Creamy Green Enchiladas made with leftover Chili Verde. This Mexican casserole is sure to be a new family favorite! Serve this tasty green enchilada casserole with some Mexican rice and pickled carrots for an authentic Mexican meal.
Why This Recipe Works
Sure, Chili Verde is amazing on its own and a definite crowd-pleaser. But it never fails, I always end up with a few days worth of leftovers.
I've learned to repurpose leftovers in a way that transforms them into an exciting new meal, instead of serving the same meal a few nights in a row.
Since Chili Verde is already served with corn tortillas, cheese, salsa, and sour cream, why not combine all those ingredients to make a totally new dish like this green enchilada casserole? Genius, right?
Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
- 4 cups pork or chicken chili Verde
- 16 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
- ½ cup sour cream (divided)
- ¼ cup corn kernels (frozen or canned, drained)
- ½ cup favorite green salsa or hot sauce
How to Make This Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 1: Spray a 9" x 6" pan with cooking spray. Ladle approximately ¼ cup of salsa Verde (avoiding larger meat chunks) into the pan. Break up the meat chunks, and distribute them throughout the chili Verde.
Step 2: Add ¼ cup of sour cream and corn kernels to the same bowl. Mix bowl ingredients until thoroughly combined.
Step 3: Place 4 tortillas in the casserole or baking dish, overlapping as necessary.
Step 4: Top tortillas with one cup of the chili Verde mixture then add ½ cup of shredded cheese.
Note: After repeating these steps three times, you will have four tortillas and ½ cup of shredded cheese left.
Step 5: Add the remaining tortillas to the enchilada casserole. Mix any remaining liquid from the chili Verde with the green salsa (or hot sauce) and the remaining sour cream. Pour the mixture over the enchiladas.
Step 6: Cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes, then sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese. Cook for an additional ten minutes. If you like the top browned, place the pan under the broiler and broil on low for a few minutes.
Allow the green enchilada casserole to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Green Enchiladas can be served with any of the following:
- Mexican Rice
- Refried Beans, Chorizo Beans, or Black Beans
- Mexican Pickled Carrots
- Mexican Salsa and tortilla chips
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
Enchilada sauce can be compared to hot sauce. It's usually mostly liquid with a few, random chunks of chilis. Canned enchilada sauce comes in mild and spicy options.
Although enchilada sauce can be used to make enchiladas, it should not be substituted for tomatillo salsa or salsa verde when making chili Verde.
Salsa Verde (or green salsa) is made with tomatillos, chilis, garlic, onion, and spices. It is more chunky than enchilada sauce and can be served with corn chips like most salsas.
It can also be used as the simmering sauce for pork, as a short-cut to making your own tomatillo salsa to use in chili Verde.
Corn tortillas are the preferred tortillas for making traditional enchiladas. One option is to fry the tortillas in hot oil for a short amount of time before using them in the enchiladas.
This is done to enhance the flavor of the tortillas. Be sure not to overcook the tortillas, so that they are still pliable enough to fold.
Another option is to dip the corn tortillas into the enchilada sauce before using them. This adds flavor, without the added fat.
Flour tortillas can also be used to make enchiladas. Although it's not as traditional as using corn tortillas, it still works in a pinch.
How do you keep the tortillas from soaking up too much liquid, and in turn causing the enchiladas to become too soggy?
The best way to accomplish this is to fry the tortillas in oil first. This extra step seals the tortillas and does not allow them to soak up an excessive amount of liquid. Although it's more fattening, it's definitely a tastier option.
Another way to keep the enchiladas from getting too soggy is to use less enchilada sauce. Too much liquid will definitely make them soggier.
- If you don't have enough sauce left, feel free to use jarred salsa Verde, such as Herdez.
- You can also use jarred salsa Verde to make chili Verde if tomatillos are not in season, or unavailable.
- Another way to assemble the enchiladas is to divide the chili Verde between the corn tortillas and roll them up then place them seam-side down into the baking dish to make traditional-looking enchiladas.
- Feel free to leave out the corn, or add other mixins such as sliced black olives, diced chilis, jalapenos, scallions, or fresh cilantro.
- If you don't mind the extra calories, I recommend briefly frying the corn tortillas before using them to assemble the enchiladas.
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Green Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 4 cups chili Verde
- 16 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
- ½ cup sour cream (divided)
- ¼ cup corn kernels
- ½ cup favorite green salsa or hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 9" x 6" pan with cooking spray. Ladle approximately ¼ cup of salsa Verde (avoiding larger meat chunks) into the pan. Break up the meat chunks, and distribute them throughout the chili Verde.
- Add ¼ cup of sour cream and corn kernels to the same bowl. Mix bowl ingredients until thoroughly combined.
- Place 4 tortillas in the casserole or baking dish, overlapping as necessary.
- Top tortillas with one cup of the chili Verde mixture then add ½ cup of shredded cheese. Note: After repeating these steps three times, you will have four tortillas and ½ cup of shredded cheese left.
- Add the remaining tortillas to the enchilada casserole. Mix any remaining liquid from the chili Verde with the green salsa (or hot sauce) and the remaining sour cream. Pour the mixture over the enchiladas.
- Cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes, then sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese. Cook for an additional ten minutes. If you like the top browned, place the pan under the broiler and broil on low for a few minutes.
- Allow the green enchilada casserole to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Expert Tips
- If you don't have enough sauce left, feel free to use jarred salsa Verde, such as Herdez.
- You can also use jarred salsa Verde to make chili Verde if tomatillos are not in season, or unavailable.
- Another way to assemble the enchiladas is to divide the chili Verde between the corn tortillas and roll them up to make traditional-looking enchiladas.
- Feel free to leave out the corn, or add other mixins such as sliced black olives, diced chilis, jalapenos, scallions, or fresh cilantro.
- If you don't mind the extra calories, I recommend briefly frying the corn tortillas before using them to assemble the enchiladas.
Kelly Methey says
Delicious!!!!! So easy and a nice way to make leftovers new.
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Kelly! I'm glad you enjoyed it. 🙂