You'll love these cheesy yet healthy enchiladas!
You'll love these cheesy yet healthy enchiladas!
Number of Servings: 6
Ingredients
12 8-inch Corn Tortillas 1 cup shredded Mexican four cheese blend 1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese 3/4 cup chopped white onions 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta 1 can (19 ounces) enchilada sauce 2 Tbsp diced green chilies 3 Tbsp sliced black olives
Tips
I love Mexican food, especially Chevy's Fresh Mex. I often order cheese enchiladas--oh so yummy, but oh so full of grease and fat! Their enchiladas contain between 230-290 calories and 10-27 grams of fat PER ENCHILADA!
This guilt-free version is quick and easy and satisfies even the most discerning cheese lovers in our family. They look really cheesy, with 1/2 cup of cheese on top, but looks can be deceiving. The filling is tasty and lower-fat, and the tortillas are softened in the microwave, reducing the fat and calories even further.
Directions
Step 1: Soften the tortillas. Normally, tortillas are softened by lightly frying them in hot oil. Skinny enchiladas skips this step...and all the fat!
Pour the enchilada sauce in a skillet and heat. Dip each tortilla in the hot sauce, coating each side, for a few seconds. Shake off and place on microwavable platter, 3 or 4 at a time, making sure that they do not overlap. Microwave for 20-40 seconds, until soft. (Time will vary according to your microwave oven.) Set aside to cool.
Step 2: In a bowl, mix 3/4 cup finely chopped onion (about 1/2 a large onion), ricotta, cottage cheese, green chiles (mild or hot, to taste), and salt and pepper to taste. Add half the shredded cheese (1/2 cup.) Mix with fork until ingredients are blended.
Step 3: Spray a rectangular casserole dish with non-stick spray. Place approximately 1/12th of the cheese mixture (about 1/4 cup) on a tortilla and loosely roll. Place seam side down in casserole dish. Repeat until all tortillas are filled. Spread remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas.
Step 4: Bake for 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. After 15 minutes, remove and evenly spread the remaining cheese and the black olives on top. Return to oven for 10 more minutes.
Hints: Soften corn flour tortillas on stovetop on a dry hot griddle, flip them over quickly until soft; roll into enchiladas right away. Don't dip tortillas into sauce, but place in the pan one by one, spoon sauce over, fill, roll, and then pour sauce over the top, to keep unfried tortillas intact
- 2/6/10
How can people give a rating to a recipe they've never tried? Why rate at all? You don't have to rate to get the 3 SparkPoints, for gosh sakes! I don't get it! Only rate if you've tried the recipe!
- 2/6/10
The flavor of the enchiladas is really tasty - but making them was a huge mess. Instead of dipping, microwaving them and then letting them sit (which causes them to stick together) either just dip one tortilla at a time and fill right away and put in pan, or just microwave the tortillas.
- 11/23/09
You dont even have to roll these if you do step 1 and then lay in a 13 x 9 pan than put some of the filling on top then lay another layer of the tortillas on top and on and on. Finely diced chicken in these is also great and a source of protein. Then bake and they are YUMMY
- 2/6/10
Ok- I was skepticle about the cottage cheese in the enchiladas, but I couldn't tell! They were very cheesy + delicious. I used green onion vs white & I didn't have to microwave.If the sauce is hot enough no need to microwave! Much easier then the authentic way!
- 12/18/09
Corn tortillas soften in the microwave without the dipping! I used 100% cottage cheese, dislike ricotta. No onions here either. Still a tasty satisfying dish!
- 2/6/10
Used whole wheat 12" tortillas, and just dumped 1/2 the sauce in the bottom of my 9x13, filled each tortilla (doubled the cc instead of using ricotta & added chopped chicken w/ chili powder), then dumped rest of sauce over all before baking. Served w/ fat free refried beans & sour cream! Yum!!
- 2/24/10
I do this with green enchilada sauce. It was very tasty. Everyone loved it. The 2nd time I made it, I added chopped mushrooms to the cheese mixture - quite tasty too!
- 2/2/10
Definite 5 stars for a healthy alternative and for taste. Only 2 tiny complaints - I made a MESS making them. 2nd, the recipe only used part of each container of ingredients, so I have leftover ricotta, chilis, etc..that I'm not sure what to do with. Probably make more next week and freeze them!
- 11/22/09
These are the best enchiladas I have ever made or had at a restaurant! I thought they may be a little bland, but not at all and I made them exactly as written. Thank You! I will make over and over again!
