Thank goodness for leftovers.
That’s what I was thinking as I devoured this for lunch today.
Anyone out there watch Top Chef? John and I are avid followers (obvi). I remember an episode in the last season where one of the cheftestants used flour tortillas (instead of corn) to make enchiladas, and Padma ripped him a new one.
Listen to Padma.
Everything I’ve read about authentic Mexican cuisine implies that enchiladas are made with corn tortillas. So when you make these — which you will, right? — use corn, not flour. Besides, the corn tortillas are my favorite part of this recipe. They’re generally thicker than flour tortillas, have a stronger flavor, and perfectly complement the roasted vegetables.
My second favorite component? The cotija cheese. I could pretty much eat spoonfuls of this on its own (maybe that’s just cheese, in general…).
So we’ve got flavorful corn tortillas, salty Mexican cheese, tons of roasted veggies, and more cheese. Seriously, what’s not to like?!
Directions
Place chopped veggies on a baking sheet, then toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
Let the veggies cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, combine the beans, cumin, chili powder, garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro together. Toss with the cooled veggies.
In a small sauté pan, add 1 tablespoon of water and half the bag of spinach. Cook over medium-high heat until just wilted (about 2 minutes). Remove from pan, drain any excess water, then add to the roasted veggie mixture. Repeat with remaining spinach.
Grease a 9×13 baking dish, then spread 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom. Cover with a layer of corn tortillas (trying to conceal the bottom as much as possible). Spoon in half of the veggie mixture and even out with a spatula.
Sprinkle half of each cheese on top – yum.
Make a second layer of tortillas, enchilada sauce, vegetables, and cheese.
Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray, then cover the pan. Bake enchiladas for 20 minutes, then remove foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are bubbling.
Hello, beautiful!
Let cool for 10 minutes then slice it up.
Serve with cilantro-lime rice (a favorite in this household) and a garnish of fresh cilantro.
Homemade enchiladas, piled high with roasted veggies and a mountain of gooey cheese.
I promise you won’t miss the meat.
Stacked Vegetable Enchiladas
*Recipe adapted slightly from Two Peas & Their Pod.
Yields: 8 servings
Time: 15 min prep, 1 hr 15 min roasting/cooking
Ingredients
- 1 large red pepper, chopped, seeds removed
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 1 medium yellow squash, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño, minced
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 bag of baby spinach
- 2 (10 oz) cans red enchilada sauce
- 9-10 small corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 3/4 cup cotija cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, and onion on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toss until vegetables are coated. Roast vegetables for 40 minutes, or until tender, stirring once after 20 minutes.
- Remove vegetables from oven and let cool to room temperature. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine roasted veggies, black beans, cumin, chili powder, garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro. Stir and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a small sauté pan, add 1 tablespoon of water and half of the spinach. Cook over medium-high heat until just wilted (about 2 minutes). Remove from pan, drain any excess water, then add to the roasted veggie mixture. Repeat with remaining spinach.
- Spread 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce onto the bottom of the baking pan. Add a layer of tortillas, to completely cover the bottom of the pan. You might have to cut the tortillas to make them fit. Top with 1/2 of the vegetable-bean mixture and 1/2 of each cheese. Make a second layer of tortillas, enchilada sauce, vegetables, and cheese. Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the pan.
- Bake enchiladas for 20 minutes, then remove foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are bubbling. Remove enchiladas from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Cut into squares, garnish with cilantro, and serve warm.