If I knew how to make dairy free enchiladas growing up, I would have been a way bigger fan of Mexican food. I’ve never been too big on cheese, unless it was in my mom’s lasagna or on pizza. Cheese and I have a complicated relationship. But when I found this vegan recipe from Angela Liddon over at Oh She Glows, I fell in love and added a little chick chick chicken to it. I love adding lean meats to vegan dishes because usually they’re LOADED with veggies and other goodies so you don’t have to worry about making a side to pair with them. They’re the ultimate, one pan/one pot meal makers.

One pan of these enchiladas feeds four really hungry people without any other sides, but 6-8 people if you have some rice and beans to go along with it. I always have avocado cilantro lime sauce left over that pairs excellently with eggs and salsa the next morning. 👌🏼

If you’re looking to save time, don’t sweat the home made enchilada sauce, store bought will do.

Below is the link to the original vegan recipe over at Oh She Glows.

Vegan Enchiladas with Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce

Print Recipe

Chicken and Garden Enchiladas with Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce

Prep Time

40 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Servings

real people

Ingredients

Enchiladas

• 2 cups sweet potato, peeled and diced small $0.76
• 1 tbsp olive oil, divided $0.08
• 1 lb boneless, skinless, chicken breast 2.39
• 1 red onion $0.40
• 1 tbsp minced garlic $0.06
• 1 bell pepper, diced small $0.98
• 1 15 oz can of black beans, low sodium, drained and rinsed $0.67
• 3 cups, lightly packed baby spinach, roughly chopped $.57
• 10 small (8 inch) whole wheat tortillas $2.10

Enchilada Sauce

• 3 tbsp butter $0.27
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour $0.02
• 1 tbsp chili powder $0.16
• 1 tsp garlic powder $0.11
• 1 tsp ground cumin $0.09
• 1/2 tsp onion powder $0.06
• 2 tsp chicken bouillon $0.02
• 1/2 tsp salt (optional - salt to taste) $0.01
• 2 15 oz cans tomato sauce, no salt added $0.96

Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce

• 1 medium avocado $1.98
• 2 tbsp lime juice $0.28
• 1 tsp salt $0.01
• 1 cup packed fresh cilantro $0.24
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder $0.05
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin $0.04
• 1/4 tsp black pepper $0.01
• 1-2 tbsp water, for thinning free(ish)

Prep Time 40 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Servings real people Ingredients Enchiladas 2 cups sweet potato, peeled and diced small $0.76 1 tbsp olive oil, divided $0.08 1 lb boneless, skinless, chicken breast 2.39 1 red onion $0.40 1 tbsp minced garlic $0.06 1 bell pepper, diced small $0.98 1 15 oz can of black beans, low sodium, drained and rinsed $0.67 3 cups, lightly packed baby spinach, roughly chopped $.57 10 small (8 inch) whole wheat tortillas $2.10 Enchilada Sauce 3 tbsp butter $0.27 3 tbsp all purpose flour $0.02 1 tbsp chili powder $0.16 1 tsp garlic powder $0.11 1 tsp ground cumin $0.09 1/2 tsp onion powder $0.06 2 tsp chicken bouillon $0.02 1/2 tsp salt (optional - salt to taste) $0.01 2 15 oz cans tomato sauce, no salt added $0.96 Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce 1 medium avocado $1.98 2 tbsp lime juice $0.28 1 tsp salt $0.01 1 cup packed fresh cilantro $0.24 1/2 tsp garlic powder $0.05 1/2 tsp ground cumin $0.04 1/4 tsp black pepper $0.01 1-2 tbsp water, for thinning free(ish)

