Chicken and Rice Enchilada Casserole

This cheesy, savory, and easy chicken enchilada casserole uses leftover chicken, and is ready in just 35 minutes!  It’s completely customize-able too!

Quick cooking meals are perfect for this time of year… and this chicken enchilada casserole is no exception.  Using leftover chicken, and rice and beans to make it extra hearty, plus plenty of Southwestern flair… it’ll soon become a family favorite!

Who’s a fan of quick weeknight meals?  Everyone’s hand should be raised right about now lol.  At the end of a long day, the last thing I feel like doing is standing over a hot stove for an hour.  Which is saying something, because in general I love to cook!  That’s why I love recipes like this chicken enchilada casserole!  It uses leftover chicken and a really great quick cooking rice to make your prep time nearly non-existent.

My absolute favorite way to make this casserole is to use leftover Tequila Lime chicken.  You’ll love the hints of spice and incredible flavor it lends the casserole!  But if you don’t have any of that, or would prefer another kind of chicken… the sky is the limit.  You can poach it, season it any way you want and bake it, saute it, even slow cook it.  In an absolute pinch, you can even make this with canned chicken.  Granted, that’s not my preferred method, but if it’s all you have, it’ll work.

You can also play around with the mix-ins for this enchilada casserole.  I chose to go with seasoned black beans, green chiles, and corn, but there are definitely other choices!

Other Mix-In options for this Enchilada Casserole:

• Swap out the black beans for refried beans
• Omit the beans all-together
• Add in some sauteed onion
• Add in some chopped jalapeno
• Add in some roasted poblano peppers (see how HERE)
• Add a can of diced tomatoes and green chiles (drained)

Give this casserole a try and make your back to school, weeknight dinners easy on yourself!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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Chicken and Rice Enchilada Casserole

3.68 from 31 votes

Author: The Chunky Chef

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

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Print Rate Pin

This cheesy, savory, and easy chicken enchilada casserole uses leftover chicken, and is ready in just 35 minutes! It's completely customize-able too!

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 breasts Tequila Lime Chicken shredded (or any other shredded chicken will work as well)
• ▢ 1 14 oz bag boil in bag white rice (about 1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked rice)
• ▢ 1 batch homemade enchilada sauce or 1 1/2 small cans of store-bought sauce
• ▢ 16 oz can seasoned black beans drained and rinsed,
• ▢ 1 cup shredded Mexican cheeese blend divided
• ▢ 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese divided
• ▢ 15 oz can Mexican blend corn drained,
• ▢ 15 oz can yellow corn kernels drained,
• ▢ 4.5 oz can green chiles drained
• ▢ Cilantro for garnish
• ▢ Sliced green onions for garnish
• ▢ salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Boil the rice according to package directions, then set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9" baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
• Mix the two cheeses together and set aside.
• To a large mixing bowl, add shredded chicken, black beans, green chiles, Mexican corn, cooked rice, 1/2 of the cheese, and enchilada sauce. Season with salt and pepper, stir to combine.
• Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Top with additional corn and remaining cheese.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and melted.
• To serve, sprinkle with sliced green onions and minced cilantro.

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Chef Tips

1. Recipe adapted from Jo Cooks

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