Enchilada Pasta Casserole

Enchilada Pasta Casserole – Cheese, chicken, and warming spices combine to create the ultimate comfort casserole. Perfect for a midweek Mexican night or to bring loads of flavor to your next potluck.

Sometimes, when I’m in the mood for effortless Mexican food, I’ll whip up a Beef Enchilada Casserole or a Chile Relleno Casserole. Are you sensing the theme here? However, this Enchilada Pasta Casserole might be the ultimate comfort food. I think it’s the pasta that does it. I mean, who doesn’t love carbs? 

Plus, this Enchilada Pasta Casserole is on the table in only 35 minutes. I don’t think it can get any better than that. This recipe makes enough food for 6 heaping helpings, or you’ll have leftovers that reheat super well. It’s the perfect meal-prep or make-ahead dish for potlucks and gatherings.

Why This Recipe Works!

You seriously can’t go wrong with chicken, cheese, and pasta. Add some Mexican seasonings into the mix, and you have a recipe that’s a flavor explosion in every bite. 

• A casserole means minimal cleanup and eliminates the need for multiple side dishes. Everything that you could want in a full meal incorporated into one dish.

• Maximum flavor, with minimal effort. 

• Make use of pre-packaged, pre-cooked, pre-everything ingredients for a convenient recipe that tastes completely homemade.

What You’ll Need

• Chicken – You can season and cook up raw chicken or save time and start with a pre-made rotisserie. 
• Seasonings – Chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper are all you need to create the spicy Mexican flavor we’re after. 
• Cream Cheese – You can use full fat or the 1/3 less fat variety with this. I think the full fat melts better and leads to a smoother sauce, but both work.
• Sour Cream- You can use Plain Greek yogurt if you don’t have sour cream.
• Enchilada Sauce – Using canned Enchilada Sauce will save you a ton of time, but this Homemade Enchilada Sauce is perfect as well.
• Cheese – I used shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheese. Or, Try pepper jack for a hint of heat.
• Corn – Reach for frozen or canned corn to keep this recipe super convenient.
• Green Chiles – This ingredient commonly comes already diced and canned, but you could use fresh chiles or another hot pepper instead. 
• Pasta – Egg noodles are quick to cook and not too heavy. A perfect option when paired with a ton of chicken and cheese.
• Cilantro – This is an optional garnish, but it brings the presentation to life and brings in some bright flavor.

How To Make Enchilada Pasta Casserole

1. Boil Noodles – Cook the egg noodles 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions. While they’re boiling, you can start cooking your chicken.
2. Cook and Season Chicken – Add diced raw chicken to a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle your seasonings over the top, and mix to coat the chicken evenly. Brown the pieces until fully cooked.
3. Add Cream Cheese – Turn the heat to medium-low, and mix in the cream cheese. The residual heat will melt the cream cheese into a sauce-like consistency.
4. Create Casserole Filling – In a separate bowl, combine ½ cup of each cheese and the remaining casserole ingredients (aside from the pasta). Pour this mixture over the chicken, and mix to incorporate. Let this cook for 2-3 minutes to melt the cheese.
5. Mix in the Noodles – Add the cooked and drained pasta to the mix and stir to combine. 
6. Bake – Pour the casserole mixture into a baking dish, and top it with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes until it’s hot, melted, and bubbly.

Recipe Tips

• Undercook the noodles by a minute or two so they’re almost al dente. They’ll finish cooking in the oven and soak up more flavor. 

• If you want to use a rotisserie chicken for this recipe, break down and shred the chicken while the noodles boil. Add it to a bowl, season the meat, and mix together.

• Double the batch and make extra to freeze. This is an excellent option for meal prepping or to keep on hand for when you need dinner on the table in a pinch.

• I like to use those disposable aluminum pans to make cleanup a breeze. Then, if you decide to freeze the casserole, it won’t monopolize one of your good baking dishes.

How To Serve Enchilada Pasta Casserole

The best pairings for this recipe are ones you can whip up in no time and serve with a bowl of chips. Try these dippable Mexican accompaniments that’ll take your Enchilada Pasta Casserole to the next level.

• Roasted Corn Salsa – A Chipotle cheat that’s even better than the original. This would also be yummy mixed into the casserole in place of plain corn. 
• Restaurant Style Salsa – Turn down or crank up the heat with this restaurant-style salsa. Treat it like a dip, or spoon some over each helping of casserole. 
• White Queso Dip – Nothing goes better with cheese than more cheese. 
• Easy Refried Bean Dip – Creamy, cheesy, and endlessly dippable.

More Easy Mexican Dinner Recipes

• Pork Carnitas
• Chipotle Chicken Bowls
• Potato Tacos
• Taco Spaghetti
• Wet Burrito
• Mexican Rice Skillet
• Baja Shrimp Tacos

Continue to Content

Yield: 6

Enchilada Pasta Casserole

Print

Enchilada Pasta Casserole - Cheese, chicken, and warming spices combine to create the ultimate comfort casserole. Perfect for a midweek Mexican night or to bring loads of flavor to your next potluck.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken , diced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 10 oz enchilada sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3/4 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies
• 12 ounces egg noodles
• cilantro, optional garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. In a large pot, bring water to boil and cook egg noodles for 1-2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. In a large skillet, brown chicken, for 3-4 minutes. It does not need to be cooked through, just brown on the outside.
4. Add the chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Mix until the chicken is evenly coated in the spices.
5. Stir in the cream cheese until it is melted.
6. In a bowl combine sour cream, enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup the Monterey jack cheese, corn, green chilies, salt and pepper. Mix until combined.
7. Pour mixture over the chicken. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
8. Add the drained and cooked pasta, stirring to combine.
9. Pour everything into a large casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
10. Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
11. Top with cilantro if desired.

Notes

Recipe from Table for Two

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 491Total Fat 29gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 139mgSodium 897mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 3gSugar 6gProtein 31g

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.

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Erin S

Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and I’m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, you’ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.

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