Easy, Creamy Chicken And Cheese Enchiladas

Easy Chicken And Cheese Enchiladas – tender, flavorful rotisserie chicken blended with a creamy tomato cheese sauce, then baked in a tortilla smothered in zesty green sauce and bubbly cheeses.

Who doesn’t love a quick meal?  Typically, enchiladas are quite a chore to make. These easy chicken and cheese enchiladas are oven-ready in 15 minutes and on the table in another 30 minutes.  

Rotisserie chicken and classic cream of chicken soup pair up to take all the work out and amplify all the flavors in this chicken and cheese enchilada dish. So easy to throw together that you feel like you cheated in some way because they are fast and full of flavor!

Why You’ll Love Chicken And Cheese Enchiladas

• There are only 15 minutes of prep to have a meal on the table in less than an hour!
• Easy chicken and cheese enchiladas make GREAT leftovers when refrigerated in an airtight container and can last for several days (maybe, if no one sneaks in and eats them all!)
• You can make several variations on your own or with some of the suggestions below!
• Satisfying, savory, downright good!

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Ingredients For Easy Chicken And Cheese Enchiladas

(full printable recipe at the end of this post)

The Creamy Base – consists of condensed cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and milk.

The Zesty Red Stuff – is the Mexican Lime & Cilantro Rotel and chili powder.

The Prepared Protein – skinless, boneless, and shredded rotisserie chicken breast (puts the “easy” in chicken and cheese enchiladas!)

The Melty Gooey Goodness – shredded Mexican Blend cheese.

The Mildly Spicy Green Stuff – green taco sauce

The Casserole “Core” – warmed corn or flour tortillas. 

The Lively Garnish – is a colorful chopped tomato and fresh verdant cilantro.

How Easy It Is To Make Chicken And Cheese Enchiladas

These Easy Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas are oven-ready in 15 minutes and on the table in 30 minutes. Fast and full of flavor!

Step 1. Stir the soup, sour cream, milk, Rotel, and chili powder in a medium bowl.

Step 2. Mix a portion of the soup mixture and cheese with the shredded chicken.

Step 3. Place filled and rolled tortillas in a baking dish seam-side down.

Step 4. Pour the remaining soup mixture and taco sauce over the filled tortillas, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. 

Step 5. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake.

Step 6. Halfway through the baking time, remove foil and continue baking until the enchiladas are hot and bubbly.

Garnish with tomato and cilantro, or serve on the side.

Storing and Freezing Chicken Enchiladas

To store: Enchiladas make GREAT leftovers when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.

To freeze: Allow enchiladas to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container, zip-top freezer bag or wrap individual enchiladas completely in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.

To Make-Ahead: Follow the recipe instructions through step 5 (assembling the enchiladas). Wrap the pan tightly with foil. Refrigerate the enchiladas for up to 3 days, then bake as directed. Or you can freeze the enchiladas for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, allow them to thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours, let them sit at room temperature while the oven pre-heats and bake as directed.

What To Serve/Pair With Your Chicken And Cheese Enchiladas

Mexican-inspired dishes are so versatile; they are usually so full of flavors and ingredients that they don’t require a ton of side dishes. Cilantro lime rice or Chili Lime Corn will complement this dish nicely. 

There are, of course, traditional standbys like fiesta black beans, refried beans, or rice dishes. You can’t lose with a fresh garden salad topped with crumbled Cotija cheese or Black Bean & Roasted Corn salad.

Complete the meal by serving with chips and avocado cream sauce or pineapple mango salsa, and a Perfect Paloma cocktail or Spicy Ranch Water.

Chicken And Cheese Popular Substitutions & Additions

Enchiladas really are a versatile meal that can accommodate most ingredients, including leftovers from your fridge! It almost seems rude to call them chicken and cheese enchilada “substitutions,” so I’m going with “variations!”

Variations for Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

• If you can’t find the Rotel w/cilantro & lime, simply buy the regular Rotel & green chilis and add a squeeze or two of lime and some extra cilantro to taste.
• You can use the dark meat of the rotisserie chicken or a combination.
• Use a different protein; ground beef, shredded beef, pulled pork are all delicious in enchiladas.
• Green chili enchilada sauce can be used rather than green taco sauce if needed.
• You can choose corn or flour tortillas. 
• Use any cheese(s) you prefer.  
• I usually buy 4 Cheese Mexican blends, but Monterey Jack, cheddar, and pepper Jack cheese all work wonderfully in chicken and cheese enchiladas.
• Did you know you can use whole milk Greek yogurt in place of sour cream in cooking and baking, and you’d have a hard time finding someone who could tell the difference?

Chicken And Cheese Enchilada Additions and Ideas

• Add black beans and corn for it a bit of a Tex-Mex flare.
• Diced red onion or sliced green onions add color, texture, and flavor.
• Drained pickled jalapeno wheels make a decorative pattern on top of the casserole.
• Roast halved, and seeded raw jalapeno’s coated with oil in the oven for a spicy and decorative garnish. 
• Maybe this is more of a “subtraction,” but you don’t have to include chicken if you want to prepare a vegetarian meal.

A Lot Of People Want To Know; What Is The Difference Between Condensed Soup And Regular Soup?

Soup that is not a condensed soup is ready to heat and eat, with nothing added.

Condensed soup has a thicker or more concentrated consistency due to being packaged with only half of its water content. When heating condensed soup at home, it is prepared by adding equal parts ( a whole can) of water or milk when heating to use as a soup.

Condensed cream soups are the base for a multitude of family-friendly casseroles and dishes, like my homestyle Easy Chicken Pot Pie or Creamy Crockpot Italian Chicken. These cream soups are true time-savers when you want to prepare hearty and wholesome meals for your family!

FYI: Since water is the heaviest ingredient, a 50% reduction saves packaging and shipping, making it a less expensive alternative to ready-to-eat canned soups.

Another FYI: A Campbell’s Soup chemist, John T. Dorrance, invented condensed soup in 1897 and later became president of The Campbell Soup Company in 1914 until he died in 1930.

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Originally posted in September 2013. UPDATED March 2022. We spiffed up this post with more info and better pictures! No changes to the original recipe.