"Pantry Raid" Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Yum. OH! I made this as a one-dish crockpot recipe and it was delicious. I used chicken breasts, not tenders, adding them raw to the seasoned tomato sauce mixture and cooking it all on LO for 3.5 hrs (less for tenders). After adding in the rest and topping with the corn muffin mix, I cooked on HI for 1.5 hours. Next time I'll add diced onion (1 sm) and 1-2 cloves minced garlic to the tomato sauce mixture, but even as is, this was great, and a keeper. Thanks for posting!

I made this last night and thought it was great! I added some sauteed ingredients (a large minced onion, corn, chopped mixed bell pepper strips). I also added a can of Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chiles. I omitted the water and just used the juice from the Ro-Tel can. Lastly, I added about a teaspoon of cumin. I know it sounds like a lot of changes but at the end of the day, the basis of this recipe is great. Don't be afraid of the 1 1/2 T of chili powder. I thought it would be quite spicy with that much but it wasn't at all and I added the Ro-Tel too! Don't be afraid to continue what started this recipe in the first place...the pantry raid!

This was so simple and fantastic! I added red bell pepper, onion, and minced garlic; and substituted Costco rotisserie chicken pulled off the bone. oohlala!

This was easy and delicious. I didn't even brown the chicken first. Just simmered it with the tomato sauce. My family loved it.

This recipe is amazing! I actually used leftover turkey instead of the fresh chicken, and didn't bother with the pre-browning. Also, my local grocery store didn't have cornbread mix, so I used the Homesteader Cornbread recipe from Allrecipes.com, made a half batch, and substituted it for the last three ingredients. Have I mentioned how much I appreciate this website and all of you contributors and reviewers!

Nicely done, Mama411, and an aptly named recipe! I had most of the ingredients in my pantry, but substituted pinto beans for the black beans, added a can of Mexican-style corn, and used sour cream rather than cream cheese. It was superb! Cooking the chicken in with the sauce eliminates a pan, too!

This was awesome. I would give it 10 stars if I could. For me this is pure comfort food; and it is so easy. I cheated and used shredded rotisserie chicken, light cream cheese and substituted my customized Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread recipe with corn and jalapeños from this site instead of the cornbread mix. So it was a super fast dinner. Thanks for sharing a great recipe.

This made a delicious and hearty meal. The only changes that I made were to use 2 cans of chicken, browned with onions and a tsp. minced garlic. My family loved this one. I will definitely make it again.

This recipe would've been great if I had followed the original recipe. I followed the review that recommended I cook it in the crock pot. After 5 hours, it was complete mush! We dipped tortilla chips in it, but it was a little much to call it a main dish. Next time I will follow the original recipe. The flavors were great, but a little sweet. I may look for a corn bread mix without sugar.

I followed this exactly and it was awesome. I used Martha White corn muffin mix, NOT Jiffy Mix.

This was awesome!!! I couldn't figure out what to cook and was looking for something to throw together with what I had. I subbed sour cream for cream cheese. And used 2 cups of cheddar cheese instead of mex style. It turned out great.

I made this tonight, and I didn't change one thing. My husband asked for seconds and he is a picky eater. I loved the corn bread topping.

Incredible! This was a last minute recipe that I truly had all the ingredients for and it was delicious! I was a little suspicious about the cream cheese, but just like the author, it was all I had available. Don't skip it--it definitely makes it better! I'm not sure if you can mess this one up. I added the onions and garlic and green peppers, too, and it only added to the flavor. I'd give it more stars if I could!

Thanks for sharing this very easy and tasty recipe. Good as is. Great base recipe and works well with substitutions you find in your pantry or fridge. Some substitutions that I found to work: Try salsa instead of tomato sauce; pepper jack cheese for cheddar; chili powder, garlic, or other spices if you don't have taco mix; ground beef instead of chicken; chili beans instead of black beans; corn meal using the recipe on the bag (about 3/4-1 cup of corn meal) if you don't have corn muffin mix.

