to put in the freezer. It doesnt take any longer to make two pans and we have dinner for another night.

    This recipe is perfect in a 9×13 casserole dish. The ones with the lid are really handy if you are taking this dish somewhere.

    I use the disposable pans for the one I am freezing. It helps so much on those busy nights.

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    How To Make These Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

    Once the cheese sauce is made, the rest of the process is just assembly. To make these enchiladas, simply

  • Make The Nacho Cheese Sauce: This is basically a classic cheese sauce with the addition of a variety of flavourful spices. Full instructions are included in the recipe card at the bottom or in this post for Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce. A quick overview is as follows: make a roux, whisk in the milk and simmer until slightly thickened, whisk in the spices and cheese until incorporated.
  • Prepare The Filling: Mix together shredded chicken, salsa, corn and half the nacho cheese sauce in a bowl.
  • Assemble The Enchiladas: Divide the filling between the tortillas. Roll them up and place them seam side down in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Spread the remaining nacho cheese sauce over the top and scatter over the shredded cheddar cheese.
  • Bake: Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden and edges of tortillas are slightly crispy.
  • Topping Time: Serve the enchiladas with a generous amount of toppings . Some ideas include: salsa or pico de gallo, diced avocado or guacamole, sour cream, hot sauce, chopped green onions, cilantro, etc. Now its time to dig in and enjoy!
  • Detailed ingredient list and directions located in the recipe card below.

    Tips For Making The Best Chicken Enchiladas

    BEST White Chicken Enchiladas | CREAMY Chicken Enchilada Recipe ~ MY WAY
    • A Mexican blend cheese can be substituted for the cheddar and Monterey jack to save time.
    • If you insist, flour tortillas could be substituted for corn, you just wont get as many enchiladas.
    • When adding the remaining enchilada sauce to the top of the chicken enchiladas, I like to spoon it across and use the spoon to open the space between each enchilada so the sauce will run down between.

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    How To Use The Chicken For The Filling

    As for the filling, if you happen to have leftovers from a good old roast chicken, or you use rotisserie chicken, nothing simpler, just flake it and it’s good to go.

    Otherwise you can either roast or poach some chicken breasts, you just have to allow some extra time for that. My Juicy Baked Chicken Breastcan be easily flaked for these enchiladas, so there are quite a few options here.

    Should I Use Corn Tortillas Or Flour Tortillas

    Corn tortillas are traditional for enchiladas, but I prefer flour tortillas because they are easier to roll up and they hold their shape well. I find that corn tortillas fall apart easily. This question is really one of personal tastes though, so use what you prefer.

    To make tortillas more pliable and easier to roll, you can warm them in the microwave, layered between two damp paper towels. Dipping corn tortillas in enchilada sauce can also make them easier to roll without tearing.

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    Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas: Behind The Recipe

    Want in on a little secret? I thought so! Unlike many enchilada recipes, these chicken enchiladas start in the oven uncovered and without any sauce or cheese on top.

    Why? Because this little secret baking method ensures the enchiladas create a slight crunch before adding the sauce and cheese.

    That way, they dont get so soggy. I like this because too many times Ive tried to serve enchiladas to just have them fall apart before I could transfer them from the pan to the plate!

    Tips For Making These Shrimp Enchiladas:

    Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas
    • We’re gonna make this easy to make by using some of the home cook’s best helpers – ZATARAIN’S® Cilantro Lime Rice and ZATARAIN’S® Creole Seasoning. These two ingredients are going to add a ton of flavor to this recipe.
    • Pro tip: the key to making an easy recipe seem much more fancier than it actually is to build layers of flavor.
    • Also, to make it even simpler and quicker to make, I purchased shrimp that was already peeled, de-veined and tail removed.

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    Tips From The Pillsbury Kitchens

    • tip 1 Pick up your rotisserie chicken as the last item on your shopping list. Be sure the chicken is hot when you select it from the heated case. Always refrigerate the chicken within 2 hours of purchasing. If you are going to use the chicken for this recipe, remove the meat from the bones, cut it up and use immediately.
    • tip 2 To quickly soften cream cheese, remove from wrapper, and place on microwaveable plate microwave uncovered on High about 15 seconds or just until softened.
    • tip 3 Add some chopped fresh cilantro as a garnish, and serve with Pillsbury refrigerated biscuits and fresh salsa.
    • tip 4 For those that want some extra spice, serve your enchiladas alongside your favorite hot sauce for an added kick.

    How To Make Enchiladas Suizas:

    Preheat oven to 350f degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. De-bone your store-bought rotisserie chicken and cut meat into 1-inch chunks. I leave the skin on but you can remove it.

    Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in onion and saute for about 5 minutes Stir in garlic and saute for another minute.

    Stir in diced chicken, green chiles and sour cream. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Continue to stir until warmed through Take off heat.

    Spoon about ¼ cup of the chicken mixture into each tortilla. If using corn tortillas, you’ll want to wrap them in a paper towel and warm in the microwave for about 30 seconds so they are a bit easier to roll up.

    Roll up and place seam side down into prepared baking dish. You should be able to get at least 12-14 enchiladas from this.

    In the same skillet you used for the chicken mixture, melt 2 tbsp. butter over medium heat.

    Whisk in flour until thickened.

    Slowly pour in milk and whisk until sauce gently boils and thickens.

    Season with salt and pepper Whisk in softened cream cheese. Continue to whisk until smooth.

