Tags
beef, burritos, cooking, cream cheese, dinner, Mexican food, monterey jack cheese, recipe, spinach, weeknight dinner
This recipe comes with no guarantees, but just maybe a few less calories in one of these easy to prepare enchiladas will get you into your short shorts sooner than you thought.
I for one am a little too old for short shorts (but I’ll happily let the rest of you wear ’em). I also feel like bathing suit season is right around the corner so less calories can be helpful when you’re staring down that scary season in the face.
Oh, and I think this is the perfect weeknight recipe and would go well with yesterday’s Spanish rice. I garnished the finished enchiladas with a dollop of light sour cream and sliced green onions (but not for the little boys) just for the grown ups.
Cook 1 lb of lean ground beef and 3 minced garlic cloves over medium heat until beef is no longer pink. Drain off any liquid and return the beef-garlic mixture to the skillet and season with 1 tsp ground cumin, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Add 1 1/2 cups of frozen spinach and a 4.5 ounce can of chopped green chiles (drained) to the pan and cook over medium heat until spinach is wilted and cooked through. Stir well to incorporate the spinach and chopped green chiles into the ground beef.
Now you’re ready to add the 6 ounces of cubed light cream cheese to the skillet. Stir over medium heat until cream cheese melts and is incorporated throughout beef-vegetable mixture.
Add a 1/2 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese to the beef mixture. Stir well to incorporate. However, if you’d like to save a few extra calories, you can eliminate this step altogether. Oh and one little confession…I’m not a big fan of light cheese, so I used the full fat goodness of real Monterey Jack in this recipe.
Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of enchilada filling to the center of your tortilla.
Fold over one third of the tortilla so it covers the filling.
Tuck the edge of the tortilla just slightly with your fingers and roll somewhat tightly so that your filling doesn’t escape.
These go quite quickly once you get started.
Place the enchiladas seem side down in a 12 inch x 8 inch baking dish (or the equivalent).
In a small bowl, mix together 3/4 cup of salsa and 1/4 cup of tomato sauce. Spoon the salsa mixture over the enchiladas.
Top the enchiladas with 1/2 to 3/4 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese. I prefer to shred my own using a Microplane…how about you?
Bake the enchiladas uncovered in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is melted and the filling is heated through, about 25 minutes. To serve, garnish with sour cream and sliced green onions.
Light Beef Enchiladas Florentine
Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups loose frozen spinach (do not defrost)
1 4.5 ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
6 oz light cream cheese, cut into cubes
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
10 tortillas
3/4 cup of your favorite salsa
1/4 cup tomato sauce
light sour cream and sliced green onions to garnish (optional)
Method
In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat add the ground beef and minced garlic and cook until no longer pink. Drain off any liquid and return to skillet. Add the cumin and season with salt and black pepper. Stir to combine. Add the frozen spinach and the chopped green chiles. Stir to combine over medium heat until spinach is wilted and is incorporated along with the green chiles, into the beef mixture. Add the cubed cream cheese and continue to stir until it is melted. Add a 1/2 cup of shredded cheese (if using) and stir until combined.
To fill enchiladas add 1/4 to a scant 1/2 cup of filling down the center of each tortilla and roll tightly, placing the filled enchiladas seam-side down into baking dish.
Combine the salsa and tomato sauce in a small bowl. Spoon over enchiladas. Top with additional shredded cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and filling is heated through.
Yield: 4 to 5 servings
Thanks so much for dropping by Main St. today…
Carole Crandall said:
Oh my…..that looks really delicious! Now I’m really hungry for Mexican food.
{Main St. Cuisine} said:
I know. There’s just something about Mexican food. It always sounds good. I’m actually looking forward to my all-time fave at the end of the month…three rolled tacos with guacamole. Talk about a diet buster!! 🙂
Heather @ SugarDish(Me) said:
Ahhhh you’re killing me! This looks soooo freaking gooooood. I love spinach. I think you should have a taco stand. and drive these enchiladas around construction sites. And make a KILLING. And then drive some to ME!
{Main St. Cuisine} said:
Can you ever go wrong with any kind of enchilada?! Hmmm, a mobile taco stand. I think you’re right…I bet it would be pretty busy. I won’t tell the construction workers that they’re “light.” That’ll be our little secret.