Fantastic casserole! There was nothing left, my picky family of four went back for two and three servings! My modifications: I used an 11x7 pan, reduced chili powder to 1 TBL and sauteed some chopped onion and garlic and added it to the sauce mixture. I roasted two chicken breasts and shredded them, mixed them in with the other ingredients. So good, I'll make this many more times! Thanks for a great recipe.

YUMMY!! Super easy and super good! Added canned corn, cilantro and 1/2 jar of salsa and a little extra sour cream. My Dad (who is super picky) wants me to make the again! GREAT RECIPE!

I made this last week, simply because I was craving Tex-mex food and I had all the ingredients. I already had cooked chicken, so all I did was chop it up, making the rest of the recipe pretty darned easy. This would also work well with ground chicken, turkey or beef, making it very versatile. I don't normally use taco seasoning packets - we make our own sauce using Mrs. Espy's Enchilada Sauce from this site. But, I did have one buried in the pantry - good use for it! I used Jiffy Mix cornbread. I let my son put everything together, and just lightly supervised. We used a 9x13 cake pan, because I didn't have the size listed in the original recipe. Well, it was truly tasty! It got a thumbs-up from the entire family. Sadly, there was only a tiny little bit left over, so next time, I might make two pans so we can have some for lunch the rest of the week! I forgot to take a photo at the beginning, but took one at the end of the meal! LOL Thank you for sharing such a quick, tasty meal. (PS - I see a few reviews talking about how salty the dish was. I think your answer there is whatever taco seasoning you used. There are many brands that have a very high salt content (it makes the package weigh more). I'd either make your own taco seasoning, or use a good quality brand in the packets. Also saw someone else talk about sour cream-you didn't read it right-this recipe takes CREAM CHEESE. Amazing how folks give a low rating to something they didn't even make as written. :/

This had a lot of flavor and my whole family loved it, even without the corn bread topping which I didn't have. I used chicken breasts and the "Chili Seasoning Mix II" recipe from this site (which is so easy to make and keep on hand, you'll never buy it again) instead of the taco seasoning and chili powder. I did everything else as stated and added a can of corn along with the black beans. I use cream cheese or sour cream in red sauces quite a bit, and it really adds a level of richness and cuts down on the acidity. The cream cheese in this dish is a definite plus. I can't wait to make this with the corn bread topping next time because I know it will be incredible!

Used canned tomatoes as a sub, had no taco seasoning added additional curry powder, salt and cream cheese all on the blender. Mixed in beans and poured over chicken thighs (skinless, bone in). Was fast and great.

Made this recipe exactly as the original, except I used spicy Ro-Tel tomato sauce. The whole thing was devoured by my husband and teenaged boys in one evening. Yum!!!

Amazingly delicious!!! I added a couple of things for a little more veggie content (rotel, frozen corn, can of green chilies) used cream of mushroom instead of tomato juice because that's what I had, and salt free taco seasoning. Adjusted for our taste, but no major structural changes. I love how flexible this recipe is - you could make it spicy, make it mild, whatever you want and it will turn out! This one is a keeper.

This was really "pantry raid"... I used leftover chicken, and added green pepper, onion, and frozen corn. It was a family pleaser & super easy. Thanks for sharing!

Awesome recipe and now a family favorite!!!

This was very good, even my husband liked it and he doesn't care for cornbread. I used my mom's recipe for cornbread, and also added some diced onions and peppers as well as frozen corn. We'll definitely have this again.

My family and I loved this recipe and it is not easy to please everyone! Great with chicken or beef, too. This one's a keeper!

