| mashed potato enchiladas |

Once upon a time, some friends had us for dinner and tried out a new vegetarian recipe on us. Now this sounds like the kind of thing that could end in disaster...but, in this situation, it most definitely did NOT. This has turned out to be one of our all-time-favorite recipes for everyday cooking, freezing, and making for friends. In fact, I have a batch sitting in my freezer right now, waiting to go to a friend that's on bedrest. I'll give you the original recipe first, and then some tricks and modifications I've made over the years.

Lest you think mashed potato enchiladas sound really weird, I promise they are not. The mashed potatoes basically just make everything taste cheesier without all the fat of a ton of cheese. And they're very filling!


MASHED POTATO ENCHILADAS

2 small zucchini -- diced
2 cups carrots -- diced
1 cup onion – diced
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup skim milk
1 cup instant potatoes
10 ounces enchilada sauce, red
1/2 cup shredded cheese
4 pieces tortillas

Preheat oven to 350.

Saute carrots, zucchini, and onions in Pam. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Combine water and milk in pan and bring to boil. Add package of potatoes and remove from heat. Let stand 5-10 minutes, then fluff.

Pour some sauce into the bottom of the pan to coat. Dip tortillas in enchilada sauce. Place 1/4 cup potatoes, 1/8 cup cheese, and 1/4 of the veggies in each tortilla and roll. Top with any remaining sauce.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes (until heated through).

NOTES:
- This only makes 4 enchiladas. I almost ALWAYS at least double the recipe. After you've cooked them, take any extras and wrap them individually to freeze.
- I often add beans for protein.
- You can use any kind of veggies you want. I have often purchased a "mexican style" corn mix in the freezer section and used it instead of doing all the dicing and sauteeing.
- Instead of putting in potatoes, then cheese, then veggies, I just mix all the cooked veggies, potatoes, and cheese together in a big pot and then ladle that into the enchiladas. It's faster.
- When I feel too lazy to roll enchiladas, I just do this casserole style. I put a layer of tortillas in the bottom of the pan on top of the sauce, then put the potato mix on top, then another layer of dipped tortillas, etc., until I'm done with 8 tortillas. Then I put some cheese and sauce on top and bake.

Comments

Phaedra said…
ok, i have to ask because i love your cooking & this recipe sounds great--EXCEPT FOR THE INSTANT POTATOES??! so, what's the deal? is it just a time saver? do you endorse them for texture/taste? i know i can substitute real mashed potatoes, but i'm intrigued you'd eat the instant kind; i don't think i ever have.
Okay, so this shows you how often I remember to moderate the comments on my blog. SIGH. Anyway, to answer your question: yes, it's just part of the recipe. I never eat instant potatoes solo. They're nasty. But the original recipe, as I had it prepared for me at friend's house, involved the instant and was super tasty. So that's how I made it the first time and, in fact, is how I usually make it. It's so fast. But, yes, I've made it with real potatoes, too, and it's delish that way, as well.

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