Great flavors come together in one pan in this One Pan Enchilada Pasta. It’s got the Tex-Mex flavors that mom and dad love, while being mild enough for the kids. And there’s only one pan to clean when it’s done!
Yum
Sometimes, I feel like I’m completely out of touch with the world. Or at least with the entertainment world. I’m not usually one for awards shows, but I did sit down last night, with popcorn in hand, and watch the Golden Globes. I don’t know what came over me, but I thought it would be fun. Then, as I watch, I realized more and more that not only had I not seen any of the movies or tv shows, but I had never even heard of the majority of them. This all coming from the girl who only watches Friends reruns on Netflix and who just discovered all of Downton Abbey on Amazon Prime Video and decided to watch from the beginning before watching the last season. This is the extent of my entertainment (outside of a 6, 4 and 3 year old) lately.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I love a good movie. I worked at the local theaters when I was in high school, and was able to go to all the movies I wanted for free. So from 1994-1996, if it was in the theaters, I probably saw it. But the last 10 years have definitely been more hit and miss. When my husband and I actually get away for a date night, it usually ends with a movie, but the rest of the time, sleep is more of a priority than watching a movie.
One thing I’m not out of touch with, though, is the easy weeknight dinner. I’ve totally got that one dialed in! Especially with this One Pan Enchilada Pasta. If you are a regular here, you’ll know that I’m a bit obsessed, and I’ve definitely made my fair share of them. But I’m back with another – this time with a bit of a Tex-Mex spin!
This recipe also uses one of my favorite kitchen time savers – cooked, shredded chicken. I’ve talked about it to death here, but it’s something that I almost always have on hand. Cook up a whole chicken and shred it. Or cook up some chicken breasts. Or even pick up a rotisserie chicken at the market on your way home. Once the meat is shredded, I portion it out and freeze it, and I can’t tell you how many times this has saved dinnertime.
For this one pot pasta, I used rigatoni, but most short cut pastas should work well. But I really loved the rigatoni. The biggest thing to contribute flavor to this dish, though, is the enchilada sauce. I used my favorite – the Old El Paso red enchilada sauce – and decided to go big and use 2 cans. The enchilada sauce, along with some chicken broth, is what the pasta cooks in, flavoring the pasta and the sauce that will coat the pasta. Once everything is in the pan, you’ll cover it and let it cook. Then take the cover off and continue to cook until enough of the liquid has been absorbed to cook your pasta, and the rest becomes your sauce. Finish it off by stirring in some cheese, and then topping it with even more cheese, then adding your favorite toppings.
I will never turn away a good enchilada, and now, I will never turn away from this One Pan Enchilada Pasta. Even the kids ate it up, which is a miracle, considering how they have been eating lately. And since you’ll save time doing dishes after it’s all done, you can spend that time looking up all of the movies you’ve missed and start making a list of where to start!!
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One Pan Enchilada Pasta
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 28 mins
- Total Time: 43 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Great flavors come together in one pan in this One Pan Enchilada Pasta. It’s got the Tex-Mex flavors that mom and dad love, while being mild enough for the kids. And there’s only one pan to clean when it’s done!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup diced onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 2 cans (10 oz each) Old El Paso Mild Red Enchilada Sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 8 oz rigatoni, or other short cut pasta
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- desired toppings (I like halved grape or cherry tomatoes, diced avocado and cilantro)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add in the chicken and stir to combine.
- Open both cans of enchilada sauce and pour them into the skillet. Add the chicken broth, then the pasta. Stir to combine. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice. Uncover the pan and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Turn the heat to low and stir in 1 cup of the cheese. Top the pasta with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and cover the pan until the cheese has melted, about 3 minutes.
- Serve topped with desired toppings.
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I am in a working relationship with Old El Paso, and this post has been sponsored. I’m so glad to be able to work with companies and organizations that I truly believe in. Thank you for supporting them, too.
Lisa @ Garnish with Lemon says
Mexican food and pasta are always hits in my house! Love that you combined them in one fabulous dish!
Deborah says
I could seriously eat Mexican food inspired meals every day. I see I’m not alone! 😉
Liz says
Yum – thank you and have a great week.
Deborah says
Thanks so much, Liz!
Amelia @ Eating Made Easy says
Anything that can be cooked in one pan is right up my alley. I am doing my weekly meal plan as I read this and am putting these ingredients on my list! Yum.
Deborah says
I saw on Instagram that you made it already – I’m so glad you loved it!! <3
Amelia @ Eating Made Easy says
We did and will definitely make it again! One thing I’d mention…I used water instead of broth and replaced one of the cans of enchilada sauce with no-salt-added tomato sauce (these were all I had and didn’t have time to get to the store!) and even with these changes, it was quite salty. Again, we loved it, but I think with the 2 cans of sauce + broth it would have been a little too salt-heavy for us. Just wanted to note 🙂 Thanks for the great recipe idea!
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
I am literally salivating over this! Looks amazing!
Deborah says
Thanks so much, Liz!!
Kim Beaulieu says
This is one stunning pasta dish. I could eat this all the live long day. Nothing better than a great one pan dish.
Deborah says
I agree – one pan dishes for the win!
Jennifer says
I never watch award shows. I love to see the outfits but I’ve rarely seen anything up for an award. My taste in movies is a bit sophomoric…sign me up for any really dumb comedy. I’m totally there.
Deborah says
Haha! I’m glad I’m not the only one!
Jenny Flake says
Perfect weeknight dinner! Love this!
Cookin Canuck says
I felt the same way when I watched the Golden Globes. I really need to get out to watch more movies! Then again, I’d be happy sitting in front of the TV, eating a bowl of this pasta.
Lauren @ Healthy Delicious says
This looks so good! I’ve actually had it in my head that I wanted to make an enchilada pasta, but I couldn’t picture how it would turn out. Apparently the answer is awesome.
Walter says
Would fried ground beef, or even fried stew meat work instead of chicken? I am soooo tired of finding chicken in everything.
Deborah says
I think it would work just fine! You could probably use any meat that is already cooked.
Laura says
So, so good! Hubby & I both loved it. I realized after I started cooking that I only had 1 can of red enchilada sauce, so I ended up using 1 red and 1 green. I used rotisserie chicken and penne pasta and topped it with green onions, grape tomatoes, cilantro and diced avocado. Amazing!!! Thanks for this awesome & simple recipe.
Deborah says
Awesome – I’m so happy you both loved it!!