Posted by Lisa
Chard, Mushroom & Onion Enchiladas in Tomatillo Sauce
We are omnivores in this house and really enjoy meat, though we don’t eat it in every meal. Whever I try a new dish in which I use vegetables in the same capacity that I would normally use meat, it has been received poorly at times. I was expecting the worst when I served these pretty green enchiladas with my usual Mexican rice and was suprised that they were heartily consumed by all except my youngest who felt tricked that they weren’t filled with chicken. These enchiladas really were delicious and the leftovers were promptly eaten the next day which is always a sign that a dish has been well received.
When contemplating the jars of tomatillo salsa I have in my pantry still left from last fall’s canning, I googled a recipe for tomatillo enchiladas and one of the first recipes that came up was a recipe for Swiss Chard, Onion and Monterey Jack Enchiladas in a Tomatillo Salsa. Since we received chard in our CSA share, this seemed the perfect recipe to try. The chard worked beautifully in the enchiladas because it has such a mild flavor that it doesn’t compete with the tart flavor of the tomatillos and its tender texture doesn’t get stringy like some greens might have. I made adaptations to the original recipe by adding some mushrooms, using a raw cheddar instead of Monterey jack and using my home canned salsa.
Chard, Mushroom & Onion Enchiladas in Tomatillo Sauce
- 1 cup of prepared or home canned tomatillo salsa
- 1 1/2 cups of water or stock
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 bunch chard
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 5 large mushrooms, chopped rather finely
- 10 oz. grated cheddar cheese, divided
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- sea salt
Preheat oven to 375°.
In a medium sauce pan bring salsa and water (or stock) to a boil. Turn down to simmer and simmer until it is the about as thick as tomato sauce. When it has reached the desired consistency, remove from heat and whisk the sour cream in. Set aside.
To prepare the chard, strip the leaves from the stems and cut into thin strips. Remove the bottom inch or so of the stems and chop the remaining stems finely.
In a large pan, heat your oil and sauté onions for about one minute. Add the chopped chard stems and the mushrooms. Sauté for another minute. Add chard leaves and stir well. Add about one teaspoon of sea salt and cook until chard wilts is tender, about 10 minutes.
Set aside 1/4 of the grated cheese to use on top of the assembled enchiladas.
Corn tortillas crack if you try to roll them cold, so they need to be warmed. I do this by heating two or three tortillas at a time in the preheated oved for about a minute. Then, dip each tortilla into the tomatillo salsa mixture and then fill with several tablespoons of the chard filling and about a tablespoon of grated cheese. Place the rolled enchilada in a 9′ x 13′ casserole dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
When you have assembled all 12 enchiladas and placed them in the dish, pour the remaining tomatillo sauce on top of the enchiladas, sprinkle the reserved grated cheese and the 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese on top. Bake about 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden.
