Chicken Enchilada Casserole

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Welcome to a brand new year. Full of promise and possibilities, and lots of empty squares on those shiny new calendar pages. After all the celebrating, it’s time to return to sensible eating and sensible spending. A time I like to call the lean, bean days of January. 

You may have started a new diet, and you may have tightened up your budget, but with all that is going on in the world, you still need comfort. So I’m kicking off the year with a tried and true recipe that’s soothing and delicious. It’s not expensive to make, and it won’t take you too far outside the lines of healthy eating.

This Chicken Enchilada Casserole is easy to make and as far as comfort goes, is the closest thing to a warm hug that you can get in food form. Served piping hot, it’s just a bit spicy, chicken-forkful saucy, and delectably cheesy. It has big enchilada flavor but without all the work. While it isn’t a grilled chicken breast and some steamed broccoli, it does have lots of protein, whole grain fiber, and vitamin C. And it’s just what you need to help you get through the next few weeks. 

I have made this recipe so many times that I do it by feel. I have, on occasion, used just one can of soup. I don’t bother with measuring the chicken. And I toss in however much cheese I feel is necessary. The salsa can be more, or less, too. In other words, you can’t mess this up. 

The first time I made this recipe was in middle school home economics. Presented as a thrifty way to use up leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, I remember my 6th grade self being very skeptical about mixing two cans of soup plus some salsa together in the same bowl. To counter any hesitation about turkey-salsa-soup, our teacher told us that casseroles were a good way to feed a lot of people in an economic way. And I’ve been making this easy and delicious casserole by popular demand every since. 

To make this gluten-free, you can use cans or cartons of condensed soup that does not contain gluten, like Pacific Brand. Lately, I have been making my own cream of chicken soup, which is not hard at all and a lot less expensive. If you do this, don’t worry about the cream of mushroom soup – just use your homemade cream of chicken. I use reduced-fat shredded cheese to lighten things up a bit. And I buy a big package of corn tortillas, so that I can use some for this recipe and keep the rest in the freezer, ready to use for the next time I want to make this in a hurry.

You can certainly make this with leftover turkey, like we did in Home Ec, but it’s also oh-so-good made with any kind of leftover chicken, and is a great way to use up rotisserie chicken odds and ends. You can use more, or less, than the 2 cups of shredded chicken, or use nothing but shredded chicken breast, which is how I like to do it.  Add a green salad if you like, or a side of veggies or some beans. You can also top it with some avocado or sour cream, but honestly, it’s good all by itself. 

This recipe feeds a crowd and doesn’t break the bank. It’s a great family meal, but think about serving it for game day, too. You can make it ahead and freeze it for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake it as directed. You can also freeze it once cooked, so you can freeze half of the big casserole you make for tonight’s dinner and reheat it later, on a busy night. 

Enjoy some easy, thrifty enchilada comfort. Here’s to a healthy, and moderate, 2025. 

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

• 1 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
• 1 10.5 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup salsa
• One 4 ounce can fire roasted, diced green chiles
• One 10 ounce package corn tortillas
• 1 medium to large onion, chopped
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• shredded chicken, or turkey (about 2 cups or more)

Preheat oven to 350º F.  Combine chicken and mushroom soups in a large bowl, stirring well.  Add broth gradually, stirring to avoid lumps. Stir in salsa and green chiles.   

Cut 10 tortilla rounds into 4 triangles.  Ladle enough soup into bottom of 13 x 9 casserole to lightly cover.  Top with tortilla triangles to form a bottom layer.  Scatter chicken pieces evenly over tortillas, then add some of the onion.  Ladle sauce evenly over all, then top with some of cheese.  Repeat layering in same way one more time.  Finish top layer with tortillas, sauce and grated cheese (cutting more tortillas into triangles, if needed).  Bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes, until casserole thickens and cheese on top melts.  Let stand and cool 10 minutes before cutting.