When it comes to comforting and satisfying meals, few dishes can rival the indulgent flavors of a chicken enchilada casserole with creamy poblano sauce. Layered with tender shredded chicken, tortillas, and smothered in a luscious creamy poblano sauce, this dish is a harmonious blend of Tex-Mex flavors that will leave you craving for more. If you love Tex-Mex flavors like myself you will love these other recipes Tex-Mex inspired recipes: Cheesecake Factory Tex-Mex Egg rolls, Steak Enchilada skillet, and 5 ingredient Enchilada Casserole.
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If you spend any time on my blog it will come as no surprise that I truly love Tex-Mex flavors. Growing up in Texas I had my pick of great Mexican inspired restaurants that served classic Tex-Mex dishes like enchilada’s, stuffed burritos and sizzling fajitas. While I tend to always order enchiladas at my favorite restaurant(s) when making them at home they can be somewhat of a chore. That’s why I lean more into making an enchilada casserole as it provides the same layered flavors but is not as labor intensive.
THE MAGIC OF CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE
A casserole is a culinary masterpiece that brings together various ingredients, resulting in a dish that is greater than the sum of its parts. The chicken enchilada casserole is no exception. This Mexican-inspired comfort food is known for its layers of flavors and textures that combine into a harmonious dish that is perfect for family dinners, potlucks, or anytime you want to enjoy a hearty meal.
CREAMY POBLANO SAUCE
At the heart of this tantalizing dish lies the creamy poblano sauce. Poblanos, a mild chili pepper with a rich, earthy flavor, are roasted and blended with other ingredients to create a velvety smooth sauce. The creaminess of the sauce balances the heat of the poblanos, resulting in a delightful combination that elevates the entire dish.
INGREDIENTS FOR POBLANO ENCHILADA CASSEROLE
Here are a few key ingredients you will need to make this flavorful dish. If you don’t have everything on hand your local grocery stores will have all the items you need.
- Rotisserie chicken – 1 small rotisserie shredded
- Poblano chile pepper – 2 – 3 peppers roasted and seeded
- Yellow onion – diced
- Garlic Cloves – halved
- Flour – almond, all purpose or whole wheat
- Milk – Almond or low fat milk
- Chicken broth – to deepen the chicken flavor
- Pepper jack cheese – I prefer to use laughing cow pepper jack wedges as it’s lower in calories
- Monterey Jack cheese – shredded
- Fresh Cilantro
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE WITH CREAMY POBLANO SAUCE
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
Heat a large skillet to medium heat and lightly spray with olive oil. Add the poblano peppers, onion, garlic, and sautee until peppers begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Once the peppers are softened, spoon flour over the peppers to coat and cook for another 2 minutes.
To the skillet add the milk and chicken stock and gently bring to a bubble and add a handful of cilantro. Using an immersion blender, blend the fresh peppers until the sauce is creamy and smooth. Once the mixture is smooth, add one wedge of pepper jack cheese and stir until the cheese melts. Season the sauce with salt and black pepper to taste.
In the baking dish, coat bottom of the dish with about a 1/4 cup of the creamy sauce and layer with 6 corn tortillas. Spread half of the shredded chicken mixture evenly over the tortillas, followed by a sprinkle of shredded Monterey Jack cheese and another 1/4 of the poblano cream sauce. Top with another layer of 6 tortillas, pour the remaining creamy poblano sauce over the top layer of tortillas and sprinkle with additional cheese.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top layer of cheese is melted, bubbling and golden brown.
Once baked, remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool slightly.