Mine became a Chicken Chili, but it is comfort food and good! I cooked 2 LARGE chicken breasts in a crock pot (probably 2/3 lbs each) and cooked them under the tomato sauce, Taco seasoning, chili powder, I used broth instead of water and following some of the suggestions in the reviews I added paparika, 1 diced onion, some garlic and a small can of green diced chilies. I cooked the chicken this way on low for 1 hour and then on high for 2+ more hours. Chicken turned out perfectly and still moist - I was able to put it on a cutting board and cube it before putting it back in the crock pot. Once I added the beans I figured I wouldn't be able to fit a good cornbread layer in my small crock pot, so I opted to cook the cornbread in a glass 9x9 in the oven. This also left me just enough room in the crock pot to add a bit of diced red & yellow peppers and I declared it to be chicken chili. Wonderful, favorful and hardy. The Jiff cornbread just took it over the top. Next time I wouldn't bother with the cream cheese - you can't taste it and I would just serve sour cream and cheese on top.

My 18 year old daughter made this for supper tonight! Wow, it was delicious! She added 1 can of corn (drained) to the recipe! Definitely will make again! Everyone in our family went back for seconds:)

Delicious as-is! I have subbed ground chicken many times before, and I like how you really get chicken in every bite that way. Great, easy recipe, with items I usually have on hand (I specifically keep cornbread mix in the pantry just to make this at any moment). May be a little on the spicy side for those not used to having hotter foods, so you can always cut the chili powder in half to still get the flavor without much heat. I recommend doubling the recipe and baking in a 9x13 pan so you have plenty of leftovers to enjoy!

This recipe was okay. I used shredded chicken breast meat & added corn. I used a box of Jiffy Corn Bread mix, but felt it was too sweet as a topping for this recipe. A different corn bread mix would be better.

I liked it and my husband loved it so much that he asked me to make it 2 more times within a week. My in-laws loved it, too and asked for the recipe. I used rotisserie chicken...all shredded. Used spicy chili beans(but wasn't spicy at all)...added 1 onion and 2 jalepenos. Added 2 TB chili powder and used 1/3-1/2 sour cream instead of cream cheese cause that's what I had at home. I used the "grandmother's buttermilk cornbread" recipe from this site and it was a perfect amount for what this recipe calls for. 9*9 might/can be a bit small depending on what/how much of other things you add but I managed to get all of it fit into that 9*9 pan without making a big mess. It did overflow a bit but I had foil underneath so it was not a big deal. I used sliced cheese(cheddar and colby jack) since I was out of shredded cheese.

This recipe is awesome! It quickly became one of our favorites.

After making the recipe as written (5 stars), the only change I made was to add chopped jalapeno to the chicken sauce and to the cornbread while mixing. Really yummy!

Excellent recipe as is and also a great base for modifications. I recently made with boneless skinless thighs sauteed(with bacon grease) seperately until achieving some good carmelization then shredded\chopped added to the sauce. I sauteed serrono into the same sautee pan after the chicken was done and deglazed with a litlle chicken broth and poured into the sauce. Yummee

really easy to make and really delicious. I didn't put in as much spice since I'm not a spicy food person and it still came out great.

This didn't go over too well. I liked it, hubby hated it. He thought the corn bread was too sweet, I agree somewhat.

So easy and yet so yummy!!

This dish was delicious! I substituted Neufchâtel cheese for the cream cheese, and used reduced-fat (2%) shredded Mexican-style cheese to cut back a few calories. We were making this for a gluten-free couple, so used gluten-free cornbread mix. With all of the substitutions, it was still perfect. We had to drive to our friend's home, so decided we bake it there. Once I put the chicken in the 9x9 pan, I let it cool for a while, topped it with the cheese and the cornbread mix, and we stuck it in the oven a half hour later. We had no issues. We also prepared a second dish, because we didn't know how many would be in attendance. They ended up freezing that one for later. It's definitely an easy meal to put together for new parents.

Great recipe. I usually do't make any changes the first time I make a recipe just to taste the "original". However, instead of runing to the store for ingredients that I didn't have on hand, I raided my pantry - I used a can of undrained diced tomatoes w/ green chilis (I should have left out the water as the resulting dish was a little "runnier" than the picture). I only had a little over 1 Tbsp of chili powder left (I ended up being glad as it was a little too spicy for me, but my husband loved it). I also had a little refried bean leftover from another dish and threw that in for good measure. Maybe next time I'll add some corn based on some other comments made here. Thanks Mama411

Made it vegetarian and added green chilis and red peppers. Only used half of the cream cheese called for and it was perfect. Will definitely make again!

