When you’re looking for a great freezer meal to bring to a friend or to have on hand for those nights you don’t feel like cooking, this chicken enchilada casserole is exactly the recipe for you. 

This recipe is amazing for literally taking out of the freezer and putting it into the oven. Freezer to oven meals are where it’s at! And for friends or new moms who you want to bring a meal to, this is perfect (it’s super family friendly).

I am trying so hard to be better at meal prep and freezer meals in the New Year and it’s going well so far.  I have two other favorite freezer meals that I’m sharing the links to below to hopefully encourage you to keep up with your meal prep journey!  It’s not always easy to plan all those meals at once, but it is always worth it!

1. 5 Ingredient vegetarian freezer burritos
2. Make Ahead Freezer Quiche

A post that I also wanted to share is this guide to meal prep.  If you haven’t started your meal prep journey yet or are dabbling with the idea, read this post as a good place to start! I find that sometimes it’s not just about the prep, it’s about having something in the freezer all ready to go. I’m coming up with a bunch more recipes I’m sharing this year of just that – freezer to oven or freezer to slow cooker meals!

Ok, back to our casserole! Casseroles are such a warm and comforting dish that every one loves (this is picky eater approved! A few simple steps make this meal a perfect one to throw together and stick in the freezer for a rainy (or super snowy) day!

But just how easy is this chicken enchilada casserole?!  See the super simple steps below. 

1. Cook and shred chicken or – even easier – use a store-bought rotisserie chicken
2. Cook rice (I like using brown rice, but white rice or quinoa or a combination of grains works well)
3. Combine black beans, diced tomatoes, sour cream and enchilada sauce and a few seasonings (salt, pepper and cumin)
4. Place each layer in a baking dish – Rice, then the chicken, black bean/tomato/enchilada sauce mixture and sprinkle with cheese
5. Bake and/or throw in the freezer for future use (or gift the casserole to someone and make their day!)

In case you didn’t miss it above, I have a secret cheat tip for you too: if you don’t feel like cooking up chicken, or if you’re extra short on time, grab a pre-made rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. What I also like to do is to make slow cooker salsa chicken for this dish. If I know I’m going to be making a double batch for friends/family/freezing, before going to bed I’ll throw chicken breasts and pour a jar of salsa into a slow cooker on low (for 8 hrs) and then shred the chicken to make this casserole with!

I think we can all agree that getting an amazing freezer meal is such a treat (or having a meal ready to go in the freezer is great after a long day) so do yourself a favor and make a double batch of this amazing freezer meal – chicken enchilada casserole!

Yield: 6-8 servings

Freezer Meal - Chicken Enchilada Casserole

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Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups dry brown rice, cooked according to package instructions
• 2 1/2 cups shredded chicken
• 1 (15 oz) can green enchilada sauce (heat level of your liking, I usual do mild or medium)
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon cumin (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Dash of pepper to taste
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Spray a dish (1- 9x13 inch baking dish or 2- 8x8 inch baking dishes or disposable pan(s)) with cooking spray.
2. Cook rice and chicken and shred chicken (see note for cooking chicken)*
3. Drain black beans
4. In a bowl combine shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, tomatoes, black beans, sour cream, and seasonings
5. Put rice at the bottom of the prepared baking dish, spoon chicken mixture on top of rice. Sprinkle the cheese on top.
6. Freeze or bake, cooking instructions below.

For baking from frozen, remove from freezer and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until cheese is melted and center of the dish is warm.

For baking right after prepared - bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, until cheese is melted and starting to turn golden brown on top.

Notes

*cook the chicken to your liking (poach it, bake it or fry it) or use a rotisserie chicken. I like making salsa chicken in the slow cooker for this casserole, just put chicken breasts and 1 jar of salsa in a slow cooker (high for 4 hours, low for 8) and shred the chicken to use in this casserole.