Main Dishes

To be honest, the only semi-homemade part of this chicken enchilada recipe is the topping. I like to use a Tomatillo Salsa from Frontera Grill on the top. I spoon it on lightly over the top, but you could also easily use an actual enchilada sauce and pour it over the top.

Do You Use Shredded Chicken or Ground Chicken?

I actually prefer to use shredded chicken in my enchiladas, but let’s face it, shredded chicken usually takes more planning than I am capable of for a weeknight. If you have shredded chicken, feel free to substitute that in for the ground chicken in this recipe. In the meantime, I’ve found that if I brown some ground chicken with the onion and cumin, it takes on some great flavor and is ready in time to make these enchiladas on a weeknight.

How Do You Cook Chicken to Shred It?

I often just use whatever chicken is around the house, so if we had chicken breasts recently and had some leftovers then I will cut up and shred that chicken.

I do like to have some precooked, shredded chicken ready to use in my freezer. To make it, I’ll usually throw a few boneless, skinless chicken breasts into my crockpot with a cup or two of chicken broth, cook on high for 4-6 hours. It comes out juicy and ready to use in any recipe!

What to Serve With Chicken Enchiladas?

Because Rick Bayless is a genius, his Frontera line is my go-to for Mexican food items. I love the Garlicky White Rice, you mix it into a saucepan with a bit of water and rice, then cook as usual.

What Kind of Tortillas?

It’s true, most people use corn tortillas for enchiladas. I’m a boring girl from the midwest, so I prefer flour. Use whatever you want. I always seem to end up with enough filling for 5 enchiladas instead of 4.

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Easy Semi-Homemade Chicken Enchiladas

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

These kid friendly chicken enchiladas are quick and easy, you can make them for dinner even on a weeknight!

Course: dinner, Main Course, supper, weeknight dinner

Cuisine: Mexican, semi-homemade

Servings: 4 People

Calories: 877 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 pound Ground Chicken
• 1 Medium Onion diced
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 2 cloves Garlic minced
• 4 ounces Cream Cheese softened
• 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
• 2 cups White Cheddar shredded
• 1/2 cup Tomatillo Salsa
• 5 Tortillas

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Place chicken, onion, cumin and garlic in nonstick pan and brown.  About 8 minutes.

3. Mix cream cheese, chicken broth and 1/2 cup of cheddar in a large bowl.  Once chicken has browned, add the chicken and onions, mix well.

4. Spoon filling into tortillas and gently roll up, place into a baking dish that has been prepped with cooking spray.

5. Spoon salsa on top, then sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Because this is cooking at home and not in a factory, there might be some variation between how I prepare this recipe and what you create at home. As such, all nutritional information are estimates and may vary. If you like this recipe or find it useful, you can rate it by clicking on the stars above. A 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated!

Nutrition Facts

Easy Semi-Homemade Chicken Enchiladas

Amount Per Serving

Calories 877 Calories from Fat 549

% Daily Value*

Fat 61g94%

Saturated Fat 33g206%

Cholesterol 252mg84%

Sodium 1463mg64%

Potassium 925mg26%

Carbohydrates 26g9%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 54g108%

Vitamin A 1745IU35%

Vitamin C 5.6mg7%

Calcium 936mg94%

Iron 3.4mg19%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

What To Substitute for Italian Seasoning?

Italian Seasoning is one of those spice blends that almost every company makes. I never seem to have any in the house when a recipe calls for it, and since it is the “traditional” blend to use with alfredo, it appears in this recipe. However, as it is mixed into the ricotta cheese, it’s more of an accent. If you want you could substitute the Italian Seasoning with basil, thyme or oregano as those would all work fine for this Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Ziti Casserole. If you have all of the ingredients you could even make your own Italian Seasoning.

Do You Need to Add Eggs to the Ricotta?

There seem to be 2 groups of people, those who add eggs to ricotta cheese, and those who don’t add the egg. Ricotta is a very fluffy and lightweight cheese at baseline, but mixing in the egg makes it a bit more like a sauce, but allows it to hold together. I like it more as a cheese so don’t add the egg, but if you want to add egg here it would also work!

Why Cook The Pasta So Al Dente?

When baking a casserole, I always cook my pasta a bit on the al dente side. It will continue to cook and soften in the oven, and I don’t want it to be too soft.

What Kind of Alfredo Sauce?

In this recipe I use a jarred garlic alfredo sauce, but that’s a particular taste. If you prefer to use a classic alfredo sauce, my favorite is the Buitoni Alfredo that you find in the refrigerator section of your grocery store.

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Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Ziti Casserole

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

55 mins

 

An easy semi-homemade casserole that even picky kids will eat!  Just prep the ingredients, mix and bake. It's perfect for a weeknight dinner when you don't have a lot of time.

Course: dinner, Main Course, supper

Cuisine: casserole, pasta, semi-homemade

Servings: 8 People

Calories: 503 kcal

Ingredients

• 16 ounces Fusilli
• 12 ounces Broccoli Florets frozen
• 7.5 ounces Ricotta Cheese
• 1.5 cups Chicken cooked and shredded
• 1/2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 16 ounces Classico Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce
• 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions.  

3. While pasta is cooking, steam the broccoli florets in a saucepan with about 1/4 cup water until bright green and almost ready to eat.

4. In a separate bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, Italian Seasoning, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the Mozzarella.

5. Once the pasta has cooked, drain the water and mix the alfredo sauce into the pasta until well covered.  Mix in the chicken and broccoli, put into a baking dish.

6. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the pasta mixture, mixing it in a bit. I like to leave some areas with more ricotta that others.  Spread the remaining Mozzarella onto the top.

7. Bake at 350° for about 35 minutes or until the top has browned.

Recipe Notes

Because this is cooking at home and not in a factory, there might be some variation between how I prepare this recipe and what you create at home. As such, all nutritional information are estimates and may vary. If you like this recipe or find it useful, you can rate it by clicking on the stars above. A 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated!

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Ziti Casserole

Amount Per Serving

Calories 503 Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Cholesterol 88mg29%

Sodium 756mg33%

Potassium 350mg10%

Carbohydrates 48g16%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 23g46%

Vitamin A 600IU12%

Vitamin C 38.3mg46%

Calcium 236mg24%

Iron 1.6mg9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.