Very good! This is even better, reheated the next day!

DELICIOUS! BF loved it too! No changes, used sour cream on hand. Next time I will add cayenne pepper.

Fast, easy and really good!! I added a little extra cheese. Thanks for a quick and tasty recipe.

Tad bit too salty.

The men in the family loved this recipe

This was so good! My husband had the best reaction: "I have no clue what this is, but it tastes amazing." My 14-month-old son and super picky 2-year-old daughter also devoured it. I cooked the chicken with the water, tomato sauce, and seasonings in the slow cooker for a few hours. It shreds so easily and really soaks up the flavors. Turned the heat off before adding beans and cream cheese. Cream cheese can curdle if left in a slow cooker for too long. Then I baked it (as written in steps 4 and 5) with the cornbread mixture & cheese.

This was wonderful. My grandkids asked for seconds. That is how I tell if it is a real keeper.

Really good! I made a vegetarian one for my mom and I couldn't really taste the difference between the two, so it can be made without chicken. :)

This was excellent! I made mine in a crock pot, too, and since I didn't have cornbread mix in my pantry I just used the quick recipe on the corn meal carton since I did have all that. This is a great starter with so many options. Thanks!

Loved it! Will for sure make it again. Added corn and one can of tomatoes, also used minced garlic and onions when browning the chicken :)

Very good but I made a few changes for a healthier version. I used 1/4 C Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese, cut cheese to 1/2 C, added 2 C raw baby spinach to the chicken/sauce mixture, used 2 egg whites instead of 1 whole egg, used skim milk.

Delicious. Very flavorful with items I had on hand. Thanks for sharing.

This was great! Mom and daughter approved. Will make again. I made it with shredded chicken omitted the cream cheese and used pinto beans--I meant to add corn to the mixture, but forgot. Served with a spinach/tomato salad. Best part about this recipe is you can add or omit or replace some ingredients and suit to your own liking and it will still turn out worthwhile. Thanks to the original poster for sharing.

I actually didn't care for this recipe. I made it because of the great reviews, but I thought it was just ok. The only thing I did different was make my own cornbread topping (which was the only part my children liked and ate), and after tasting it I topped it with sour cream (which really helped in my opinion). I would say it was a 3 star recipe, but my husband really liked it so I went ahead and gave it 4 stars.

This was really great. I used chicken breasts instead of tenders, but otherwise made no changes. We both went back for more!

This was wonderful! I used a package of taco seasoning for chicken. 1/4 cup of cream cheese is equal to 2 oz, or half a small package. I assembled the casserole ahead, but topped with the corn bread mixture right before baking. Great with a dollop of sour cream!

Very tasty! Thank you for the recipe.

I have to admit that this review is based on a few minor changes. I did not add cream cheese because I'm not a cream cheese fan. I don't know how much chicken I used because I used some leftover baked chicken. Then I tossed in about half a can of mexi-corn. I used a 9x7 pan and that seemed to be a good size pan for this. Will make this again.

Just like the recipe title states, I had every single ingredient already in my pantry (though I had to "make" tomato sauce out of tomato paste). This casserole was amazing!!

This was delicious!!! I used tortilla chips to eat it with, it added a little just just what it needed. I wouldn't change anything about the recipe. Being pregnant I am now having cravings for this meal! Excellent!

I didn't follow the recipe 100%, just because of personal preference. I cooked the chicken in the sauce and shredded. I cut the amount of chili powder to 2 teaspoons, and substituted a can of corn for the beans, because my kids won't eat beans. Overall, I don't think the changes compromised the integrity of the recipe. We served with sour cream. It's definitely a keeper, and can be tailored to your likes. Next time I'm going to try ground beef!

