Name: Vegetarian Enchiladas Verdes (Freezer Friendly)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 red bell pepper, chopped; 1 small head of cauliflower, chopped (about 2 cups); 1 tsp cumin; 1/2 tsp chili powder; 2 cups baby spinach, packed; 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed; 1 can (13 ounces) green enchilada sauce (about 1 1/2 cups); 3/4 cup shredded cheese (Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese); 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp ground black pepper; 8 flour tortillas (about 8” in diameter); Topping: cilantro, sour cream, green onion

Homemade enchiladas are a favorite when cooking I’m for a small group or when looking to have leftovers for the week. To make these vegetarian enchiladas verdes (or green enchiladas), you just need to follow these few steps.

Cook veggies.
Mix veggies, beans, cheese, and sauce.
Fill up your tortillas.
Pour over some enchiladas sauce and bake!

How to make enchiladas ahead of time

After baking the enchiladas, you can refrigerate them for up to 3 days. Just keep them in an airtight container and reheat in the microwave or oven. I like to add a little extra enchiladas sauce or salsa when reheating since they tend to dry out a little bit in the fridge.
Before baking the enchiladas, you can add cover them and add the enchiladas to the freezer. Freeze them for up to 2 months. When you are ready to bake, remove the top and bake according to the instructions. You may want to bake them a little longer if baking from frozen so it may be close to 30 minutes.

Vegetarian enchiladas topped with avocado and sour cream.

Tips for the Best Enchiladas Verdes

Warm your tortillas. If you are struggling to roll the enchiladas without the tortillas breaking, warm them for a few seconds in the microwave. This will help make them soften and roll much easier.
Rinse beans well. Before adding your black beans to the mixture make sure to rinse them. Canned beans can contain a lot of excess salt.

Alternatives and Substitutions

Veggies - Feel free to change up the veggies used in the recipe with something you have or prefer. You could use broccoli instead of cauliflower or you could add in some jalapeño with the bell pepper if you are looking for some extra spice.
Enchilada Sauce - This recipe calls for green enchilada sauce but you could also use red if you prefer. If you want to go the extra ile you can even make your own sauce.
Tortillas - I prefer flour tortillas in the recipe. I have made it with regular and whole wheat and both turned out great. You could also try making them with corn tortillas.