Slow Cooker Enchilada Pasta

No complaints about the dinner menu tonight! Slow Cooker Enchilada Pasta is a hearty, cheesy dish that will surely bring everyone back for seconds. Enjoy a vegetarian meal with a flavorful combination of black beans, corn, and enchilada sauce.

What’s To Love About This Recipe

• This is one of my favorite recipes to make on busy days because you really don’t have to prep or pre-cook anything. Just add everything in and turn on the slow cooker!
• Enchilada pasta is perfect for the times when you need to serve a nice hearty bowl that will fill everyone up! It’s great for dinner on school nights, prepping between activities, or enjoying an easy weekend meal.
• This pasta is packed with flavor, and adding a quality enchilada sauce is so simple!
• The recipe is totally flexible! As written, it’s designed to be vegetarian, but you can add in just about anything that you love.
• It’s always a good idea to have a meal idea ready that you can make with shelf-stable ingredients. Keep some canned items, frozen corn, orzo pasta, and cream cheese on hand to whip up a fantastic meal!

Ingredients Needed  

• Black beans – Black beans are a great source of protein and fiber. They can make vegetarian meals very filling and nutrient-dense. Use canned beans, drained and rinsed, or leftover home-cooked black beans.
• Diced tomatoes – Diced tomatoes add a bit of acidity and richness to the pasta dish. Grab a can or two to keep in your pantry for convenience!
• Frozen corn kernels – Frozen corn is so nice to have on hand because it tastes fresh, sweet, and maintains a nice texture during cooking. I like the little bit of added crunch that it adds to the dish.
• Enchilada sauce – Choose a jar or bottle of your favorite enchilada sauce from the store, or make your own homemade Ancho Chili Enchilada Sauce. I love Frontera Red Chile Enchilada Sauce because of its thickness and bold flavor. Siete Foods also has tasty red or green enchilada sauces. 
• Vegetable broth – Broth adds a flavorful base to the pasta and provides the necessary moisture. If you don’t need to keep the recipe vegetarian, you can also use chicken broth.
• Seasonings– Combine just a few staple seasonings for Mexican flavors! Add chili powder, dried cilantro, and cumin for a deep, earthy blend.
• Cream cheese – When the cream cheese melts into the other ingredients, it creates a smooth, creamy base with a little bit of tanginess.
• Dry orzo pasta – Orzo pasta is a small variety that adds excellent texture without making the dish too heavy. Add it near the end to cook just right.

How To Make Enchilada Pasta In The Slow Cooker

1. Place all ingredients, except for the orzo pasta, in the slow cooker.

2. Cook on high for up to 4 hours or low for up to 8 hours until all ingredients are warmed through and the cream cheese is melted.
3. Add in the dry orzo pasta and stir to combine everything evenly.
4. Let it heat for 15 – 30 minutes on high until the pasta is cooked and tender.
5. If needed, add additional broth or water (1/4 cup at a time) to ensure that the pasta is tender and doesn’t dry out.
6. Serve immediately and remove the leftovers from the heat so that the pasta does not become soggy.

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

This recipe is totally flexible, and you can customize it to be a repeat dish on your menu! Here are a few ideas for swaps:

• Enchilada pasta incorporates black beans as the main vegetarian protein, but you could also add leftover chicken, cooked ground beef, or cooked ground turkey.
• Swap the can of black beans for pinto beans if you like. (This would be a great way to use up a large batch of leftover Slow Cooker Pinto Beans!)
• Change the base flavor depending on the type of enchilada sauce that you use. Try a red or green sauce, or try out your own homemade version like my Slow Cooker Ancho Chili Enchilada Sauce.
• To add some extra veggies, include some finely chopped bell peppers or jalapeños along with the other ingredients at the beginning. 
• To make the recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free orzo instead of regular orzo. Also, be sure to use a gluten-free enchilada sauce.
• For a dairy-free recipe, swap out cream cheese for a dairy-free version.

How To Serve Enchilada Pasta

Enchilada pasta is a great one-bowl recipe, but you can serve a heartier meal with a few extra sides.

Top off your bowl with just about anything you would use on enchiladas! Some suggestions are a bit of sprinkled shredded cheese, sour cream, black olives, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, or freshly chopped cilantro.

Include appetizers such as fresh pico de gallo or Spicy Queso and tortilla chips. Add a fresh salad with garden veggies and  Zesty Lime Jalapeno Ranch Dressing or Roasted Corn Chopped Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette to complete the meal!

Storing and Reheating

Save your leftovers for easy lunches and dinners. Store the pasta in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat it in the microwave.

I don’t recommend freezing cooked pasta due to texture changes that will occur when defrosting. However, you can prepare the ingredients without the pasta, freeze them, and then add fresh, cooked pasta when ready to serve.

Slow Cooker Enchilada Pasta

Jennifer Draper

No complaints about the dinner menu tonight! Slow Cooker Enchilada Pasta is a hearty, cheesy dish that will surely bring everyone back for seconds. Enjoy a vegetarian meal with a flavorful combination of black beans, corn, and enchilada sauce.

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5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Servings 4 people

Calories 571 kcal

Equipment

• Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
• 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 12 oz enchilada sauce
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 2 cups dry orzo pasta

Instructions

 

• Place all ingredients, except for orzo pasta, in slow cooker
• Cook on high for up to 4 hours or low for up to 8 hours until all ingredients are warmed through and cream cheese is melted
• Add in dry orzo pasta and stir to combine everything evenly
• Let it heat for 15 – 30 minutes on high until pasta is cooked and tender
• If needed, add additional broth or water (1/4 cup at a time) to ensure that the pasta is tender and doesn’t dry out
• Serve immediately and remove leftovers from heat so that pasta does not become soggy

Notes

• Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the microwave.
• Top with your favorite enchilada toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, black olives, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, or freshly chopped cilantro.
• I made this in my 3.5-quart slow cooker. The pasta took 15 minutes to soften, and I added an additional 1/4 cup of water.

Nutrition

Calories: 571kcalCarbohydrates: 97gProtein: 22gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 1632mgPotassium: 862mgFiber: 14gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 1352IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 118mgIron: 5mg

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Important nutritional disclaimer

Enchilada Pasta FAQs 

• What is enchilada sauce made of? Enchilada sauce is made from a tomato base and includes a strong blend of spices – including a generous amount of chili powder and other dried peppers. Enchilada sauce also typically includes a thickening agent such as flour or cornstarch in order to help it “stick” to the enchilada ingredients. While pasta sauce and enchilada sauce are both tomato-based, their traditional flavors and spice blends are very different.
• Can enchilada pasta be made gluten-free? This pasta recipe can be made gluten-free with a couple of swaps. Use gluten-free orzo in place of regular orzo and check the enchilada sauce to be sure it does not include gluten (many premade sauces will include a starch or flour containing gluten). As always, check the labels for food sensitivities on anything that isn’t made from scratch in your kitchen.
• Can this be made on the stovetop? To adapt this recipe for the stovetop, add all ingredients to a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Once the cream cheese is melted and thoroughly mixed in, add the dry pasta. Cook the pasta for the time allotted in the package directions, while checking every few minutes for the desired tenderness.

More Slow Cooker Pasta Recipes 

• Slow Cooker Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Pasta
• Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti
• Slow Cooker Sausage Pasta Bake
• Slow Cooker White Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese
• Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo Pasta Recipe
• Slow Cooker Chili Mac