As part of my 50 Freezer Meals in a day menu I wanted to share my enchilada freezer meal recipe. Usually the day before I start cooking all my freezer meals I will add a bunch of chicken breasts to the crockpot so they can roast slowly on low all night. That way when I wake up in the morning all the chicken is ready to be shredded or diced for the various recipes I am making.
This enchilada freezer meal recipe is one of my favorites because it is just so super easy! You can make your enchiladas as mild or spicy as you like, add sides like cilantro lime rice or beans. It is so delicious. For ease you make them up, add them to your 9×13 pan and freeze. Thaw and bake for a really short time for a quick dinner.
ENCHILADA FREEZER MEAL RECIPE
Make sure you have some Enchilada Sauce. I have quite a few great Mexican friends who have shared with me this secret: It is possible to make homemade Enchilada sauce, but honestly this stuff tastes exactly like their homemade. I have never tried to make homemade sauce before, so I am going to stick with these cans. If any of you have a different opinion or a recipe to share that makes better homemade enchilada sauce please share by leaving a comment.
Take your shredded chicken breast and add it to your shredded cheese.
Mix it up a bit.
Add in some onions if you like that sort of thing. I usually never put onions in because I am pretty much the pickiest person on the planet.
Then add in your can of Enchilada Sauce. I like the mild because these can get a bit spicy for me – I am a gringo you know..LOL.
Then you just get out your flour tortillas, heat them in the microwave a bit so that they don’t crack/split when you fold them. Have your enchilada making station all ready to go.
Add a little bit of enchilada mixture to your tortillas and wrap them up. I had way too much chicken mix I think on this one.
Wrap them up and add them to a nice 9×13 or baking dish.
Pour over some enchilada sauce on the top.
Sprinkle your cheese.
Cover with foil, label and freeze. Or bake right away at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or till melty and bubbly.
Enjoy with some homemade salsa, sour cream, lettuce, beans and rice!
Now if you really want to spice up the flavors a notch you can add in some jalapenos with your mix.
Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Breasts
- 1 Medium Onion diced
- 3 cups Cheddar Cheese Shredded
- 10 Medium Flour Tortillas
- 2 Cans Red Enchilada Sauce
- Optional:
- 1 Can Black Beans
- Jalapenos
- White Rice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Place 4 raw chicken breasts into a pot of water.
- Boil on high for 20 minutes, or until chicken is shreddable.
- Then using a cutting board, shred the chicken.
- Mix cheese, onion, chicken and 1 can red enchilada sauce in a bowl. (Optional ingredients can be added at this point.)
- With a large scooper, fill each tortilla with mixture. Roll it up and place it in large 9x13 baking dish with seams down. Repeat until all chicken mixture is used.
- Pour the second can of enchilada sauce over the top.
- Top with cheese.
- Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until melted and bubbly.
- Serve with sour cream, salsa, lettuce beans or rice.
Nutrition
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I’m making these for some family expecting their first baby shortly. Can’t wait to see how they like it!! Thanks for such an easy recipe 🙂
To make this as a freezer meal- do you cook it before you freeze it or freeze raw and cook when ready?
Freeze raw and cook it fresh when ready!
Do you cook it from frozen for the same amount of time or thaw first?
I have leftover roast turkey, how many cups of cooked turkey do I need for this recipe?
Hi, about 4-1/2 cups of cooked chopped turkey. 🙂
I do mine a little differently. I mix my shredded chicken with room temp cream cheese and a can of diced green chilies or jalapeno and a bit of the green enchilada sauce to keep it moist. Top all with the extra sauce and sharp shredded cheddar or pre-packaged Mexican Blend. If I’m freezing a pan, I don’t add my sauce (flash freeze and add to freezer bags) and then shredded cheese and sauce on the day I bake. I have frozen it completely made in the past, but I find it tends to get too soggy.
Vera,
Flavor is such a great idea to add to this recipe.
Would corn tortillas work also?
Yes, you can use corn tortillas!
Can you freeze the enchilads without the sauce? (Flash freeze method) and store them in freezer bags. That way you can take them frozen and put in a casserole based on what portion size you need. All you would have to do is add the canned sauce and cheeses. I’ve only seen whole constructed casseroles mentioned as a freezer option. But sometimes its practical to only cook a few versus a whole casserole. Any input would be welcomed
Hi – yes you can do that if you like! I’ve since learned from when I first made this recipe that if you want to have non-soggy enchiladas after freezing you can totally freeze the enchiladas with the sauce separate. Then bake for 20 minutes until they get crispy in the pan, then add sauce + cheeses and let it cook until bubbly.
You could try putting the sauce in ice cube trays then adding a couple into each ziploc bag!!
Absolutely!!
This recipe sounds perfect for a make ahead freezer meal! What is the bake time of you are going straight from the freezer to the oven? Would you bake it covered or uncovered? Thanks!!
When making for freezer meal, do you cook chicken ahead of time or use raw? Do you thaw out before putting in oven, or cook from frozen?
I usually use pre-cooked chicken for this enchiladas recipe.
Needs improvement. Made these and that heat and time wasn’t long enough to cook the onions, they were raw. Browning the onions first would be a good idea. Canned enchilada sauce was not tasty.
I have a much improved and better homemade recipe for enchiladas in my cookbook!
Disagree. I’ve made it several times and it’s always a big hit. Try different enchilada sauce.
I’ve made my own sauce using the Pioneer Woman’s recipe & it was absolutely outstanding. With my multiple surgeries coming up this summer, I’ll happily used canned sauce to make the prep even quicker. Please keep the freezer recipes coming!
Meal prepping before our baby comes! What would you recommend as a cook from frozen time?
I’d give it about an hour covered and then another 20 or so minutes until it’s all bubbly and cooked through.