Potato, Cream Cheese and Spinach Enchiladas for Cinco de Mayo!

Enchiladas

Sure, the time for enchiladas is almost passed. Baked, gooey dishes seem to be more for Autumn and Winter but hey — this is Oregon. It’s sunny today but it cold be cold and rainy tomorrow! I made this meal a little while ago (on a cold day), trying to find a use for some potatoes that we needed to eat quickly. Add cream cheese, spinach and cheese and that’s a recipe for tasty enchiladas!

Potato, Cream Cheese and Spinach Enchiladas
4-5 small red potatoes, quartered and then sliced into halves ot thirds depending on size
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 bag frozen spinach, defrosted, excess water drained
1/2 a block of low fat cream cheese, room temperature
i clove garlic
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tsp chile powder
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and stemmed and finely diced
6 corn tortillas
Green chile enchilada sauce of your choice
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Optional garnish: balsamic reduction

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Put softened cream cheese in a bowl and add defrosted, drained frozen spinach, cilantro, chile powder and finely diced jalapeno. Set aside. Next, heat oil in a pan and sauté onions and garlic until soft. Add to cream cheese and spinach.

Simmer potatoes in water until barely tender, around 10-15 minutes. You could also pierce the whole potaties with a fork and cook in the microwave until not quite done as well. Drain and combine with the rest of the filling. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. If mixture is not creamy enough, add a bit more cream cheese.

filling

Heat tortillas, one at a time, in a hot, dry pan until a little blistered on each side. Pour a little enchilada sauce into the bottom of your baking dish. Take a tortilla, add some filling, roll up and place seam side down in the pan. Repeat five times. Cover with enchilada sauce. By the way, I really like Hatch Select green chile enchilada sauce for this recipe (you know, if home-made sauce isn’t in the plan).

pre-oven

Cover with the shredded cheese and drizzle with balsamic reduction, if using.

preoven

Bake at 400 degrees until golden on top and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

postoven

Serve with black beans, chopped tomatoes, more cilantro, lime wedges and tortilla chips. Delicious. Oh and don’t forget the margaritas!

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Next week: Gearhart (Pacific Way Cafe — mmm!), lamb chops, chocolate ice cream and more!

4 Replies to “Potato, Cream Cheese and Spinach Enchiladas for Cinco de Mayo!”

  1. I for one believe it is ALWAYS time for baked, gooey dishes.
    This is gorgeous! Talk about food porn … my simple lunch now seems woefully inadequate next to this glorious feast.
    Well done! And Happy Cinqo de Mayo!

  2. Ivonne:
    Yes, I could eat enchiladas everyday, probably. Although, when it gets hot, I know I’m a bit hesitant to turn on the oven. That’s what eating out is for! 🙂

  3. Holy Toledo! Beautiful! and yes Hatch Select green chile enchilada sauce is what I use. Goodness, your black beans look so incredible!

  4. Tanna:
    Thanks!
    For the black beans I typically just use canned, drain some of the liquid then simmer in a small pot with a little fresh or crushed, dried jalapeno, chopped tomato and cilantro. The chopped cilantro gets added right befoe serving. Smetimes I add a little orange zest too!

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