Before I knew how to cook–back in what I call my “Omelet/Sandwich/Ramen Period”–enchiladas were a food shrouded in mystery. I would order them every chance I got at restaurants, but I was convinced that between the filling, the sauce on top, and whatever magical Abuelita technique was used to roll the tortillas perfectly, enchiladas were WAY out of my league as a home cook. (Then again, so was making rice, so that’s not saying a lot.) It was quite a revelation, then, when I eventually realized that enchiladas are among the easiest, most forgiving foods in the Latin American catalog. Sure, they involve a multi-step process–making the filling, putting it in tortillas, and baking the whole thing–but the steps are really so simple that I’m not sure why I ever considered them intimidating.
These days, enchiladas are a staple in our household. For one, with as crazy as life with three school-aged kids, hobbies, church, friends, and a nutrition internship can get, I get dreamy-eyed at the thought of any meal that is relatively simple AND can be made ahead. And enchiladas happen to be a make-ahead superstar. Plus, they are so dang appealing, no matter what you put in them. You could put rat meat and human hair in enchiladas and I’d be like, “Fork, please.” I mean, warm, spicy filling in a soft tortilla is like if they made one of those body pillows into a food….
I demand someone make this in full-body length. Hashtag #FoodieChristmasPresent. (From FineArtAmerica.com. Hint, hint.)
At any rate, these edible body pillows roasted vegetable enchiladas might not have the classic Mexican filling you’d expect (chicken, beef, or cheese), but they DO represent the simple beauty of enchiladas mentioned earlier: namely, that you can fill them with just about anything and they come out tasting great. This particular iteration uses roasted broccoli, carrots, and red onion mixed with 3 cups of prepared mashed potatoes, making it perfect for an easy dinner post-Thanksgiving–or any other time you happen to have extra mashed potatoes on hand. Or even if you don’t (and don’t have the time to whip up a batch on the spot) there are some high quality frozen mashed potato options on the market I highly recommend, like Trader Joe’s.
So…what do you like to fill your enchiladas with? (Don’t say rat meat and human hair.) Let me know what you think of this hearty vegetarian version!
Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
A Love Letter to Food Original Recipe
Ingredients:
4 carrots, sliced into 1/2-inch matchsticks
1 large head broccoli, chopped into florets
1 red onion, sliced medium-thin
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning (I like to make my own–it’s super simple!)
3 c. prepared mashed potatoes
6 flour tortillas
1 10-oz. can enchilada sauce
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss carrots, broccoli, and red onion with olive oil and taco seasoning and spread on a large baking sheet.
- Bake 30 minutes, stirring once about halfway through for even roasting.
- When vegetables are done, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes.
- Pour a small amount of enchilada sauce into one 9 x 13 baking dish to evenly coat the bottom of the dish. Spread 1/6th of the vegetable mixture into each tortilla, roll and place seam-side down in the dish.
- Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
Makes 6 enchiladas.