Sarah said:
You know what Allison? I think next week is gonna be a Main St. Cuisine week at our house. Doesn’t that sound fun? Cooking from your blog every day – I love that idea! You just have a whole bunch of what I love….and this recipe has jumped to the top of that list for next week. I love enchiladas. A lot! 🙂
{Main St. Cuisine} said:
Wow, that is a really nice compliment! I know you have lots and lots of followers (for obvious reasons!), so I feel honored that you take the time to stop by my little blog each week.
It’s funny how I will make something, like enchiladas and now I can’t stop thinking of how to make them next time…chicken, black beans, a green chile sauce next time? But first, I have to make the turkey meatloaf you shared yesterday, 🙂
dulcetdevotion said:
I love that idea too ladies! Yay! Fun fun fun:)
Sarah said:
I love Main St. Cuisine, I really do! I only have a lot of followers because the WordPress people caught me on a good day and Freshly Pressed me. That day is coming for you too, I just know it! This is a beautiful place to spend time!
I have Hubby going through recipes here for next week. Since there’s only the two of us to cook for, we’re having a hard time narrowing it down to just a few. (Hard time agreeing, lol) I am not budging on the enchiladas though. NO WAY!
Hope your Friday as going well dear, and that your weekend is loads of fun!
xoxoxo
dulcetdevotion said:
Oh these look so good and I always love your step by step photos. Thank you as well, for reminding me about bathing suit season:/ Time to eat light enchiladas and other healthy treats!
{Main St. Cuisine} said:
Thank you! I sometimes have to remind myself that the healthy treats can be good too. One of my favorites is a bowl of fresh berries, especially when we venture to a farm to pick our own. It would probably be a good idea to leave off the freshly whipped heavy cream, but it’s just so good. 🙂
dulcetdevotion said:
Oh that is so true. In the next month or two when suddenly everything is ripe and fresh, dessert will be fruit and I’ll wonder why I ever have cake and chocolate…but as sinful as berries are, of course there’s always still room for chocolate:) Have a great weekend.
Just A Smidgen said:
This is a great light recipe that I will definitely try.. But not for short shorts.. I, too, am long past wearing those and am very thankful that the bermuda short has made a come back in fashion:)
{Main St. Cuisine} said:
Thank you, Smidge (that’s a very nice compliment!). I’m with you on the Bermuda shorts and a nice pedicure too.
Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend so far!
Allison
Bam's Kitchen said:
Love the addition of cream cheese and this lovely light dish. I am happy to start wearing some other colors instead of black and gray. I am ready for spring!
{Main St. Cuisine} said:
Oh, I am ready to ditch my black and grey too! So funny you should say that, Bam. Thank you so much for stopping by today. Are you having a touch of spring where you are? My Mother-In-Law is in China right now and we’re going to skype over the weekend…I know she loves the warmer weather, so I’m curious what the weather is like where she is.
Enjoy your weekend!
Bam's Kitchen said:
In Hong Kong, Spring has finally sprung but we had 58 days solid of overcast skies with NO sun. It has been cold, damp, polluted and miserable and that was the upshot of the weather. LOL But yesterday for the first time we had sun and warmth, it was like seeing a foreign body in the sky. Still lots of pollution but there was some sun and clouds. You know that China is a very large country so it depends on her location in China as up by Harbin it is still snowing and in the southern areas more tropical. Take Care, BAM
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girlinafoodfrenzy said:
I forgot how great enchiladas can be! I think my guy will be enjoying the remains of some chilli via beautifully wrapped tortillas, lol 🙂
{Main St. Cuisine} said:
Oh, that sounds good! I hope he enjoys them. 🙂
The problem with reading so many delicious food blogs is that I’m perpetually hungry. I had a totally filling dinner this evening, but now I need to eat something. I have to learn to do my blog reading in the morning over coffee and not before bedtime!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Allison
girlinafoodfrenzy said:
Lol, I know the pitfalls of different timezones!!!
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Sarah said:
Oh Allison. I just made these and they turned out SO well. The flavors are perfect! I’m very glad you have all the photos here so I could be sure of everything. I can’t believe how well everything went together, and there was exactly enough meat mixture to fill the 10 tortillas. When does that every happen? For me, never 🙂 I’m so glad I was starving by the time they were done, because they’re deliciously filling! And I’m REALLY glad there’s leftovers for a couple of lunches for both of us.
Thanks so much for this wonderful meal tonight!
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