The Best Cheesy Sour Cream Enchiladas
This enchilada recipe is cheesy, and comforting, and makes a delicious casserole to take to anyone who just had a baby, or needs a little pick-me-up. They’re also perfect to freeze and push ahead for busy weeknight dinners!
Hi friends! How’s the week going? We’ve been going through the regular school routine, + a celebration for my dad’s birthday, and making a baby meal for a squadron friend. I’ve made countless baby meals over the years, and this is one of my go-to’s!
It took me FOREVER to share my standard enchilada recipe on the blog. This is purely accidental. I want to post it every single time I make them, but they’re eaten quickly and I usually make them at night, so with the yellow light, it doesn’t make the prettiest photos. I decided to just post it with the iPhone photos I took so you guys can have it!
This is the recipe I always make. The girls request enchiladas at least once a month and crush them every time, and it’s my standard baby meal. I feel like maybe I should switch up my baby meal menu because pretty much everywhere you look in Tucson, an enchilada stares you in the face. But, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And these beauties definitely ain’t broke.
This recipe seems like a lot of steps, but the more you make it, the easier and faster it happens. Just trust the process; it’s worth it. Put on some Juanes radio on Spotify, pour a little wine, and go for it! This recipe makes a double batch, so definitely make a pan for yourself and one to gift to a neighbor, a friend, or someone with a new baby (they really need enchiladas!) or wrap and put it in the freezer. You’ll thank yourself later.
The Best Cheesy Sour Cream Enchiladas
Important: chicken and tortillas matter. For the chicken, I always use store-bought rotisserie chicken. It has the most flavor and the best texture. The best part is that you don’t waste 100 years grilling and baking your chicken. And don’t even boil it unless you want the chicken to taste like white, chewy rubber, mmmm k?
As far as the tortillas go, I try to get as close to homemade as possible. When I’m feeling extra, I use the frozen fresh tortillas from Costco. You cook them on the griddle until they’re lightly golden brown and your whole house will smell amaaaaazing. The best part about making your own: enjoy them warm with a little butter and jam, rolled up, and they’re pretty much the best thing ever. (We call them “jam things” in our family and it’s a tradition from when you’re about two until forever.)
If you don’t have homemade, don’t worry!! Just make sure to get the ones with a paper label on the inside (this means they’re legit) like Alejandro’s brand. Also, don’t be afraid to feel the tortillas before you put them in your cart. Make sure they’re soft and nice! You can use corn tortillas, but I find that the flour ones give it a better texture.
(This pic was from a batch I made a couple of years ago! They got a little toasty under the broiler.)
Here’s the recipe! I hope you love it.
The Best Cheesy Sour Cream Enchiladas Recipe
PrintThe Best Cheesy Sour Cream Enchiladas
These are savory and creamy green chili and sour cream enchiladas. Make these in advance to enjoy later in the week, or share them with friends who just had a baby! I hope you love these.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Mexican food
- Method: Casseroles
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
2 rotisserie chickens, shredded (this IS a chicken enchiladas recipe but you could also use ground beef)
16–20 fresh flour tortillas
2 small cans of mild green chilies (8 oz total)
1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cumin
4 cloves of garlic
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
32 oz chicken broth
8 oz sour cream
5 oz red enchilada sauce (1/2 can)- This is optional but adds awesome flavor to the sauce
32 oz Mexican shredded cheese
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro, to garnish
Instructions
Place the shredded chicken into a large bowl. Preheat the oven to 375 and grab two 13×10 inch casserole dishes.
Heat a large saucepan to medium. Add a splash of olive oil, the garlic, and green chilies, and stir until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
Add the oregano, cumin, and butter, and allow the butter to melt completely.
Stir in the flour and cook for about 1 minute (to get rid of the flour taste), then whisk in the broth. Bring the heat up to high, until bubbling, and continue to whisk. When there are no lumps, remove them from the heat. Stir in the sour cream and whisk until smooth. Stir in the red enchilada sauce. Season well with salt and pepper.
Add a couple of tablespoons of the sour cream mixture to the chicken and a couple of handfuls of cheddar cheese. This isn’t exact; you just want the chicken to be moist and cheesy.
Ladle some sauce onto the bottom of each baking dish – just enough to cover the bottom.
Heat your tortillas in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, until soft.
Start with one tortilla and fill with chicken along the middle portion of the tortilla. You don’t want to add too much chicken; just add enough for a serving. Roll up the tortilla and place seam-side down in the casserole dish. Continue with the rest of the tortillas and chicken. You’ll have 8-10 enchiladas in each pan.
Cover the enchiladas with sauce, making sure that no tortilla is left uncovered. Next, cover completely with cheese. Be super generous here. 🙂
Cover the casseroles with foil and bake for 30 minutes until bubbling. To brown the cheese, remove the foil and broil for 2-3 minutes (just keep an eye on it).
Serve with fresh chopped cilantro on top!
I always pack these up with salsa, chips, homemade guac, Instant Pot Mexican Rice, and refried beans (these need their one post, too!), and for this particular baby meal, I added a margarita mix, bottle of tequila, and a few limes. 😉
What’s your favorite comfort food? If your friend has a baby, what’s your go-to meal recipe? I’m always looking for new ideas! I also love to make lactation cookies for new mamas, too.
