Hands down the best Vegetarian Enchiladas ever. Here are some enchiladas with sweet potatoes, kale, and black beans. If you’re not a vegetarian, here are some great green chicken enchiladas and enfrijoladas.
If you’re looking for a quick, easy, and flavorful vegetarian dinner, Gaby Dalkin’s bean and cheese enchiladas from What’s Gaby Cooking are an absolute winner These cheesy, bean-filled tortillas baked in a fiery red enchilada sauce are sure to become a regular rotation in your weeknight meal planning.
As a busy mom and cookbook author, Gaby knows how to make recipes that are simple yet satisfying. With just a handful of supermarket ingredients and 30 minutes from start to finish, even novice cooks can master these enchiladas. Let’s dive into all the mouthwatering details!
An Overview of Gaby’s Famous Enchilada Recipe
This recipe comes together in just three easy steps:
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Lightly fry flour tortillas to soften them up
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Fill with refried beans, cheese, and green chiles.
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Roll up and bake in enchilada sauce until gooey and golden.
Gaby calls for flour tortillas but you could substitute corn if you prefer. Just be sure to fry them slightly first to prevent cracking. The fillings are ready in minutes with canned refried beans and shredded cheese. Spicy green chiles add a touch of heat.
Smothered in enchilada sauce and cheese, these satisfy like a hearty meat-based meal but keep it vegetarian. You can garnish your enchiladas with sour cream, cilantro, and guacamole for even more flavor.
Step-By-Step Instructions for Assembling the Enchiladas
Follow these simple steps to put together Gaby’s famous bean and cheese enchiladas:
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Prep the tortillas: Heat 1⁄2 cup vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry each tortilla briefly until pliable, about 10 seconds per side.
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Make the sauce: Spread 1⁄2 cup red enchilada sauce in a baking dish. Quickly dip tortillas in remaining sauce to lightly coat both sides.
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Fill the tortillas: Working one at a time, spoon 2-3 Tbsp refried beans, shredded cheese, and green chiles onto each tortilla.
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Roll up the enchiladas: Fold one side of the tortilla over the filling and roll it up burrito-style. Place seam-side down in the baking dish.
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Top with cheese and bake: Cover enchiladas with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake at 375°F until bubbly, 10-15 minutes.
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Make the crema: Mix sour cream with chipotle peppers, milk/water, and salt while enchiladas bake.
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Serve and enjoy: Top enchiladas with creamy chipotle drizzle, cilantro, and guacamole!
Tips for Bean and Cheese Enchilada Success
Gaby provides some helpful tips for ensuring your enchiladas turn out perfectly every time:
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Make sauces and fillings up to 3 days ahead to allow quicker assembly.
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Use flour or corn tortillas – fry corn tortillas slightly first to soften.
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Check doneness early – enchiladas are done when cheese is melted and sauce bubbles.
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Spread masa on the smooth, glossy side of corn husks for easy removal.
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Don’t overcrowd the pan – allow space for steam to circulate evenly.
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Add a penny to the steamer pot – it will rattle when water boils, indicating tamales are cooking.
Gaby’s Recommended Ingredients
While the ingredients are flexible, Gaby recommends:
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Enchilada sauce: Herdez Salsa Cremosa has bold, authentic flavor.
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Cheese: Shred your own Monterey Jack block cheese for the best melt.
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Refried beans: She loves the Fat-Free Refried Beans from Trader Joe’s.
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Tortillas: Flour or corn tortillas both work deliciously.
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Chipotle crema: Blend sour cream with canned chipotles in adobo.
Serving Suggestions for Your Finished Enchiladas
Once baked, your enchiladas are ready to serve! Gaby offers some tasty serving ideas:
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Add extra toppings like salsa, crema, cotija cheese, cilantro, or onions.
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Serve with Mexican rice and beans for a complete meal.
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Stuff into tortillas with lettuce, peppers, and guacamole for enchilada tacos.
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For breakfast, fry leftover enchiladas in oil until crispy.
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Drizzle with cajeta, cinnamon sugar, or chocolate sauce for a sweet dessert.
