Weeknight Cheese Enchiladas

This recipe for Cheese Enchiladas is simple enough to pull together on a weeknight and yields plenty of tasty leftovers.

Weeknight Cheese Enchiladas with Spanish Rice

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Lately, it feels as if the weeks are whizzing by in a hazy blur of work, freelance projects, blogging endeavors, and holiday get-togethers with family and friends. Stephen and I are busier than ever, and when it comes to stopping long enough to put dinner on the table, it helps to know I have some quick and simple recipes in my arsenal that I can rely on when time is of the essence.

Weeknight Cheese Enchiladas

One of the reasons why I like these enchiladas for a weeknight meal as opposed to a weekend meal is that I use canned enchilada sauce. Now, I realize these would taste infinitely better with from-scratch sauce, but when you're tight on time, you have to take the help where you can get it.

I used to be ashamed to admit that I use canned/jarred sauces because people just assume that, because I'm a foodie and a food blogger, everything I use in my kitchen is 100% homemade. But the reality is, I'm just as busy as the next person, so reaching for prepared sauces every now and then is no big deal.

I promise.

Weeknight Cheese Enchiladas with Spanish Rice

This recipe is extremely versatile, so you can change it up however you'd like in order to fit your personal tastes and preferences. Feel free to add shredded chicken, browned ground beef, or roasted vegetables to the cheese or to use green sauce instead of red. Honestly, there's no wrong combination here. The sky's the limit!

Weeknight Cheese Enchiladas

Yield: 6-8 servings | Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 3 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce
• Corn oil, for frying
• 24 small corn tortillas, plus more if any break
• 3 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup queso fresco, crumbled
• 1/2 cup scallions, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Lime wedges, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Spoon a thin layer of enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x12-inch aking dish.
3. Pour about a 1/2 inch of corn oil into a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. When hot (but not smoking), cook the tortillas, one at a time, until pliable. This should take only about 10 seconds. Add more corn oil as needed and drain the tortillas well on paper towels.
4. Place a heaping tablespoon of Monterrey Jack cheese in the center of each tortilla. Roll the tortilla tightly and place the enchilada seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. It's okay to pack them in tightly.
5. Pour more sauce over the top of the enchiladas until they are covered about halfway. Put the enchiladas in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the sauce has started to bubble.
6. Take the enchiladas out of the oven and sprinkle them with the queso fresco, callions, and fresh cilantro.
7. Serve the enchiladas with lime wedges, Spanish rice, and more sauce (heated) on the side.

Recipe by Michelle Rittler | Taste As You Go // Adapted from How to Cook Everything, 10th Anniversary Edition

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