Happy Monday!
xo
Gina
35 Comments
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Do you have a recipe you could share for homemade enchilada sauce? I have an incredibly hard time finding the cans in Canada! Thanks!
Yes, here you go! https://fitnessista.com/homemade-enchilada-sauce/
This one is also awesome: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/red-enchilada-sauce/
Is it bad that I read this post and want to whip up a batch and eat these for breakfast? Thanks for sharing, can’t wait to try!
doooooo it 🙂
Pretty sure this is going on the menu this week and bonus that it makes a double batch! It will be a good recipe to try before a big food prep weekend before baby #3 arrives. Thanks!
yay, i hope you love them!!
I always do Baked Ziti, salad and wine!
that sounds amazing!
Yaaassss! Thank you Gina:) I heart cheesy delish enchiladas!!! Making these asap:):):)
please let me know how they turn out!
That’s so nice of you! I’m making those enchiladas sometime soon for sure. I make a casserole that includes broccoli, cheddar, rice, and chicken that freezes well—it’s my usual go-to baby meal. Depending on the family, I might include a “coupon” for an evening of babysitting, along with a movie theater gift card.
YUM. that sounds like such a good meal and great idea to add the coupon!!
Those enchiladas look amazing! I’m actually signed up for a meal train soon and am inspired to make these. Do you have good reheating instructions for them if they aren’t frozen? (Should they be cooked all of the way through before you send them?) I’m also going to add some of your side ideas too – make a full package deal!
Love the sound of this recipe and am going to make it, stat! So here’s a fun story – when I was in middle school, my family somehow acquired a Sunset magazine Mexican cookbook. The picture for the enchiladas verdes con pollo piqued my interest and I set out to make them. Per the recipe, I had to poach (aka boil) the chicken to make my own broth. I had to make my own tomatillo sauce (I was living in southeast Alaska and … a tomatillo? What’s that?!) Anyay, it became a hit recipe with my family and I am now required to make this every time I visit my folks. If I attempt shortcuts, I get roasted. In my own home, I’m all about canned green sauce and Costco rotisserie… but my folks will allow no such moves. Haha!
That said – do you have a canned red sauce preference? I ask because some of the ones I’ve tried had a … certain taste I can’t put my finger on. Too much chili flavoring?
Thanks, Gina! I can’t wait to make these babies!
hahah that is intense!!
if you want to make the red sauce, here’s m go to: https://fitnessista.com/homemade-enchilada-sauce/
for store-bought, i love the la victoria, el pato or hatch
please let me know how they turn out!!
To make and freeze, do you follow all the steps in the recipe above? Just pull out of the freezer and reheat at 375 until bubbly?
yep, to freeze just let them come to room temp and cover well before freezing. to reheat, cover with foil and bake at 375 for closer to an hour. it takes a while but it’s worth it!
If you were to make a vegetarian version of these, what would you use instead of chicken?
I would sauté chopped zucchini, squash, onion, and black beans. YUM
These sound AMAZING. You can’t beat a good, cheesy enchilada.
i think this recipe is awesome, but I would not recommend it to a new mama unless she is not planning to breastfeed. babies often get colic from dairy in mama’s milk supply, even if there is no allergy. you could probably modify it with daiya or other non-dairy cheese/sour cream brands. i personally remove dairy drom my diet the last month b4 birth and until baby is eating solids. better safe than sorry!
I just have to gently point out that this is actually not true. My first baby had colic and I did a lot of research to see what I could do to improve things. Studies have shown that only a very small percentage of babies have intolerances to their mother consuming dairy products. Colic is still a phenomenon that has causes that are not well understood. It seems as though for at least some babies, probiotics can be helpful.
I happen to have the Costco tortillas and sour cream, and I know I’m going to love this recipe because I make your grandma’s egg casserole nearly every couple weeks for breakfast for dinner. (Enchiladas and egg casserole are unrelated, but I love comfort food. Ha!)
Do you ever make these gluten free, Gina? Any tips on how to do that? I have celiac disease.
yes! use a gluten free flour mix instead of white flour and corn tortillas instead of flour. i’d check the enchilada sauce to make sure they didn’t sneak any gluten in there and you should be good to go!
I want to try these ASAP! They look and sound amazing and every time you make this for a baby meal for someone I drool.
Is the rice recipe the same for stovetop? I don’t have an IP and your rice always looks so good! And I NEED to know your bean recipe too. Having a baby in 4 ish weeks so actually if you want to just whip this up for me and ship it that’d be grrrreat .
yes you can make it the same way on the stovetop! 🙂
This looks so yummy! I have a question about the chillies, though – do they make it quite spicy? I’m a very mild spice lover, as is my husband, and my girls, so wasn’t sure whether it comes out very mild, or your girls are just accustomed to more spicy food due to your more adventurous palate 🙂
no if you use the mild ones, they’re not spicy! they just add a lot of flavor
This recipe is amazing and so is the instant pot Mexican Rice!! This is my go to meal train recipe now. Please, please share your bean recipe!
so so happy you like them! i’ll try to post the bean recipe next week 🙂
Did the bean recipe ever make it online? 🙂
I want to know, too! ☺️
gah i still haven’t posted it! i can make it my next recipe 🙂