Why am I calling these enchiladas Weeknight Bean and Cheese Enchiladas? Because they’re basic. Nothing frilly or fancy, just simple, basic enchiladas. But there are three things that, IMHO, turned these very basic enchiladas into something quite extraordinary. Read on to see the secret to making your enchiladas next level.
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
How to Make Good Enchiladas
There are three simple things that make a really good enchilada, IMHO:
- Toasted corn tortillas
- Enchilada sauce that doesn’t come from a can
- Insanely good refried beans
Numbers one and two only a few minutes to complete, and make a huge difference in the end flavor and quality of the enchiladas. Number three might take a little longer, but it can be done ahead of time so that there’s no extra work on your weeknight. And if there is one of the three that I had to compromise on, it would be number three.
What Kind of Tortillas to Use for Enchiladas
Corn tortillas are best for making enchiladas. They hold up better to enchilada sauce and give a great toasty corn flavor, as long as you take the extra step to toast them. Toasting the tortillas in a dry skillet before assembling the enchiladas gives them a nice nutty flavor, makes them stronger, and prevents them from cracking open in the oven.
What Kind of Enchilada Sauce?
My Easy Red Enchilada Sauce only takes about 5 minutes to make, but makes a world of difference compared to canned sauce. Sure, it’s not full-fledged, grind-your-own-dry-peppers, from-scratch sauce, but we’re going for the best “weeknight” version here. This sauce still has an intense flavor that drenches the enchiladas and really takes the dish to the next level.
Bean Options
Refried beans are best for enchiladas. I made my (not) Refried Beans, from scratch, in the slow cooker the day before, but this can be done anytime ahead and the beans kept ready and waiting in the freezer.
If you don’t want to make your own beans from scratch, you can still doctor up two cans of beans. I suggest mincing a clove of garlic, finely dicing a jalapeño, sautéing both in a splash of oil until soft, then adding the beans, some cumin, and maybe even a splash of your favorite hot sauce (Cholula would be nice).
Cheese Options
Cotija is really great for topping enchiladas. If you can’t find Cotija, or it’s too expensive, you can go with my second favorite option: pepper jack. The creamy melty texture of pepper jack is also awesome with enchiladas.
Toppings for Enchiladas
I like to add a bit of chopped cilantro to the top of my bean and cheese enchiladas after baking, for a little punch of freshness. If you’re not into cilantro, sliced green onion also goes well with these flavors and also provides a little fresh green flavor. I also doubled down on creaminess and added sliced fresh avocado (again, after baking).
Weeknight Enchiladas
Servings 4 4 enchiladas eachIngredients
SAUCE
- 2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil ($0.08)
- 2 Tbsp chili powder* ($0.30)
- 2 Tbsp flour ($0.02)
- 2 cups water ( $0.00)
- 3 oz. tomato paste ($0.33)
- ½ tsp cumin ($0.05)
- ½ tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- ¾ tsp salt ($0.03)
ENCHILADAS
- 16 small corn tortillas ($0.93)
- 4 cups refried beans ($1.60)
- 8 oz. Pepper Jack, shredded (2 cups) ($2.29)
- 1/2 large avocado, sliced thin ($0.75)
- 1/4 bunch cilantro (or green onions), roughly chopped ($0.25)
Instructions
- Begin by making the sauce. In a small sauce pot, combine the chili powder, flour, and oil. Heat over a medium flame, while stirring, for one to two minutes to toast the spices and flour. Whisk in the water, tomato paste, cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, at which point it will thicken. Once thick enough to coat a spoon, taste and add salt as needed (1/2 to 3/4 tsp). Set the sauce aside.
- Toast the tortillas in a dry skillet over medium flame until they are just flecked with brown on each side. The tortillas should be slightly more firm, but still pliable enough to roll. Stack the tortillas on a clean plate as they come out of the skillet.
- Prepare a casserole dish by coating with non-stick spray, then spread a layer of enchilada sauce over the bottom (1/2 to 1 cup). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add about 1/4 cup of refried beans to each tortilla, plus a small pinch of shredded cheese. Roll the tortilla tightly around the beans and cheese, then place seam side down in the casserole dish. Continue until all of the tortillas are filled. Pour another 1/2 to 1 cup enchilada sauce over the rolled enchiladas in the dish, leaving some of the edges exposed so they can become brown and crispy. Top with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake the casserole in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the sauce is thick and bubbly around the edges and the center is heated through. Top with thin slices of avocado and chopped cilantro leaves (or sliced green onions).