Everyone loves this and it is easy peasy to make.

This was great. I had some leftover roasted chicken breasts and it came out great. I would definitely make this again.

Everyone liked it!

Delicious, but much better cooled. We added corn to the recipe and plan to add more vegetables next time

Very tasty dish. I did make minor changes--I had a 1/2 red pepper leftover and about 1 serving of corn so I added those. I also used my own homemade taco seasoning to control the salt. Next time I may omit the cornbread mix and serve over rice. I also added some fresh lime juice and cilantro to each serving.

Boy was this delicious!! I used the breasts from a rotisserie chicken to save time and followed the rest of the directions exactly. the only change I would make would be to omit the chili powder, there is enough in the taco seasoning. the combination of the filling, cheese and cornbread were perfect. can't wait to make it again.

Wow! Only changed chicken to ground beef and it was delicious! My hubby came back for 3rds :)

One of my favorite mexican-style meals to make and have! Everyone loved it!!

Ok, first time I made this, I added to much milk when I was making the corn bread. Possibly, I wasn't reading my directions very clearly. Luckily, I had instant vanilla pudding and added that..... I've always made my corn bread this way! It was delicious!!! I've done it both ways now and it's a win win either way I go. My daughter loves it so much, she wanted me to make it for a holiday dish! Lol Thanks for sharing such a fantastic recipe(:

This was very good and did, indeed, use things I already had on hand in the pantry. Hearty, filling, tasty meal that would be great in winter.The reason I am not giving it more stars is because it made a HUGE mess. I followed the recipe which uses a pot and 2 pans, 2 bowls, and when simmering it was splattering all over. I HIGHLY recommend using the previous posters suggestion of making this in the CROCKPOT to save on the cleanup times. I hate when people change every ingredient and then give a review, but I did exchange the black beans for red and it was very good. Everything else I did as the recipe stated. Next time I would add a little diced onion and probably some corn.

I have to say that I really had my doubts about this recipe, but decided to give it a shot anyway. This recipe was amazing! I made the recipe exactly as stated and really loved it. It was also really simple to make. I would definitely make this again.

This was delicious! And I love that it included ingredients that I keep on hand. The only change I made was using chicken breast that I cut into bite sized pieces. I needed to use a larger pan than 9x9. It filled it to the top and I was afraid it would boil over in the oven.

This was a huge hit.. I have a family of 6 so I doubled the recipe and it was amazing! Everyone loved it!

Added some lime juice to the saucepan mixture, left off the cornbread, and tossed the cheese with cilantro before spreading over the mixture. Since I left the cornbread out, just baked it for 8-10 min and then broiled on low for ~5. Also topped with some avocado slices. Absolutely and fantastically delicious!

Yummy dish and it was simple. I used an 8x8 pan instead of the recommended 9x9 pan, and I already had a pound of cooked chicken breasts. In a bowl, I mixed the cooked shredded chicken with the other ingredients, and poured it in the pan (without heating first), then topped it with the cheese and cornbread mixture. The 30 minutes in the oven at 375F was more than enough to thoroughly heat the ingredients. This was a simple dish, and having the leftover cooked chicken breasts made it very fast to assemble.

i wanted to add green chiles,corn,etc to this dish,but made as is for my first time and got a thumbs up from everyone.will definitely make again.i like how versatile this can be.if you don't have black beans I think pinto or even kidney would be good.rotel instead of tomato sauce?all kinds of ways you can modify to your own taste.if I have the time I will make homemade cornbread mix next time,though.the boxed stuff is too sweet for this recipe,in my opinion

Delicious and I didn't change a thing.

This dish has so much flavor I was pleasantly surprised! I didn't use the chili powder because I'm kinda a wimp when it comes to too much spice. I did add some black olives, but that's all I changed. I will definitely be making this again!

fantastic! I used leftover roasted chicken and a bit more cream cheese. I sprinkled cheese on the cornbread before baking and it's come out lovely

The ingredients looked strange together but there were absolutely amazing. I've made this for a number of events and everyone loves it and requests more. The cornbread makes it!

