I did not particularly gravitate towards enchiladas as a little girl. When my parents took me and Kleine out for Mexican food, I tended to gravitate toward the crunchy tacos with a side of rice and refried beans. My feelings about them didn’t really change until I began to appreciate Mexican sauces in all of their complexity and flavor.
In my view, enchiladas are largely about the sauce, although the filling is certainly important. This sauce is nicely balanced with chiles, onions, garlic, and tomatoes. I use corn tortillas here because they fit with my gluten-free diet, however, you could definitely use flour tortillas. If you do, you will need to place more filling into each tortilla and you will make fewer total enchiladas. Enjoy!
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
Place in a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and allow to drain while you prepare the rest of the enchiladas.
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2-3 dried chiles, seeded and torn
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed
Place in a saute pan over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions and chiles are softened. Stir frequently to help prevent the garlic from burning.
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon herb blend with oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
Preheat the oven to 400-degrees. Stir into the onion mixture and cook for 5 minutes to help the flavors meld. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool while you make the filling.
- 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup crumbled cotija cheese (about half of the wedge you can purchase)
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1/4 cup chile sauce
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Drained yogurt
Gently stir these ingredients together in a large bowl. If you would like to use dry beans that you have already cooked, then you will need approximately 3 cups of cooked beans.
- Corn tortillas (15-16)
- Cotija cheese
Use a food processor or blender to puree the tomato/chile sauce and ensure it is smooth. Spread 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Warm the corn tortillas in batches of 5-6 by placing them between two plates and heating them in the microwave for 30 seconds. Don’t burn yourself, but take a warm tortilla and spread 2 Tablespoons of filling in the tortilla. Wrap the tortilla around the filling and place it wrapped side down on top of the sauce. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce over the wrapped tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining cotija cheese, approximately 1 cup. Bake, covered for 15 minutes, then remove the cover and bake an additional 15 minutes.
- 1 small cabbage, cored and sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 3 Tablespoons oil
- Salt
Place cabbage on a baking tray and drizzle with oil. Toss to evenly coat the cabbage with the oil and sprinkle it all with salt. Bake with the enchiladas for the final 15 minutes. Serve enchiladas with the cabbage on the side.
