🎉 Toon’d Up White Chicken Enchilada Recipe — A Creamy Crowd-Pleaser for Cinco de Mayo (or Any Dockside Party!)

Teresa Perkins
May 5
4 min read

Cheesy baked enchiladas on a red plate, golden and bubbly, atop a wooden surface. The dish appears warm and appetizing.

When the pontoon's parked and the margaritas are flowing, there’s only one thing left to do—bring on the creamy, cheesy comfort food. We gave this beginner-friendly Chicken Enchilada Recipe a Cinco de Mayo spin and let me tell you, they were so good… We forgot to take a video of each step in our “step by step” video because we were so busy trying to get it just right and we did!

We’re calling them “Toon’d Up Enchiladas”—because just like us, they’re a little extra, wildly comforting, and totally made for sharing on the water.

✔️ Beginner-friendly (even if you’ve never rolled an enchilada in your life)
✔️ Creamy, cheesy, and packed with flavor
✔️ Easy to customize with what you’ve got in the fridge
✔️ Feeds a crowd—perfect for lake parties, potlucks, or dockside dinners

We swapped out the Monterey Jack for a cheesy trio of mozzarella, Italian blend, and sharp cheddar (because that’s what we had), and it came out chef’s kiss. 👨‍🍳

Baked casserole with melted cheese in a glass dish on a wooden board. Creamy texture with a golden top, set on a white table.

🌮 Toon’d Up White Chicken Enchilada Recipe

Serves: 4–6 | Prep Time: 30–40 min (for newbies) | Cook Time: 45–60 min

🛒 Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (rotisserie chicken works great)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
8 flour tortillas (soft taco size)
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles (mild or hot)
Salt & pepper to taste
½ a small finely diced onion

👩‍🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions

This guide’s here to make sure even first-timers feel like dockside chefs. Don’t stress about perfection—these enchiladas are super forgiving and guaranteed to impress even if you get cheese on your elbows. (We did.)

1. Sauté the Flavor Base

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once it’s shimmering like a summer lake, toss in ½ a small onion, finely diced. Stir and let it soften for about 3–4 minutes.

Next, add:

2 cloves minced garlic
A sprinkle of cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Give it a good stir for 30 seconds, just until your kitchen smells amazing and the garlic is fragrant.

2. Mix in the Chicken + Cheese

Now for the good stuff: Add 2 cups shredded chicken to the pan and toss it around until it’s warmed through and coated in all those flavorful bits—about 2–3 minutes.

Take it off the heat and stir in:

1 cup shredded mozzarella
½ cup shredded Italian blend
¼ cup sharp cheddar

Mix it all up until it’s melty and beautiful. Set aside and try not to eat it with a spoon.

3. Make the Creamy Green Chile Sauce

In a separate saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in 4 tablespoons of flour and keep it moving for about a minute. This is your roux—it’s the secret to that creamy sauce.

Slowly pour in 2 cups chicken broth, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Let it bubble gently and thicken to a light gravy texture—this usually takes 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in:

1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles

Season with more salt and pepper if needed. Taste it—yes, seriously. You deserve that creamy preview.

A teal whisk stirs creamy sauce in a metal pan on a stove. The background shows kitchen surfaces and a wooden board.

Stirring the cream cheese, green chiles into the butter, flour, and chicken broth mixture.

4. Build the Enchiladas

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish, then spread about ½ cup of your sauce on the bottom like a cozy blanket for your enchiladas.

Lay out your tortillas and spoon about ⅓ to ½ cup of the filling into the center of each. Roll them up snug and place them seam-side down in the dish.

Pour the rest of the sauce over the top (don’t be shy—we used every drop), and sprinkle on the remaining:

½ cup mozzarella
½ cup Italian blend
¼ cup sharp cheddar

Cheese avalanche encouraged.

Hands fill tortillas with shredded chicken on a wooden board. A pan and baked dish with rolled tortillas are in the background.

5. Bake Until Golden & Gooey

Slide your enchiladas into the oven and bake for 25–30 minutes, until they’re bubbling and the cheese is melted to perfection.

Want a little golden crust on top? Turn on the broiler for the last 2–3 minutes—but watch closely! Nobody wants burnt cheese trauma.

Baked cheesy casserole in a glass dish, topped with melted yellow and white cheese. A wooden spoon lifts a portion, revealing creamy layers.

👩‍🍳 Teresa’s Tips (From a First-Timer)

Don’t rush the prep. Especially if this is your first rodeo with enchiladas. Give yourself grace and a little extra time to assemble them just right. It’s not hard just hands on.
Use rotisserie chicken if you're short on time. I used left over baked chicken and shredded mine ahead of time and that helped big time.
Let them rest before slicing. It’s hard, I know. But the sauce thickens up just enough to keep things together if you give it 5-10 minutes post-oven.

📸 Coming Soon to Social:

Catch the video on YouTube, Facebook, Lemon8, Instagram and TikTok!

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Be Spontooneous. Bake the enchiladas. And never trust a party without extra cheese. 🧀