I love enchiladas, but I don’t like the hassle of filling each one with all of the ingredients and then rolling them up. So I just layer the ingredients in a pan like a casserole. And when you include some veggies, it’s a win/win for this girl!
I also love it when a recipe looks good enough to wow guests.
I’m not going to tell you that this is the easiest recipe for enchiladas that I have ever made. But after the first time, it was a no-brainer. And one of the things I like most about it is that I can get creative with the ingredients. I can also adjust them to my own family’s taste.
It’s a dish that you can use to wow a crowd, or freeze the extras to make your life easier! Who doesn’t enjoy a night off from cooking while still having a delicious, tasty meal?
To clarify a couple of the ingredients I rely on, I decided to give you pictures of what I have found at my local grocery store (Kroger) and at Walmart. The first one is Tortillas (pictured on the left). I love this brand because it has no trans fats, no hydrogenated oils, no added sugars, no cholesterol, is high in fiber and contains Omega 3s! The veggies (pictured on the right) give a good combination of corn, black beans, onions, peppers, and tomatoes. If you don’t have this brand, just look for something similar. But if you used canned, be sure to drain the juice from the corn or beans.
As for the enchilada sauce, I make my own: Easy Blender Enchilada Sauce. You can do it easily and quickly using only a blender, a can of tomatoes and some spices. But if you don’t want to make it homemade, you can use the canned. It still has healthy ingredients. Just be sure to check the ingredients for excess sodium, added sugars, or hydrogenated oils.
And don’t make it into rocket science. Enchiladas is a meal that can easily be adjusted to fit what you have on hand. One time, I couldn’t find the frozen vegetables so I used frozen corn and a can of black beans drained. Or, you can just leave out the veggies all together.
Most of all – Enjoy!!!
- 2 lbs ground turkey or beef
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 c enchilada sauce (can substitute tomato juice or salsa that you have on hand
- 2 c enchilada sauce I use homemade sauce but you can use canned
- 6 tortillas I use all natural whole grain
- 1 large can vegetarian refried beans or 1 1/2 c total
- 1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese separated into thirds
- 1/2 c fresh cilantro chopped and separated into thrids
- 1/2 c green onion chopped and separated into thirds
- 10 cherry tomatoes chopped
- 1/4 c fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 c vegetable mix (corn, black beans, red peppers, onions)
- Brown meat in a skillet.
- Add spices along with the 1/2 c of enchilada sauce, salsa or tomato juice.
- Set aside.
- Chop onion and cilantro.
- Spread 1/2 c of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of 11x17 baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Layer the following ingredients, repeating 3 times 2 tortillas (laid side by side in the baking dish) 1/2 c refried beans 1/3 of the total meat filling 1/2 c cheese 1/3 of the 1/2 c of cilantro 1/3 of the 1/2 c of green onion 1/2 c refried beans 1/2 c enchilada sauce 1/3 of the cilantro and onions 1/2 c cheddar cheese 3/4 c of the mixed vegetables (repeat two more times - you should have a total of 3 layers)
- Bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes or until bubbly.
- 10 minutes before finished baking, top with chopped tomatoes.
- Garnish with cilantro (optional)
God-given health benefits I enjoy from these ingredients (Too many to list them all):
Turkey (including ground): protein for energy, may aid tissue, muscle and cell health, and may help raise metabolism.
Whole grains: may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, prevent gallstones, and protect against breast cancer and heart disease.
Mexican spices and herbs used: antioxidants, may protect against memory loss, reduce blood cholesterol, fight inflammation, fight diabetes
Onions: may improve immunity, fight infection, regulate blood sugar, reduce inflammation, fight allergies.
Tomatoes: may interfere with chemical unions needed to create carcinogens, aid in heart health, regulate fat in the blood.
Leave a Reply