Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
I know, these aren’t exactly the most authentic enchiladas, but they still have a ton of flavor from the roasted vegetables and are topped with tons of cheese, and at the end: a few dollops of sour cream and some freshly chopped scallions and cilantro. And plus, they’re super customizable!
This recipe makes 6 enchiladas using 8-inch flour tortillas, which was enough for two meals for Sanjeev and I (we ate 1 and a half enchiladas each), so approximately 4 servings total.
See *Notes at the bottom for some really great substitutions and customization options as well as some important clarifications/tips.
Backstory:
Growing up, my mom and dad used to make us “Creamy Chicken Enchiladas” based off a Campbell’s recipe that they’d modified over the years. The recipe was simple: a can of cream of chicken soup, along with some salsa, sour cream, black beans, chicken, cheese, and whatever else they thought to throw in (diced zucchini was a frequent addition that I loved, more on that later! ). They’d even swap out the plain tortillas for flavored ones (Mission’s Jalapeño Cheddar Flour Tortillas were a favorite).
All that to say, while it wasn’t exactly the most authentic of enchilada recipes, I’d always loved how customizable it was. It was also just really fun to make (and eat!). Those enchiladas would end up being one of the first recipes I would learn to make on my own.
This recipe is just as customizable, and works great as a weeknight meal, you could even prep some of the ingredients over the weekend to make it easier! And if you end up with more filling than you need for this recipe, don’t worry - there’s plenty else you can use them for: frittatas, nachos, as a side to some chicken and rice, to name a few. I love using the canned red enchilada sauce - It’s pre-made and has a ton of flavor. If you’re feeling fancy, though, you can make your own. I love Urvashi Pitre’s recipe, quick and easy as most everything is done in an Instant Pot!
Ingredients:
1 sweet potato
1 delicata squash
1/4 of a large red onion
1 small eggplant (I used a Japanese eggplant)
1 green bell pepper
Six, 8 inch flour tortillas
About 1 1/2 cups of enchilada sauce (some for the filling, some on top)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used Sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack)
Dried spices for roasting vegetables (to taste)
Oil for roasting (I used canola, but you could use extra virgin olive oil or whatever oil you like)
Toppings: sour cream, scallions, cilantro, jalapenos
Process:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with rack in the middle position and prepare a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper as well as a 9x13 baking dish by brushing a small amount of the enchilada sauce on the bottom and sides of the dish*.
Cut your choice of veggies*. In this case, I started by peeling my sweet potato and my delicata squash (I peeled mine but you don’t have to - the skin is edible).
As for what size to cut the veggies so they all roast appropriately, ( since they’re all going on one half sheet pan - see picture above), I’d cut any vegetables that normally take longer to roast in smaller pieces and any that are more delicate and would take less time in bigger pieces. As long as they’re consistent in size you should be good. I diced my sweet potato ito about 1/4 inch in diameter, the squash slightly larger (about 1/2 inch), the pepper about 1/4-1/2 inch, the onion I diced pretty small, and the eggplant I left the largest - probably close to 1 inch.
Toss the veggies with a couple tablespoons of the oil of your choice in a large bowl (I used canola, extra virgin would be great too). Wipe and save this bowl to use after the veggies are done roasting! Make sure you enough oil to properly coat the veggies with salt, pepper and whatever spices you’re using*.
Spread the veggies out on an even layer on the sheet pan and roast for 15-20 mins, flipping veggies once halfway through, until just tender.
While the veggies roast, shred your cheese(s) of choice. You’ll be using 1 cup of the cheese in the filling and 1 cup on top.
When your vegetables are done, turn the oven down to 350 and transfer the veggies back to the bowl you used before and mix in 1 cup of the cheese, and 1 cup of the enchilada sauce.
Prepare to fill and roll the enchiladas! If you want, lightly coat each tortilla with some sauce to help prevent them from drying out in the oven*. Spread your tortillas out on a clean work surface and evenly spread your filling in a line slightly off center on the tortilla. Roll them up by tucking the end closest to the filling and roll from there. Transfer rolled enchiladas to baking dish with the loose end of the tortilla on the bottom, leaving just a bit of space in between each one so the sauce you put on top next, gets down all sides of the enchiladas.
When all filled and rolled enchiladas have been transferred to the baking dish, start by adding up to 1/2 cup more of the sauce on top, leaving some bare spots of tortilla. I’d start with 1/4 cup and go from there*. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top next and bake for about 15 mins more, or until all cheese is melted. Prepare any toppings during this time.
Let rest about 5 mins and then serve with the toppings of your choice. I used freshly chopped scallions, cilantro and sour cream. Enjoy!
*Notes
For customization options:
Choosing your veggies: As I said, use really whatever vegetables you like, but you’ll need 2 cups of the roasted vegetables so I’d try to stick with similar amounts to the vegetables I’ve chosen. But if you end up with more than two cups, no worries! Like I mentioned above, plenty of yummy ways to use them up
You could swap delicata squash for zucchini (which I also love) or really any variety of squash you like
Omit the eggplant if you’re not a fan and use some broccoli or cauliflower instead
Just use a few of the fillings I did but add more of them (more sweet potatoes, different colors of bell peppers).
You could even add some greens (kale or spinach) or some beans.
Spices for roasting: I used a combination of some I had on hand including chili powder, cumin, paprika, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, cayenne, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, parsley and coriander - but use whatever combination you like
And of course, use whatever cheese and toppings you like. I went with a blend of Monterey Jack and Sharp Cheddar (queso fresco would be really good too, or some pepper jack), because that’s what I had on hand, and topped with some sour cream, scallions, and cilantro.
Other tips/clarifications:
You can use nonstick cooking spray for the baking dish if you don’t want to use the enchilada sauce for this step. Before rolling my tortillas I brushed each one with a bit of the sauce to prevent them from drying out in the oven. However, if you’re going to put sauce on the bottom of the baking dish (and on top) you can skip this step
On top: I’d recommend using slightly less sauce on top and leave some bare spots so you end up with different textures of the tortillas