Jennifer Garner’s Easy Weeknight Chicken Dinner Comes From Her Mom’s Kitchen

We’re officially entering the busy season of fall and, before we know it, the holidays. So, if there’s one thing we need in our back pocket for a jam-packed weeknight, it’s a simple, crowd-pleasing recipe that will come together quickly—and bonus points if it’s a comforting, cheesy, creamy classic.

There are dozens of comfort food recipes to try, but Jennifer Garner recently shared a casserole recipe that she “loved as a kid.” On a recent episode of the actress’ “Pretend Cooking Show,” Garner, joined by her mom Pat, made the recipe for a “crowd favorite” that her mom frequently made her growing up: Chicken Enchiladas.

How To Make Jennifer Garner’s Mom’s Chicken Enchiladas

Before we go any further, we, like Garner, want to acknowledge that these are not traditional enchiladas. Instead, they’re a creamy, enchilada-style casserole made with sour cream and cream of chicken soup, but, as Garner says, “they go right down, anyway.”

Garner shares that this recipe is one her mom “brings out when a casserole is just the thing,” and it couldn’t be easier to make. 

Garner’s mom’s recipe, which Mama Pat says she got from a friend, has two distinct parts: the chicken filling and the creamy, cheesy topping. 

First, you’ll make the filling with 2 cups of shredded chicken—Garner says she poaches and shreds it herself, but you could also use a rotisserie chicken—a diced onion, diced celery, and a few tablespoons of butter. Those ingredients get sautéed together in a pan until the butter is incorporated and the vegetables are soft. 

While the filling cooks, in a separate bowl, you’ll combine a can of cream of chicken soup, two cans of green chilis (despite Garner trying her hardest to only add one, Pat insists on two), and 1 cup of sour cream. 

“Don’t put your chicken mixture into your soupy mixture,” Garner instructs. “Right, mom?”

“I tell you, and I tell you, and I tell you,” Pat adorably responds. 

Instead, you’ll spoon a little bit of chili-soup mixture into the bottom of your 9×13-inch baking dish, then set the rest aside. Next, you’ll fill flour tortillas with the chicken and veggie mixture, roll them up, and place them seam-side down in the baking dish. 

Once the tortillas are lined up in the dish, spoon the remaining soup mixture over them and top with Monterey Jack cheese.

“Everything in here is essentially done, but it’s important to bake it until the top begins to brown,” Pat says, which is done in a 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for about 30 minutes.

The result is a bubbly, cheesy, creamy casserole filled with hearty chicken and a few snuck-in veggies that’s on the table in under an hour.

“It’s delicious,” Garner says. 

It may be called the “Pretend Cooking Show,” but there’s nothing fake about the number of times we’ll be making this Garner family recipe.