OPTIONS FOR GARNISH
There are several options to garnish this amazing dish. You can opt to add some additional fresh cilantro and serve as is. However if you want to add some additional color and flavor you can top with some of my favorite things like:
- Jalapeño peppers – adds some additional spice to the dish
- Corn kernels – lightly roast them in a sauce pan
- Tomatoes – adds a bright note to this great dinner
- Avocado – the creaminess of the avocado helps balance the spice from the peppers
- Red Onion – pickled red onions would be a great addition of added zing
- Pico De Gallo – a bright tangy and citrus note adding delicious flavor
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CREAMY POBLANO CASSEROLE
While this is a complete meal on it’s own, you can choose to serve this casserole with a few side items such as:
- Black beans
- Mexican Rice
- Side Salad
The moment you take your first bite of this chicken enchilada casserole with creamy poblano sauce, you’ll be greeted with a symphony of flavors. The tender chicken, smoky poblano sauce, and gooey cheese all melds together to make the perfect meal!
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Chicken Enchilada Casserole with Creamy Poblano Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Immersion Blender can also use a regular blender
Ingredients
- 1 Rotisserie chicken shredded
- 3 Poblano peppers seeded & chopped
- 1/2 cup Yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Flour
- 3/4 cup Milk low fat or almond milk
- 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
- 1 wedge Pepper Jack cheese
- 1 cup Monetary Jack cheese
- 1/2 cup Cilantro
- 12 Corn tortillas
- Salt & pepper to taste
Optional Toppings
- Roasted Corn
- Sliced Avocado
- Sliced Beets
- Chopped Tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
- Heat a large skillet to medium heat and lightly spray with olive oil.
- Add the poblano peppers, onion, garlic, and saute until peppers begin to soften, about 10 minutes.
- Once the peppers are softened, spoon flour over the peppers to coat and cook for another 2 minutes.
- To the skillet add the milk and chicken stock and gently bring to a bubble and add a handful of cilantro.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the fresh peppers until the sauce is creamy and smooth.
- Once the mixture is smooth, add one wedge of pepper jack cheese and stir until the cheese melts. Season the sauce with salt and black pepper to taste.
- In the baking dish, coat bottom of the dish with about a 1/4 cup of the creamy sauce and layer with 6 corn tortillas.
- Spread half of the shredded chicken mixture evenly over the tortillas, followed by a sprinkle of shredded Monterey Jack cheese and another 1/4 of the poblano cream sauce.
- Top with another layer of 6 tortillas, pour the remaining creamy poblano sauce over the top layer of tortillas and sprinkle with additional cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top layer of cheese is melted, bubbling and golden brown.
- Once baked, remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool slightly.
Made this for our fourth of July get together and it was so delicious. Thanks for a great recipe!
So happy you enjoyed it!
After making this, I got rid of my old enchilada. This casserole is so delicious! The poblano sauce really takes it to the next level!
So happy you enjoyed them!
I’d never made poblano sauce before. But these enchiladas were so scrumptious, you have unwittingly created a new family favorite for us.
That’s amazing!
Enchiladas are one of my favorite meals and just when I thought I couldn’t love them anymore I came across your recipe! I made this for a dinner party and everyone couldn’t stop talking about how delicious the casserole was.
This was creamy, the chicken was super juicy, the flavors were poppin!!! We really enjoyed the recipe and we shall be making this again
Love this! Thank you!
This chicken enchilada was so comforting and delicious! Everyone was asking for second helpings!
I’ve never had a poblano sauce, but it was perfect in this recipe! Can’t wait to make it again! Thanks for sharing!
We’ve been enjoying this casserole with black beans for dinner and lunch the last couple of days. So flavorful and makes enough for yummy leftovers!
Green, flavorful and delicious. These enchiladas were a massive hit with my family. In fact, they were so good that everyone asked me when I was making them again!
The tender chicken, the layers of cheesy goodness, and that creamy poblano sauce had me doing a happy dance with every bite. I followed your recipe to a T, and it turned out absolutely scrumptious. It’s safe to say that this casserole has become a family favorite in my household. Thank you so much! xx
I tried this for lunch meal prep and it was great! I’m definitely going to add it to my meal prep rotation. The flavor was great and had just the right amount of seasoning for me.