Vegetarian Enchiladas
These Creamy Spinach and Mushrooms Vegetarian Enchiladas are the ultimate comforting meatless meal. You will not miss the meat with these delicious, cheesy, creamy enchiladas. The filling is a simple mixture of spinach, mushrooms, shallots, and cheese all rolled into a soft tortilla and baked in a creamy sauce.
If you want to try more creamy enchiladas, try our Creamy Shrimp Enchiladas and Turkey Enchiladas.
Table of Contents
Comforting. Meatless. Cheesy. There are so many descriptors I can use to talk about these Vegetarian Enchiladas, but I can really summarize it with just this phrase – MUST MAKE! Even if you’re the biggest carnivore, you’ll love these rich and hearty enchiladas.
If you’ve never made enchiladas before, have no fear! It may seem a little daunting at first (we all get nervous rolling that very first tortilla with filling), but it’s really easy to get the hang of it. This is a quick and easy dinner you’ll love making time and time again!
Simply put, you just need to make the filling and sauce, then spread that cheesy, veggie-packed filling evenly amongst the tortillas. Roll those tortillas, smother them in your creamy sauce, then bake. It’s so simple!
If you have a picky eater at the table, they might not even realize they’re eating lots of cheesy spinach and mushrooms in every delicious bite of these Vegetarian Enchiladas. I think we can thank the ingredients like Monterrey Jack cheese, tortillas, and the creamy sauce for disguising the veggies so nicely.
Ingredient Notes
Olive Oil – it’s best to use a neutral oil that has a high burn point. You can use olive oil, avocado oil, or canola oil if preferred.
Spinach – I prefer using fresh spinach, but you can use frozen if needed. Remember to drain off any excess liquid.
Mushrooms – You can use oyster, cremini, and/or shiitake mushrooms. Or, you can use a mix of any.
Shallots – In a pinch, you can use a Vidalia onion instead, but shallots are preferred.
Garlic – for the best flavor and aroma, use fresh garlic.
Monterrey Jack Cheese – For the best flavor and consistency, always grate the cheese yourself off the block, not pre-shredded.
Heavy Whipping Cream – For the rich and creamy sauce, don’t substitute this with any other dairy product.
Sour Cream – use a full fat sour cream.
Cilantro – This is an optional (but highly recommended) garnish!
Tortillas – we like to use soft flour taco tortillas but you can use corn instead if you’d like. You can use homemade corn tortillas or store-bought. Corn tortillas have a very different flavor and texture so it is a personal preference.
See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Creamy Vegetarian Enchiladas
Prepare the ingredients: Before you get started, you’ll want to make sure everything is ready to go! Chop the spinach, slice the shallots and mushrooms, and mince the garlic. Grate the cheese. Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
Make the filling:
Preheat the pan with a little oil over medium-low heat and add chopped spinach (1). Cover the pan and let the spinach totally cook down (2). Make sure to stir from time to time.
Transfer the cooked spinach to a mesh strainer. Let it cool as it drains.
Add more oil if needed to the pan and increase the heat to medium. Sauté the shallots. As they soften, add the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms and shallots are totally done. Add garlic and then, add squeezed spinach (3). Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for about one more minute.
Transfer the veggies to a bowl. Add about 8 oz. of the grated cheese to the bowl as well and mix to combine (4).
Assemble and bake the enchiladas.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9×9 casserole baking dish.
Divide the filling evenly among the tortillas (5). Spread the filling in a line right down the center of each tortilla, roll them (6), then place them seam down in the prepared baking dish (7).
Give the sauce one more whisk, then pour it evenly and slowly over the assembled vegetarian enchiladas (8).
Spread the remaining cheese over the top and bake for 20 minutes (10).
Storing and Reheating
You can transfer your leftover enchiladas into a food storage container with an air-tight lid or store them right in the baking dish where they were baked. Just make sure to cover it airtight.
Store your leftovers in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. You can reheat individual portions in the microwave. For the best results, reheat all of them in the oven at 350°F, just until warmed through for about 15 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
You can use corn or flour tortillas, whichever you prefer works just fine. While corn tortillas are traditional, flour tortillas are softer and hold together better. For enchiladas, you are looking for about 8-inch tortillas.
Note: that flour tortillas will often be larger than corn tortillas, but you can always just use more of the smaller ones. 8-inch flour tortillas are usually labeled “soft taco.”
You can use either frozen or fresh spinach. Fresh spinach needs to be cooked first and frozen spinach should be completely thawed. For whichever one you use, make sure to squeeze out most of the liquids before adding it to the filling mixture!