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Enchiladas – Step by Step Photos
Note: I only baked a half batch for the photos because I lost my large casserole dish. Oops!
Combine 2 Tbsp chili powder (mild, salt-free blend), 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, and 2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil in a small sauce pot.
Let those three ingredients simmer together (stir frequently) for about two minutes. This toasts the spices and flour and creates a roux that will thicken the sauce.
Whisk in 2 cups water, 3oz. tomato paste (half of a 6oz. can or about 4 Tbsp), 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. Allow the pot to come to a simmer, at which point it will thicken. When it’s thick enough to coat a spoon, turn the heat off and add the salt (1/2-3/4 tsp). Set the sauce aside.
Toast 16 small corn tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat until there’s just a hint of brown on each side. This strengthens the tortillas so they don’t fall apart, and also gives them a nice nutty flavor. Just stack them on a clean plate as they come out of the skillet. (I usually do two in a skillet at a time).
Shred 8oz. of pepper jack (2 cups). Begin to preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Coat a casserole dish with non-stick spray, then pour a layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom (use about half, leaving half to pour over top). Spread about 1/4 cup refried beans down the center of each tortilla and top with a pinch of shredded cheese (make sure to save about half of the cheese to top the casserole). Roll the tortillas up tightly, then line them up all snug in the casserole dish.
Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over top of the rolled enchiladas.
I like to leave the edges of my tortillas “unsauced” so they get nice and crispy and lightly browned. More texture and more flavor!
Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top…
Bake the casserole in the preheated 350ºF oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the enchilada sauce is super thick and bubbly, and the edges of your tortillas are nice and golden brown.
Top with thin slices of avocado and chopped cilantro (or green onions).
Seriously, these Bean and Cheese Enchiladas make me want every day to be a weekday. SO GOOD.
Who says basic equals boring?
My boyfriend stated these were better than restaurant enchiladas! Any tips for leveling up to a meat filling? I would assume it’s just meat plus a pinch of cheese and everything else stays the same.
Yep, you can just add in some browned ground beef, or if you want to kick it up a notch you could always brown the beef with some garlic and maybe a little extra chili powder or cumin. :) Shredded chicken would also be good.
This was perfect for a casual Sunday night dinner with my sister! The hardest part was trying not to eat them all at once so that I can still have some leftovers for dinner all next week :)
Looking forward to using the leftover refried beans from your slow cooker recipe for huevos ranchers for breakfast, too! Yay!
Fantastic! Made last night, great flavors for a simple dish! We reconstituted some dried chile peppers,chopped them, and added them to the sauce for added heat and smokiness. Love the avocado and cilantro on top. Well definitely be added to my dinner rotation!
Just tried making these the other night and I’m so glad because they hit the spot perfectly. I had already frozen cooked pinto beans on hand (thanks to your blog), so I just de-thawed, left them un-rinsed, smashed them, added a little water and chicken bouillon until they were my desired texture. I also had some cheddar in my freezer and used that instead of jack cheese. My husband isn’t a fan of meatless meals most of the time so I pulled some leftover shredded turkey (yes from Thanksgiving) out of the freezer to supplement. I planned on making a half batch but the glass dish I used only fit 6 enchiladas. Which considering that my husband doesn’t usually care for enchiladas, didn’t leave me worried. Less of a chance of throwing away leftovers. Needless to say, my husband loved them and I need to make another batch soon, since he ate most of them and I barely got any. Thanks Beth!
Hey Beth,
Could you share how you did the retried beans on the Instant Pot? Thanks!
Sure! I just put all the ingredients in there (the ingredients from my not-refried beans recipe) and used the “beans/chili” preset, then used my hand mixer to purée them in the end. :) It was super easy!
Thanks!! I’m going to try it today.
Do you have any trouble storing these? It seems that I can only make these when I have friends over so they can all be eaten. In the past, if I leave the leftovers in the fridge the tortilla is a soggy mess the next day. Do you ever freeze them?