- 1/10/11
I sauteed the onions in olive oil before adding them to the filling, which made them soft and sweeter. I also added a can of black beans to the filling. They turned out quite good! I was able to line up the sauce, filling, cutting board to fill the enchiladas and casserole dish to keep the mess down
- 5/12/10
The beauty of Mexican (or any food for that matter) food, is that you can "make it your own". I like the idea of light cream cheese,beans, or tofu, or ??? you want to add. It's the tortilla and enchilada sauce that give it the flavor we all love!
Thanks for posting and sharing this great idea!
- 2/6/10
I agree... Why rate a recipe before you've even tried it, that doesn't make any sense. After you've tried it, rate it, but it isn't necessary to tell us about how you have or will add to your version of it. Submit your own, then we can decide whether to try it or sticl to the one already submitted.
- 2/6/11
I'm sorry, but this just didn't work out for my family. The corn tortillas practically disintigrated and the filling was not satisfying. I appreciate the effort at slimming down this dish though!
- 3/3/10
These were good! I miss all the fat tho! LOL! I tried to dredge the tortillas through the sauce , but they kept falling apart; heated them in the MW instead. Using 12 tortillas you only get about a tablespoon of filling, but it was good. Needs some spice, what I don't know. WIll try again!
- 1/29/10
AWESOME! Took about 15 min. to prepare. Not a hassle at all preparing the tortillas and as long as you keep the softened tortillas separate you didn't have to worry about them sticking together. I did add 2 cans of chopped green chiles and used Green Enchilada Sauce. They were creamy and flavorful.
- 9/14/11
This is very good! I didn't have any Ricotta cheese on hand so I used twice the amount of cottage cheese and it turned out excellent. Also, I used a small shallot instead of an onion and added 3 cloves of minced garlic for a boost of flavor. I will definitely make this again.
- 5/5/11
You can soften tortillas in a dry pan in a warm oven. You don't need oil or sauce, and you have to check to make sure they don't get crisp or overdone.
- 2/6/11
Instead of dipping the tortillas in the sauce, spray a little Pam on a warm skillet to soften the tortillas (turning every few seconds), then fill and top with the sauce.
- 1/8/11
Wonderful enchiladas. If your a vegetarian like me, tofu ricotta worked great as well. I always have to make a batch with and without meat for my family. Will be making again.
- 1/4/11
This recipe was great. The only thing I have to say is that it's not really 1/4 c. of mixture going into the tortillas. I'd say more like 2 tbl. Also, I made it with no olives or onion and just micro'ed the tortillas before hand..then layered the bottom of the dish with enchilada sauce.
- 9/24/10
This was good but it seemed like it was missing something. Next time I make it, I will try adding some seasoned refried beans or at least some seasoning to the cheese mixture. I brought some leftovers for lunch today, I'm going to add some hot sauce :)
- 9/21/10
My whole family liked these. I sauteed the onions before adding to the cheese mixture, and chopped up some fresh spinach to throw in too. Only complaint is that the filling was a bit skimpy. Might add more veggies next time to bump up the content. May also layer to avoid the rolling mess.
- 2/24/10
made these for dinner today...great!!!!! I did not dip or roll them...but made a layered dish....2 dishes...and cut each into 4ths...very tasty....
- 1/14/10
Great recipe. Everybody liked it. These kinds of recipes with generous serving sizes are great for feeding my guys and they don't even know it's healthy. :)
- 6/15/13
These were really good! I skipped dipping the tortillas in sauce and microwaving to cut down the mess & just microwaved four at a time to soften, filled & rolled, then poured sauce over at the end. Served with refried beans, lettuce, and onion & chopped tomato on the side. Will make again!
- 1/23/13
I love enchiladas! This dish was just alright--nothing special. Also, way too much sodium per serving because of all the cheeses (Mexican, cottage & ricotta) and canned enchilada sauce. For non-vegetarians, I would substitute cooked, shredded chicken breast for all or some of the cheese filling.
- 1/13/13
I've been using a version of this recipe for years. I add an egg to the filling for texture and stability. I soften the tortillas a few at a time in the microwave, spooning sauce inside and out, to maintain the integrity of the tortilla. The bottom of the pan gets a thin layer of sauce to start.
- 12/3/12
Absolutely delicious! I didn't feel like messing with rolling enchiladas, so I just dipped and layered corn tortillas in the bottom of a baking dish, put the filling on top, then another layer of tortillas. Didn't quite look like enchiladas but tasted like the most yummy ones ever!
- 11/25/12
This continues to be one of my favorite meals to make from sparkpeople. I love it! I just wish there was more filling per tortilla, but when counting calories, what do you expect? Wonderful comfort food for when I'm craving Mexican. Mmm, mmm!
- 11/12/12
These were fantastic! I made it layer-style instead of rolling individual enchiladas and I sauteed the onions prior to adding them to the casserole b/c I don't like crunchy onions. Big hit with the family.
