Looking for something different for dinner? Only so many tacos and quesadillas you can eat? Try enchiladas! A few special ingredients make this easy weeknight meal memorable.
Before trying this recipe, I had never dared to eat green salsa on anything. Come to think of it, I hadn’t eaten enchiladas before. I mean I had if you count some crusty, beef enchiladas from the cafeteria years ago. Thankfully, these were so fresh and tasty. And the Herdez guacamole salsa elevated the flavor.
For the past year, this entrée has been part of the weeknight meal rotation. My daughter and I love the cheesy Northern White Beans with sautéed orange bell peppers, jalapeno, onion, and garlic. Seasoned with chili powder and cumin, it’s all packed inside a flour tortilla drizzled with green salsa, sprinkled with cheese, and finished with fresh diced tomatoes and cilantro.
Enchiladas Verde are really simple to make, easily customizable with pretty much anything you have on hand (except tortillas, you have to have those, or it’s not an enchilada anymore).
This recipe is an adaptation of an Emilie Eats recipe, which actually called for diced green chilies. The store was out of the canned variety, so I improvised with orange bell peppers. The only ones I had on hand. Turns out that was a bit lucky.
My daughter and I really enjoyed these green enchiladas with orange peppers. Mild but flavorful.
Actually, the next time I made these, I wanted to copy the recipe and used the diced chilies. They just didn’t pack the flavor or texture that we wanted. Plus, the orange peppers made up a lot more filling for the rolled enchiladas.
Later, I decided to add a jalapeno for some spicy kick to the filling. That further elevated the flavor and added more interest to an already tasty entrée.
So, why not experiment?
If it doesn’t go right, it doesn’t usually ruin the meal. Plus my daughter and I love assessing what we liked about a meal, and what should be changed or left out. Ultimately, we decide pretty quickly if we should try it again, or if it’s a no go.
But what if it goes right?
That’s the beauty of the flavor adventure I want to take you on. By making small changes, I found what worked for me, and left out what didn’t work.
You may have a completely different take on these recipes, but you have different tastes, probably a different culture, and certainly have lived different life experiences. We won’t agree on everything, nor should we. That would be boring. Ultimately, the food gets boring too if we just make it the same way every time.
Please let me know how your Enchiladas Verde turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
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Enchiladas Verde
Equipment
- 1 large baking dish
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 large non-stick pan
- 1 Spatula
- 1 set of measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 15 oz cannellini or Great Northern white beans drained and rinsed
- 1 orange bell pepper chopped
- 1 jalapeno finely chopped
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Roma tomato diced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ jar Herdez Guacamole Salsa (or your favorite salsa)
- 8 8-9" tortillas
- 4 oz Monterey Jack and Sharp Cheddar cheese blend shredded
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 °F
Prepping Veggies
- Wash all your veggies briefly in cool water.
- On a cutting board, use a chef's knife to dice or chop the onion and peppers. Mince the garlic. Keep the veggies separate and set them off to the side.
- Next dice a tomato and finely chop the cilantro.
Drain beans
- Place colander or sieve over the sink and pour in the beans, allowing the liquid to drain. Give the beans a gentle rinse. Pour beans in a small bowl and set near the stove.
Sauté veggies & beans
- Place a large non-stick skillet or pot over medium heat. Add a tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil and let it heat up.
- Add the chopped onions to the skillet and let them cook. If the oil is hot, they should sizzle right away. I add a pinch of salt here to elevate the flavor. Stir to coat with the oil, and let onion cook for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chopped peppers, mix with the onions. Let them cook together for about 4-5 more minutes, until they become tender but still have their vibrant color.
- Add the chili powder and cumin, and give a stir to coat the veggies.
- After about a minute of letting the spices roast, add the drained beans. Mix them in with the spices and veggies to meld the flavors together. Cook for about 2-3 minutes to heat the beans. Then remove from heat.
Prep the baking dish
- To a large baking dish, spread 1/2 cup of guacamole salsa and cover as much of the bottom of the dish as you can.
Fill & Roll the Tortillas
- On a plate, lay out a stack of 8 tortillas. Drizzle a teaspoon of guacamole salsa across the middle of the first tortilla. It should make a line, but leave about an inch on each side. Then add 1/4 cup of the bean and veggie mixture on that same line. Followed by a sprinkle of Mexican cheese blend.
- Gently fold the sides closest to the filling inward.
- Keep your fingers on the sides to keep them in place as you use your thumbs to roll the tortilla away from you. Take care to adjust the sides if they start to pop out.
- Keep rolling until the tortilla is closed.
- Then gently place in the baking dish with seam side facing down.
- Repeat with the remaining 7 tortillas. Place them side by side in the dish.
Preparing for baking
- Thoughtfully, pour about a 1/2 cup of guacamole salsa over all of the enchiladas. Try to keep an even amount on each one. Then sprinkle cheese all of them.
- Add any remaining filling to the top of your enchiladas as you see fit.
- Bake in over for 15-20 minutes uncovered.
Topping it off
- When your dish is done cooking, evenly distribute the diced tomato over each tortilla. Followed by a sprinkle of cilantro.
- Use a spatula to scoop out all the goodness on to plates and serve. Enjoy!
