Make-Ahead Chicken Enchiladas

Chow time: Reheat and serve Heat the enchiladas: If you're feeding the whole family or a crowd, the enchiladas can be reheated directly from the refrigerator or freezer in the casserole dish they were baked in. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Keep the foil on the dish and reheat for 20-30 minutes (refrigerated) or 45 minutes (frozen), until the enchiladas are warmed through. If you'd rather reheat individual servings, enchiladas in small microwave-safe containers can be zapped in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or reheated in a toaster oven for 10-15 minutes. Eat up: Serve the enchiladas with sour cream, guacamole, and/or salsa.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 8 enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can  enchilada sauce
• 8  flour tortillas
• 4  cups  cooked chicken (about 1 lb)
• 1  small pepper, diced (red or green)
• 6  ounces  shredded cheese
•  salsa
•  sour cream

Directions

1. Do ahead: Make the enchiladas.
2. Prepare the pan and tortillas: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Pour about 1/3 of the can of enchilada sauce into a 9-by-13-inch casserole pan. (Make sure your pan is also freezer-safe if you plan to freeze the finished dish.) Line the tortillas up crosswise in the pan, folded open like taco shells for easy filling.
3. Fill the enchiladas: Scoop about 1/2 cup of cooked chicken into each tortilla. Divide the diced bell pepper evenly between the tortillas, sprinkling the pieces on top of the chicken. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon shredded cheese over the bell pepper. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon enchilada sauce over the filling.
4. Roll and bake: Starting at one end of the pan, roll the tortillas up so the seamed side of each tortilla is face-down in the pan. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce evenly across the top of the tortillas, then top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Cool to room temperature.
5. Store the enchiladas: To keep the enchiladas up to 2 days in the refrigerator, tightly cover the pan with foil before storing. To freeze the enchiladas for up to 3 months, tightly wrap the entire pan with foil, crimping to seal around the edges to prevent freezer burn. Or to freeze smaller portions separately, scoop the enchiladas into individual lidded freezer-safe containers before storing.