spinach and cream cheese enchiladas verdes
I stopped myself from writing THE WHOLE ENCHILADA as the sole proprietor of the tagline. And then I went and wrote it anyway. Go me.
Hello everyone. Happy new week. on Saturday I embark on my journey to Toronto and Pennsylvania wit my sister in tow, and because of that I’m feeling quite simplistic with my food choices. Well, I kind of am anyway so far in 2024 – I’m a massive lazyass in year 30, I guess. I’ve covered that in detail in many other posts I think, so I’ll spare you the annoyance of repetition.
I battled this time around between pizza and enchiladas. The latter came to mind after J and I had lunch at Lona and he ordered these dope-ass chicken enchiladas divorciadas, characterized most notably be the red and green enchilada sauces perfectly divided down the center. Like a whole choose-your-adventure shindig in edible form. While I don’t partake in meat – if you’re new here, hello, I’m pescatarian – I did try the salsas, and holy shit were they fantastic.
So, the idea of Mexican-style food imprinted in my mind, and I pivoted from my usual I dunno what to make so let’s do pizza to something I haven’t made in awhile. Plus, with the goal in mind to keep them real easy and just a touch sleazy.
Greetings, Spinach and Cream Cheese Enchiladas Verdes.
Barely any cooking involve excepting the short baking time for the assembled enchiladas. Just chop, mix, stuff, pour, sprinkle, and melt. In 30 minutes or less you’ve got a gooey, sauce comfort dish on your plate. Perfect if the weather’s all gloom and doom like it is here currently.
Popeye’s Enchiladas
I guess that could be an alternate name.
First order of business is thawing out some frozen spinach. Much easier to work with than fresh since it’s already pre-wilted and you needn’t go into shock watching a thousand cups of greens shriveling into a measly handful. Get a steam-in-bag variety for the greatest ease.
Then, once it cools, squeeze the moisture out through a fine-mesh sieve. You don’t have to be extremely meticulous with this, but enough so that it’s no longer soppy and oozing. I fucking hate the word oozing. Shame on me for using it.
Mix up the spinach with the rest of your filling components. We’re talking cream cheese, lots of shredded monterey and pepper jack cheeses (or just use the former if you don’t want the extra kick), cilantro, and spices – chipotle chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Season with a touch of salt and pepper and voila.
“What Are You Up To?” “Oh, Stuff.”
That is, stuffing some tortillas waddup.
I chose fajita-sized flour tortillas. They’re stable enough to hug the filling without breaking and hold up enough to the sauce and cheese. I always find that corn tortillas disintegrate in enchilada format. Not my favorite.
First, grab a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and pour some salsa verde on the bottom. Use your favorite brand.
Next, plop about 1/3 cup worth of the cream cheese filling into the center of a tortilla and roll it up. Set into the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining filling/tortillas. Don’t be afraid to smoosh the tortillas real cozy in the pan. It won’t harm them one bit, and they’re friendly. Enjoy closeness, you know.
Pour some more salsa verde overtop, then an ass ton of cheese. So much cheese you might need two lactaids if you’re intolerant like me. Bake until melty and divinely fragrant. Won’t need longer than 15 minutes, more than likely, but you can go a bit longer if you want the cheese to crisp up a bit on the edges.
Serve these babies nice and hot, with whatever toppings sound appropriate. I usually do avocado, cilantro, and Greek yogurt, and sometimes a jalapeno or serrano if I’ve got one around. I’d probably enjoy pickled onions too. Shoot, I need to make a batch soon.
Leftovers are fantastic. Keep them naked, storing your garnishes separate. They’ll keep a good 5 days sealed up in the fridge. A decadent little meal prep when you need just a bit more of a treat in your life.
Note: if you’re not vegetarian, a bit of leftover cooked chicken in the filling would be great, too. I’d probably try chopped shrimp sometime as well. Whole lotta ways to customize, I’d imagine, but I ain’t gonna list them all here. Let your imagination run wild!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Mexican-style dishes to try:
Chipotle BBQ Sweet Potato Nachos
Crispy Salsa Verde Jackfruit Tacos
spinach and cream cheese enchiladas verdes
Ingredients
- 1 10 oz bag frozen spinach, thawed
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving
- 2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 1 cup pepper jack cheese, shreedded (or more monterey jack)
- 2 cups salsa verde
- 8 flour tortillas (fajita-size)
- sliced avocado, jalapenos, and Greek yogurt/sour cream, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- Squeeze excess moisture out of the spinach with paper towels. Add to a large bowl. Combine with the cream cheese, garlic, chipotle chili powder, oregano, cumin, cilantro, and 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, as well as a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Spread 3/4 cup of the salsa verde on the bottom of the baking dish. Working one tortilla at a time, dollop about 1/3 cup of filling into the center. Roll the tortilla and set seam-side down into the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas. Don't be afraid to smoosh the enchiladas close together in the dish so they all fit!
- Pour the remaining salsa verde over the enchiladas. Sprinkle the rest of the cheeses. Bake 12-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden in spots.
- Serve the enchiladas hot with extra cilantro, avocado, sliced jalapeno, and Greek yogurt/sour cream, as desired.