- 11/11/12
I found myself wanting to make these again quite recently! The only thing I would do differently next time is to sauté the onions before mixing them with the cheese mixture because they were a little crunchy, and they weren't even really big pieces. But other than that, these were so delicious!
- 11/11/12
I made mine into a casserole because of limited time and used all cottage cheese. Served it on a bed of shredded lettuce and topped with tomatoes and sour cream. Next time will add fake crab (surimi) or beans for protein and bulk.
- 10/30/12
To dip the tortillas in the sauce and microwave them is extremely messy. I stopped doing this halfway through. The enchiladas looked appetizing out of the oven, but were complete mush when I went to eat them. They had no structure. There has to be a better way to make them.
- 9/27/12
I liked the flavor of these enchiladas but there didn't seem to be enough filling. I used smaller tortillas thinking I would cut the calories even more but ended up with enough filling for just 9 enchiladas not twelve. Even then the filling seemed a little skimpy.
- 7/16/12
This was my first attempt at making enchiladas and this recipe was amazing!! I modified it a little bit-I boiled 4 chicken breast tenders and shredded the meat and added that plus 1/4 cup each of red and green peppers. I served the dish with salsa- I will be making this again!!
- 6/21/12
Seriously wonderful! In fact, this will probably be a staple in our house and is definitely something I'll be able to make once I'm on my own. The olives add even more flavor! YUM!
- 6/3/12
Really good! I thought there were too many onions, next time I will use less and saute them. Line your work station up: pan of sauce, plate right next to it for tortillas after dipping, casserole dish. Mess should be minimal! The filling went farther than I thought it would when I was adding it.
- 5/11/12
LOVED! I added chicken thigh meat and only had one instead of 2 since I added the meat along with a side salad. You can't even tell your eating cottage cheese. I was a little freaked out by that.
I also didn't tell my husband what was in it to see if he really liked them and HE LOVED THEM!
- 4/24/12
Tia rosa yellow corn tortillas have only 45 calories and no sodium. We use them for "street tacos" and never fry them. We wrap them in a paper towel and microwave to soften. - 4/24/12
I made up some non-fat refried beans (from dry) and spooned a tablespoon into each before rolling up. These are incrediable - with or without the beans!
- 3/20/12
Made with non fat ricotta. Didn't have the green chiles so I used a can of green enchilada sauce. Made as a casserole, much faster and easier. LOVED it and so did my sweet hubby. This will be a keeper for regular weeknight meals!
- 3/15/12
I liked the flavor of these a lot. However, you'll run out of filling quickly if you use 1/4 C per tortilla. About 1 heaping tablespoon is more appropriate. Next time I think I'll use the whole can (4.25 oz) of green chiles!
- 3/12/12
This is now one of my favorites. I wonder if I could use all cottage cheese and not any ricotta--not that I could taste the ricotta. I think I will heat in skillet and roll next time instead of dipping and microwaving. The easier the better! Thank you, someone!
- 3/11/12
I made this last week and it was delicious!! I used low carb wraps and skipped the first step. I just popped them in the microwave for about 20 seconds to soften them up before rolling. Next time I'll add chicken, but overall, these were FANTASTIC.
- 3/6/12
I really find the Sparkpeople site very helpful with my weight loss program. I am disappointed to see the recipes have such a high sodium content. With so much news about the effects of sodium I would hope the recipes would be lower in sodium content.
- 3/2/12
Having Hispanic friends, I know to warm my tortillas in my cast iron skillet which requires no oil because it's seasoned. You can use a nonstick pan if you don't have cast iron. I also added some shredded pork from a leftover pork shoulder roast. Very tasty indeed! Thanks for sharing! - 3/2/12
This was amazing! I am a big green chili fan, so I used green enchilada sauce instead of red. I also used whole wheat tortillas (so I was able to skip the soak/microwave step that everyone said was so messy) and added a little bit of chicken to the cheese mixture. I will be making this regularly.
- 2/28/12
I went to the store to get the ingredients for this, and they didn't have any 8-inch corn tortillas, only little taco-sized ones... so I got flour tortillas. Hope it still works!
- 2/14/12
This was surprisingly good,creamy and cheesy.I sauteed the onions instead adding raw(really glad I did this), used FF refried beans instead of ricotta and I must admit to adding a bit more shredded cheese than called for.Old habits die hard and I was a bit skeptical.Will make again!
- 1/31/12
Surprising combination of ingredients. That being said, this recipe was tasty, low calorie, and easy. I will definitely be making this again. My husband loved it, too.
- 1/3/12
I left out the chiles. This was delicious but you can tell it's healthy ;) I don't think the serving size will fill me up though. Need 1.5-2 servings or beans and rice as a side.
- 12/27/11