Instructions

Enchilada Filling

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a 9x13 dish with nonstick spray.
2. Peel the sweet potato and chop it up into small bite sized pieces. Put the sweet potato into a high walled skillet, like a dutch oven or another wide bottom, high walled pan. Just cover the sweet potatoes with water, and cook on high until they reach a rolling boil, then turn the heat down to medium and boil for 7-8 minutes until they're fork tender.
3. While the potatoes are boiling, chop up the onion, bell pepper, and spinach and drain and rinse the black beans and set aside. When the potatoes are tender, drain them into the same colander that the black beans were drained, rinsed, and set aside in so you don't have to wash another colander. Just dump them in over the beans.
4. Using the same high walled pan that the potatoes were just drained from, heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat and fry up the chicken. Make this process go faster by chopping the chicken up into smaller chunks, it's going to be shredded anyway.
5. Once the chicken is cooked all the way through, remove it from the pan and set it aside on a cutting board. Add the other half tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and cook the onions, garlic, and bell pepper over medium/low heat until the onions are soft, meanwhile, shred the chicken on the cutting board.
6. After the chicken has been shredded and the onions are soft, add the shredded chicken, black beans, boiled sweet potatoes, and fresh spinach into the pan and cook until the spinach is wilted, stirring regularly so the potatoes don't stick to the pan. Remove from heat and set aside.
7. Make the Enchilada Sauce.

Enchilada Sauce

1. In a 1 cup measuring cup combine the flour through salt and keep close by. Also open both cans of tomato sauce and set aside.
2. In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and spice mixture until combined. It should make a very thick paste that clogs up your whisk.
3. Immediately start slowly adding the tomato sauce, whisking continually to thin out the paste and smooth out chunks. Once all the tomato sauce is added, the sauce should be smooth, but it'll need to cook on medium for a few more minutes before it thickens up.
4. Keep whisking the sauce regularly on medium heat until it reaches your desired thickness. I like mine thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, so I keep it on the heat for 5-10 minutes.

Form Enchiladas

1. Once the sauce has thickened to your liking, pour about a cup over the filling and mix it in. Then take about a half cup of the sauce and spread it around the bottom of the prepared 9x13 pan.
2. Spoon the enchilada filling into a tortilla (about a 1/3 cup per tortilla) and fold the outer edges of the tortilla around the filling. I leave the ends open. Place the enchilada in the pan with the folded edges facing down.
3. Line the enchiladas up in the pan. Don't be afraid to get them really cozy in there. If you run out of room in the pan just push them over to make "taller" enchiladas.
4. Pour the remainder of the sauce over the top of the enchiladas and spread it all over the tortillas with a spoon. If you have leftover filling, you can also throw it on top; but if you don't want to ruin the beauty of your saucy smothered enchiladas, you can store it in the fridge and eat it as-is later.
5. Bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes, until the sauce is a very deep red. Meanwhile, make the avocado cilantro cream sauce.

Avocado Cilantro Cream Sauce

1. In a food processor (or single serving blender attachment, my preferred method) combine all of the ingredients for the sauce together except for the water. Blend to combine, you may have to scrape the sides down a few times.
2. Use a tablespoon or two of water to thin out the sauce to your desired consistency/to make blending easier. Once it's all mixed together, you can put it in a pastry bag/plastic baggie with the corner cut out and drizzle it over your enchiladas.

Freezer Instructions

1. Follow all of the instructions listed above, but assemble your enchiladas in a disposable 9x13 pan with a lid and DON'T bake them or top them with the avocado cream sauce.
2. On the lid of the pan write these instructions: 1. Bake at 350 60 min covered w foil, 30 min uncovered Center should reach 140 *optional* 2. Thaw avocado sauce in cool water, cut corner of bag, and drizzle over enchiladas after they've come out of the oven Date the pan with an expiration date for 6 months out.
3. You can make the avocado cream sauce to go along with the meal, put it in a freezer safe ziplock bag, and thaw it when the time comes to put it on the enchiladas. Just run the bag under cool water until it thaws. Then when you're ready to serve it, cut a hole in the corner of the bag and drizzle it over the enchiladas.
4. Put the enchiladas and avocado sauce together in the freezer. They should avoid freezer burn for about 6 months, but should stay safe to eat long after that.

Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 enchilada

Servings: 10

Price for dish: $12.32 ($9.71 w/o avocado sauce)

Price per serving: $1.23 ($0.97 w/o avocado sauce)

Nutrition per serving:

Calories: 280

Carbs: 44.2 g

Protein: 17 g

Fats: 4.8 g

Sodium: 481.5 mg

Fiber: 8.7 g

Sugar: 7.7 g

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