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    Home / Recipes / Main Dishes / Vegetarian (or Vegetarian Option) Recipes

    Cheese & Onion Enchiladas

    Jump to Recipe
    Top photo is an enchilada covered with melted Mexican blend cheese and diced green onions on a clear plate with green onions in the background. Bottom photo is a clear baking dish with enchiladas covered with cheese and diced green onions. Text cheese & onion enchiladas add salt & serve formerly menus4moms
    Top photo is a clear baking dish with enchiladas covered with cheese and diced green onions. Text cheese & onion enchiladas. Bottom photo is an enchilada covered with melted Mexican blend cheese and diced green onions on a clear plate with green onions in the background - add salt & serve formerly menus4moms
    photo of a clear baking dish with enchiladas covered with cheese and diced green onions. Text cheese & onion enchiladas with text Cheese & onion Enchiladas Add Salt & Serve
    Top photo is a clear baking dish with enchiladas covered with cheese and diced green onions. Text cheese & onion enchiladas. Bottom photo is an enchilada covered with melted Mexican blend cheese and diced green onions on a clear plate with green onions in the background - add salt & serve formerly menus4moms
    cheese and onion enchiladas
    cheese and onion enchiladas
    cheese and onion enchiladas
    cheese and onion enchiladas
    cheese and onion enchiladas
    chopping green onions
    cheese and onion enchiladas
    cheese and onion enchiladas

    Homemade cheese and onion enchiladas are deliciously cheesy with rich flavor from the traditional corn tortillas and made-from-scratch red enchilada sauce.

    Enchilada covered with melted Mexican blend cheese and diced green onions on a clear plate with green onions in the background.

    Jump to:
    • ⏲️ Time needed
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 📋 Instructions
    • ❓ FAQ
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 🥗 Side dishes
    • 📌 Pin this recipe

    ⏲️ Time needed

    Preparing the enchiladas takes about 15 minutes and baking them takes 40 minutes or so. Total prep time is just under an hour.

    🥘 Ingredients

    cheese and onion enchiladas method image
    • green onions
    • sour cream
    • shredded Mexican blend or quesadilla cheese
    • homemade enchilada sauce
    • corn tortillas

    📋 Instructions

    Combine the ingredients for the enchilada sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes.

    homemade enchilada sauce
    Homemade enchilada sauce

    Chop green onions, reserving 2 chopped onions.

    chopping green onions
    Green onions add a flavor punch to cheese enchiladas

    Mix all but the 2 reserved onions with the sour cream and 2 cups of the Mexican cheese.

    cheese and onion enchiladas method image
    Cheese and onion enchilada filling

    Pour ⅓ of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x12 pan.

    cheese and onion enchiladas method image
    Spreading homemade enchilada sauce in the bottom of the baking pan softens the enchiladas as they cook

    Fill each tortilla with an even amount of the cheese mixture, spooning it down the center line of the tortilla. Fold the two unfilled sides to the center, overlapping them, and place the enchilada folded side down in the baking pan. (If the tortillas are too stiff to fold, you can heat them in the microwave under a damp paper towel or carefully steam them for a few seconds over boiling water.)

    cheese and onion enchiladas method image
    Fill each corn tortilla with the cheese mixture

    Pour the remaining sauce over enchiladas in the pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.

    cheese and onion enchiladas method image
    Pour homemade enchilada sauce over filled tortillas

    Top with cheese and reserved green onions and bake until cheese is melted over the top (about 10 more minutes).

    cheese and onion enchiladas
    After baking, add remaining cheese and green onion and heat until cheese melts

    ❓ FAQ

    Can I use flour tortillas?

    Certainly! Although the rich flavor of corn tortillas adds to the finished dish, flour tortillas are a perfectly acceptable substitution.

    Can I use canned enchilada sauce? Which one is best?

    Our homemade enchilada sauce recipe is less expensive than canned sauce and easy to make, but canned sauce can be used. My family prefers Old El Pasa red enchilada sauce, which comes in mild, medium, and hot variations.

