My family is a meat eating family. One proven way to eat well on a budget is to incorporate more meatless meals into the diet, but getting my family to forgo the meat is often difficult. They do, however, enjoy these black bean and corn enchiladas. These have been a favorite meatless meal in our home for many years.
Black beans, corn, spinach, green onions, pepper jack cheese, and a homemade sauce make it a flavorful and delicious combination. One of my friends told me that these black bean and corn enchiladas have been on her meal rotation as a favorite vegetarian meal for many years. I can see why.
This recipe does call for frozen chopped spinach, which is an excellent bargain for the amount of spinach crammed into one frozen box. If your kids don’t enjoy all that green, you could certainly either reduce the amount or split up the filling mixture with half being with spinach and half without. You know your family best, and I would rather see a child eat well than gag on a little green.
To further save money on this dish, you could
- make your own broth (chicken or vegetable)
- cook black beans in advance from dry beans
- make your own tortillas
Black bean and corn enchiladas
Vegetarian enchiladas made with spinach, black beans, corn, and pepperjack cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 2 cup broth
- 2 tsp cumin divided, 1 tsp for sauce, 1 tsp for filling
- 1/2 tsp salt or more if broth is unsalted
- 3 cups pepper jack cheese grated
- 1.5 cup cooked black beans
- 10 oz frozen corn thawed
- 4 green onions sliced and separate green from white
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 12 tortillas corn or flour
- 10 oz box frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry of excess liquid. You may not need all of this spinach. Add to the filling until it is to your liking.
Instructions
-
Sauce:
Heat oil. Add garlic, 1 tsp cumin, flour and tomato paste. Cook and whisk for 1 minute (it will ball up).
Whisk in broth. Bring to boil.
Reduce to simmer and cook until slightly thickened (about 5 minutes).
Season with salt, pepper, and possibly more cumin to taste. Set aside.
Filling: In large bowl combine 2 cups cheese, beans, corn, white of onion and remaining tsp of cumin, and squeeze out spinach. You don't have to use all of the spinach if you don't want. Season with salt and pepper. Taste filling and add more salt if needed.
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Grease 9×13 baking dish.
Heat tortillas in microwave for 20 seconds so they are pliable.
Fill with 1/3 cup filling. Roll up tightly. Place in pan with seam side down.
Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
Pour sauce over top.
Bake uncovered 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Cool 5 minutes. Top with green onions and sour cream.
Hi Tara,
My family loved this recipe!! Very filling and I don’t even miss having meat. I had a question about the sauce ingredients though – it says to add flour but I didn’t see that listed in the ingredients so I just guessed. How much do you use? Thank you!