Packed with roasted veggies and beans, these Vegetable Enchiladas are healthy comfort food to share with the kids. They’re easy to prep ahead and are just so darn satisfying!
Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
We have Mexican food every Tuesday and these enchiladas are a favorite in the rotation. The filling is very versatile (and very forgiving) so you can customize them for the preferences of your family.
There is a lot of flavor packed into these enchiladas, but they aren’t overly spicy or hot, so they are a great family dinner to share with the kids.
The bulk of the vegetarian dish is made up of beans, whole grains, and vegetables, with just enough cheese to add flavor and the expected texture.
I use a combination of roasted vegetables and beans for plenty of flavor and vegetarian protein. This is a really yummy weeknight meal or a nice freezer meal if you have the energy to prep ahead.
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Ingredients You Need
To make this enchilada recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients on hand or from the store.
- Sweet potato, carrot, or butternut squash: I prefer sweet potato flavorwise, but any of these will work just fine.
- Onion: Yellow, white, or red will work.
- Olive oil
- Fully cooked brown rice: You can make this a few days ahead. You can also swap in white rice if you prefer.
- White, pinto, or black beans. If using canned beans, drain them in a colander and rinse them off.
- Mild salsa: This adds flavor and moisture to the mixture as it cooks. You can use a smooth or chunky-style of salsa.
- Enchilada sauce: Choose a mild one (unless the kids like spicy!) in either green or red.
- Tortillas: Those labeled “soft” will be easiest to roll up. I usually use flour tortillas in this since they hold up well when rolled, though “soft” corn tortillas (look on the label) can work, too, if you prefer corn.
- Shredded cheddar cheese or other Mexican cheese blend.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s the general steps for making this recipe so you know what to expect from the process. Scroll to the bottom of this post for the full recipe with the times and amounts.
- Dice and roast the vegetables.
- Add to the food processor with the rice. Puree slightly.
- Add some filling to the center of each tortilla, sort of making a line, and roll up.
- Place into the baking dish, seam of the tortilla down, top with enchilada sauce, and cheese.
- Bake.
TIP: You can assemble the recipe up through Step 4 and stick it into the fridge for up to 24 hours and bake right before serving if desired.
Which vegetables are best in this recipe?
There are some options depending on what you have on hand. You can use sweet potato, butternut squash, onion, and/or carrot. I love using sweet potato since I find that the natural sweetness is a nice pair for the flavors of the salsa and enchilada sauce.
You can also change up the type of beans—chickpeas, white beans, black beans, or pinto are all great.
Can I make these ahead?
Sure! There are a few options:
- Roast the veggies up to 3 days ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to assemble.
- Assemble the enchiladas, then store in the fridge for up to 24 hours until ready to bake and serve.
- Fully cook, then let cool and store for up to 5 days and reheat to serve.
TIP: This is a great meal to share with a family that’s just had a baby or has a meal train going.
How to Store
Store leftovers, covered, in the fridge for 3-5 days. Heat through briefly in the microwave or oven to serve.
To make ahead: Roast the veggies up to 3 days ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to assemble. Or, assemble the enchiladas, then store in the fridge for up to 24 hours until ready to bake and serve. Or fully cook, then let cool and store for up to 5 days and reheat to serve.
Best Tips for Success
- You can use quinoa, millet, or even couscous in place of the brown rice, so feel very free to experiment.
- You can use sweet potato, butternut squash, onion, and/or carrot. Use white, black, or pinto beans.
- This is a great meal to share with a family that’s just had a baby or has a meal train going.
- I usually use flour tortillas in this since they hold up well when rolled, though “soft” corn tortillas (look on the label) can work if you prefer corn.
- I like the flavor of Frontera brand enchilada sauce best, but if I can’t find it, I use whatever is available at my local store. (Red and green both work fine—just choose mild so it’s not too spicy.)
- Dice up for kids for easier eating.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback if you try this recipe, so please comment below. It’s so helpful to know how recipes turned out in your house!
Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 cups sweet potato (or butternut squash and/or carrot diced)
- 1/2 cup onion (peeled and diced)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 cup fully cooked brown rice
- 14.5- ounce can white, pinto, or black beans
- 1/2 cup mild salsa
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8-10 ounces mild enchilada sauce
- 8 small flour or corn tortillas (slightly warmed)
- 1/2-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the vegetables onto a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with olive oil and roast for 20-25 minutes or until tender.
- Place the roasted vegetables into the bowl of a food processor. Add the brown rice, beans, salsa, and salt. Roughly puree.
- Pour a small amount of enchilada sauce to thinly coat the bottom of an 9×13-inch (or 3 quart) baking dish.
- Spoon about ⅓ cup filling into each tortilla, fold over, and roll up. Place seam down in the prepared baking dish.
- Continue until you run out of the filling, packing the rolled tortillas next to each other tightly.
- Top with the remaining enchilada sauce and the cheese—using as much or as little as you like—and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are warmed through.
- Serve with sour cream or additional salsa, if desired.
Notes
- To make ahead: Roast the veggies up to 3 days ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to assemble. Or, assemble the enchiladas, then store in the fridge for up to 24 hours until ready to bake and serve. Or, fully cook, then let cool and store for up to 5 days and reheat to serve.
- To warm the tortillas, wrap in damp paper towels or a damp clean kitchen towel and heat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds or until warm.
- You can use white rice, quinoa, or millet in place of the brown rice, so feel very free to experiment.
- Use white, black, or pinto beans.
- I usually use flour tortillas in this since they hold up well when rolled, though “soft” corn tortillas (look on the label) can work, too.
- I like the flavor of Frontera brand enchilada sauce best, but if I can’t find it, I use whatever is available at my local store. (Red and green both work fine—just choose mild so it’s not too spicy.)
- Serve with avocado, corn, and any other easy side you like.
Nutrition
This post was first published in June 2015.
Could you add shredded chicken?
Sure!
Going to give this a try! Do you think this would freeze well?
I have the same question. Would you assemble and then freeze in the pan? How long would you bake from frozen?
I would guess that it would be at least 45 minutes at 350 (I’d cover with foil for all but the last ten minutes or so) to bake from frozen.
As a vegetarian, I love this, but it’s nice that my meat loving husband doesn’t taste the difference between this and meat and my picky toddler gobbles it down! A total win of a recipe!!
I’m so glad to hear that!
This was a huge hit for my toddler and husband!
Yay!