Vegetarian salsa verde bean and cheese enchiladas made with an easy and fresh homemade tomatillo salsa and lots of cheese both inside and on top of the enchiladas.
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
For the tomatillo salsa
14 oz tomatillos, husked and rinsed
2 serrano chile peppers
1 large shallot
3 garlic cloves
salt, to taste
½ bunch cilantro
For the enchiladas
1½ cups crumbled queso fresco
3 cups cooked pinto or cranberry beans, or ½ recipe borracho beans
3 tbsp minced onion
2 tbsp minced cilantro
grapeseed oil, for dipping the tortillas
16 corn tortillas
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
½ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
For the tomatillo salsa
Heat the broiler over high heat.
Place the tomatillos, peppers, shallot, and garlic on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Broil until the vegetables are charred and softened, about 3-5 minutes, flipping halfway through to make sure both sides brown evenly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
Place the broiled vegetables in a blender along with the cilantro and ½ tsp salt. Process until pureed. Season to taste with salt.
For the enchiladas
Heat oven to 350F.
Spread ¼ cup of the tomatillo salsa over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the queso fresco, beans, onion, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
Pour the oil into a small skillet so that it covers the bottom and comes up the side by about ½ inch. Heat over medium heat until hot. Using tongs, add the tortillas to the oil, two at a time, until softened, about 5 seconds per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate as soon as they come out of the oil. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
In a small bowl, toss together the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese. Set aside.
Fill each of your warmed tortillas with about 2 tbsp of the bean and cheese mixture, then tightly roll it around the filling and place seam-side down in your baking pan. Repeat until all of the enchiladas are rolled and the filling has been used up.
Spoon the rest of the tomatillo sauce over the enchiladas. Top with the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese mixture. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 15-20 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400F and bake for an additional 5 minutes for the cheese to brown and get crispy. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.