Hatch New Mexico Red Chile Recipes

Fast and Easy Fresh Spinach Enchiladas

Here's our take on Spinach Enchiladas that's basically a simple variation on the classic red chile-cheese enchilada. The addition of fresh spinach adds not only a nutritious element, but also a delicious layer of earthy flavor. This recipe is less complicated than others we've seen which use a larger array of ingredients in a casserole-style dish. For the red chile sauce we use our basic recipe made with dried pods. Alternatives might be your favorite enchilada sauce made with fresh red chile, or (in a pinch!) your favorite canned enchilada sauce.
Red Chile Spinach Enchiladas






Red Chile-Spinach Enchiladas
2 c Basic Red Chile Sauce
4 c fresh spinach leaves, large stems removed,coarsely chopped (not req'd if using baby spinach)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t salt
1/2 t oregano
1 T  olive oil
Corn tortillas, 2-3 per serving
Additional oil or cooking spray for cooking tortillas
1 c grated or crumbled cheese of your choice
(we used Feta)
Salad of your choice for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and saute the garlic for a couple of minutes. Add the oregano, stir for a minute, then add the spinach leaves and salt. Saute until the spinach is wilted, and add 1/2 cup of the chile sauce. Stir until the mixture is heated through. Keep warm until ready to assemble the enchiladas.
Cook the tortillas either by dipping them in hot oil until softened, or for a lower-fat version, toasting on a griddle with a little cooking spray. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the spinach mixture onto each tortilla, add a sprinkle of the cheese, and roll the tortilla around the filling. Put the rolled enchiladas on a serving plate, spoon on more of the chile sauce and sprinkle on a little more cheese. Microwave on Medium until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are heated through. Garnish with salad to keep it light...we like shredded lettuce, tomato, and sliced radishes, sprinkled with a little olive oil and lemon juice. Of course, the usual enchilada side dishes like beans, rice, coleslaw, etc. also go well.