Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Need a recipe for Cinco de Mayo?

OK, let me admit right off the bat that this recipe was going to be something different entirely. The problem was that I copped out and purchase store bought corn tortillas because I was being lazy, and they ended up splitting on me. I got mad, and then I just rolled with it. LOL It ended up coming out so well that I decided to share it with you anyways. (If you need a good recipe for corn tortillas, here is the basic one I use) So that's where the enchilada in the name came from. ;)

I did use the Philadelphia Cooking Creme, and you don't have to. I simply had a free product coupon (Thanks to the Kraft First Taste program) and used it to skip a few steps. I'm so-so on the product - it was a quick and easy addition to my menu, but at a regular cost of $3.49 (on sale for $2.49), I honestly find it cheaper to just pick up regular cream cheese, and add a bit of seasoning (in this case, taco) to it and slightly soften it. Your call - after all, it's your own grocery budget. :) I also used Rotel Diced Tomatoes with Jalapenos - you don't have to use that brand at all, you can just use plain any variety of fresh or canned diced tomatoes.

By the way, feel free to use any color of peppers, or even add an extra pepper to this dish!

You'll need:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken
1/2 cup taco sauce
1 package Philadelphia Cooking Creme Santa Fe
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
1 can (16 oz) diced tomatoes or the equivalent fresh diced
12-18 corn tortillas
1/2 to 1 cup shredded Mexican or Cheddar cheese
sour cream, if desired

Cook chicken and taco sauce (Or small amount of taco seasoning and water, blended together and poured over chicken) in a slow cooker on low for 4 to 6 hours. You'll want the chicken to be shredding easier - if it looks like it's not shredding easy, you may want to leave it in your slow cooker a little longer. (Alas, all of the slow cookers seem to have different cook times!)


After it's cooked, you'll want to drain ALL of the liquid out. (Side note: save the broth - it's great for a homemade tortilla soup! I actually tend to make a little extra chicken with dishes like this so I can put the chicken aside for making my own soup) Next, add in the Cooking Creme (or cream cheese mixture):


Then add the peppers and tomatoes:


And mix well. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a glass baking dish with Pam or olive oil, and place a layer or corn tortillas along the bottom, so the bottom of the dish is covered. Follow with about half of the chicken mixture spread evenly, then repeat with another layer of corn tortillas, then another layer of the chicken mixture, and one last layer of the corn tortillas. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, and bake for 30 minutes.


Garnish with sour cream and chopped green onions if desired.

It's easy to add other vegetables, such as chopped onions or corn, to not only stretch the dish, but to get more servings of vegetables into your family's diet. Another alternative for getting more fiber into their diet is to add one cup of cooked black beans to the mixture.