Easy Cheese Enchiladas

This simple recipe for Cheese Enchiladas is perfect when you’re in the mood for an easy Tex-Mex meal. Destined to be your new family favorite, these cheesy enchiladas pair melty cheese and corn tortillas with a homemade, smoky enchilada sauce.

If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like my Low-Carb Tex-Mex Casserole, Chicken Enchilada Nachos, Mexican Taco Pizza, Shredded Chicken Flautas, Easy Shredded Chicken Tostadas, and Authentic Chicken Tortilla Soup.

All I need to hear is the word “cheese,” and I’m pretty much sold on the idea! Back home in Louisiana, we ate a lot of seafood and Southern comfort food, but once I migrated to the Lone Star state of Texas, Tex-Mex was quickly added to my list of favorites.

I can’t remember the exact restaurant I visited when I first came to Houston (there are so many great ones here), but I do remember ordering the cheese enchiladas! The dish was straightforward, but the rich enchilada sauce stole the show. It wouldn’t be long before I created my own version.

Ingredients you’ll need to make Cheese Enchiladas:

• You’ll need white corn tortillas that will be filled with two kinds of cheese. I prefer corn tortillas over flour tortillas because they have more flavor and tend to hold up better after being soaked and baked in enchilada sauce.
• For your cheeses, you’ll use Monterey jack cheese and Oaxaca cheese (also known as Asadero) to fill each enchilada and for the topping. You can get creative with your cheese and substitute the Monterey jack cheese with Colby, pepper jack, or cheddar. I recommend choosing at least two cheeses and combining them.
• For the enchilada sauce, you’ll combine olive oil, all-purpose flour, minced garlic, tomato sauce, chicken stock, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, ground cumin, black pepper, and sea salt. You can also use vegetable broth to keep these cheese enchiladas vegetarian.
• To make everything nice and pretty, you can add a sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro before baking.

How to make cheese enchiladas:

Shred your cheese. On a cutting board, shred the Monterey jack and Oaxaca cheese and mix them together in a large bowl. Set to the side.

Make the enchilada sauce. In a small cooking pot on medium-low heat, add the olive oil, flour, and minced garlic and stir until it binds. Add the tomato sauce, chicken stock, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, ground cumin, black pepper, and sea salt. Allow to cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. 

Warm your corn tortillas. Place the white corn tortillas between damp paper towels, then microwave for 20 seconds to warm through. This ensures the tortillas will not break as you roll them.

Assemble your enchiladas. Add a light layer of enchilada sauce to the bottom of a casserole dish (paid link). Place a 1/3 to 1/4 cup of cheese in the center of the corn tortilla and tightly roll. Place each filled tortilla into the casserole dish (paid link). Continue until your dish is full. This recipe will make 10 to 12 enchiladas.

Top with sauce and cheese. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over your filled tortillas. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese and chopped cilantro.

Bake. Cover the baking dish with foil to lock in the heat and prevent the tortillas from drying out. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes to finish melting and slightly brown the cheese. Allow to cool, then serve.

Enchilada Variations & Alternatives

There are so many ways to take your cheese enchiladas to the next level!

• You can serve your cheese enchiladas topped with pico de gallo, sour cream, or guacamole, diced avocado, fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeños, green chiles, chopped white onion, or shredded lettuce.
• You can add ground beef to your filling. Simply cook your beef, season with taco seasoning, and add a spoonful to your filling along with the cheese. This will also work well with my Instant Pot Pinto Beans.
• I love adding chicken soaked in enchilada sauce to the filling. You can check out the technique I used to make my Chicken Enchilada Nachos.

Can I store my leftovers?

Absolutely! You can store leftover enchiladas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can freeze them as well. Before placing them in an airtight container, wrap the cooked enchiladas in plastic wrap and foil. They can remain in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can reheat them in the microwave, and if they have been frozen, let them thaw out in the refrigerator first.

With this easy dinner idea, you can let your inner cheese lover come to the forefront! This recipe takes no time to put together and will win you over from the very first cheesy bite.

Easy Cheese Enchiladas

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• Author: Eric Jones
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 – 6 1x

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Description

This simple recipe for Cheese Enchiladas is perfect when you’re in the mood for an easy Tex-Mex meal. Destined to be your new family favorite, these cheesy enchiladas pair melty cheese with a homemade, smoky enchilada sauce.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 10 6-inch white corn soft tortillas
• 1 lb Monterey jack cheese block, shredded
• 8 oz Oaxaca cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped

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Instructions

1. Shred the Monterey Jack and Oaxaca cheese. Mix together in a large bowl. Set to the side. 
2. Add the olive oil, flour, and minced garlic to a small cooking pot on medium-low heat and stir until the mixture binds. 
3. Add the tomato sauce, chicken stock, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, ground cumin, black pepper, and sea salt, stir, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. 
4. Place the corn tortillas between damp paper towels and microwave for 20-30 seconds until warmed.  
5. Add a light layer of enchilada sauce to the bottom of a casserole dish (paid link). 
6. Fill each corn tortilla with 1/3 to 1/4 cup of cheese. Tightly roll and place each filled tortilla into the casserole dish (paid link).  
7. Spread the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the filled tortillas. Top with the remaining shredded cheese and chopped cilantro.
8. Bake cover in foil at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Equipment

Casserole Dish

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(paid link)

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: Mexican

Nutrition

• Calories: 569
• Sugar: 10.4g
• Sodium: 3396mg
• Fat: 17.2g
• Carbohydrates: 99.6g
• Fiber: 26g
• Protein: 21.3g
• Cholesterol: 11mg