Vegetarian Enchiladas
I found a Youtube video for enchiladas that looked super cheesy and had tons of sauce, AND it was vegetarian! Yes, I watched the entire video and wrote down the instructions. And….yes, I then proceeded to ignore half of those instructions because I didn’t buy all the things I needed nor did I want a Mexican, vegetarian dish that had NO black beans.
So, I changed some things around, added things I like, and found that the result was a spectacular meal. Was my daughter able to eat it? Not at all. She was (shockingly) sick.
It’s okay though, she’ll try it one day. Very soon. Probably too soon because I will be making these so often as they are easy AND delicious AND vegetarian.
But I digress… I truly believe that a recipe is a guideline in most situations and if you follow your instincts as to what you enjoy and make small changes you will find the end result satisfying.
However, there are two areas of cooking where I firmly believe a recipe should be followed as exactly as possible to avoid a situation in which hanger and disappointment and frustration take over the person you once were (because, I mean, you’re not you when you’re hungry, amirite?). Thus… I did NOT edit this enchilada sauce one bit. Here is the source.
These enchiladas are fairly quick to put together and a single recipe can feed a whole family. They have hidden vegetables, which is always a plus for young kids, and they don’t require any hard-to-find ingredients. Also, yes, you are correct, I did artfully sprinkle chopped cilantro on the top with my children crying in the background.
Vegetarian Enchiladas
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil any other high smoke point oil will work here
- 3 tablespoons AP flour
- 15 ounces pureed tomatoes from a can, even crushed, works fine here
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup water
For the filling
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil any other high smoke point oil will work here
- 11 ounces canned corn
- 15 ounces canned black beans
- 2 cups spinach, chopped
- 1/2 jalapeno, minced
- 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Additional
- 6 soft flour tortillas we used Verole soft taco size
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese to top
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese to top
Instructions
Make the enchilada sauce
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Heat the avocado oil in a pot over medium heat.
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Add in the flour and stir continuously. Let it sizzle for about 30 seconds, or until it is a very light, golden color.
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Add in the tomato, spices, sugar, and water. Stir to combine.
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Bring to a boil and boil, covered, for 5 minutes.
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Turn off heat and let cool.
Prepare filling
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Heat the oil, spinach, corn, beans, and pepper in a skillet over medium-high heat.
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Sprinkle with salt and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender.
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Add 2 tablespoons of sauce and stir to combine.
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Cool, and then add in cheeses.
Assemble
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Cover the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish in a small amount of sauce and preheat the oven to 375F.
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Place roughly 1/4 cup of filling in the center of each tortilla and roll up. Place it, seam side down, in the casserole dish.
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Top with remaining sauce and additional cheese.
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Bake for 15 minutes or until all cheese is melted.
