Mom’s Homemade Bean Enchiladas

Enchiladas from a Mexican restaurant can’t compare with these homemade enchiladas. They come out of the oven ooey gooey, but much lower in fat and salt than the restaurant version. And they are also packed with nutritious beans, lycopene-rich tomato sauce and spices. My mom has made this casserole for special occasions for years, and now I’m making it too. Try it once and it might become part of your family’s traditions too.

Mom's Homemade Bean Enchiladas

Mom’s Homemade Bean Enchiladas

2 cans refried beans OR 2 cans pinto beans (mashed)
1 medium onion chopped
2 tsp. Chile powder
1/4 cup grated low-fat cheddar (or Mexican blend) cheese or daiya vegan cheddar
12 flour or whole wheat large tortillas
1/2 lb. grated low-fat cheddar (or Mexican blend) cheese or daiya vegan cheddar

SAUCE FOR ENCHILADAS
2 cups tomato sauce (two 8 oz. cans)
2 cups water
4 tsp. dried minced onions
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp. Chile powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1) Mix the first four ingredients together.

2) Simmer sauce ingredients together.

3) Spoon bean mixture into tortilla shell, add tsp. of sauce, and sprinkle with cheese.

4) Roll tortilla and place each in long baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over rolled tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining grated cheese.

5) Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Serve with chopped tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, sliced avocado, black olives and/or salsa.

Serves 5 or 6.

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Spaghetti Casserole

Everyone needs at least a few go-to casserole recipes. A casserole is a whole meal in one dish. It’s the perfect dish to make when you want to prepare something ahead of time to free you to be with your guests. Make it the night before and then bake it right before everyone comes over. Or, of course, you can make a casserole when someone you love needs a meal. Perfect drop-off food for couples with a new baby, new neighbors, or when you want to make a busy friend’s day. Casserole and comfort food are synoymous.

Spaghetti Casserole

This spaghetti casserole is super yummy and fairly easy and inexpensive to make. I have made it three times in the last month.

Spaghetti Casserole

1 pound dried spaghetti (most boxes are 1 pound)(you can use brown rice spaghetti if following a gluten free diet) – cooked according to package directions

1 jar of your favorite tomato-based pasta sauce (about 25 oz.)

1 small can of tomato sauce (about 6 oz.)

1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped

½ green pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 – 8 button or cremini mushrooms, chopped or sliced

2/3 cup ground veggie burger

1 tsp. each of basil, oregano, crushed red pepper and parsley

Optional: layer in a small sprinkling of reduced fat mozzarella cheese or daiya Vegan mozzarella cheese between each layer and sprinkle cheese on top, if desired. You won’t miss the cheese though if you leave it out. I’d even go so far as to say, it’s better without the cheese

Olive oil

1)    In large sauce pan, heat 1 or 2 tbsp. of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and sauté about 8 minutes, until tender.

2)    Add chopped green pepper and sauté another 5 minutes. Add veggie burger and stir in with the onion and pepper. Saute a minute or two.

3)    Add garlic and sauté a minute more. Then add mushrooms and sauté a couple of additional minutes. Add more olive oil, as needed.

4)    Pour in tomato sauce and pasta sauce. Add all spices. Stir and simmer about 10 minutes.

5)    Grease a large, deep casserole dish with olive oil. Ladle enough sauce into the bottom of the dish to cover the bottom. Add a layer of spaghetti, and then another layer of sauce.

6)    Repeat layering 3 or 4 times until you have used all of your ingredients.

7)    Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 20 minutes.

Serves 6-8 people. Reheat leftovers in microwave. Makes good leftovers.

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