Spice up your Valentine's Day by serving Chicken Enchilada Hearts. These Chicken Enchilada Hearts are easy to make using a heart-shaped pan and can be as spicy as you like.
When I asked my husband what he'd like for his Valentine's Day dinner, he said, "enchiladas," so I made him these special Chicken Enchilada Hearts, and he loved them.
He loves traditional enchiladas made with a soft flour tortilla rolled around shredded chicken and cheese topped with a tomato sauce flavored with cumin, coriander, garlic, and chili powder.
Usually, when I make chicken and cheese enchiladas, I make my own sauce and cook fresh chicken thighs in the sauce like I did when I made Chicken and Cheese Enchilada Bowls with Poblano Peppers and Corn.
But as I began concocting this idea to turn chicken enchiladas into a heart-shaped Valentine's Day meal, I figured I'd need to experiment, possibly a few times, so to make my life easier I started with store-bought enchilada sauce and rotisserie chicken.
I baked my enchiladas in Wilton's 4-inch non-stick springform heart pans and they came out perfectly the very first time. They looked great and tasted pretty good too, so I didn't bother making them again using my homemade enchilada sauce recipe.
I used a jar of roasted tomato enchilada sauce which I have to admit was a bit spicier than I'd like, but it had a really nice tomato flavor with nice undertones of chili powder, coriander, and cumin spices.
You can take the extra effort to make homemade sauce or use your favorite jar of sauce. Either way, these enchilada heart will make a festive Valentine's Day meal.
Chicken Enchilada Hearts Recipe
Ingredients (per heart)
flour tortillas - You can use any size you like. You'll cut 4-inch hearts out of the tortillas to fit into the small heart-shaped springform pans.
enchilada sauce - Use store-bought or homemade enchilada sauce.
refried beans - Use your favorite brand of refried beans.
shredded chicken breast - Rotisserie chicken works great.
shredded sharp cheddar cheese - I prefer to shred blocks of cheese as they melt better than pre-shredded cheese.
shredded Monterey Jack Cheese - You'll use this to top all your enchilada hearts so they are white on top.
Supplies:
Wilton comfort grip heart cookie cutter or any 4-inch heart cookie cutter
Wilton small 4-inch non-stick heart-shaped springform pan
non-stick cooking spray
Let's make chicken enchilada hearts!
step 1 - cut tortilla hearts and begin layering ingredients
- Spray the inside of the heart-shaped springform pans with cooking spray.
- Cut 3 hearts out of the tortillas using a Wilton Comfort Grip Heart Cookie Cutter.
- Layer the ingredients as follows:
- 1 tablespoon enchilada sauce
- 1 tortilla spread with 1 tablespoon refried beans (bean side up)
step 2 - add layers of chicken, cheese, and enchilada sauce
- continue layering
- ⅓ cup chicken
- 1 tablespoon enchilada sauce
- ⅓ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese ...
- Repeat.
- 1 tortilla heart spread with 1 tablespoon refried beans (bean side up)
- ⅓ cup chicken
- 1 tablespoon enchilada sauce
- ⅓ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese ...
step 3 - add final tortilla heart and cheese
-
- 1 tortilla heart spread with 1 tablespoon refried beans (put bean side down)
- 1 tablespoon enchilada sauce
- ⅓ cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
step 4 - bake
- Place in a baking pan and cover with tin foil.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes then un-cover and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
step 5 - un-mold your enchilada hearts
- Let cool for 5 minutes, then run a plastic spreader/spatula around the edge of the pan.
- Release the clamp and remove the sides of the pan.
- Set each enchilada heart on a dinner plate and serve.
- Decorate with enchilada sauce, if you'd like.
I strained some of the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve, then poured it into a squeeze bottle so I could drizzle it over the heart and add dots of sauce to the plate.
Fancy, huh?
What are your dinner plans for Valentine's Day? Do you do anything special?
You can find supplies needed to make these heart-shaped chicken and cheese enchilada hearts from Amazon. I earn a small commission when you use the product links at NO extra cost to you.
Heart-shaped chicken and cheese enchiladas make a festive Valentine's Day dinner.
- 3 small flour tortillas
- ¼ cup enchilada sauce
- 3 tablespoons refried beans
- ⅔ cup shredded chicken breast
- ⅔ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
- optional: 1 tablespoon enchilada sauce for decoration
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
Spray the inside of the heart-shaped springform pans with cooking spray.
-
Cut 3 hearts out of the tortillas using a Wilton Comfort Grip Heart Cookie Cutter.
-
1 tablespoon enchilada sauce
-
1 tortilla spread with 1 tablespoon refried beans (bean side up) …
-
⅓ cup chicken
-
1 tablespoon enchilada sauce
-
⅓ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese …
-
Repeat-
-
1 tortilla heart spread with 1 tablespoon refried beans (bean side up)
-
⅓ cup chicken
-
1 tablespoon enchilada sauce
-
⅓ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese …
-
1 tortilla heart spread with 1 tablespoon refried beans (put bean side down)
-
1 tablespoon enchilada sauce
-
⅓ cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
-
Place in a baking pan and cover with tin foil. Bake for 25 minutes then uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
-
Let cool for 5 minutes, then run a plastic spreader/spatula around the edge of the pan. Release the clamp and remove the sides of the pan.
-
Set each enchilada heart on a dinner plate and serve.
-
Decorate with enchilada sauce, if you’d like. I strained some of the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve, then poured it into a squeeze bottle so I could drizzle it over the heart and add dots of sauce to the plate.
More Valentine's Day Entrée & Appetizer Recipes
Valentine's Day Salad Topped with Tomato Hearts
Hugs and Kisses Pizza Pinwheels
Mozzarella Cheese Filled Heart Pastries served with Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
If you are looking for other treats or gifts to make for Valentine's Day,
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beth
My husband really loved his special dinner. I hope your's does too! Happy Valentine's Day.
The Partiologist
All I can say is "Winner winner, chicken enchilada dinner"! 🙂
beth
My husband would agree! Thanks, Kim:)
Jen
What a fun valentine meal idea! Love all your fabulous ideas!
beth
Thanks so much, Jen.
Colleen
They look adorable to have for a Valentine's meal and look good besides.
Where did you get your heart shaped spring form pans at. I really like those. What cute little heart shaped cheesecakes they would make as well.
beth
Thanks, Colleen. These were fun to make and more fun to eat. Wilton actually sent me the springform pans, but I have seen them at craft stores like JoAnn's and Michael's. You can get them from Amazon.com too. There is a link above for the pans on Amazon.com.