Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Chicken Enchilada Pasta is the perfect blend when you are craving both pasta and Mexican. If you love pasta and Mexican and you have never tried Chicken Enchilada Pasta before you definitely want to add it to your menu soon.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

We love Mexican night. Who doesn’t? Taco Tuesday is my kids favorites thanks to The Lego Movie. So when it’s Tuesday my kids are ready to dive into taco’s for dinner. Aside from tacos we love everything from enchiladas to fajitas and I usually have another variety of Mexican on the menu during the week.

Egg noodles are not just for soup. I love using wide egg noodles in this recipe, similar to my Cheesy Cheeseburger Casserole. It gives it a great texture combined with the creamy homemade enchilada sauce.

If you have never made homemade enchilada sauce it’s super easy, trust me! With a few cans of tomato sauce and some spices you probably have sitting in your spice cabinet you can make a tasty enchilada sauce in no time. And to save even more time you can prep ahead and make the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate it for a few days. Not only does this homemade sauce taste better it’s actually will save you money too. A couple cans of tomato sauce costs only about 50 cents each. If you have all the spices on hand then you are not out of pocket anymore money. Small 8 ounce cans are always in my pantry. I use them in a variety of meals each week like this or even a quick pizza sauce.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Another time saver is I love to use leftover chicken or chicken I prepped earlier in the week. If I add this meal to our dinner menu I’ll cook the chicken ahead of time along with a little more to dice for salads or other recipes. Sometimes I might have on the dinner menu a whole roasted chicken and I’ll use the leftover chicken from that for another chicken recipe such as this later in my week. This also makes a good freezer meal. Simply divide the pasta mixture in half and place half of it in a freezer safe casserole dish to enjoy later. If you love freezer meals I have included how easy it is to freeze and cook from frozen in the recipe below.

For me meal planning is essential and I actually enjoy doing it. With a little prep you can get the most out of your meals and your money with a little planning ahead. Whether you meal plan or not, you definitely will want to try this delicious Chicken Enchilada Pasta. Top it with fresh cilantro, green onion, some queso fresco and even some crushed tortilla chips for a yummy family friendly meal.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

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Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Chicken Enchilada Pasta is the perfect blend when you are craving both pasta and Mexican. If you love pasta and Mexican and you have never tried Chicken Enchilada Pasta before you definitely want to add it to your menu soon.

  • Author: Jennifer
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound wide egg noodles
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
  • 2 cups water
  • 6 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 23 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • Mexican shredded cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped green onion (optional)
  • 1/4 cup queso fresco (optional)
  • 1/4 cup crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cooked noodles per packages instructions, set aside.
  3. In a medium saucepan stir vegetable oil and flour until flour is dissolved over medium heat. Add tomato sauce, water, chili powder, tomato paste, garlic powder, salt and cumin and stir until blended. Cook for a few minutes until sauce is thicken. Remove from heat.
  4. Place noodles and chicken in a large bowl. Stir in sauce and sour cream until combined. Stir in 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese.
  5. Pour mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish.
  6. Place in oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
  7. Top with remaining cheese and bake for 5-10 minutes longer until melted.
  8. Top with cilantro, green onion, queso fresco and crushed tortilla chips before serving.

Notes

Make it a freezer meal – After you assemble the recipe you can divide it and place it in 2 small casserole dishes to make one and freeze one (or you can obviously make and/or freeze both).

To freeze: Place mixture in a freezer safe casserole dish or disposable aluminum pan. Seal tightly with lid or foil to prevent freezer burn.

To cook from frozen: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover with foil and back for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20-25 minutes until until hot and bubbly. Add suggested toppings before serving.

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