I’ve been trying to use my Sundays to prepare better for the week ahead. I’m not exactly a master of food prep, but I am getting a handle on preparing a few meals (or parts of meals in some cases) ahead of time for quick reheating or assembly on weeknights.
One of the easiest ways to prepare an awesome make ahead meal is to use your slow cooker, like in this recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas. You just throw the ingredients for the chicken into the slow cooker and wait. Later that day, assemble the enchiladas and either cover and store for a weeknight, or cook for that evening’s dinner!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 4 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 8 flour tortillas (I used the “fajita” size); can substitute corn enchiladas to make gluten free
- 2 (10 oz) cans enchilada sauce (I used one red, one green)
- 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
- optional toppings: sliced black olives, sour cream, cilantro
To make the chicken, add the chicken breasts and thighs in a single later in your slow cooker. Sprinkle with the taco seasoning.
Top with the chopped red onion and black beans.
Follow with the diced tomatoes.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
When finished cooking, shred the chicken with two forks in the slow cooker, mixing to combine with the beans and tomatoes.
When ready to assemble, cover 8 tortillas with a wet paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds to soften.
Pour a very thin later of enchilada sauce into a 13×9 inch baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray to coat the bottom of the dish.
Working with one tortilla at a time, add a little less than 1/4 cup of the shredded chicken on one side of the tortilla. Sprinkle with some cheese.
Roll the tortilla tightly and place seam side down into the baking dish.
Repeat with the remaining 7 tortillas.
Drizzle the enchiladas with the remaining enchilada sauce.
If making this ahead of time, you can cover it with aluminum foil and plastic wrap and store in your fridge up to 3 days.
When ready to eat, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap, keeping the aluminum foil on top, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. When the oven is preheated, add the baking dish to the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and remove the foil. Sprinkle with ~2 1/2 cups cheese and add back to the oven for 10 minutes.
While waiting for the cheese to melt, chop your green onions and tomatoes, and prepare any other ingredients you’d like to serve with the enchiladas.
Remove the enchiladas from the oven and garnish, as desired. Serve.
I was looking forward to eating these all week and was not disappointed! The tortillas absorb a lot of the flavor of the sauce and chicken and become nice and tender.
The green enchilada sauce I used had a bit of heat to it, but I think this dish could stand to have a bit more. So if you’re a fan, serve with your favorite hot sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 4 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 8 flour tortillas (I used the “fajita” size); can substitute corn enchiladas to make gluten free
- 2 (10 oz) cans enchilada sauce (I used one red, one green)
- 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
- optional toppings: sliced black olives, sour cream, cilantro
Instructions
- To make the chicken, add the chicken breasts and thighs in a single later in your slow cooker. Sprinkle with the taco seasoning.
- Top with the chopped red onion and black beans.
- Follow with the diced tomatoes.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
- When finished cooking, shred the chicken with two forks in the slow cooker, mixing to combine with the beans and tomatoes.
- When ready to assemble, cover 8 tortillas with a wet paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds to soften.
- Pour a very thin later of enchilada sauce into a 13×9 inch baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray to coat the bottom of the dish.
- Working with one tortilla at a time, add a little less than 1/4 cup of the shredded chicken on one side of the tortilla. Sprinkle with some cheese.
- Roll the tortilla tightly and place seam side down into the baking dish.
- Repeat with the remaining 7 tortillas.
- Drizzle the enchiladas with the remaining enchilada sauce.
- If making this ahead of time, you can cover it with aluminum foil and plastic wrap and store in your fridge up to 3 days.
- When ready to eat, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap, keeping the aluminum foil on top, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. When the oven is preheated, add the baking dish to the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and remove the foil. Sprinkle with ~2 1/2 cups cheese and add back to the oven for 10 minutes.
- While waiting for the cheese to melt, chop your green onions and tomatoes, and prepare any other ingredients you’d like to serve with the enchiladas.
- Remove the enchiladas from the oven and garnish, as desired. Serve.
