Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole - (5 ingredients)

Well it feels like everyone is heading back to school and getting adjusted to their new fall schedules. If you are anything like me, you are always on the lookout for a few new recipes you that can throw in the crock pot (last minute) in the morning and come back to a home-cooked meal at the end of a busy day. Well look no further because I found an easy, 5-ingredient winner! Behold the slow cooker (crock pot) Chicken Enchilada Casserole.

Easy chicken enchiladas in the crock pot

 
Printable recipe found on my site here

You will only need 5 ingredients:

3-4 Chicken breasts (thawed, or frozen)
1 large (28 oz) can of red enchilada sauce (we did mild)
3 cups of shredded cheese divided in half
1 can sliced olives or buy a regular can and cut up your own
10 corn tortillas cut into strips 

(by the way I found this recipe here) and will be testing more recipes for you very soon.

Plop your chicken breasts into the crock pot sprayed with a little cooking spray. You can have them thawed, or like me plunk them in completely frozen.

You only need about 3 Costco breasts, because they are so big.

Dump in the entire can of red enchilada sauce.

So nice and easy when you are in a rush in the morning getting out the door

That's it for now!  The rest you will add an hour before serving.  Set on slow cook for 4-8 hours (I would recommend closer to 8 hours for the frozen breasts). 

Now you're back home from a busy day of running around.  Your house will smell amazing by the way, and you'll want to shred the chicken with two forks right in the sauce.  Also I tend to scoop out each breast, remove any fat that bubbled up during the cooking process and sort of skim the sauce for any fat chunks.

This slow cooked chicken is super tender and shreds so easily

You just want a nice sauce and lovely shredded chicken before proceeding.

Yummy!

Cut the 10 corn tortillas (we did white corn, but you can also do yellow corn).  

 

These are the 5 inch corn tortillas.

Add the strips to the pot with 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese (we did a cheddar/jack mix) and half the sliced olives.

The tortilla strips save you the time of rolling individual enchiladas the old fashioned way

Stir around gently until fully combined. Add a little seasoning salt here to taste if you wish, then pat the mixture down until it resembles an oval casserole in the bottom of the crock pot. 

Press down slightly to make a casserole shape in the bottom of the pot

Top with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese and the rest of the sliced olives.

Cover with the lid and cook for 1 more hour until cheese is all golden and melty, and the enchilada sauce is bubbling up from underneath.

Crock pot enchiladas, I think I love you!

Gratuitous close up shot of bubbling sauce through the cheese.

Somebody grab a fork

All that's left to now is scoop it up on a plate!  

Cheesy, awesome, get in my belly!

Serve with chips, lettuce, olives, sour cream, salsa, and some fruit.

This was an instant family favorite!

Delicious, hot and gooey, and tons of flavor and a real crowd pleaser.

I say crowd pleaser because i made three extra containers for the leftovers (they make great lunches for work or school the next day) but alas, I went back and they were arleady all gone!  Apparently I need to make this again really soon.. and so should YOU!

Enjoy.