Zucchini enchiladas
Thin zucchini ribbons roll up around a cheesy black bean and corn filling instead of tortillas, baked in red sauce for a lighter enchilada night.
- 70 min total
- 40 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 4
- About $3.23 a serving
- 430 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 4 zucchini, large
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 can diced green chiles
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, divided
- 2 cans red enchilada sauce
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
- ½ cup sour cream (optional)
From your pantry
- ¾ tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
Each serving has about 430 calories, 25 g protein, 40 g carbs and 20 g fat, and costs about $3.23 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No zucchini? Yellow squash works.
- No black beans? Pinto beans or kidney beans work.
- No frozen corn? Canned corn works.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
- No sour cream? Plain Greek yogurt works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 375°F.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
the zucchini and them into thin strips, about ⅛ inch, with a knife or a wide vegetable peeler. You need about 36 strips.
Trim. Trimming means cutting off the parts you don’t eat, like stem ends, tough bits or thick fat. It keeps chewy or bitter bits out of the finished dish.
How you’ll know: What’s left is the good part, with no dry ends, woody stems or thick white fat.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Lengthwise. Lengthwise means cutting along the long side, from stem to tip, which gives long pieces. Crosswise is the other way, straight across the middle, which gives short, round ones.
How you’ll know: Lengthwise halves of a zucchini look like two little canoes; crosswise pieces look like coins.
Dolly’s tip: Cut a thin strip off one side first so the zucchini sits flat. Wobbly zucchini is how knives slip.Lay the strips on paper towels, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and let them sit 10 minutes, then .
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Timer: 10 min
In a bowl, mash half the beans with the cumin, chili powder and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir in the rest of the beans, the corn, chiles and 1 cup cheese.
Spread ½ cup enchilada sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Lay 3 zucchini strips side by side, slightly overlapping.
Dolly’s tip: Three overlapping strips make a wide, sturdy “tortilla” that holds the filling.Spoon about ⅓ cup filling across one end and roll them up together.
Set it seam side down in the dish and repeat.
Pour the rest of the sauce over the rolls and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
until the sauce bubbles and the cheese in spots, 25 to 30 minutes.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Timer: 27 min
Top with cilantro and sour cream and serve three or four rolls each.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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