Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

These Cheesy Shredded Chicken Enchiladas are easy to make and extra cheesy and delicious thanks to a special ingredient: homemade nacho cheese sauce!

Looking for some delicious, easy to make comfort food that the whole family will love? Then you need to try this shredded chicken enchilada recipe! It’s extra cheesy thanks to a homemade nacho cheese sauce, baked until bubbly and golden and waiting for all your favourite toppings. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or casual entertaining (paired with a Fresh Citrus Margarita of course😉)!

Do you watch Schitt’s Creek? Funny back story – this recipe was inspired by the hilarious “Fold in the cheese!” scene in Season 2, Episode 2. This is the scene in which Moira and David struggle trying to make enchiladas for dinner and get really confused when the recipe says to “fold in the cheese”. I collaborated with CBC Television on an article in which I was asked to create a few recipes that aligned with some of their most popular TV shows. One of those shows was Schitt’s Creek so it just seemed fitting to create a cheesy enchiladas recipe. I am so happy that I did because my family loves it!

What Makes These Enchiladas Different

These chicken enchiladas are a little different from most. This recipe trades the traditional enchilada sauce for a homemade nacho cheese sauce. Extra cheesy and delicious!

Reasons To Love This Recipe

The top 3 reasons I love this recipe are:

1. Easy To Make: This meal comes together quickly which makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner! Also a great option for casual entertaining.
2. Family Friendly: It is always a win when the whole family is happy with a meal. The kids can keep it pretty plain if they prefer while the adults can go crazy with the toppings.
3. Delicious: This is obviously super important because who wants to eat food that doesn’t taste good? These enchiladas are delicious comfort food that can be customized with your favourite toppings!

Ingredients Needed

You will need the following ingredients to make these Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas…

• Tortillas: I like to use large flour tortillas since they are easy to roll but feel free to switch things up with your favourite type of tortilla.
• Nacho Cheese Sauce: This Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce is what makes these enchiladas a little different and extra cheesy. The recipe for this cheese sauce is also included in the recipe card below.
• Shredded Cooked Chicken: Cook and prep your own or simply shred up a store bought rotisserie chicken.
• Corn: I like to use frozen corn kernels that I keep in my freezer.
• Salsa: Use your favourite salsa – I tend to keep it mild to make it kid friendly. This is the mild salsa that my kids love.
• Cheddar: I tend to use cheddar since I already need some to make the nacho cheese sauce anyways. However, you could also also use Monterey Jack or another variety of shredded cheese instead.
• Toppings: The fun part! Some options include: salsa/pico de gallo, diced avocado, guacamole, sour cream, chopped cilantro, green onions, etc.

How To Make These Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Once the cheese sauce is made, the rest of the process is just assembly. To make these enchiladas, simply…

1. Make The Nacho Cheese Sauce: This is basically a classic cheese sauce with the addition of a variety of flavourful spices. Full instructions are included in the recipe card at the bottom or in this post for Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce. A quick overview is as follows: make a roux, whisk in the milk and simmer until slightly thickened, whisk in the spices and cheese until incorporated.

2. Prepare The Filling: Mix together shredded chicken, salsa, corn and half the nacho cheese sauce in a bowl.

3. Assemble The Enchiladas: Divide the filling between the tortillas. Roll them up and place them seam side down in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Spread the remaining nacho cheese sauce over the top and scatter over the shredded cheddar cheese.

4. Bake: Bake in a preheated 350F (180C) oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden and edges of tortillas are slightly crispy.

5. Topping Time: Serve the enchiladas with a generous amount of toppings (never enough in my book!). Some ideas include: salsa or pico de gallo, diced avocado or guacamole, sour cream, hot sauce, chopped green onions, cilantro, etc. Now it’s time to dig in and enjoy!

Detailed ingredient list and directions located in the recipe card below.

Helpful Tips

Here are a few tips that you might find helpful when preparing this recipe.

Prep the shredded chicken in advance

These enchiladas come together quickly if you have shredded chicken ready to go. You can either cook and shred it yourself as part of meal prep or make things easy and simply shred up some store bought rotisserie chicken. Either way, store the shredded chicken in a container in the fridge so that it is ready to use.

Tips for a smooth nacho cheese sauce

Obviously you want your nacho cheese sauce to have a smooth consistency. So let’s make sure that this happens…

• Grate your own cheese: The pre-shredded cheese that you can buy is usually coated with an additive to prevent clumping. This can make the sauce gritty instead of smooth.
• Don’t use aged cheese: I like to use a “medium” cheddar since I find that it melts better than an “old” or “aged” cheddar which can sometimes become grainy when melted into a sauce.
• Turn off the heat before adding cheese: A gritty, grainy or split texture can be the result of overheated cheese. To prevent this, take the sauce off the heat before stirring in the cheese. If needed, just use low heat to get the cheese to melt in.

What To Serve With Enchiladas

Trying to figure out what to serve alongside? Here are a few delicious ideas…

• All The Toppings: Not really a side dish but piling on the toppings really elevates enchiladas. Ideas are listed in the recipe card below.
• Salad Or Veggies: Some ideas include a leafy green salad, Mexican coleslaw, Mexican chopped salad, corn salad, grilled veggies, etc.
• Rice: Mexican rice, cilantro rice or rice and beans would all be great.
• Corn: Grilled corn or Mexican style corn on the cob
• Margaritas: Let’s not forget the margaritas! This Fresh Citrus Blender Margarita recipe is one of my favourites.

Did you make these Cheesy Shredded Chicken Enchiladas? Let me know in the comments!

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