Chipotle Chicken Enchilada Stew Prepped Freezer Meal

This Chipotle Chicken Enchilada Stew is creamy, cozy, hearty, cheesy, and slightly spicy. This Stew is a Prepped Freezer Meal recipe, which means it’s a great option to prep ahead and easily make for dinner on a busy weeknight.  Ingredients freeze raw, thaw, then cook in the slow cooker or in the oven. It’s a stew because it’s thick and hearty with bites of chicken, carrots, onion, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for spice, cumin, garlic and lots of tortilla chips that melt down to thicken this delicious stew.

It’s no secret that I am obsessed with all Mexican Food!  So for this next Prepped Freezer Meal, I wanted to create something new and different. I took my all-time favorite dish, Chicken Enchiladas, added chipotle peppers in adobo for smokiness and turned them into a slow cooker stew!!!

Check out these other Prepped Freezer Meals!  This Hoisin Chicken with Ginger & Red Peppers is filled with sweet and savory notes and big flavor the whole family will love.  Then try my Moroccan Chicken Chili with Chickpeas that has warm spices and such a hearty texture.

Quick note!  This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them.  This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :).  But, I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used. 

PREP-AHEAD TO MAKE YOUR CHIPOTLE CHICKEN ENCHILADA STEW FREEZER MEAL

Start with the chicken breasts.  Cut your chicken breasts into small bite-size pieces and add to the freezer bag.  Dice the onions or shallots and add to the bag.  Peel and dice the carrots and also add them to the bag.

ECO-ALTERNATIVE:

Bags are of course easy and disposable, so less clean up.  However, if you want a more Eco-Friendly and Leak-Proof alternative to freezer bags, I recommend Pyrex Glass Containers.  I use them for all of my storage, whether it’s in the fridge or freezer, and even for cooking in the oven or warming in the microwave.  For this recipe, I recommend:  Pyrex Basics 2 Quart Glass Oblong Baking Dish with Red Plastic Lid – 7 inch x 11 Inch by Pyrex

Ok, getting back to the recipe!  Now, come the Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce.  Do you ever cook with these?  They are smokey, spicy, and filled with flavor.  They can seriously change the entire flavor profile of your dish and take it to this wonderful smokey place!  A little goes a long way here, so I only put in only 2 whole peppers finely diced along with a tbls of the sauce from the can.  Add to the bag with the chicken, onions, and carrots.  See below for TIP on storing extra Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce.

TIP:  If you don’t cook with Chipotle Peppers in Adobo every day or use only a small amount at a time, you can store the rest of the can in a freezer bag in the freezer labeled.  Then it’s ready for you for the next recipe and you don’t have to waste the rest!

Next up are the rest of the seasonings, the tortilla chips, and the broth.  The tortilla chips are first crushed and then added to the freezer bag.  Don’t worry about them getting soggy in the bag because they are supposed to!  Once you cook this meal, the tortilla chips will melt down and act as the thickener in this stew.

That’s it for prepping your freezer bag (Or Glass Container). Seal the bag tight and then lightly press flat and store in freezer. You can freeze on a sheet pan and then once frozen store standing up vertically or horizontally. You can store it for up to 3 months in the freezer.

COOK YOUR CHIPOTLE CHICKEN ENCHILADA STEW!

NOTE: If you would rather cook this in the oven, put it in 375 F degrees in a casserole dish for 1 hour or until the chicken is fully cooked through and the sauce is thickened.  Follow the same final steps for adding the cheese, scallions, and cilantro.

Once the slow cooker moves to the KEEP WARM setting, you can add in the scallions and cheese and mix in.  Next add the Fresh chopped Cilantro and mix in.

NOTE: If your stew has become too thick and you want to loosen it, just add a little bit of chicken broth and stir until you get your desired thickness. If you don’t have extra broth, you can add a little water with a pinch of salt to taste.

Serve in bowls and garnish with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, and scallions.  Enjoy!

😍 Carrie

Prepped Freezer Meals: Chipotle Chicken Enchilada Stew

Carrie Tyler

This Chipotle Chicken Enchilada Stew is a Prepped Freezer Meal recipe and it's creamy, cozy, hearty, cheesy, and slightly spicy. All ingredients freeze raw, thaw, then cook in the slow cooker or in the oven. It's a stew because it's thick and hearty with bites of chicken, carrots, onion, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for spice, cumin, garlic and lots of tortilla chips that melt down and thicken this delicious stew.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved! Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Thaw overnight 8 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  

For Freezer Bag

• 1 lb Chicken Breasts
• 1 cup Onion, diced You can use shallots as well
• 1 cup Carrots, dices
• 2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo, Whole
• 1 tbls Adobo Sauce from the Chipotle Peppers
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 1 tbls Ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 2 cups Corn Tortilla Chips, crushed Save some in the pantry for garnish
• 4 cups Chicken Broth

Add to Slow Cooker while cooking

• 2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese for slow cooker + garnish
• ¼ cup Scallions, sliced for slow cooker + garnish
• ¼ cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped for slow cooker
• ¼ cup Corn Tortilla Chips, crushed for garnish
• ½ cup Sour Cream for garnish

Instructions

 

Prepped Freezer Meal Bag or Glass Container

• Cut your chicken breasts into small bite-size pieces and add to the freezer bag.
  
• Peel and dice the onions or shallots and add to the bag.
  
• Peel and dice the carrots and add to the bag.
  
• Remove 2 Chipotle Peppers from the Adobo sauce and dice into small pieces on cutting board.  Add to the freezer bag with the chicken.  Measure out a tablespoon of the Adobo Sauce from the can and add that to the freezer bag too.
  
• Next add the cumin, salt, and minced garlic to the bag.  Then add the crushed tortilla chips.
  
• Add broth to the freezer bag right over the chips.
  
• Seal the bag tight and then lightly press flat and store in freezer.  You can freeze on a sheet pan and then once frozen store standing up vertically or horizontally.  You can store it for up to 3 months in the freezer.
  

Thaw & Cook Your Freezer Meal

• The morning of the day before you are cooking your freezer meal, transfer the freezer bag from the freezer to the fridge.  That way, you have all day and night to thaw the ingredients safely.  I like to put the frozen bag on a towel on a sheet pan in the fridge for the thawing process to prevent any ice melting on shelves. 
• The morning before you will eat this for dinner, pour the ingredients from the bag to the slow cooker. Mix and then cover and set timer for 4 hours high up to 8 hours low depending on your schedule.  
• Once the slow cooker moves to the KEEP WARM setting, you can add in the scallions and cheese and mix in. 
  
• NOTE: If your stew has become too thick and you want to loosen it, just add a little bit of chicken broth and stir until you get your desired thickness.  If you don't have extra broth, you can add a little water with a pinch of salt to taste.
• Add the fresh cilantro to the slow cooker and stir in.
  
• Serve in bowls and garnish with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, scallions, and more shredded cheese.  Enjoy!
  

Notes

NOTE: If you would rather cook this on the stove, I would bring it to a boil and then bring down to a simmer for an hour in a soup pot.  You could also cook this in the oven 375 F in a casserole dish for 1 hour or until the chicken is fully cooked through and the sauce is thickened.

Keyword chicken, chicken soup, chipotle, enchiladas, freezer meal, tortillas