Easy Make Ahead Chicken Enchiladas (2024)

Meal Prep & Freezer Friendly Enchiladas Your Family Will Love

These make-ahead chicken enchiladas are a surefire way to treat your taste buds and give you and your family breathing room on a busy weeknight. They require minimal prep time and are bursting with wonderful flavor. Eat them right away or freeze a few batches for those nights where you do not have the energy to shop or cook!

Ingredients, Kitchenware, & Total Time

Time Needed

• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Servings: 12-16

Ingredients

• 1 rotisserie chicken or 2 chicken breasts, shredded
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup light sour cream
• ½ cup light cream cheese (room temperature)
• 14 small tortillas (We had a difficult time working with corn tortillas and recommend flour tortillas for easy enchilada making!)
• 1 can/package of red enchilada sauce
• Optional: jalapeno

Kitchenware

• Large bowl to mix ingredients in
• Spatula
• 9 x 13 baking dish (or similar)
• Cheese grater
• 2 forks
• Small spoon
• Aluminum foil
• Plastic wrap
• Ice cube tray

Nutritional Information

Step by Step Instructions (With Pictures)

Step 1: Prep Veggies and Cheese

Chop your green pepper and onion into small pieces, shred cheese.

Step 2: Combine All Dairy Ingredients & Vegetables

Place the sour cream, cream cheese, green pepper, onion, and shredded cheese together in a bowl.

Step 3: Shred Chicken

Using two forks, shred chicken by holding a large piece in place with one fork and using the other to pull and shred the chicken into small pieces.

Step 4: Mix Ingredients

Stir your shredded chicken in with your dairy and veggies until everything is evenly coated.

Step 3:Prepare & Fill Tortillas

Microwave your stack of tortillas for 20 seconds to warm them up, this will make them easier to work with. Using a small spoon, scoop your preferred portion of the mixture into the middle of the tortilla, be sure to leave room on your ends.

Step 7:Prepare Freezer Chicken Enchiladas

• Determine how many enchiladas you can fit in your baking dish (we fit 7), tear a piece of saran/cling wrap off that is long enough to wrap the enchiladas tightly.
• Place enchiladas seam down on your cling wrap and wrap it up snug as a bug! Do not add any sauce.
• Create your freezing pocket by taking a portion of aluminum foil that is twice the length of your baking dish and place your wrapped tortillas inside.
• Fold and gently roll your foil tightly
• Freeze for up to 30 days

Store your red enchilada sauce in an ice cube tray for when you are ready to cook your delicious chicken enchiladas.

Step 8:Bake Chicken Enchiladas

From Fresh:

• Turn oven to 350F
• Coat baking dish with enchilada sauce
• Place enchiladas in a baking dish, seam side down, and coat with sauce
• Add shredded cheese and bake uncovered for 20 minutes

From Frozen:

• Turn oven to 350F
• Thaw several enchilada sauce ice cubes in a microwaveable bowl and coat baking dish with sauce
• Place frozen enchiladas in baking dish with several sauce ice cubes placed through out
• Bake for 10 minutes
• Take enchiladas out of oven and use a small spoon to spread the sauce around
• Add shredded cheese, bake covered in foil for another 15 minutes
• Uncover, bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown