Chicken Enchilada Casserole For Two – An Easy 5 Ingredient Recipe

When it comes to easy to prepare dinner recipes it is hard to beat this Chicken Enchilada Casserole recipe that is the perfect serving size for two to four servings. Layers of shredded chicken, cheese, and tortilla shells stacked and smothered in red enchilada sauce.

Then it is put in the oven to bake until it is hot and bubbly. The layers form together to make a tasty casserole that is easy to serve.

Top it with sour cream, cilantro, diced onions, jalapeños and or green onions for a delicious Mexican inspired meal that you can serve any day of the week.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

1. Only 5 Common Ingredients

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it requires only 5 ingredients. And each one of the ingredients are easy to find.

• Red Enchilada Sauce
• Small Tortilla Shells
• Cooked and Shredded Chicken
• Mexican Blend Cheese
• Canned Pinto Beans

That is all that is needed to make this delicious Chicken Enchilada Casserole for two!

2. Easy To Prepare

Now that you have the ingredients, this dish comes together in a matter of minutes. It all starts with a little enchilada sauce that is placed in the bottom of the baking dish.

Then layer tortilla shells on top. Next, add shredded chicken, pinto beans, and cheese on top.

Repeat two more layers of the ingredients to make a total of 3 layers. Then top the casserole with tortilla shells, enchilada sauce and more cheese.

Now it is ready to go in the oven! However, if you want an even faster recipe try my Chicken Enchilada Skillet recipe that is made entirely on the stove top.

3. Recipe Can Easily Be Customized

Just like with many of my recipes, including Loaded Totchos, you can customize the recipe to what you like to eat. For instance, if you prefer to make this recipe with leftover Barbacoa meat, by all means do so!

Or how about making a vegetable enchilada casserole by adding in some of your favorite sautéd veggies? Like things a little on the spicy side, use Pepper Jack cheese instead of the Mexican blend cheese.

As you can see there are many options that you can do to make it your own.

Time Saving Options

Although there are only 5 ingredients to this Enchilada Casserole recipe, there are a few tips to make this dish even easier on yourself. I have included ways that I have saved time and got dinner on the table even quicker!

Store Bought Rotisserie Chicken

The chicken in this enchilada casserole must be cooked and shredded before it is added to the recipe. Although you could cook a chicken breast and shred the meat yourself, there is easier and faster way.

This is a great time to use some leftover meat from a rotisserie chicken. I purchase a rotisserie chicken at least twice a month and use the meat to make all sorts of recipes.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole, Homemade Chicken Salad, and Chicken and Dumplings are some of my favorites. All that you have to do is pull the meat off the chicken and shred it into bite size strands.

However it is best to do this when the chicken is still warm. Then the meat will easily come off the bone with very little effort.

Place the meat in a covered container and place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to make this delicious casserole for dinner.

Canned Enchilada Sauce

As much as I like to make Homemade Enchilada Sauce with just a few ingredients that I have in my kitchen, for this recipe I prefer to use canned sauce instead.

However be sure to purchase the small, 15 ounce can of sauce and not the large 28 ounce can. Each 15 ounce can is just shy of 2 cups.

Because you will need only 1 1/3 cup of sauce for this recipe, this will leave you with less leftover sauce at the end of the day. Use this sauce to flavor your next meat and pasta dish or to spice up your omelet in the morning.

Make Ahead Meal

If you do any meal planning or preparation in advance, be sure to add this Chicken Enchilada Casserole. recipe to the list. You can assemble the casserole up to 3 days ahead of when you plan to cook it.

Simply cover and dish and put it in the refrigerator. Then before you preheat the oven, take the casserole out of the refrigerator so it can come to room temperature before it goes in the oven.

However, you can also freeze the casserole as well for longer storage. Just be sure to cover the top of the casserole with aluminum foil to prevent frost burn.

The casserole can remain in the freezer for up to 3 months. The night before you want to cook it simply take it out and put in the refrigerator to thaw overnight.

The next day, pull it out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before baking. This is a great way to get dinner on the table with very little work!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole For Two

*A printable recipe card is located at the bottom of this article which contains the specific measurements, temperatures and cook times. However, continue reading below to learn about more helpful tips about this specific recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 10 oz. red enchilada sauce
• 5-6 small tortillas shells cut into half (or 4 7 1/2 inch flour tortillas)
• 1 1/3 cups of cooked shredded chicken breast
• 1 1/3 cups of shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 12 ounces canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Optional Garnish Ingredients

• sour cream
• sliced avocado
• diced green onions
• diced jalapeños
• cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Then spray 1 quart baking dish with non stick cooking spray. Set aside.

To assemble the chicken enchilada casserole for two spread 1/4 cup of red enchilada sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Layer 3 halves of tortilla over the sauce so that the bottom of the pan is covered, tearing the halves in sections if needed.

Layer 1/3 of the chicken, 1/3 of the beans, 1/4 cup of the cheese and 1/3 cup of enchilada sauce over the tortillas.

Place a second layer of tortillas on top and layer 1/3 of the chicken, 1/3 of the beans, 1/4 cup of the cheese and 1/3 cup enchilada sauce over the tortillas.

Repeat this process one more time for the third layer. Place the remaining tortilla halves over the top and spread the remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Bake Time Required

Cover with foil that’s been sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned.

Let the casserole sit for 5 minutes before serving. Then top with desired garnishes and serve warm.

Enjoy! Mary

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