Spinach & artichoke enchiladas

Homemade sauce + vegetarian filling

There are few recipes that make me say with absolute confidence that A.) everyone will flip out over how yummy this is, B.) you will be thrilled to eat the leftovers a week straight (should there be any), and C.) it's really, truly easy to make. Well heaven bless Kate, of Cookie & Kate, because her recipes usually check off all of these boxes — and her enchiladas have quickly become a new favorite. 

If you like spinach and artichoke dip, or if you just like enchiladas, I promise this is the kind of recipe that'll leave you licking the plate. The amounts below make a pan of six large enchiladas, and you really only need one per person (they're filling) so you can feed a party of six, no problem. Or you can enjoy the leftovers for the next week; Adam and I did and loved every minute of it. 

As for the ease, you make your own enchilada sauce, which means measuring some spices and opening some cans. Easy. You can make the sauce the night before, then whip up the enchilada filling, bake these bad boys, and have dinner on the table in no time. Serve with some smashed avocado and sour cream. Yummy sounds soon to follow. 

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SPINACH & ARTICHOKE ENCHILADAS

WHAT YOU'LL NEED 
ENCHILADA SAUCE
3 TBS olive oil
3 TBS whole wheat or all-purpose flour
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp oregano 
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
2 TBS tomato paste
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp apple cider or distilled white vinegar 
black pepper, to taste

ENCHILADAS
2 TBS olive oil 
1 cup chopped red onion 
1/4 tsp salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 14-oz. can artichokes, chopped 
1 4-oz. can diced green chiles (I used mild)
12 oz. baby spinach (see Spinach Note, below)
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup sour cream
additional salt & pepper, to taste
6 8-inch whole wheat tortillas
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese 
homemade enchilada sauce (above)
chopped fresh cilantro, for serving 
avocado & lime juice, for serving 

* Spinach Note: When you buy spinach, check out the ounces on the package. A big tub of spinach will be about 10 ounces; I used an entire tub, plus a couple more heaping handfuls in this recipe. It looks like a lot, even too much — but it wilts like crazy. Trust me! 

WHAT YOU'LL DO
1. To make the sauce: Measure the flour and spices into a small bowl. Measure tomato paste and vegetable broth. Place all these near the stove (having everything ready before you start cooking is key!). 

2. In a medium-sized pot, heat 3 TBS oil until shimmering. Pour in the flour and spice mixture, whisking constantly. Cook 1 minute until fragrant and deepened in color. Whisk in the tomato paste, then slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to remove any lumps. 

3. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer, whisking often, for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat once the sauce has thickened a bit (it will thicken more as it cools), and whisk in vinegar and black pepper to taste. Set the sauce aside. 

4. To make the enchiladas: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 by 13-inch pan. 

5. In a large skillet, warm 2 TBS oil until shimmering. Add chopped onion and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook about 30 seconds. 

5. Add the drained, chopped artichokes and green chiles to the skillet. Add a few handfuls of spinach (I tore the spinach into slightly smaller pieces as I added it to the skillet). Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then mix until the spinach is wilted. Continue adding handfuls of spinach, sprinkling with salt and pepper as you go and stirring frequently, until all of the spinach has been added. Cook until all the spinach is wilted and most of the excess moisture has evaporated from the pan.

6. Remove from heat and stir in the drained black beans and sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. *Note: I found that sprinkling in salt and pepper while adding the spinach resulted in a perfectly-seasoned mixture, but taste-test it to see.

7. Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce into the prepared pan and evenly coat the bottom. To assemble, spoon 1/2 cup of spinach/artichoke mixture into the center of a tortilla. Snugly wrap the tortilla, and place it seam-side-down against the edge of the pan. Repeat for a total of 6 enchiladas in the pan. Drizzle with remaining sauce, leaving the edges of the enchiladas bare. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.

8. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. To serve: Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve with sour cream and chopped or mashed avocado mixed with some red onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt & pepper. 

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I love that these are not only delicious, but there's also hardly any "bad" stuff in here. There's 1/4 cup sour cream in the entire enchilada filing, and 1 cup of cheese spread over the entire pan. Whole wheat tortillas sound like a bad idea, but you really can't tell in the recipe — it's amazing! These enchiladas hit that sweet spot of flavor, ease, and lightened-up. They are, in a word, magic.