Set It and Forget It: Slow-Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole

These past couple of weeks have been hectic and crazy- so when it comes to meal prep or making dinner for guests- I’ve been turning to an underutilized tool in my kitchen that does all the work for me and delivers some tasty and unique concoctions I may not have thought to whip up otherwise.

I’m talking about my slow cooker, and the recipe I’m referencing is this “set it and forget it” style chicken enchilada casserole. With just a few minutes of prep work- you can cook this meal in approximately five-to-six hours with no fuss- giving you enough time to get your errands done, catch up on e-mails, or binge watch an entire season of your favorite show on Netflix.

With a little spice and a good portion of cheese- this casserole is definitely going to make an appearance when football season starts up again. It’s a great Game Day indulgence.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

4 SERVINGS

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
One 14-ounce can black beans, drained
One 14-ounce can corn, drained
One 4-ounce can green chiles
One 28-ounce can enchilada sauce
20 small corn tortillas
3 cups shredded jack cheese
1 red onion, chopped
3 tablespoon taco seasoning
Fresh, chopped cilantro (to taste)
Sliced scallions (to taste)
Sour cream (to taste)

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

1. In a large bowl, toss the chicken with the black beans, corn, green chiles, red onion and taco seasoning.

2. Pour a quarter of the enchilada sauce into the base of the slow cooker. Arrange 5 tortillas over the sauce and then top with a third of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with ½ cup cheese. Repeat this layering pattern two more times.

3. Top the third layer with the remaining tortillas, enchilada sauce and cheese.

4. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

5. Serve portions garnished with sour cream, thinly sliced scallions and chopped fresh cilantro.

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There’s a lot of great textures and flavors in this casserole, which can double as a hearty dip if you’ve got some tortilla chips around. And while I know the appearance of it may not seem particularly appetizing- I can assure you it tastes so unbelievably good.

I think the next time I make this, I might incorporate a little jalapeno, as well- just to give it an extra kick of heat. I’ve never backed down from spicy foods!