Someone recently mentioned that they used white beans instead of chicken in recipes. I thought, “Wait, whoa, why haven’t I done that?” I use lentils and black beans as substitutes for beef regularly; however, for some reason, it has not occurred to me to utilize white beans instead of chicken. So, I tried using these Spinach White Bean Enchiladas, which was awe-inspiring. (It is possible to swap the white beans for around 1.5 cups of chopped chicken cooked to make an alternative with meat If you’d like).
WHAT KIND OF TORTILLAS SHOULD I USE?
Corn tortillas are ideal for enchiladas due to their excellent toasty corn taste and ability to stand up with the sauce. To get the best flavor from the corn tortillas you buy, toast them before cooking! This improves the taste and makes them more robust. The tortillas can be toasted on a flame or in a dry pan (see the step-by-step pictures in this recipe).
THE ENCHILADA FILLING
The enchilada filling can be made in a snap with a handful of chopped white beans, spinach, and creamy pepperjack salt, pepper, and cumin. Thanks to the bright dots of crushed chilies in the pepper Jack and salt, these enchiladas are not tasteless. If you’d like chopped chicken, substitute for the blanched beans in this recipe.
THE ENCHILADA SAUCE
I covered these delicious enchiladas in a delightful pepperjack sauce to ensure they tasted great. The sauce is rich and cheesy, spicy, tangy and delicious. I am enjoying these delicious white Enchiladas!
ENCHILADA TOPPINGS
I topped my enchiladas off with the chopped cilantro. However, if you’re not a fan, green onions work well. If you can discover avocados for sale, I would suggest adding a couple of slices on this enchilada’s top will be a great idea.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH ENCHILADAS
The Spinach white bean and Enchiladas would be great with Cilantro Lime rice, Easy Taco Rice, Warm Corn Avocado Salad, and Cumin Lime Baked Sweet Potato.
INGREDIENTS
12 6-inch corn tortillas ($1.10)
4 oz pepper jack cheese ($1.00)
1/2 lb of frozen chopped spinach ($0.85)
15 oz of white beans from a can* ($1.00)
14 tsp NEW WINDOWS garlic powder ($0.02)
1/2 teaspoon cumin ($0.05)
1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
A New Window Freshly cracked pepper ($0.02)
Fresh chopped cilantro handful for use as garnish (optional) ($0.13)
PEPPER JACK SAUCE
1 Tbsp of butter ($0.14)
One clove of minced garlic ($0.08)
4 oz New Window cream cheese ($1.00)
3/4 cup of whole milk ($0.29)
1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
4 oz pepper jack cheese ($1.00)
INSTRUCTIONS
Toast the tortillas on both sides in a dry pan over moderately low heat until they’re somewhat stiff and slightly browned around the edges. Place them on a plate until they are ready to serve. Toasting the tortillas improves the flavor and prevents cracking. Shred an 8oz. Block of pepperjack cheese. Half of it will be used to make the enchilada filling, and the other half to make the sauce.
Defrost the spinach frozen in a microwave or pull it out of the freezer before allowing it to defrost naturally. Make sure to squeeze as much water out of the spinach that has been thawed as possible. Set the spinach aside in an enormous bowl. Rinse and remove the white beans, and then add them into the bowl along with the spinach. Also, add 4oz. of cheese that has been shredded, as well as garlic powder, cumin salt, and some freshly cracked and seasoned pepper. Mix until it is uniformly mixed.
The oven should be preheated to 350oF. Begin making the sauce for pepperjack by adding the minced garlic and butter in a small saucepan. Sauté the garlic in butter for 1 minute at a moderate temperature. Add the cream cheese and milk into the saucepan. Stir and cook to a simmer until the cream cheese has completely melted into the milk. The mixture will have become slightly thicker. Add salt to taste. Add the remaining pepper Jack shredded in small amounts, mixing it until completely melting before adding more. When all the cheese is melted and incorporated into the dish, switch off the heat and let the sauce cool.
Cover the interior of the dish in a nonstick coating. Begin by filling the toasted tortillas with white bean and spinach mixture before rolling them up. The filled tortillas should be placed inside the casserole dish with the seams facing downwards. Select a casserole dish that can hold 12 enchiladas rolled comfortably to keep them from moving away.
After the tortillas have been filled and placed in the dish for baking, drizzle the pepperjack sauce over the top. Bake the enchiladas in a preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes and cook until the edges begin to golden brown and the pepperjack sauce becomes thick and golden around the edges. Sprinkle chopped cilantro on the top if you like.