Creamy Green Chile Zucchini Chicken Enchilada Bake
Today I’m sharing a twist on possibly my FAVORITE childhood meal my mom made when I was growing up: zucchini chicken enchiladas. I’ve turned into an easy, flavor packed layered casserole.
Now that Fall is almost here, nothing beats an oven dish IMO! There’s nothing like a big, hearty dish you can make ahead or drop off for a friend.
We have so many contraptions these days, and I like my air fryer as much as the next gal, but um, hello, you’re not getting leftovers out of that thing (or at least not with how much we eat).
And if you’re cooking for 1 or 2, and casseroles seem like they make too much, just meal prep multiple smaller tins (or muffin tins!) and freeze them — I mean, come on, you don’t really want to cook everrrrrry night anyways, do you?!
Overview:
1. Poach chicken
Just simmer chicken breast until cooked through. Or, speed this up even more with shredded rotisserie chicken!
2. Sautee veg
Cook up your onion, poblano, spices before stirring in beans, sour cream, and chicken.
3. Layer casserole
Layer salsa, tortillas, chicken mixture, and cheese and repeat until your dish is full!
4. Bake
Bake until brown and bubbly. Top with fresh cilantro and jalapeño.
Knead to Know
Hatch Chile Salsa > Canned Enchilada Sauce
And, it’s much faster than making your own sauce from scratch. I love the smokey flavor green hatch chile brings to this dish!
Recipe:
Creamy Green Chile Zucchini Chicken Enchilada Bake
Yield: 6 servings
Difficulty: Easy weeknight meal
Time: 30 minutes active prep, 1 hour to mouth
I’ve turned zucchini chicken enchiladas into a quick layered casserole, so it’s a lot less messy and time-consuming than dipping and rolling tortillas.
Ingredients
3 chicken breasts poached, roasted, or about 4 C rotisserie chicken, shredded or finely diced
2 T olive oil
1/2 large or 1 small yellow onion, diced
1 poblano, seeded and diced
3 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 zucchini, shredded (I diced mine and would shred it next time!)
1 can black bean soup, drained with all but 3 T liquid removed
1 15 oz container sour cream (or use Greek yogurt for extra protein and lower fat!)
3 C Mexican blend shredded cheese
2 16 oz jars green hatch chile salsa such as 505 Western Brand (you could also use salsa verde; I love the hatch flavor)
24 6” corn tortillas
Salt and pepper to taste
For topping:
Cilantro and jalapeño for garnish
Equipment
1 9 x 13 pan or 2 8 x 8 pans
Method
Step 1:
If poaching raw chicken, cover chicken with at least 1 inch of water and add 2 tsp of salt. Turn the burner to medium-low and simmer until chicken is cooked through or internal temp reaches 165. Shred the chicken and set aside.
Step 2:
Heat 2 T olive oil in a skillet on medium-high. Sauté onion and poblano for two minutes or until onion is translucent. Add in aromatics (spices and garlic) and sauté until just beginning to turn golden. Add in zucchini. Season with salt and pepper and cook until browned and golden, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove from heat. Add in chicken, partially strained black bean soup, and sour cream (or Greek yogurt, if using). Stir to combine and set aside.
Step 3:
Preheat oven to 375°. In a casserole dish, pour about 1/4 C of salsa in the bottom of the pan. Layer with tortillas. Top tortillas with about 1.5 C of the chicken zucchini mixture, a few handfuls of shredded cheese, then 1/4 C more salsa. Repeat layers until very full. On the top layer, top tortillas with salsa, cheese, and cut jalapeños.
Step 4:
Bake until golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro and jalapeño if desired.
My genuine reaction — so good!
Hope you enjoy this Creamy Green Chile Zucchini Chicken Enchilada Bake that takes only 30 minutes active prep time. Let me know if you make this easy comforting, fall casserole!
