The best enchiladas I’ve ever had were from La Palmera, a Mexican restaurant tucked in Mill Creek, WA. Unless you lived in the town or nearby, you’d never have any reason to visit. Except for the enchiladas.
Which is how this recipe came to light. I had yet to find enchiladas up to par in New York, and decided to take matters into my own hands. Literally.
Adapted from this Rick Bayless recipe, these enchiladas are spicy, slightly tangy, and completely satisfying. And with the help of a few shortcuts (soft corn tortillas from Whole Foods and Rick Bayless’ premade enchilada sauce), it’s also fast.
Which means we eat them pretty often. Like, once a week. Sometimes twice.
But I’ll let you be the judge.
GREEN ENCHILADAS
Enchilada Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 16 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 8 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 large onion
- 4 serrano chiles
- 1 jalapeno (with seeds, if you like it spicy)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil
- 16 ounces (1 container) prewashed baby spinach
DIRECTIONS
- Set oven to broil, and place the rack at close as possible (with space for your baking sheet to fit)
- On a rimmed baking sheet, spread out tomatillos, garlic, serrano, and the onion, sliced ½ inch thick.
- Broil for 5 minutes (or until everything begins to blacken and soften). Turn the vegetables and roast for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from the broiler and let the vegetables cool.
- Peel the stems from the chiles and the skins from the garlic, and add the contents of the tray to your blender, along with the broth, spinach, and chopped jalapeno.
- Blend until smooth, and set aside.
*if you purchase 2 bags of Rick Bayless’ premade enchilada sauce, simply dump the contents of the sauce with the baby spinach and jalapeno and blend. Boom. Done.
Enchiladas
INGREDIENTS
- 16 corn tortillas (I prefer the soft corn tortillas from Whole Foods)
- 16 ounces (1 container) prewashed baby spinach
- 4 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
- Enchilada sauce
- 1 tablespoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Heat oil in a medium pan. Once hot, add spinach and cayenne and cook until wilted.
- If you’re using regular corn tortillas, soften them by wrapping a stack of 8 tortillas in a damp paper towel, and microwaving them for 1 minute on high.
- Pour enchilada sauce in two medium-sized baking dishes, coating the bottom evenly.
- Place 1/4 cup of your preferred filling (cheese, spinach, or both) in an open tortilla and roll. Place the rolled tortilla in the dish, the opening on the bottom. Repeat.
- Cover the enchiladas with the leftover sauce completely, and sprinkle cheese on top.
- Bake until you see the cheese inside the enchiladas oozing out (anywhere from 5-10 minutes).
What’s one of your repeat offender meals in your home? COMMENT below and let me know!
P.S – another easy weeknight dinner, and how I jazz up boxed mac & cheese.