    Pour sauce over prepared enchiladas.

    Top with shredded Swiss cheese. Sprinkle dried parsley on top

    Bake covered with aluminum foil for about 25-30 minutes until heated through and bubbly.

    Top with your favorite toppings: salsa, sliced parsley or cilantro, sliced olives, Pico de Gallo, lettuce and/or taco sauce.

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    Why Youll Love Salsa Verde Green Chicken Enchiladas

    • Theyre quick and easy. Who doesnt love a quick and easy recipe? Made with cooked chicken, you can expect these chicken enchiladas to be ready in under an hour! Its the best way to use up a leftover rotisserie chicken.
    • The ultimate comfort food. Authentic Mexican food is always satisfying, but these salsa verde chicken enchiladas are seriously the best comfort food plus theyve got a kick. With a spicy green enchilada sauce, this hot and cheesy dish just hits the spot differently.
    • Loaded with flavor. These green chicken enchiladas are packed with flavor from the seasoning spices to the salsa verde sauce to the spicy green chiles. Plus, the aroma that wafts through the kitchen as you bake them is something else. The process of baking these enchiladas will be almost as good as the experience of eating them.

    Tips For Making Enchiladas Suizas

    Easy Chicken and cheese Enchiladas with homemade sauce
    • Instead of cooking chicken, I decided to pick up a rotisserie chicken. It saves time and isn’t much to fuss with.
    • As you can see, this is a very creamy dish. It doesn’t have a whole lot of spice to it except for the diced green chiles. So we like to serve it with salsa, pico de gallo or lettuce and tomato on top.
    • This is traditionally made with corn tortillas. Keep in mind, you have to warm corn tortillas up first or they will split as you roll them up. If you don’t want to do that extra step, just use flour tortillas.

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    How To Make White Chicken Enchiladas

    There are so many ways you can make enchiladas. You can fill them with anything, top them with anything. But these white chicken enchiladas are to die for and my favorite kind.

    The filling ingredients are cooked chicken, mozzarella cheese and green chile enchilada sauce. I usually buy a rotisserie chicken and use the breast or thigh meat for this recipe.

    Assemble the enchiladas by filling each tortilla with about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture then roll it up and place it in a casserole dish.

    Make the sauce by first making a roux with flour and butter in a saucepan. Cook for a minute then add the chicken broth and whisk until smooth. Let it cook until the sauce is thick and bubbly. Stir in the sour cream and green chiles. Pour this sauce over the enchiladas then top them with cheese.

    Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until the top starts to brown and the sauce is bubbly.

    All thats left to do is serve and enjoy this comforting dish.

    Enchiladas With Cheese Sauce

    I think I just may have found the best way to make enchiladas: enchiladas with cheese sauce! Did you see my post about making this incredible 5 ingredient cheese sauce? I use it on all sorts of items from bread to broccoli. But, one of my favorite ways to use it is on enchiladas! Our household loves enchiladas so Im always loving coming up with new ways to create them.

    Whenever I go to a Mexican restaurant , I am always drawn to the menu item that lists smothered in cheese sauce. Its something I never thought to do at home, and its indulgent! Ive always wondered how they do it, and finally figured out how to make enchiladas with cheese sauce at home!

    I should note I have a friend that never orders the smothered in cheese sauce item because shes always afraid it will be soggy. If you cook this properly, youll just have amazing, delicious enchiladas and nothing soggy to worry about the cheese sauce actually helps crisp up the top of the enchiladas!

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    Making Salsa Verde Enchilada Sauce

    This creamy green enchilada sauce could not be simpler. Heres the simple steps I follow to make it:

    Step 1: Warm garlic in a little oil and stir in salsa verde. The salsa already has garlic added, but I love the extra spice from the extra garlic.

    Step 2: Stir in sour cream and fresh cilantro to the salsa. Its the sour cream that makes the sauce so creamy.

    Step 3: Stir in shredded chicken and a handful of cheese. By adding the chicken to the warm sauce, it gets a head start on warming up. The chicken absorbs so much flavor. I could just stop here and eat the whole skillet!

    Step 4: Fill tortillas with the chicken and sauce and roll up. So the sauce stays inside the tortillas, place the enchiladas seam-side down into a baking dish.

    Step 5: Spread the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and top with cheese. I bake them in the oven until the cheese has melted and the sauce is nice and bubbly.

    How To Cook Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

    White Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy, Cheesy Sour Cream Sauce
  • Poach the Chicken: Place chicken in a large pot and cover by one inch with water. Add salt. Heat on medium-low heat, covered, until water begins to boil. Reduce heat to low and let chicken simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside. Reserve cooking liquid for rice if desired.
  • Make the Filling: Sauté onion in olive oil until tender. Add cream cheese, taco seasoning and green chilies to onions. Reduce heat to low and stir until all ingredients are combined and cream cheese is melted.
  • Remove skin and bones from chicken if applicable . Shred chicken with two forks then add to cream cheese mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined.
  • Assemble Enchiladas: Spray a 13×9 backing dish with cooking spray. Fill tortillas evenly with chicken mixture and roll into enchiladas. Place enchiladas in prepared baking dish, seam-side down.
  • Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over enchiladas. Pour whipping cream over cheese. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove aluminum foil and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes or until cheese has started to brown.
  • Serve with salsa and/or pico de gallo.
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