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Easy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are super scrumptious, super easy, and almost everything comes from your pantry. The chicken can either be canned or leftover roasted chicken. Either way these are DE-licious.

I started making a version of these enchiladas when I was a kid. And I’m almost positive it all started with finding the cheddar cheese soup. My younger self had some idea that it might taste something like queso. It really doesn’t. I’m sorry to burst that bubble.

However, it is perfect with enchiladas. I know because I’ve used it to make chicken enchiladas almost every single time. It’s almost because sometimes I can’t find it. And I have to make them without it. That’s when they’re just okay enchiladas and not great enchiladas.

And these are great enchiladas!!

I don’t remember ever having canned chicken when I was a kid. It wasn’t until college, I think, that I cracked open a can and tried it. And it wasn’t even of my own doing. The BF at the time introduced me to it, I’m sure.

Some of you who have been to college will probably understand this. Granted, we stayed on campus, but money was always tight. And when you have to make a dollar stretch, you do what you can do make that happen. So, we ate a lot of macaroni and cheese with meat added. Canned chicken, ham, tuna, and sometimes hot dogs or sausage. It’s something you can eat on the cheap that doesn’t require refrigeration.

And, with all that’s going on, I thought it would be a good idea to share a pantry friendly recipe for when fresh meat isn’t readily available. I can’t remember a time when the shelves are so bare. Actually, I can’t remember a time where they’ve been bare at all. The times we are in now are just crazy.

This recipe is totally pantry friendly!! Everything but the cheddar and cream cheese are pantry ingredients. There’s canned chicken, enchilada sauce, green chiles, cheddar soup, and tortillas. Yes, I keep those in the pantry. They don’t really require refrigeration. Trust me on this one. I’ve got a package in there for a while now. Unless they’re moldy, they’re good to go.

When you don’t have much you learn how to make things stretch. And you learn when things are really past their prime. I honestly think my husband believes I’ve lost my mind when I keep things beyond the sell by date. I mean, it’s just a sell by date. It’s till good after that.

You have to trust I your sense of smell. He’ll hand me a package of bacon because he thinks it’s not any good. I’ll smell and hand it back to him telling him it’s still good. He didn’t learn how to tell like I did. Dad really did teach us how to make sure things were still good and when they weren’t. However, with canned goods, you really have to trust in the date on the can.

By the way, the rice is pantry friendly, too. It’s rice, canned tomatoes, and maybe an onion or two? I can’t remember. I just know it’s a simple and delicious rice. I should remake it and share it with y’all, too.

Just look at those creamy chicken enchiladas! These are made with flour tortillas but you could swap out and make corn enchiladas if you prefer. I like corn tortillas for tacos over flour, but enchiladas are flour tortillas for me. It’s a personal preference thing, I think.

There was a little leftover chicken mixture, so I put that on top of the enchiladas before I poured the rest of the enchilada sauce on top. You know me. I hate food waste. So, it was either do that or save it for some other use.

Maybe some oven baked tacos or taquitos. I probably should have done that latter. That would be good. Maybe I’ll remake the filling and make some taquitos. Because I love me a good taquito!

These easy green chile chicken enchiladas are perfect reheated for lunch the next day. I know because I had them for lunch. They’re still just as creamy and delicious as the night before. The rice is also delicious reheated for lunch, too. But I’m a total rice hoor anyway. I’ve been known to have some with a little butter, salt, and pepper for lunch sometimes.

And that’s what lunch looked like. I like that these area cream cheese enchiladas. It makes them extra creamy and delicious. It took a minute to get the cream cheese to break down and incorporate with the rest of the ingredients, but it’s well worth it. It makes them super creamy and irresistible.

Recipes with Pantry Staples

• Black Beans and Rice by That Recipe
• Easy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Macaroni Tuna Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pantry Burrito Bowls by Veggies First Then Dessert
• Pecan Chicken by Family Around The Table
• Sourdough English Muffins by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

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