    Can I use verde sauce instead of roja sauce?

    You can use either green (verde) or red (roja) sauce in cheese enchiladas. Each has a distinctive flavor, with green chilis as the base for verde sauce and tomatoes as the base for roja sauce.

    What kind of cheese do Mexican restaurants use in enchiladas?

    Oaxaca cheese, or quesilla, is a white cheese that melts easily with a creamy texture that is often used as filling in Mexican dishes. Queso quesadilla, labeled quesadilla cheese in English, is another creamy white cheese that melts easily.

    Since these cheeses are not universally available in grocery stores in the US, Mexican cheese or Monterey Jack cheese are often used by home cooks.

    How do I keep corn tortillas from breaking when I roll/fold them?

    Corn tortillas are prone to breaking, and traditionally they are quick-fried and rolled or folded immediately afterward. I find it easier to steam them in the microwave wrapped in damp paper towels.

    When shopping for corn tortillas, look for products specifically labeled "soft." These will fold easier.

    📖 Recipe

    Clear baking dish with enchiladas covered with cheese and diced green onions.

    Cheese & Onion Enchiladas

    Homemade cheese and onion enchiladas are deliciously cheesy with rich flavor from the traditional corn tortillas and made-from-scratch red enchilada sauce.
    4.41 from 30 votes
    Print Recipe Add to Collection Go to Collections
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Main Dish
    Cuisine Tex-Mex
    Servings 8 enchiladas
    Calories 621

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 bunch green onions, divided
    • 2 cups sour cream
    • 4 cups Mexican Blend Cheese, shredded
    • 8 small corn tortillas

    Enchilada Sauce

    • 22.5 ounces tomato sauce
    • ¾ teaspoon oregano
    • 2-¼ teaspoons garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1-½ teaspoons onion powder
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    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F.
    • Combine all ingredients for enchilada sauce in a sauce pan and simmer for about 10 minutes.
    • While sauce is simmering, chop green onions, reserving 2 chopped onions.
    • Mix all but the 2 reserved onions with the sour cream and 2 cups of the Mexican cheese.
    • Pour ⅓ of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x12 pan.
    • Fill each tortilla with an even amount of the cheese mixture, spooning it down the center line of the tortilla. Fold the two unfilled sides to the center, overlapping them, and place the enchilada folded side down in the baking pan. (If the tortillas are too stiff to fold, you can heat them in the microwave under a damp paper towel or carefully steam them for a few seconds over boiling water.)
    • Pour the remaining sauce over enchiladas in pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.
    • Top with cheese and reserved green onions and bake until cheese is melted over the top (about 10 more minutes).

    Notes

    If available, make this recipe more authentic by using Oaxaca cheese (also called quesilla), a white cheese that melts easily with a creamy texture that is often used as filling in Mexican dishes. Queso quesadilla, labeled quesadilla cheese in English, is another creamy white cheese that melts easily.

    Nutrition per serving

    Calories: 621 calCarbohydrates: 21 gProtein: 32 gFat: 46 gSodium: 1306 mgFiber: 3 gSugar: 7 g
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    🥗 Side dishes

    Cheese and onion enchiladas are delicious with Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice, refried beans, or a green salad.

    📌 Pin this recipe

    Top photo is an enchilada covered with melted Mexican blend cheese and diced green onions on a clear plate with green onions in the background. Bottom photo is a clear baking dish with enchiladas covered with cheese and diced green onions. Text cheese & onion enchiladas add salt & serve formerly menus4moms
    Cheese & Onion Enchiladas
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    More Vegetarian Option

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    • Zucchini Linguini
    • Freezer-Friendly Zucchini Lasagna

    Posted by Mary Ann on September 10, 2019; Updated on September 16, 2021Filed Under: 5 Ingredients or Fewer Recipes, Oven Recipes, Vegetarian (or Vegetarian Option) Recipes

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