With Gaby’s foolproof recipe and pro tips, you’ll be whipping up the best bean and cheese enchiladas ever in no time. This versatile dish works for pleasing crowds on Taco Tuesday or feeding your own family any night of the week.
More About Gaby Dalkin and What’s Gaby Cooking
Gaby Dalkin is a certified chef, cookbook author, food blogger, and entrepreneur behind What’s Gaby Cooking. After graduating culinary school and working at restaurants, she launched her blog in 2009 to share approachable recipes for home cooks.
With over 1.3 million Instagram followers and 4 best-selling cookbooks, Gaby has become a trusted source for delicious, unfussy recipes perfect for busy people and families. Her site includes recipes for all meals of the day plus meal plans, entertaining ideas, home projects, travel tips, and more lifestyle content.
While Gaby covers cuisines from around the world, Mexican and Tex-Mex recipes are some of her specialties. She grew up in Southern California enjoying Mexican food her whole life, so these dishes taste like home.
Beyond enchiladas, Gaby’s site includes easy recipes for tacos, fajitas, tamales, chilaquiles, and more Mexican favorites. She also shares tips for celebrations like Cinco de Mayo and Día de Los Muertos.
Why Gaby’s Enchilada Recipe Has Been a Hit
It’s easy to see why Gaby’s bean and cheese enchiladas have become such a reader favorite. Here are some of the top reasons people love this recipe:
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It’s vegetarian and full of protein from the beans and cheese. Even meat eaters enjoy it!
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The recipe comes together in just 30 minutes – perfect for busy weeknights.
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It requires only a handful of supermarket ingredients you likely have on hand.
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The instructions are simple enough for beginners but yield restaurant-quality results.
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The enchiladas freeze well, so you can prep a batch ahead.
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Kid-friendly flavors make this a dish the whole family will devour.
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The flexibility allows customization with different fillings and toppings.
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Gaby’s pro tips help you nail perfect enchiladas every single time.
So if you’re looking for an easy, crowd-pleasing enchilada recipe from an expert home cook, Gaby Dalkin’s got you covered. Whip up a batch of her insanely delicious bean and cheese enchiladas and see for yourself why this recipe has become so beloved. ¡Buen provecho!
How to Freeze Vegetarian Enchiladas
For freezing, similarly store the enchiladas in an airtight container and store them upto 3 months. You can re-heat these in an oven without thawing.
You’ll notice that the recipe below calls for flour tortillas. This is just my personal preference, and I know that some people prefer corn tortillas 100% of the time. I support you and you are absolutely allowed to use corn tortillas. Also, if you use corn tortillas, warm them up a bit in vegetable oil (5 seconds on each side) before putting the sandwich together. ) This helps make them more pliable and easier to roll.
I left out the cheese to make this recipe vegan. Instead, I added a few slices of avocado on top to make it extra creamy.
How to Make Vegetarian Enchiladas
Step 1: To make Vegetarian Enchiladas start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Them in a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onions and sweet potatoes.
Step 2: First, sauté the onions for 10 minutes until they become soft. Then, add the kale and cook it down until it wilts.
Add the cumin, salt, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and diced green chiles. Stir to mix.
Step 4: Next, add the black beans and ½ cup of your favorite enchilada sauce to the bowl. Stir to combine and let simmer until sweet potatoes are tender and then remove from heat.
Step 5: Now move on to assembling the enchiladas. Set up an assembly line including: tortillas, enchilada sauce, veggie mixture, cheese and green onions. Place the tortillas on a flat surface. Fill each one with the same amount of vegetables and onions, pepper jack cheese, and green onions (one tablespoon). Then, roll the tortillas up tightly.
Step 6: Pour another ½ cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Place the rolled up tortillas in the dish.
Step Seven: Cover the tortillas with the rest of the enchilada sauce and top them with the rest of the shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes.
Step 8: Take it out of the oven and serve right away with lots of Adam’s Green Sauce, the rest of the green onions, and cilantro.
Bean & Cheese Enchiladas – Great Recipes!
FAQ
Are enchiladas better with corn or flour?
Why are my cheese enchiladas soggy?