SUPER Easy Enchiladas

You may not think of enchiladas as easy OR nutritious, but these are the bomb. And so good. The first time I made them, I used a hotter enchilada sauce (by accident, actually) and they were pretty hot so I switched to mild and they were too mild. I think "medium" red enchilada sauce is going to be the keeper. I didn't even realize it came in different "hotness" before that, but I definitely saw the varieties the last time I went searching for them.

Most of the ingredients (a short, simple list) are not a problem. The cheese is always an issue. I modified it per the parenthetical info.

Ingredients and Recipe

10 oz monterey jack cheese (I used low fat, and I only used 6 ounces, for a total of 400 calories) 1000 calories or so
1/2 bag frozen corn kernels (about 10 or 12 ounces, total. The bag I had was 32 ounces, so when I used half it was heavy on the corn. Yummy, but the calories were more like 400 caloriesfor the extra corn.) 250 calories
1 can of black beans (15 ounces or so) 385 calories (and lots and lots of fibre grams, if you're counting those)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped up (I use a whole bunch and don't count it, but if you're inclined to nitpick, call it 30 calories)
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced up (again, I don't count it, but if you have to it would be about 25 calories)

Mix all of the above ingredients (reserve an ounce or so of the cheese for the top) with 1/2 can of the enchilada sauce (it's a biggish can, and you'll end up using the whole can, so it counts for about 200 calories total) in a pretty big bowl. That's your filling, so set it aside.

Use 12 corn tortillas (12 x 70 = 840 calories, though I've seen them for 80 calories too, so adjust as needed) Okay, if you're ever in the mood to be decadent but DELICIOUS, fry each one up (both sides, and briefly) in oil. Or, if you're like me and being calorie conscious, don't use oil, but still heat the tortillas, both sides, in a pan (I think I actually used a griddle so I could do two at a time). Pour about 1/4 of what you have left in the enchilada sauce on a shallow dish and lightly coat the tortilla with it; then fill, fold, and place in glass casserole dish (one of those 9x13s is perfect). Some people have problems dealing with the tortilla part. It totally doesn't matter, because in a pinch, you could layer the tortillas flat (half of them), spread the filling, and then layer another 6 tortialls flat over that. Seriously, it's still great tasting, but just not as easy to figure out your calories, or as cute on the plate, because you can for sure know that you've gotten 1 or 2 or 6 enchiladas if they're all cozy in their little tortilla). There is a little trick to getting comfy with the tortilla work, but once you're used to it, it's a fast set up. Even with the chopping and grating my own cheese, the entire part up to right here takes less than 10 minutes.

Once you have your enchiladas all nestled into the dish (I can fit 6 across the short side, then two rows down the long side, for 12 enchiladas...They're cozy though, so don't be afraid to shove them around and make room when they get into the dish!) pour the rest of the sauce over the top, then add a sprinkle of grated cheese. I cook them at 350 for 30 minutes (but again, I've got a badass oven, so if your oven is like my previous oven, it might take 5 more minutes because that damn thing was always off).

Total calories (with my modifications) for the entire pan of enchiladas is 2280 calories. Divided by 12 is 190 per enchilada. Two enchiladas are enough for anybody (even my husband, who can eat the entire pantry inventory when ravenous, will only eat 3 at the height of hunger) and one with a green salad is an amazing lunch for about 250 calories.

I made these when several of my teacher friends came over for dinner, and it was good enough for company, too.