Thanks
I actually like soggy enchiladas for breakfast the next morning. But my husband wants his fresh and toasty, so I make a small batch–enough for 2 of us for dinner, plus some leftovers for me to eat either cold or nuked in the morning or take to work for lunch. It’s easy enough to save the left over sauce and refries and assemble the rest of the recipe a couple of days later. Half of this recipe would be perfect for us–4 for him, 2 for me and 2 leftover. I like to thicken my enchilada sauce with a corn tortilla or 2 pureed with the water in a blender, along with a couple of dried ancho chilies soaked in some of the water instead of the chili powder
These turned out great! I roasted some chopped up sweet potatoes with some salt and smoked paprika while I was making the beans and sauce and added them inside the tortillas. I also found I needed more sauce so I added some crushed tomatoes and a bit of extra water. And I couldn’t resist adding chipotle powder to the beans – I used black beans. Eating them right now with some lime juice. Thanks for another great recipe, Beth!
I made your (not) refried beans yesterday and made enchiladas tonight. In an effort to avoid buying more groceries though, I made my own whole wheat flour tortillas, leftover rice mixed with my own taco seasoning accompanied the beans as a filling, and I made the sauce by mixing a jar of salsa verde, that had been lurking in my pantry, with some sour cream and half & half to temper the heat. Nomnomnom!!!
And by these, I mean enchiladas in general. Not just this specific recipe. I also swear by this enchilada sauce!
Very innovative! Nice work! :D
Every time I make sauce like this, it turns out bitter. Is it the kind of chili powder I am using? It isn’t burnt. Just a bitter flavor. This time I did not use the chili powder in a can, but made my own with paprika, cumin, garlic and coriander and it was less bitter. I did not have the proper ingredients. Also, I added a tiny bit of sugar to cut the bitterness.
Any advice most welcome regarding the bitterness issue.
I enjoy your blog and have used many of your recipes and they have all been excellent.
Thank you so much for continuing this blog. It is fun to follow the evolution of your cooking.
Jicky, Although Beth’s recipe says chili powder, I always use chile powder which is dried ground chile pepper vs the spice blend called chili powder. I do add a little sugar and also a little bit of cinnamon. Cinnamon cuts the bitterness like sugar does but if you try that, try a little at a time. I thought the tomato paste was a very good addition in this recipe.
Hmm, yes, it sounds like it might be the brand of chili powder that you’re using. That’s my best guess, anyway! And I think adding a pinch of sugar is about the only thing I can think of that might help, as well. :(
Thank you both so much for the replies. I made the enchiladas with the sauce recipe using paprika, cumin and some other spices instead of the ready made chili powder and it was so delicious. Wonderful recipe. I don’t think I have ever made a recipe from your blog that I have not enjoyed greatly. Thanks!
I made these last night. I’m typically home all day working from a home office, but had an unusual day of appointments in town. I had just defrosted black beans so subbed those in the not refried recipe – VERY good. Although I have a red chile gravy recipe I like, used yours and I REALLY like the bit of tomato paste – seemed like it amped up and smoothed out the flavors.
This recipe “saved” me today – quick, full of flavor and like others, I think this is very healthy made at home with good stuff and not overloaded with cheese like restaurant dishes. Thanks, Beth!
Just wanted you to know that I’ve been swearing by your red enchilada sauce since I stumbled upon it sometime last year. It’s so delicious, and for so little effort and expense! Now I just need to attempt that refried beans recipe and see if I can give this recipe a shot x)
Pinning this and will def be making soon! I love the idea of making my own “refried” beans in the crockpot–simple, tasty and cheap!! YAY!
Tonight we are having leftover bean, bacon and potato soup and the ciabatta bread from your blog. Thanks so much for the great ideas, I love finding good recipes that also fall in line with my budget!
I made them tonight, they are awesome!!!!
I have a batch of your slow cooker (not) refried beans in the freezer, and I’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to use em. This seems like it! How would you go about thawing?
I just transfer it to the refrigerator the day before and then they’re soft by the time I need to use them. :)
After making the sauce, I realized I had a can of diced tomatoes (the kind with green pepper, celery and onions in it) that I was looking to use up, so I tossed it in with a drained can of kidney beans and some browned ground beef. It works as a great base for a chili recipe too.