Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Casserole

There's a lot of ways to describe these sour cream chicken enchiladas. Let's start with warm, comforting and downright delicious! This sour cream chicken enchilada casserole is a winner with children and adults who are the fussiest of eaters. 

These chicken wrapped tortillas with its crispy edges, covered in smooth creamy sauce and topped with melted cheese, can warm even the coldest of hearts! Whether you like sour cream chicken enchiladas spicy or not so much, either way these enchiladas are scrumptious! 

As I've said in past taco and Mexican-inspired posts, I absolutely love Taco Tuesday. It's the perfect day to enjoy everything filled with Mexican deliciousness.

I've been making up spreads both large and small for my family and for friends and family that come over for Taco Tuesday for years. I've always loved tacos, taquitos, burritos - pretty much anything Mexican.

When Taco Tuesday became a thing, I jumped on the bandwagon like a stagecoach driver that needed to reach the next stop yesterday!

For my entire adult life, I've been making tacos and other Mexican dishes. I just can't get enough of those delicious flavors. Because my husband and son both feel the same, I'm always trying out new recipes to keep things fresh.

That's how I ended up making these sour cream chicken enchiladas. I was planning out my Taco Tuesday meal and seeing the word "taco" on there for the zillionth time, and I thought, "I should try something a little different."

That's when I decided to make enchiladas. A friend of mine shared this delicious recipe, and as soon as I read it, I knew it was going to be a big winner with my family.

I was not wrong.

This recipe is loaded with delicious Mexican flavors, cheese, and sour cream. It's one of the best enchilada recipes I've ever made, and I'm so happy to be sharing it with all of you today.

History of Enchiladas

I love food history almost as much as I love food itself, so as always, I'm going to take a minute to take a look at where enchiladas come from.

Of course, you probably already guessed that they come from Mexico, but they've been around for a long, long time, which I find interesting.

Enchiladas originated in Mexico. Rolling tortillas around other foods dates back to Aztec times, and enchiladas are simply an extension of that.

The people living in the lake region of the Valley of Mexico ate corn tortillas folded or rolled around small fish. Other parts of the region ate their tortillas filled with other meats and ingredients.

During the time of the Spanish conquistadors, Bernal Diaz del Castillo wrote about a feast provided by Hernan Cortes ins Coyoacan that included foods served in corn tortillas. An interesting fact is that tortilla is a Spanish invention.

The real name for the flat corn bread was actually tlaxcalli. Whatever the name, the idea of wrapping tortillas around filling has been around for centuries in South American regions, and while we might love enchiladas, the earliest mention of outsiders about this food is decidedly unfriendly.

An American traveler to Mexico around 1883 said described the food as: "Enchiladas, a greasy tortilla sandwich containing chilies and a number of other uninviting looking compounds and other nasty messes, are sold everywhere, filling the air with a pungent, nauseous smell."

Mexican cooking authority, Diana Kennedy, cites culture shock as the possible cause of this less than glowing review.

Eventually, enchiladas made their way north of the border, where they were greeted more warmly by those living on the border who were used to the flavors used in the making of this dish.

Little by little, the popularity of enchiladas spread until becoming a dish much-beloved by almost everyone in North America these days.

In their original form, enchiladas were a Mexican street food made of corn tortillas dipped in chili sauce and eaten without fillings. However, the passage of time has seen a drastic change in what people think of when they think of enchiladas.

Today, enchiladas are any dish made up of tortillas wrapped around a filling and covered in sauce. AND they're delicious!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Casserole

My sour cream chicken enchiladas are an enchilada lover's dream. It's filled with delicious chicken, Mexican spices, a tasty sauce, cheese, and of course, sour cream.

They're a spicy, ooey-gooey dinner that's absolutely perfect for any Taco Tuesday or game day party. They're also easy enough to make that they're a perfect weeknight dinner, as well.

With all that delicious, cheesy goodness, it's always the right time to make this tasty dish. It's a simple recipe that is absolutely delicious. The perfect combination, if you ask me!

Ingredients

It takes a few ingredients to make this dish, but they're all very simple and easy to find at your local grocery store. The majority of them are kitchen staples, so you probably won't have to do much shopping at all.

Ingredients like Rotel tomatoes and tortillas might have to go on your shopping list, but so many of these ingredients are already sitting in your kitchen pantry or refrigerator already!

• olive oil
• onion
• garlic
• shredded chicken
• cumin
• flour tortillas
• Mexican blended cheese or Monterey jack 
• butter
• all-purpose flour
• chicken broth
• sour cream
• can of chopped green chilis
• Rotel canned tomatoes (Mild, medium, or hot)

I'd call that a pretty simple list. When you really look at what's in this dish you'll see that there's not much you have to actually shop for, which makes it even better!

Making Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

This is a relatively simple recipe to make. I love to use leftover chicken to make it so things become even easier. There are only a few steps to it, and the work required to make it is minimal.

In fact, the most labor-intensive part of the recipe is simply filling and rolling the tortillas. After that, it's just a matter of mixing the remaining ingredients and then baking the entire thing up to delicious, cheesy perfection. Here's all you need to do.

In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions and garlic.  Sauté for 5 minutes or until the flavors are released from the onion and garlic. Add the shredded chicken, tomatoes and cumin to the sauté pan and stir. Remove from heat once well combined.

Place two heaping scoops of the chicken mixture onto the tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, then roll it up.  Place seam side down in the pan. Do this with each tortilla until the baking pan is full.

Melt the butter in the sauté pan and add the flour. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Then slowly whisk the chicken broth into the flour and butter and cook and stir it until the broth thickens. Next whisk in the sour cream, add the chilis and Rotel, and bring to a simmer.

Remove the sauce from the heat and pour over the enchiladas.

Top the enchiladas with remaining cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes.  

Tips

This is such an easy sour cream chicken enchilada casserole recipe, there are almost no tips at all for it. You'd have to actively try to mess this recipe up, and of course, you won't be doing that! There are just two things to remember when making this dish, and those are actually just how to adjust it to your flavor preference.

• You can substitute the green chilis with tomatillo salsa for some extra spicy heat or that tomatillo tangy flavor.
• Make sure you get mild Rotel, and mild green chilis if you do not like spicy food.

That's it for tips. That's how easy this recipe is. My biggest tip is simply to make it!

Serving Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

The easiest and best way to serve these enchiladas is simply to set the baking dish on the table or counter and let everyone take what they want. It's a great way to create a food centerpiece for family dinners to add a flavorful kick to parties and potlucks! Because every flavor we love about Mexican food is already in the recipe, you don't need to add anything to it when you serve it. It's a simple as everything else about this recipe.

Storing Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Casserole

These enchiladas will keep well in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to seven days. For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to three months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container. To thaw, just place them in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat them in the oven or in a microwave-safe container.

Sensational Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

These sour cream enchiladas are super simple to make and absolutely packed full of flavor. It's the best combination you'll find in any recipe! With flavor this huge and effort that's so small, there's no reason not to give it a try. I know that once you make this recipe, you'll be coming back to it again and again. So get out your ingredients, get your tastebuds ready, and give this one a try. Everyone's going to love it.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas Video