Chicken Enchilada Pasta – 30 Minutes
Chicken Enchilada Pasta is a hearty, easy, and delicious weeknight meal, made with just a few ingredients and ready in 30 minutes. A great one-pan dish to enjoy during the busy weeknights.
We love quick and easy Mexican inspired recipes like Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup and Chipotle ChicFken Nachos.
Chicken Enchilada Pasta
Chicken Enchilada Pasta is one of the easiest and flavorful meals you can make. This pasta is ready in 30 minutes and is packed with tender chicken meat, enchilada sauce, pasta, and lots of cheese.
This delicious meal can be easily made for a crowd. Also, you can use whole grain or whole wheat pasta if you want to make it more nutritious. This meal is perfect for busy families, as it requires little work and time. Creamy, cheesy, and flavorful, this 30-minute meal is a lifesaver! Leftovers are also incredibly tasty.
Why You’ll Love This 30 Minutes Chicken Enchilada Pasta Recipe:
- Bursting with flavor and coated in the most delicious cheesy and slightly spicy enchilada sauce.
- Also, it is a perfect weekend meal and incredibly easy to make in no more than 30 minutes.
- Hearty and tasty this meal is a crowd-pleaser.
- Leftovers are delicious.
- For a vegetarian version, you can use chickpeas or beans.
- It can be made with other meats as well: turkey or beef are delicious options.
What is Chicken Enchilada Pasta?
It is a quick skillet dish flavored with a thick and rich homemade or store-bought enchilada sauce and topped with various cheeses.
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Chicken Enchilada Pasta topping suggestions:
- Bacon crumbs or chopped bacon
- Cheddar cheese or American cheese
- Chopped green onion
- A dollop of sour cream
- Crema Fresca
- Fresh salsa
- Chopped jalapenos and guacamole.
How to freeze Chicken Enchilada Pasta:
To freeze, transfer the mixture to a buttered 9-by-13-inch freezer-to-oven baking dish. Then, cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Freeze for up to 3-4 months. When ready to serve, bake frozen and covered with foil, at 350°F, for 30-40minutes. Or thaw overnight in the fridge and heat in a skillet or microwave.
More easy pasta recipes:
Recipe Tips:
- Use quality meat, because it will have a richer and better taste, which is needed for this recipe.
- Also, I used diced tomatoes with green chilies to add some heat to the sauce.
- For a spicier kick, you can add Tabasco sauce or chili pepper flakes.
- In addition, using fresh garlic is preferable because it will add a nice flavor to the sauce.
- Cook the chicken to golden brown perfection, if you prefer a crispy texture; I personally like mine tender and juicy in this recipe.
- Make sure you don’t overcook the pasta. Since you want it al dente, as it will keep cooking in the sauce afterward as well.
- When it comes to the cheese, I like to freshly grate mine, because it is definitely more creamy that way.
- You can also use a Mexican cheese blend if you are in a hurry.
Tools/Ingredients I used to make this 30 Minute Chicken Enchilada Pasta:
- Enchilada Sauce
- Tomato Sauce
- Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies
- Pasta
Chicken Enchilada Pasta - 30 Minutes
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups Barilla Penne or Farfalle pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 boneless chicken breasts skinless, cut into 1 inch cubes
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles 10oz
- 1 can red enchilada sauce 20oz
- 1 can tomato sauce 8oz
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded American cheese
Toppings:
- 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup American cheese shredded
- 1 avocado halved, seeded, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup corn chips
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
Instructions
- Add water to a medium pot and bring to boil. Cook pasta al dente, following package instructions.
- Add olive oil to a large skillet or dutch oven and heat over medium - high heat.
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and add to skillet.
- Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring with a spatula.
- Stir in minced garlic, diced tomatoes with green chilies, enchilada sauce and tomato sauce. Stir until Add in cooked and drained pasta, stir to combine.
- Add in cheddar and American cheese and stir until melted and combined.
- Take skillet from heat, top with extra cheese, fresh chopped parsley, avocado and crushed corn chips.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
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