these easy enchiladas bring some of the best summer produce flavors to the forefront. covered in a zippy tomatillo sauce, this is a lighter, brighter, more summer-appropriate version of a classic comfort food dish.
I’ve mentioned this before, but ever since having Owen I’ve had a harder time stomaching meat than I used to. I’m not sure what changed but I just find myself craving it much less than I once did.
It’s been fun getting creative in the kitchen and making more vegetarian meals but it’s wreaked a bit of havoc on our family dinner time. My husband is a huge meat eater so finding dishes that he’ll eat as well has definitely been my biggest challenge.
Bean and cheese are always a pretty safe bet with him (thank goodness!) so when I was thinking of a meatless meal for the week, this one popped into my head as a perfect option.
Not only does it feature some of summer’s best produce, but it’s also made with foods that I know both Chad and Owen will happily eat! A win win for a successful meatless family dinner!
The flavors in this are absolutely insane. I even made my own sauce this time around (with the help of my dear friends over at America’s Test Kitchen!) and it was so easy and so flavorful, that I don’t think I’ll ever go back to the store-bought kind again!
Okay, that might be an exaggeration, the store-bought kind sure is useful on days when I just can’t bear to pull anything together from scratch! But still! It’s good to know that homemade sauce is a totally viable option.
Packed with vegetarian protein, fiber and whole grains, this dish is definitely going to be a summertime staple for us moving forward! The best part? You can make it ahead over the weekend then serve it up all week just reheating the portions you need.
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black bean, corn & zucchini enchiladas
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: dinner
- Method: baking
Description
these easy enchiladas bring some of the best summer produce flavors to the forefront. covered in a bright and zippy tomatillo sauce, this is a lighter, brighter, more summer-appropriate version of a classic comfort food dish.
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 1 can tomatillos, drained (*see note)
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup plain greek or skyr yogurt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2–3 garlic cloves
- Juice from 1 fresh lime
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Enchiladas:
- 12 (6-inch) or 10 (8-inch) whole grain corn tortillas
- 1 15-ounce can low sodium black beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
- 1 medium zucchini, washed and diced
- ~2 cups shredded pepperjack cheese
- Olive oil
- Optional toppings: plain greek or skyr yogurt, freshly chopped cilantro, salsa, avocado, hot sauce
Instructions
For the Sauce:
- Combine all ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Set aside.
For the Enchiladas:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Take half the beans and transfer them to a bowl and mash them using a potato masher (you can also gently process in the food processor or simply mash with a fork)
- In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and add minced onion, cooking until just soft (5-7 minutes).
- Add minced garlic and spices cooking until just fragrant (about 2 minutes).
- Stir in mashed beans, remaining whole beans, corn and zucchini cooking until zucchini are just soft & the whole mixture is warmed through (about 2 minutes).
- Transfer entire mixture to a large mixing bowl and toss with 1 cup of the shredded cheese and 1/2 cup of the tomatillo sauce.
- Spread 1/2 cup of the tomatillo sauce onto the bottom of a 13×9 inch baking dish.
- Spread about 1/4 cup of the mixture into the center of each tortilla then roll it tightly placing it in a baking dish seam side down. Repeat until all the tortillas have been used.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the top of all the filled tortillas and sprinkle remaining cup of cheese evenly over the top of the sauce.
- Cover dish tightly with greased aluminum foil and bake for about 20-30 minutes (or until enchiladas are heated through).
- Allow enchiladas to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- If you can’t find canned tomatillos, many reviewers had success subbing in canned tomatillo salsa
- Enchiladas will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge and up to 2 months in the freezer.
- If you don’t want to make your own sauce, you can buy a green salsa verde pre-made enchilada sauce from the store.
Keywords: dinner, enchiladas, vegetarian, kid-friendly
I made this tonight for meatless Monday. I thought they were very good! You forgot to put what temperature to bake them. I used 350. I wish I had used corn tortillas. I had flour and they got a little mushy. The homemade sauce was delicious! And I got to use veggies from my garden. Thanks!
★★★★
Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry I missed adding in the temperature of the oven! I’ve updated the recipe now! I’m so glad that you enjoyed and I LOVE that you got to use the veggies from your garden!!
These were delicious! I substituted with pre-made tomatillo salsa (that I doctored up with more of the fresh ingredients listed + the yogurt to keep it more creamy) since I couldn’t find the canned ones around where I live, but it turned out great. Came together so quickly and got to use up some of the zucchini that is growing like crazy in our garden. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
★★★★
Oh yay! I’m so happy to hear that! I love the idea of doctoring up pre-made tomatillo salsa – I definitely need to try that! I’m so glad you enjoyed!
I made this tonight (with a few tweaks) and it was delicious! I couldn’t find tomatillos at the store, so I used a jar of pre-made tomatillo salsa and mixed it with greek yogurt. It worked like a charm! I also completely forgot to add spices to the enchilada filling (pregnancy brain!) but they still tasted wonderful. I will definitely make this again!
★★★★★
Oh amazing! I’m so glad to hear that! And thank you for sharing your work around for the tomatillos – so helpful for others! 🙂