Tex-Mex Cheese and Onion Monterrey Enchiladas Recipe

Looking for meatless Monday dinner inspiration for two?  This skillet Tex-Mex Cheese and Onion Monterrey Enchiladas Recipe features gooey melted cheese and a rich, smoky, but mellow enchilada sauce - it's sure to convince the most die-hard meat-lovers to try meatless.

Enchiladas are an important dish in Tex-Mex Cuisine, which is rooted in the culinary dishes of the Tejano people of Texas (Texans of Spanish or Mexican heritage who lived in Texas before it became a republic) and also Mexican immigrants who hailed largely from Northern Mexico.   Traditional Tex-Mex style enchiladas ooze with cheese, wrapped in corn tortillas, and smothered with a red-brown chili and onion sauce, called monterrey enchilada sauce. 

This version of enchiladas delivers a smoky, slight fruity flavor with just an edge of bitterness and Monterey Jack cheese for an ideal meeting of flavor and texture.

What you'll need

Here are the ingredients for a meatless monday Tex-Mex cheese and onion monterrey enchiladas recipe that is loaded with protein.  Perfectly portioned for two!

Monterrey enchilada sauce

• vegetable oil
• chopped onion
• chili powder
• all-purpose flour or use a gluten-free all-purpose flour.
• tomato paste - I use Amore tomato paste in a tube to use as much or as little as I need and for easy storage for a future use.
• garlic cloves
• oregano - I use dried oregano for this recipe. If you can find dried mexican oregano it has lemon and citrus flavors as well as some tones of licorice that bring added dimension to the sauce
• pepper
• chicken broth, I use Better than Bullion brand roasted chicken flavor.  Simply mix 1 teaspoon of Better than Bullion with 1 cup of water to make 1 cup of broth.

Cheese enchilada ingredients

• corn tortillas - Recently I found a corn and flour blend tortilla which we loved.   However, if you want to keep this gluten-free stick with the corn tortillas.
• Monterey Jack cheese
• canned black beans
•  feta cheese
• cumin
• green chilies
• pickled jalapenos (optional) - if you want a little more of a pepper spice kick,  chop up some jalapenos and add to the cheese filling and sprinkle some on the top right before you serve.
• cilantro (optional)
• lime wedges (optional)

Note: See recipe card below for quantities.

How to make one pan enchiladas

This quick and easy Tex-Mex cheese and onion monterrey enchiladas recipe comes together in two parts.  By building the sauce in the skillet before rolling the enchiladas and baking them in the skillet, we keep this dish in one pan.

Here are streamlined tips to turn enchiladas into an easy weeknight meal.

1. For the sauce, grab an oven safe 10-inch skillet, my go-to enchiladas for two skillet is my cast iron, heat oil until shimmering, then cook the onion until it begins to soften.
2. Now we will "bloom" the chili powder, garlic, oregano and tomato paste with flour and pepper in the skillet with the softened onion. Blooming is really nothing more than heating spices before adding them to your dish.   We will do this for about 1 minute.  A heavy dose of chili powder with softened onion, packs some serious sweet and earthy flavors. Gradually whisk in the broth to brighten these savory flavors while balancing the heat.  Heat the sauce until it begins to thicken.  Remove one cup of sauce and set aside, leaving the remaining sauce in the skillet.
3. For the enchilada's, we will first microwave the tortillas by stacking and wrapping them in a damp dish towel. This will make the tortillas pliable and easier to roll.
4. Meanwhile, combine 1-½ cups Monterey Jack, feta, green chilis, garlic, cumin and black beans in a medium bowl.  Evenly distribute the cheese mixture across the center of each tortilla.  Tightly roll each tortilla around cheese, place seam side down in the sauce in the skillet.   Arrange enchiladas side by side in a single row.
5. Pour the reserved sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Bake, covered until the cheese is melty.  Uncover and continue to bake, once the sauce is bubbling around the edges.  Sprinkle with onion, cilantro and squeeze some lime juice over the top.

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Make Ahead Tips

With a little bit of advance preparation, you can these make ahead and have on your table in just under 30 minutes.  Here are some tricks for preventing the enchiladas from getting soggy after baking.

1. Freeze the Sauce and Tortillas Separately. Preventing soggy tortillas means leaving them completely un-sauced.  Wrap the filled enchiladas in one bundle with plastic wrap and foil and freeze the sauce separately.  Store the ½ cup of Monterey jack cheese for the topping in the refrigerator until ready to bake the enchiladas.
2. Bake the enchiladas straight from the Freezer: Don't thaw the enchiladas before baking.  Thawing allows them to absorb moisture as they defrost.  Putting the enchiladas into the oven frozen prevents a soggy mess.

DO thaw the sauce in the refrigerator the night before.  You will want to pour enough sauce into your skillet to lightly cover the bottom.  Keeping back about 1 cup of sauce.

3. Spray tops of enchiladas with cooking spray. Place the enchiladas seam side down in the sauce in the skillet, side by side in a single row. Coat the tops with cooking spray, baking until they begin to flake.  Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas and bake 10 minutes longer.  Sprinkle enchiladas with remaining ½ cup of cheese and bake until cheese melts and the sauce is hot and bubbly, about 5 minutes.

What to serve with one pan enchiladas

These one pan chili verde enchiladas with chicken and green sauce are rich and best served with rice, beans and a simple salad tossed in my honey citrus champagne vinaigrette.

Related

Looking for other enchilada, taco and carnitas recipes for two? Try these: