Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This amazing enchilada in one pan recipe is incredibly easy and amazingly delicious. The juicy chicken works beautifully with cheese, sauce, and all the fixings for a slow cooker Instant Pot type meal.

As is the case with many slow recipes, you must be patient with it for the best flavors. I allow my chicken to cook for several hours in sauce before I do anything else with this recipe. The sauce and chicken work together in their magic to create a flavorful chicken and base for the one pan bake. However, that is the appeal of an Instant Pot, or a slow cooker is that you don’t necessarily need to babysit certain steps.

So, I can go things in the first step while the chicken is cooking. I always try to do the long cooking time, because I feel it gives the best results. Again, be patient and you will reap (or should I say ‘eat’?) the rewards. When the chicken is almost done then I can prepare my other ingredients and have those ready. I really enjoy the gap between the recipe start and when I start on other ingredients. The reason being it gives me a chance to control any mess, do any needed dishes, etc. so throwing it all together in the next step is simple and fun.

Types of Meat

Pre-cooked meat  – Any already prepared meat (rotisserie, scrambled beef, sausage, etc.) works great in this recipe. Reduce the time by half if you try this out.

Boneless thighs – A great option if you prefer this type of chicken.

Cubed beef – A great option for a juicy meat option

Ground beef – Beef is a great option for this recipe. Reduce the time by half if you try this out.

What is a corn tortilla?

Corn tortillas are soft tortillas with a corn base that have not been made crispy and into chips. When shopping for this recipe, be careful NOT to get flour tortillas as they will not work for recipe. Most corn tortillas will have a distinguishable yellow color to it, but white corn tortillas also exist.

Putting it together

Once you reach the step, cut your corn tortillas, take half of the olives, and half the cheese. Place it flattened onto of the top of the pan as a type of curst in the slow cooker. Next, add even more olives and cheese. Allow it to cook again for about an hour on low heat. Enjoy!

Serving and Sides for Slow Cooked One Pan Enchilada Bake

I personally do not make sides for this recipe when I make this dish. I feel that it is a meal by itself and does not need any help. However, I may think that way based on the portion sizes I serve. I can see serving smaller portion and doing a side of greens, a potato, or a complimenting salad.

Using frozen meat?

It is usually not a good idea to cook something from frozen in a slow cooker. It can really upset the cooking times, dynamic of the flavors, release unwanted liquid (from the ice melting), and even be unsafe. However, if you have frozen chicken you would like to use, you can boil or bake it and then add it in and it would be perfectly fine. Already cooked rotisserie chickens are also great if you are in a pinch.

Here are a few ideas for switching it up with this recipe, and enjoy some variation while getting the most out of it:

-Rotisserie is great if you are in a hurry with this recipe.

– beans are a delicious add-in.

-Onions also compliment this dish if you like onions.

-Hamburger beef is also amazing if you want to sub out the chicken.

-For a little surprise crunch, use crushed chips as a garnish for the top when serving.

-Different flavors of enchilada sauce are out there. Don’t be afraid to experiment!

My family, friends, and I love this recipe just as I wrote it out; however, do what suits you and your taste buds.

What do you need to make Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts (3-4 breasts)

1 large can enchilada sauce 

10 yellow corn tortillas 

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded 

1 small can black olives, drained

How to make Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole

FIRST STEP:

Add your chicken breasts to a slow cooker.

Pour in the sauce and turn your chicken over in it a few times to coat it well.

SECOND STEP:

Allow the chicken breasts to cook in the slow cooker for four hours on high.

Shred chicken in the pan once it has finished.

THIRD STEP:

Cut your corn tortillas into bite size pieces.

Add to the slow cooker and toss to combine.

a)

b)

c)

FOURTH STEP:

Pour in a ½ cup of the shredded cheddar cheese and half the can of drained black olives.

Even out the dish with a spatula to flatten it and add cheese and olives.

FIFTH STEP:

Allow the dish to cook for an additional 45 minutes to an hour on a low setting.

Enjoy!

YUM!