Chicken Enchilada Pasta takes the flavors of classic enchiladas and transforms them into a hearty and cozy one-pan pasta. This family meal uses pantry / freezer staples and can be made in about 30 minutes.
We’re headed into the second full week of social distancing / having everyone at home, and I’m feeling a bit more prepared. We've also got a new line-up of fun at home activities, including having the girls FaceTime their friends. I love everything about 5-year-olds and their phone calls.
With lessons learned from last week, I know the key to this time at home is to simplify. I foolishly thought it would be leisurely to have everyone at home, but things feel well....not leisurely. The girls and I are doing lots of baking and cooking together earlier in the day, but when 5pm rolls around, I just want a meal to (almost) magically appear.
This Chicken Enchilada Pasta uses pantry and freezer staples, making it something I’m going to turn to again and again this month when dinnertime sneaks up on me (along with this Instant Pot Italian Sausage Pasta and Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese). Here’s all you need!
What Makes This Weeknight-Friendly
Do the 5pm-version of yourself a favor - cook the pasta and chicken for this meal ahead of time. Those are the only things that take any significant time or attention. With those two steps out of the way, just measure out some ingredients, simmer in a skillet, and mix everything together. Dinner is done.
Chicken Enchilada Pasta Ingredients
- Pasta - Any fun shape of pasta will work here, but look for one that will hold the sauce well. I have a strong preference for fusilli here because the twisty shape has plenty of nooks for sauce and cheese.
- Corn - I think frozen corn has the most fresh, clean flavor, but canned corn would work in a pinch. Just make sure to drain and rinse the corn first.
- Cooked Chicken - Use any type of chicken, just make sure it’s pre-cooked before using in this recipe. Boneless chicken breast or thighs work well. Rotisserie chicken is great here.
- Canned Green Chilis - These are common in a lot of enchilada recipes, so they give the dish a tangy flavor and authentic enchilada feel. They come in mild, medium, or hot, so be sure to grab the one that fits with your spice preference. Feel free to skip these if you prefer. Even the mild ones have a bit of a kick, so if you don’t want any spice, skip them.
- Red Enchilada Sauce - Use a store-bought enchilada sauce (be sure to grab mild or medium, depending on your spice preference) or use this Homemade Enchilada Sauce.
- Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes - These add so much flavor to the dish! Look for “fire roasted” tomatoes right next to the regular diced tomatoes in your grocery store’s canned goods aisle. The tomatoes have a lightly smoky flavor. Some versions also have things like jalapeños and garlic in them which add to the flavor of the dish. Regular diced tomatoes will certainly work if you already have them.
- Garlic, Ground cumin, Paprika - Use these to build flavor in the simple sauce.
- Shredded Cheese - Any type works great to add the cheesy layer and topping to this dish. I like shredded Colby Jack or Cheddar. Shredded Mexican blend cheese is great too.
- Optional Toppings - Treat these like you would any Tex Mex meal. Serve it on its own or feel free to add sour cream, guacamole, chopped onions, cilantro, salsa, or crumbled tortilla chips for some extra crunch.
How to Make Chicken Enchilada Pasta
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- Cook Pasta - Follow the package instructions to boil the pasta until tender. You can do this up to 2 days ahead.
- Blacken corn - Heat oil in a large skillet and add frozen corn. Cook the corn until it’s defrosted, but for an extra dimension of flavor, keep going for 4 to 6 minutes. The corn will start to char and blacken slightly in spots. This gives the dish extra flavor!
- Add chicken and spices - To the corn, stir in chicken and dried spices, letting everything cook together for 2 to 3 minutes to let the flavors develop.
- Stir in sauce - Add green chilis, enchilada sauce, and canned tomatoes (drain them first)0. Bring to a simmer.
- Add cheese and pasta - Stir 1 cup of cheese and pasta into the dish. Top the pasta with the remaining ½ cup of cheese.
- Broil - Place the pasta under the oven’s broiler until the cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Freeze This Meal
This is a great meal to freeze! Make the recipe right up until the broiling step. Transfer the pasta to a 9x13 baking dish or divide the pasta between two 8x8 disposable aluminum baking pans.
To bake from frozen: Defrost completely in the refrigerator for about 48 hours. Bake, covered, at 350°F / 177°C until warmed through, 25 to 30 minutes. Then, if you’d like the top to be slightly crisp and golden, turn on the oven’s broiler and broil the dish for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the pasta is lightly golden brown in some spots.
Check out the recipe below for a printable label to attach to the top of the meal.
More Weeknight-Friendly Pastas
- Chicken Parmesan Pasta Bake - If you like chicken parmesan, you’ll love this simplified baked version that comes together in an 8×8 pan. Full of melty mozzarella, tender chicken, classic marinara sauce, and topped with crunchy garlic-herb breadcrumbs, this is a weeknight pasta bake the whole family will love.
- Skillet Chicken Pasta with Sweet Potato and Crispy Sage - Skillet Chicken Pasta is one of those dishes that looks like it could be served at a restaurant but is totally the best friend of any home cook. The dish creates its own light, savory sauce while everything comes together in one pan.
- Simple Beef Ragu {Slow Cooker, Instant Pot, Stovetop} - Few things beat the heartiness and versatility of a classic Italian meat and tomato sauce like this Simple Beef Ragu. This version includes instructions for the slow cooker, Instant Pot, or stovetop. Take the basic recipe and make it your own – add extra vegetables, fresh herbs, or some spice.
- One-Pan Italian Turkey Meatballs with Marinara - One-Pan Italian Turkey Meatballs with Easy Marinara Sauce are seasoned with a blend of dried herbs and, using a few tips provided, come out tender and full of flavor. Once the meatballs have been formed, the dish comes together in a flash.
Favorite Tools
Chicken Enchilada Pasta
Equipment
- oven-safe skillet
Ingredients
- 8 oz Pasta, fusilli (sub any pasta shape - penne, rigatoni, or shells would be good here)
- 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 1 ½ cups Frozen Corn, defrosted
- 2 cups Shredded Cooked Chicken (use chicken breast, thigh, or rotisserie chicken)
- 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- 1 4oz can Mild Green Chiles, drained (see note)
- 1 10-oz can Red Enchilada Sauce (use mild or medium store-bought or use this homemade version)
- 1 15-oz can Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes, drained
- 1 ½ cup Shredded Colby Jack or Cheddar Cheese, divided
- Optional toppings - sour cream, guacamole, chopped red onions, cilantro, salsa, tortilla chips
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. (You can do this up to 2 days ahead of time. Toss the pasta with some oil to help minimize sticking and refrigerate it if making ahead.)
- Turn on the oven’s broiler (this will be used to melt the cheese).
- Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat.
- Add corn and oil and saute until defrosted. (Note: For extra flavor, keep cooking the corn until it starts to blacken in spots, 4 to 6 minutes.)
- Add chicken, garlic, cumin, and paprika. Saute until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in green chiles, enchilada sauce, and diced tomatoes.
- Cook until the sauce starts to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove skillet from heat and stir in chicken, 1 cup cheese, and pasta. (Note: If your skillet is not oven safe or is not large enough to hold all of the ingredients, you can transfer the pasta to a 9x13 baking dish.)
- Sprinkle remaining cheese over top of the pasta. Heat under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and melted, 3 to 4 minutes (keep a close eye on it to prevent burning).
- Serve pasta immediately with any toppings you’d like.
Notes
Nutrition
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