Monday, July 13, 2009

Cheesey Enchiladas

These enchiladas are a lower fat version of the cheese enchiladas I love. They're tasty in either winter or summer. The heat of the dish cools you off in the summer, and the heat of the oven warms you up in the winter!



Ingredients:

12 fresh corn tortillas
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup baked tortilla chips
2 tbs chopped black olives
2 tbs diced chili peppers (Anaheim or jalapeno)
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated monterey jack cheese
1 large can enchilada sauce


Directions:


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Chop the onion, place in a microwave safe bowl, partially cover and heat for 1 minute until soft. Put the tortilla chips in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin or another round object like a can. Mix the onion through the cheeses in a large bowl. If the tortillas are very fresh, they don't need to be heated to become pliable. If they're not as fresh, heat them for several seconds in the microwave, until soft and pliable. Ready an oven proof baking pan by spooning several tablespoons of enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan. Fill each tortilla with 2 or three tablespoons of filling, roll, and place, seam side down, in the baking pan. When all the tortillas are filled and in the pan, pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, remove cover and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes until hot and bubbly. Note: this recipe can be halved or can be baked in two pans.

Makes 12 enchiladas.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Most recipes using tortillas will tell you to fry the tortillas in oil to soften them. However, this isn't always needed. If your tortillas are very fresh, they'll be soft enough to use without any heat. Or, if they do need some heat to make them soft, you can quickly heat them in either the microwave or in a dry fry pan. Either technique helps to lower the overall fat content.

1 comment:

Chris said...

Looks like a yummy dish. I never fry the tortillas either when a recipe calls for it.