Enchilada Bake!!

I have a huge love of enchiladas. When I moved into my first apartment, without roommates, I lived across the street from a taco shop that I ordered enchiladas every time I went there. I was addicted. I am addicted. I still have a huge love of them, however I don't have the patience to make them. Pinterest has lots of ways to make them and when I saw the Enchilada Bake I knew this was something that I could do.

Today I'm going to a small get together with some friends, while our husbands are working. I offered to make the main meal, a chicken enchilada bake. Whats wrong with cheese, chicken, enchilada sauce, tortillas, and more cheese??

So I put 3 chicken breast in my crock pot with half a large can of red enchilada sauce, two garlic cloves, and one bay leaf on high. Normally takes 3-4 hours until they are cooked through and ready to shred. 

Once the chicken is ready to be shredded I take two forks and shred the chicken in the crock pot. Now you can take the chicken out and shred it on a cutting board, but why wash one more thing? I add the remainder of the large can of enchilada sauce & one more can to the crockpot. Once it's shredded you're ready to assemble the enchilada bake.

Now think of this as a Mexican lasagna. I use a baking dish, maybe 15"X10" size is what I use. I start with a layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom (food network told me it prevents burning on the bottom so I do it). Then I put a layer of tortillas, some more enchilada sauce with the chicken and top it with cheese. 

Repeat this process until your baking dish is full. Once everything is assembled do a large layer of cheese and put some olives on it. 

Normally, I bake it at 350 for 30-45 minutes, let that cheese bubble up and get crispy by turning on the broiler the last 5 minutes. Once you take it out, let it cool down before serving. Today, I baked it for 20 minutes and will broil it when I get to my friends house. Feel free to top with hot sauce, avocado slices, cilantro, salsa, whatever you want!! 

Ingredients: 

3 chicken breast

2 large cans of red enchilada sauce

2 garlic cloves 

1 bay leaf

Bag of corn tortillas

Large bag of cheese (or feel free to shred it on your own)

Place chicken in your crock pot with half a can of enchilada sauce with the garlic clove and bay leaf. Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Shred chicken when it's fully cooked, add remaining enchilada sauce (1.5 cans) to crock pot. Start with some enchilada sauce on the bottom, and layer tortillas, more sauce, cheese, over and over until you fill the baking dish. Top with a layer of cheese and some olives on top. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes (let that cheese get crispy, last 5 minutes broil the top to get that)

**Additional ways to change it up... Try with green enchilada sauce. Or add rised canned black beans and corn to it. Or ground turkey with taco seasoning. I saw a white enchilada bake the other day on Pinterest that I need to try too**