I’ve said before how much my family loves tex-mex dinners and that we probably have a tex-mex meal at least once a week, and tex-mex meals are usually my go to when I don’t have dinner planned. Well this week was no different. Although this tex-mex meal was planned!
I haven’t made enchiladas for a while so I thought why not come up with a new recipe for dinner. I’m sure glad I did because these creamy cheesy chicken enchiladas are absolutely delicious. They are very creamy – thank you cream cheese, extra cheesy from all the monterey jack cheese I sprinkled on top, a little spicy from the cayenne pepper on the chicken and bursting with chicken.
These enchiladas come together pretty quick and this recipes makes a ton. My husband and I had enough leftovers for lunch for a few days, which I love. They are easy to prepare and you probably have almost all of the ingredients you need at home already.
I love all kinds of enchiladas but these creamy cheesy chicken enchiladas have to be one of my favorites. I love anything with cream cheese, so already these are perfect in my book!
I normally bake my enchiladas at 350 degrees but this time I bumped the temperature up just a bit to 375 degrees and the cheese started to brown and add a little nuttiness to the dish. It worked out nicely!
These take just 35 minutes in the oven. Not too bad for a weeknight meal. I like to serve these with a little salsa and sour cream, and if I have it, just a few cilantro leaves. Homemade or store bought salsas work out great. If you are looking for an easy homemade salsa try out one of these:pico de gallo, salsa verde, chunky salsa.
I have another homemade salsa recipe coming your way shortly. I made a roasted tomato salsa that is just too good not to share. My husband said it’s his favorite and that’s saying something because I make a heck of a lot of salsas!
These creamy cheesy chicken enchiladas are perfect for dinner for the kids now that they are all back at school. These are pretty hearty and filling, perfect for filling those hungry tummies after school and all the sports practices that are bound to fill our calendars.
- 1-1/2 - 2 pounds chicken, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp. seasoned salt
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. paprika
- pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 poblano peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 - 4.5 oz. can diced green chilies
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 - 10 oz. can green enchilada sauce
- 2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 8 medium tortillas
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Combine the seasoned salt, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture over chicken.
- Saute sliced chicken and poblano peppers in a little olive oil over medium high heat until chicken is cooked through. About 8-10 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and add the cream cheese. Stir occasionally until cream cheese has melted and is well combined with the chicken and peppers. Add the diced chilies and stir.
- Lightly butter or spray with non-stick cooking spray a 9x13 baking dish.
- Fill the 8 tortillas with the chicken mixture. Roll and place in the baking dish.
- Cover the rolled enchiladas with the green enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with the monterey jack cheese.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes.
- If the cheese begins to brown too much before the enchiladas are done baking, cover the pan with aluminum foil.
- If the cream cheese is softened it will melt better. I like to cut mine into a few smaller pieces to help the melting process.
- Use as much or as little of the cayenne pepper as you like.