Gluten-Free Cheese and Bean Enchiladas

This is the pan I make when I want everyone at the table to be happy and I do not want to think very hard about dinner. Beans, cheese, corn tortillas, and a sauce that comes together in one small saucepan while the oven heats.

It is cheap to make and it tastes like it cost a great deal more. Two cans of beans, a bag of shredded cheese, and a stack of corn tortillas feed a full table, with leftovers. The filling is beans mashed about halfway, which sounds like a small detail and is actually the whole thing. Mash them all and you get paste. Leave them all whole and the filling rolls straight back out of the tortilla. Half and half holds together.

It is also gluten-free, and the part that makes that work is the sauce. Canned enchilada sauce is usually thickened with wheat flour, and the gluten-free ones tend to taste thin and sharp. Homemade takes about fifteen minutes and one whisk, and it is better than the can by a wide margin.

Why homemade sauce

Three reasons. The first is the gluten, which is the obvious one. The second is thickness: a sauce built on a roux clings to the tortillas instead of sliding to the bottom of the pan. The third is that you control the heat. Chili powder varies a great deal from brand to brand, so taste the sauce before it goes on and adjust it to your kitchen.

It keeps about a week in the refrigerator and freezes well, so I often make a double batch and put half away for the next pan.

Notes before you start

• Warm the tortillas. Corn tortillas crack when they are cold. Fifteen to twenty seconds a side in a dry skillet, then stack them in a clean towel so they stay soft while you roll.
• Cover the edges. Any tortilla not under sauce will dry out and go leathery in the oven. Be generous, especially at the ends of the pan.
• Parchment, then foil. Foil on its own reacts with the tomato and can leave a metallic taste. A sheet of parchment underneath solves it.
• Let the pan rest. Five to ten minutes out of the oven and the enchiladas lift out in one piece instead of sliding apart.

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Gluten-Free Cheese and Bean Enchiladas

Vegetarian gluten-free enchiladas with a mashed bean and cheese filling and a homemade red sauce. A from-scratch supper on the table in about an hour.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Resting Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 12 enchiladas

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the enchilada sauce

• 3 Tbsp olive oil or avocado oil or butter
• 3 Tbsp gluten-free flour
• 3 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 small can tomato paste about 6 oz
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp honey or sugar optional, if the tomatoes taste sharp
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper optional, for heat

For the enchiladas

• 12 gluten-free corn tortillas 10 to 12, depending on your pan
• 2 cans pinto or black beans 15 oz each, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups shredded cheese cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or a combination
• 1/2 small onion finely diced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 Tbsp water 2 to 3, as needed
• Extra shredded cheese for the top

Method

 

Make the sauce

1. Heat the oil or butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
2. Add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Whisk about 30 seconds to wake up the spices.
3. Whisk in the tomato paste and cook another 30 to 60 seconds.
4. Pour in the broth a little at a time, whisking constantly so the sauce does not go lumpy.
5. Stir in the tomato sauce and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
6. Reduce the heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. It should thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon and still pour easily.
7. Taste it. Add the honey or sugar if the tomatoes taste too acidic, and the cayenne if you want more heat.

Make the bean filling

1. Put the beans in a bowl and lightly mash about half of them with a fork or potato masher. Leave plenty of whole beans, which is what keeps the filling in the tortilla.
2. Stir in the onion, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, pepper, and 2 to 3 tablespoons water.
3. Mix in about 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese.

Warm the tortillas

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat and warm each tortilla about 15 to 20 seconds per side. Cold corn tortillas crack when you roll them.
2. Stack the warmed tortillas inside a clean kitchen towel as you go so they stay warm and flexible.

Assemble and bake

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 9 × 13 pan.
2. Put about 1/3 cup of bean filling down the center of a warm tortilla, add a small handful of cheese, roll it up, and set it seam side down in the pan. Repeat until the pan is full.
3. Pour the remaining sauce generously over the top, covering the tortillas well, especially at the edges. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over everything.
4. Cover loosely with parchment paper and then foil, and bake 20 minutes.
5. Remove the foil and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted.
6. Let the pan sit 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Serve with sour cream, diced avocado, fresh cilantro, pickled jalapeños, diced tomatoes, or green onions.

The sauce makes about 2½ to 3 cups, enough for one 9 × 13 pan. It keeps about a week in the refrigerator and freezes well, so a double batch is worth making.

Use parchment under the foil. Foil on its own reacts with the tomato and can leave a metallic taste.

To make ahead, assemble the pan, cover, and refrigerate up to a day, then add about ten minutes to the covered bake time.

Questions I get about these enchiladas

Can I use flour tortillas?

Yes, if you are not eating gluten-free. They do not need warming the way corn tortillas do, and they bake up softer.

Can I assemble them ahead?

Yes. Build the pan, cover it, and refrigerate for up to a day, then add about ten minutes to the covered bake time since it goes into the oven cold. I would not sauce them further ahead than that, or the tortillas start to break down.

Do they freeze?

Yes. Freeze the assembled pan before baking, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and bake as written. Baked leftovers also freeze in portions and reheat well, covered, at 350°F.

How spicy are they?

Mild as written. The cayenne is optional and the chili powder does most of the work, so taste the sauce before you pour it and add more if you want heat.

Can I add meat?

Yes. About a pound of cooked shredded chicken or ground beef stirred into the beans works well, and you may want a little extra sauce.

If you make these, tell me what you put on top. I am firmly on the side of avocado and too much cilantro.

More from the kitchen: 5 swaps that make your kitchen feel like yours and gluten-free oatmeal cookies.