There’s a lot to love about this Whole30 Enchilada Dip Bake. It’s a Whole30 casserole that is quick and easy to put together, makes a 9×13 pan big enough to feed the entire family. Or it’s a great appetizer to bring to your next event!
This Enchilada Dip Bake is Whole30, Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free and egg-free. We love pairing it with Tostones, though it’s also delicious on some cauliflower rice. We pair it with my Cilantro Salsa Slaw for a complete easy meal.
It’s budget-friendly and family-friendly, made with ingredients I find at my local NorCal Walmart. It makes 8 servings, coming in at $2.09 per serving.
The Easiest Shredded Chicken
This Whole30 casserole calls for 5 cups shredded chicken. I steam my chicken in the Instant Pot and then shred it using my hand mixer or standing mixer. You can find a video of how I do this here.
Make-ahead tip: I always prep extra steamed, shredded chicken and then freeze it for when I need it. It’s a great make ahead for this recipe as well as my Basil Chicken Tomato Soup.
About that Coconut Cream
I get a lot of questions about coconut cream. Coconut cream is similar to coconut milk but is much thicker and four times richer. Make sure to use canned coconut cream in this recipe. Using coconut milk will result in a watery texture.
What’s Nutritional Yeast?
Nutritional Yeast is not the same as baker’s yeast. Though it’s derived from baker’s yeast, it’s been deactivated and cannot make things rise. Instead, it’s a commonly used for a cheesy dairy-free flavor. Don’t leave it out of this Whole30 Enchilada Dip bake – it’s essential to the flavor! I get mine at Walmart or Trader Joe’s.
Whole30 Dairy-free Shredded Cheese??
Dairy-free cheese is allowed on Whole30 if the ingredients are Whole30 compatible. (Learn more about why on this Whole30 post under the “nut cheese” section.) I can’t find any “cheddar” shreds in my area that are Whole30 compatible. But never fear! The cheese shreds are optional, and this dish is still delicious without them! The Whole365 brand of shredded cheese from Whole Foods currently is the main compatible option.
If you are not on a Whole30, my favorite brand of dairy-free cheese is Violife. It melts like a dream and is the closest to traditional cheese we have found so far. Plus, it’s nut-free!
This recipe is a sample from my cookbook Whole Food for Your Family, which has 100+ budget- and family-friendly recipes. You can learn more or grab a copy of my cookbook HERE!
Enchilada Dip Bake
Ingredients
- 1 13.66 ounce can full-fat unsweetened canned coconut cream chilled, solid part only (see directions)
- 1 16-ounce jar salsa verde
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast steamed and shredded, about 5 cups shredded
- 1/2-1 cup dairy-free cheddar cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Open the can of chilled coconut cream. Drain and set aside the cloudy liquid (you an use this in smoothies or just toss it), reserving the solid white coconut cream.
- In a blender or food processor, combine the coconut cream, salsa, nutritional yeast, and garlic salt and blend until cream. Fold in the chicken.
- Spread the chicken mixture over the bottom of a 9x13 inch dish and sprinkle with cheese, if using. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling around the edges. Turn the oven to Broil and continue cooking until the top of the casserole browns.
- Once brown, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
- While the enchilada dip bakes, prepare tostones, if using. Serve the dip with tostones or chips, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Our entire family LOVES this recipe! We first found it in the Wholefoodfor7 cookbook and it has now become an almost weekly meal. Our kids have sometimes struggled with our move to eating gf, df, and sugar free but this is one that none of them complained about ever. We’ve taken this meal to family potlucks as well and it only ever gets praised!
Ooo, I LOVE that it’s not only kid-approved but one all can enjoy at a potluck. So good! Happy it is serving your family well on the regular. Thank you for the review!
Very tasty but we did something wrong and ours was runny haha so we will try again and see if we can figure out where we went wrong. So good though! Best with tostones for sure!
Glad the flavor was still on point and let me know if you need help troubleshooting (my question would be if you used only the solid part of the coconut cream vs. the whole can?). Thank you!
I wasn’t sure I would like this. Well, I did! As a matter of fact, everyone in my house did! May have to double it next time. Super delicious! Thanks, Autumn!
A household win? That’s golden! WAHOO for a dish that won everyone over and you’re already planning on making again. Thank you for the review!
I am such a picky adult eater, so anytime I see your recipes marked as kid-friendly I give them a try, haha! This one was amazing, no surprise. Whenever there are green plantains in my area I make up a batch of this and the “hummus” from your cookbook. Have made with and without the cheese, tastes great both ways. Makes a great lunch!
Haha, I like to say “kid-friendly, but not just for kids!” I’m so happy this is one you enjoy and love to make. Thank you so much for the review!
This is one of our favorites! It is so creamy and a great party dip.
WAHOO this is a go-to for you! Agreed, it’s creamy and delicious and love that you enjoy it as a party dip. Thanks for the review!
My husband (who isn’t too keen on salsa verde, alternative dairy products, or nutritional yeast) could not stop talking about how good this was. With every bite! Literally obsessed! And it was so easy to throw together. Thanks for a great recipe ☺️
WAHOO! I love that this combination won him over, despite him not being a big fan of some of the components. Love that it was an easy win for your family. Thank you!
This was delicious. We couldn’t get enough of it. I want to try it in a Hawaiian Haystack type situation.
I’m so happy it was irresistibly good! And I love the idea of doing it in a Hawaiian Haystack – that sounds delicious. Thanks for the review!
I have been wanting to make this for awhile and today was the day. Why I waited so long, I have no idea, but I regret it because it is amazing! If you need a dip for game day, or a delicious simple meal or lunch, this is one to make pronto! Autumn, you are knocking it out of the park!
WAHOO!! I’m so thrilled you finally dove into this one and loved it. You are right – so great for all the events or an easy meal. Thank you for the rave review!
Do you think it would still be tasty to add spaghetti squash or cauliflower rice in it? … maybe less dip and more casserole that way
I bet it would be delicious baked with the cauliflower rice in it! Let me know if you try it : )