Easy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe You Can Make Ahead – Step by Step Directions

If you are looking for the best family-friendly meal, you can’t do much better than these easy Chicken Enchiladas you can make ahead. Our step-by-step directions will make this a “can’t miss recipe” that everyone will love. 

I know when one of us is feeling down or has had a rough day, dinnertime is often the best time to decompress and talk about our feelings. It’s important to model for our kids that maybe our day wasn’t perfect either but we overcame challenges and now we are here together as a family and it feels so good. It’s like they say, “The days are long but the years are short.” Dinner time is worth fighting for. It knits the family together, it’s the place where memories are made and strong family bonds are formed.

The key to successful family dinners is in planning. One of my favorite tips is to use the days of the week to serve Italian food every Monday, Mexican food on Tuesday, American cuisine on Wednesday, Asian-inspired food on Thursday, etc. Adopt this menu for your family’s tastes and repeat it. It makes buying food easier. You can cook the protein you need in your dishes on the weekend and parcel it out as needed for your recipes.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas Ingredients

• (16) 6″ white corn tortillas
• cooking spray
• 1 can (14.5 oz)  diced tomatoes in juice
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon chili powder
• 1 cup cooked chicken, chopped into small pieces
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Sour Cream
• Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Kitchen Tip

• You’ll want to heat the corn tortillas. If you omit this step, your tortillas will crack and break apart when you try to roll them.

Step-by-Step Directions for Easy Chicken Enchiladas

#1. In a bowl, combine tomatoes, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder. Start with 1/4 teaspoon chili powder and add more to taste. Set aside.

#2. In a nonstick pan, spray cooking spray and heat on medium-high. Add a corn tortilla to the pan, let heat for 5 seconds and lift the tortilla, and add another. Repeat, placing one tortilla under the next until all 16 tortillas are heated. Remove from heat and place onto a plate.

#3. In a saucepan, combine cream cheese and chicken. Add 1/3 cup tomato mixture and heat on medium heat until melted and smooth. Stirring constantly.

#4. Spoon chicken mixture lightly onto a tortilla and wrap it, seam side down, and place it into a pan coated with cooking spray. My square pan held 16 tortillas. Repeat until the pan is full.

#5. Spread tomatoes on top of tortillas and sprinkle with cheese.

#6. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until cheese is melted and heated through. 

#7. Serve with sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro. Enjoy!