I added corn and salsa to the mix. It was delicious!

We loved this dish! Along with the friends we made it for, my parents as well as other family. Great dish. Super easy. The cornbread is the best!

This was very good! Next time I will add corn.

This recipe was delicious! I didn't have black beans so I used corn instead. Next time I will use both!

Very good! I only give 5 stars for cravable. I made a half batch of cornbread from scratch instead of the packet.

I was scrolling thru recipes looking for pizza crust when I happened across this one that stood out and practically yelled to try it! So I did. I read just a few reviews and found one that added additional ingredients--and I thought it sounded super easy so I gave it a try. I do everything 'to taste'... I used 2 chicken breasts leftover from a rotiss chicken, 1/2 c.minced onion, Rotel tomatoes with the juice, black beans-rinsed, chopped up Anahiems (I had frozen from my garden), chopped green peppers, 2t. Cumin and about 1/3 c. chicken broth along with the original recipe ingredients. Use the 8x8 pan or you may not have enough cornbread mix to cover well. I also used med. cheddar cheese in place of Mexican cheese-who knew, right? I am the true Mexican food junkie in our home but hubby was a great sport and actually ate his sizable portion! Needless to say--it went over well. Serve with a generous dollop of Sour Cream and sliced avocado on top~ yum! Ü

The husband loved it and has been asking me to make it again. It's part of the "favorites list" now.

Definitely a recipe tp do over and over again. I would like to try with ground beef.

Not sure what happened but this didn't work for me. Would have rated lower but may be user error. Way too salty, even though no salt was used.

Awesome recipe! I added a can of diced, fire-roasted tomatoes and some fresh squash and onion, and I upped the chili powder a bit and added chipotle powder, but otherwise, I kept it exactly the same. Hubby and I both LOVED it, and I will definitely make it again.

This dish was amazing! I added in 3/4 can of corn, a little bit of spicy peppers, and 1/2 an onion diced up. It was fantastic, definitely a new found favorite

We made this last night, and since it was "pantry raid" that is what I did, I used 1 can rotel tomatoes and 8 oz can of tomato sauce. i also added 1 drained can of corn. I made my own taco seasonings from a recipe on this site. The rest I pretty much did as written. Husband loved it. such an easy recipe to change to whatever you have on hand. Thanks for sharing it mama411.

I made this tonight, with a couple of changes. No sour cream, and out of cornbread. Instead I used Pillsbury Cresent Rolls to cover the casserole. And since we have3 teenagers, I also cooked egg noodles to go with it. It was delicious! Thanks for the idea. :)

A most easy and delicious meal for the whole family. I subbed pinto for black beans and sour cream for cream cheese. Also used a gluten-free cornbread mix in lieu of regular mix. Blended like a dream and tasted amazing. Will make again!

I made this last night. The total cook time from start to finish was nice and quick. I would suggest splash guards for getting the sauce to simmer and then again when adding the sauce to the chicken. I added a cup and a half of frozen corn at the same time as the black beans. Also, I used my kitchen-aid to shred the chicken (Really easy, medium setting about 1 minute). I brought leftovers to work today and might eat it for dinner tonight!!

I bought some tenderloins and found this recipe. I happened to have everything in my pantry except tomato sauce so I used a can of diced tomatoes and didn’t add water. I also added a can of green chilies and some frozen corn I had leftover. Very tasty! Will make again!

Excellent!! I added some "Mexicorn" to the corn bread mix.

I am not a cornbread person so I substituted rice a Ron I Spanish rice which I cooked first minus the diced tomatoes it calls for, I put the rice in the prepared dish then topped with remaining ingredients and baked and it was fabulous

I haven't commented on a recipe before. I followed this recipe to the letter and it came out great!! My six year old even approved. He is a finicky eater. Thanks for sharing!!