I absolutely love using Monterrey Jack cheese in enchiladas because of the smooth and creamy consistency when it’s melted. If you want to add a little spice, use Pepper Jack cheese instead.
If you want strong and sharp cheese notes, you can use a combination of Monterrey Jack and sharp white cheddar cheeses. Whichever you choose, I always highly recommend that you get a block and grate the cheese yourself. It tastes and melts much better because there are not separators or additives like you have in the pre-shredded cheeses.
Rice is a good side dish so you can serve them with Spanish Rice or Rice Pilaf and add some black beans or refried beans as well.
If you want something lighter like vegetables, go with Haricots Verts, Cauliflower, or Black Bean and Corn Salad.
More Vegetarian Recipes To Make
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Spinach Mushroom Vegetarian Enchiladas
Ingredients
Filling:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 10 oz spinach
- 10 oz mushrooms like oyster, crimini, and/or shiitake
- 2 shallots
- 4-6 garlic cloves
- 8 oz grated Monterey jack cheese
Sauce:
- 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Enchiladas:
- 4 soft taco flour tortillas (8-inch)
- 4 oz grated Monterey Jack cheese
- fresh cilantro optional garnish
Instructions
- Prepare your ingredients first: chop spinach, slice shallots and mushrooms, mince the garlic.Grate all the cheese.Whisk ingredients for the sauce together in a small bowl.
Filling:
- Heat up a large cooking pan over medium-low heat and add oil. Add chopped spinach, cover and cook until completely cooked down. Make sure to stir from time to time.
- Take the spinach out of the pan and into a mesh strainer. Let is cool while it drains off.
- In the same pan, add more oil if needed, and raise the heat to medium. Add sliced shallots and start to sauté. When onions start to soften, add mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms and onions are completely done.
- Move veggie to the side and add garlic. Sauté just until fragrant and mix with onions and mushroom. Gently squeeze most of the liquids from the spinach and mix it in with the vegetables in the pan. Season with some salt and pepper and cook another minute or so.
- Transfer the vegetables into a mixing bowl and add 8 oz. grated cheese. Mix quickly and thoroughly.
Prepare Enchiladas:
- Preheat the oven to 375° and lightly grease a 9×9 casserole baking dish (or another dish that you comfortable fit 4 enchiladas).
- Divide the filling evenly among the four tortillas. Spread the filling in a line across the center of each tortilla. Roll each tortilla and place them into the baking dish, seam down.
- Give the sauce another whisk and pour in evenly and slowly over the enchiladas, letting the sauce seem through inside and in the middle.
- Spread remaining grated cheese over the top and bake for about 20 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Corn vs Flour Tortillas: You can use corn or flour tortillas, whichever you prefer works just fine. While corn tortillas are traditional, flour tortillas are softer and hold together better. For enchiladas, you are looking for about 8-inch tortillas.
Note: that flour tortillas will often be larger than corn tortillas, but you can always just use more of the smaller ones. 8-inch flour tortillas are usually labeled “soft taco.” - Storing: You can transfer your leftover enchiladas into a food storage container with a lid or store them right in the baking dish where they were baked. Just make sure to cover it airtight.
- Reheating: Store your leftovers in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. You can reheat individual portions in the microwave. For the best results, reheat all of them in the oven at 350°F, just until warmed through for about 15 minutes.
Nutrition
All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
These enchiladas are so good!
The best part is that they are meatless and look delicious – Thank you for posting these recipes.
I love mushrooms and spinach; I too would love this and WILL want to try it, but it’d have to be with my GF’s because my hubby would be wanting meat too. He’d call it chick food for sure; hey I love chick food!Sharon Anne @ ShareAlikeCooking.blogspot.com
Featured you tonight!
http://polkadotsonparade.blogspot.com/2011/12/foodie-friday.html
Yummm! Those look really, really good. I LOVE mushrooms. I’m adding this to my menu for next week. Thanks!
These sound really good, Lyuba! Definitely going to try them!
this looks amazing I’ve love you to add it to my what we wore and made party over at http://raegunwear.blogspot.com
Haha, my husband is just like yours. When my son can eat veggies, I can totally see him passing them off and saying he’s doing a good deed. But I think these enchiladas would be a hit in our house! Spinach is well-liked by all of us!
Ohhh yum, this looks delicious!!
Stephanie
This sounds delicious! My husband is the same way as yours, though. Drives me nuts!
Mary
http://piccolajellyfish.blogspot.com