Easy Enchilada Bake

I love making enchiladas.  While they are not hard to make they are definitely time consuming.  So I discovered a way to get the same great taste of enchiladas AND save time making it.  Win win!  My easy enchilada bake recipe is my new go-to when I want to make enchiladas.

Typical ingredients in a new way

I personally love a good cheese or veggie enchilada.  But stuffing and rolling the enchiladas up take time and it’s messy.  So instead of rolling up my enchiladas I now make little quesadillas instead.  I start with a base layer of pre-made enchilada sauce.  You most certainly can make your own (and I have a good recipe found here ^[3]) but if you don’t want to spend the time go with a good store bought.  I prefer this one ^[4] myself for these enchiladas.  Then after the sauce I layer my quesadillas.

The quesadillas I make simply folding over a corn tortilla with cheese in it.  I create a border of little half circles around the edges of my pan with the straight edge facing towards the edge of the pan.  In the center I don’t fold them over.  Basically you want to cover the pan with a layer of these quesadillas.  

Onto the “filling”

If I were making veggie enchiladas I would use a combination of black beans and a ton of veggies.  So that’s what I do for this recipe as well.  I sauté bell peppers, onions and garlic together until the veggies are soft.  I like to small dice my pepper mixture so that everything is about the same size of the black beans.  Then I add in the beans and season it up with some spices.  You don’t have to worry about cooking the beans since they will warm up in the oven.

I throw this veggie mixture right on top of my quesadilla layer.  Then I create another quesadilla layer.  Finally I top that final layer of cheesy tortillas with the last bit of my enchilada sauce. I bake that for 20 minutes and then top with a little more cheese and some scallions.  I let that get nice and golden brown and then serve.

These enchiladas are not your typical enchiladas.  But this easy enchilada bake has all the great flavor and takes less the time. So the next time you are craving enchiladas give this recipe a try!

For more Mexican inspired meals be sure to check these out:

Enchilada Style Spaghetti Squash ^[5]

Veggie Enchilada Soup ^[6]

Quick Mexican Black Bean Pasta ^[7]

And remember, if you try this recipe be sure to leave a comment below and let me know how you like it or tag me on Instagram! ^[8]

Easy Enchilada Bake

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• Author: Karissa P ^[9]
• Total Time: 50m
• Yield: 6-8 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 bell peppers, small dice
• 1 red onion, small dice
• 1 medium zucchini, small dice
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño, minced (omit if you don’t like spice!)
• 1 TBS chili powder
• 1.5 TBS cumin
• 2 15 oz cans of black beans, drained not rinsed
• 16–20 corn tortillas
• 1 – 1.5 c enchilada sauce
• 3 c shredded cheese (I use a pre-shredded Mexican blend but cheddar, Monterey Jack or pepper jack all would be good)
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375
2. In a large skillet sauté peppers, onions, jalapeños, and garlic in a TBS of olive oil. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Sauté for 8-10 minutes over medium to medium low heat until slightly soft. (they will cook more in the oven)
3. While your veggies are cooking start the rest of the dish. In a large baking dish (9×13) put down enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of the pan.
4. Next create a layer of quesadillas. I like to place cheese on one half of a tortilla and fold over. I then put the straight edge of the half moon against the baking dish.
5. Continue this until the bottom of your pan is covered with a single layer of quesadillas. To cover the middle of the pan I use a whole tortilla, cheese and top with another tortilla instead of folding in half (see picture above).
6. When your veggies are done add the black beans to the mix. Stir to incorporate. NOTE: My pan was not big enough so I transferred everything to a mixing bowl quick to avoid making a mess on the stove!
7. Add the veggie/bean mix on top of the tortilla layer.
8. Create another quesadilla layer to put on top of the veggies. Be sure to leave a little cheese to top the dish with.
9. Smear the rest of the enchilada sauce all over the second tortilla layer. Bake in the oven 20 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and add the remainder of cheese and sliced scallions to the top. Bake an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is melted.
11. Serve with your favorite hot sauce, avocados, sour cream, whatever additional fixings you like!

• Prep Time: 20m
• Cook Time: 30m
• Category: Mexican

Find it online: https://eatbreathelove.net/easy-enchilada-bake/ ^[10]