Jalapenos' Spinach Enchiladas

Submitted by Kim D.

"Jalapenos is a popular Mexican restaurant here in Houston, Texas. Their spinach enchiladas is one of the most popular entrees on their menu. This recipe was posted in the Houston Chronicle."

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 19
• Serves: 10

ingredients

• Enchiladas

• 4 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach or 4 bunches fresh spinach, cooked
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 lb fresh mushrooms, halved
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 slices white bread, crusts removed
• salt
• 2 teaspoons white pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups grated monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend, divided
• 10 -12 flour tortillas

• Cilantro Cream Sauce

• 3 cups half-and-half
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch, plus
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in a small amount of cold water
• 3 cups chopped cilantro

directions

1. For enchiladas, cook the spinach according to the package directions, if using frozen.
2. While spinach is cooking, combine garlic, onion and mushrooms in food processor, and process until coarsely chopped.
3. Melt butter in sauté pan, and sauté onion mixture until onion is translucent.
4. Remove pan from heat, and set aside.
5. Drain spinach, squeezing out excess water.
6. Make bread crumbs in food processor from sliced bread.
7. Add spinach, salt, pepper, nutmeg, chili powder and eggs.
8. Process until blended thoroughly.
9. Transfer to mixing bowl, and stir in onion mixture and 6 tablespoons cheese.
10. Preheat broiler.
11. Spoon a portion of filling onto each tortilla and roll it up.
12. Place each enchilada in casserole dish, seam side down.
13. Repeat until you've used up filling.
14. For cream sauce, mix half-and-half, cayenne, salt and a little of the dissolved corn starch in medium saucepan, and heat until thickened.
15. The sauce should be creamy, not runny; add more cornstarch mixture as necessary.
16. Off the heat, stir in cilantro.
17. Pour Cilantro Cream Sauce over tortillas, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
18. Broil until cheese melts and turns a nice golden color.

Reviews

[a burk]

Without the jalapeno's listed in the recipe it will be very tasteless. Please correct your recipe, as that is first of all a mistake.

 

[Inspiritual]

i somehow wonder if we made the same recipe. The enchilada mixture tasted amazing and I was so looking forward to it. I like the notion of the cilantro cream sauce. However, it was so rich that I could not eat it. I liked the flavors, however, it was way too rich for my taste. Next time, I might use some other sauce on top.

 

[v.hodge122191]

Food.com advertised this as protein packed because of the substitution of spinach for meat? Spinach contains very little, if any, protein. It IS high in iron as is red meat.

 

[Everett L Edwards II]

I was disappointed with the blandness of the dish, not even the cilantro cream sauce added the taste I was anticipating. The cheese topping was the saving ingredient. Also, broiling, as directed, did not allow the cheese to meld with the other flavors. I recommend baking the dish until golden brown. Lastly, the recipe required wayyy too much work (chopping the cilantro, nursing the sauce to thickness, cooking/draining the spinach, ugh) for the mediocre outcome.

 

[Stephanie Y.]

Delicioso! This is a vegetarian entree that will satisfy even the hardiest carnivores. I loved the cilantro cream sauce. The 3 cups of cilantro was a little more than 2 large bunches of cilantro.Next time I might use a few extra mushrooms just because I love them so much. Make sure to serve this with refried beans because the flavors are so good together. Made for my PAC baby 2009.