This hearty Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole is much easier to make than regular enchiladas but has all the Mexican flavors you love!
Hello. Would you believe that I was at a PTA board meeting until almost 11 pm last night. 11 PM! At night! If that’s not crazy, I don’t know what is.
Our PTA is big and active, paying for and managing many enrichment classes during the school day and after school, plus more event planning and fire fighting that always comes up. There’s a lot to do and a lot to talk about, so the meetings are ridiculously long. No one is to blame really because all the discussions are important. Everyone has valuable ideas, concerns, and opinions to share, but 3+ hour monthly meetings are a big commitment!
Since I had to go to a meeting, I couldn’t have my usual dinner date at home with Matt, but fortunately I had leftovers of this tasty enchilada rice casserole to eat with the kids. This Mexican casserole is so satisfying and good. It’s got all the flavors I love, but it’s simpler than making enchiladas.
Matt is still recovering from his accident and needs pretty soft food, which is why I made this with rice instead of tortillas. I liked the rice substitution a lot, and this recipe would actually be good for using up leftover rice and/or cooked chicken when you have those on hand.
I haven’t tried it, but I also think this enchilada casserole would work well as a freezer meal. It’s also born for potlucks because it’s crowd pleasing and easy to transport. This one will be making a repeat performance at our house very soon. I hope you enjoy it too!
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1 cup rice
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and diced
- 16 ounces can refried beans
- 16 ounces can enchilada sauce I used green
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese or more to taste
- optional toppings: avocado slices, sour cream, salsa
Ingredients
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- Bring rice, water, chili powder, and salt to a low boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed. (If you have leftover rice on hand, you can use that and skip this step.)
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13" baking dish with cooking spray.
- Spread refried beans in the bottom of baking dish, and spread cooked rice over the beans. Pour corn evenly over the rice, and drizzle about half the can of enchilada sauce evenly over the corn.
- Spread diced chicken in an even layer over the corn. (If you are cooking the chicken just for this recipe, season it with a bit of Cajun seasoning and cook in the oven or skillet until cooked through.) Sprinkle cheese evenly over the chicken, and then drizzle the remaining enchilada sauce over the top.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30-45 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Serve casserole with a flat spatula to keep layers intact. Top with salsa, avocado, or sour cream if desired.
Here are some other Mexican casseroles I think you’ll love too:
I just found this and I love it, I also love that it lets you change the serving size so I don’t have to mess with trying to figure out how to cut the recipe usually by 3/4 of the amounts.
Hi. This looks great to try! Would you recommend prepping it the night before then popping it in the oven the next day? Have you done that before? Im concerned because of the enchilada sauce…?
Andi, I made this for dinner tonight and it was so good! I used leftover rotisserie chicken and I had pretty much everything else already on hand. My kids gobbled it up; even my picky 2 year old who is going through a phase where she only wants to eat rice! She ate that, plus the other stuff, too. :) Will definitely make this one again!
Thank you so much, Ashlyn! It means so much to me that you liked it! xo
I absolutely LOVE this and appreciate that it is a healthier version of one of my favorite Mexican dishes. Thanks for all the incredible recipe ideas!!
Thanks so much, Lisa! I’m glad you like it!
11 PM! Yes that is ridiculous. Since it’s all important, it sound like dividing the topics into two board meetings might be a solution. A person starts losing their concentration that late especially if you have already had a long day. Speaking of which I have a church board meeting tonight. I am the secretary so I can’t coast. And it’s after my day at an intense job on a Monday. Sigh. BUT it will be done by 8. This casserole would so fly in my family. And it would fly with me too not only because of the flavors… Read more »
I agree that dividing it up would be better or maybe talking about some of the issues over email beforehand. I don’t think people would agree to two meetings/month, but it would be nice for them not to be over three hours long! I hope your church one was quicker. Hope you get to try this casserole soon, Carol. I think you will really like it! Thank you!
Andi
I made this last night and it was wonderful!!! My husband wants it on permanent rotation. Next time I’m going to try the red enchilada sauce, since we love both! This weekend I’m going to make your baked chicken with pumpkin rice. I made that last spring and it was so yummy!!! I love the new blue colors and design on your blog! Big fan Andi! Thank you!
Thank you so much, Becky! I’m so happy you loved this casserole too. Thanks too for noticing I changed my header a bit. I didn’t think anyone would notice, so I appreciate it :)
Andi, this casserole looks so perfect for the chilly weather we’re having in Michigan. I love all the flavors here–mostly because I love enchiladas. Can’t go wrong!
Thanks, Amy! I wish our weather was cool to make me feel like it’s Fall, but I wouldn’t want to deal with the snow you have coming!
Love the rice in your enchiladas and no tortillas. Very different and it sounds great!
Thank you, Ginny!