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Enchilada Pasta Casserole – Cheese, chicken, and warming spices combine to create the ultimate comfort casserole. Perfect for a midweek Mexican night or to bring loads of flavor to your next potluck.
Sometimes, when I’m in the mood for effortless Mexican food, I’ll whip up a Beef Enchilada Casserole or a Chile Relleno Casserole. Are you sensing the theme here? However, this Enchilada Pasta Casserole might be the ultimate comfort food. I think it’s the pasta that does it. I mean, who doesn’t love pasta?
Plus, this Enchilada Pasta Casserole is on the table in only 35 minutes. I don’t think it can get any better than that. This recipe makes enough food for 6 heaping helpings, or you’ll have leftovers that reheat super well. It’s the perfect meal-prep or make-ahead dish for potlucks and gatherings.
You seriously can’t go wrong with chicken, cheese, and pasta. Add some Mexican seasonings into the mix, and you have a recipe that’s a flavor explosion in every bite.
What You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Chicken – I like chicken breasts, but you could also use chicken thighs
- Seasonings – Chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper are all you need to create the spicy Mexican flavor we’re after.
- Cream Cheese
- Sour Cream- You can use Plain Greek yogurt if you don’t have sour cream.
- Enchilada Sauce – Using canned Enchilada Sauce will save you a ton of time, but this Homemade Enchilada Sauce is perfect as well.
- Cheese – I used shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheese. Or, Try pepper jack for a hint of heat.
- Corn – You could use black beans instead
- Green Chiles
- Egg Noodles
- Cilantro
How To Make Enchilada Pasta Casserole
- Boil Noodles – Cook the egg noodles 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions. While they’re boiling, you can start cooking your chicken.
- Cook and Season Chicken – Add diced raw chicken to a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle your seasonings over the top, and mix to coat the chicken evenly. Brown the pieces until fully cooked.
- Add Cream Cheese – Turn the heat to medium-low, and mix in the cream cheese. The residual heat will melt the cream cheese into a sauce-like consistency.
- Create Casserole Filling – In a separate bowl, combine ½ cup of each cheese and the remaining casserole ingredients (aside from the pasta). Pour this mixture over the chicken, and mix to incorporate. Let this cook for 2-3 minutes to melt the cheese.
- Mix in the Noodles – Add the cooked and drained pasta to the mix and stir to combine.
- Bake – Pour the casserole mixture into a baking dish, and top it with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes until it’s hot, melted, and bubbly.
Recipe Tips & Suggestions
- Pasta. Undercook the noodles by a minute or two so they’re almost al dente. They’ll finish cooking in the oven and soak up more flavor.
- Chicken. If you want to use a rotisserie chicken for this recipe, break down and shred the chicken while the noodles boil. Add it to a bowl, season the meat, and mix together.
- Freezer Friendly. Double the batch and make extra to freeze. This is an excellent option for meal prepping or to keep on hand for when you need dinner on the table in a pinch.
- Easy Cleanup. I like to use those disposable aluminum pans to make cleanup a breeze. Then, if you decide to freeze the casserole, it won’t monopolize one of your good baking dishes.
Storage
Place any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. They should last for 3-4 days. You can easily reheat the casserole in the microwave or a 350º F oven. Heat it until it’s hot and melty all the way through.
You can completely assemble the casserole, then refrigerate or freeze it until you’re ready to serve. Cover it with aluminum foil and keep it in the fridge for 1-2 days. Or put the foil-wrapped casserole into a resealable freezer bag and freeze it for up to a month. Then, pop it in the oven until it’s heated through, melty, and bubbly.
How To Serve Enchilada Pasta Casserole
The best pairings for this recipe are ones you can whip up in no time and serve with a bowl of chips. Try these dippable Mexican accompaniments that’ll take your Enchilada Pasta Casserole to the next level.
- Roasted Corn Salsa – A Chipotle cheat that’s even better than the original. This would also be yummy mixed into the casserole in place of plain corn.
- Restaurant Style Salsa – Turn down or crank up the heat with this restaurant-style salsa. Treat it like a dip, or spoon some over each helping of casserole.
- White Queso Dip – Nothing goes better with cheese than more cheese.
- Easy Refried Bean Dip – Creamy, cheesy, and endlessly dippable.
More Easy Mexican Dinner Recipes
Enchilada Pasta Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 ounces egg noodles
- 1 pound chicken breast, diced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 10 oz enchilada sauce
- 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3/4 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 4 oz diced green chilies
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- cilantro, optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- In a large pot, bring water to boil and cook egg noodles for 1-2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain and set aside.12 ounces egg noodles
- In a large skillet, brown chicken, for 3-4 minutes. It does not need to be cooked through, just brown on the outside.1 pound chicken breast
- Add the chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Mix until the chicken is evenly coated in the spices.1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Stir in the cream cheese until it is melted.4 oz cream cheese
- In a bowl combine sour cream, enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup the Monterey jack cheese, corn, green chilies, salt and pepper. Mix until combined.1/4 cup sour cream, 10 oz enchilada sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, 3/4 cup Monterey jack cheese, 1 cup frozen corn, 4 oz diced green chilies, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Pour mixture over the chicken. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Add the drained and cooked pasta, stirring to combine.
- Pour everything into a large casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Top with cilantro if desired.cilantro
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I love a good casserole! This sounds amazing.
It’s wonderful that the #SundaySupper group did a post with info for Sandy victims. They still need our help. This casserole is comforting and really flavorful:)
Such a good idea!
A beautiful dish for a great cause. : )
My little guy would DEVOUR this! Mexican and noodles are his two favortie foods!
Oh baby, that is one fine lookin’ casserole – in fact, I actually started drooling just looking at your beautiful photos. So hearty and comforting!
This casserole looks great!! And I agree, casseroles are the best and most practical and appropriate for friends in need! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
It’s so great that your group is pulling together for this cause, and your casserole looks like the perfect comfort food!
I LOVE enchiladas, so this dish looks right up my alley!
I loved this recipe so much!!