What a delicious surprise this recipe is i found in an old recipe book a good friend gave me. In my search on how to prepare zucchiniwithout making a sweet bread, i stumbled on this one! Have already made it multiple times to great reviews and made a couple more that i put into the freezer with cooking instructions written with a Sharpie marker on the foil covering it.
Zucchini & Cheese Enchiladas or Casserole*
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp chili powder (optional)
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
- ½ tsp salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ cups chopped onion
- 4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1 large bell pepper chopped (optional)
- 6 cups chopped zucchini
- 16 to 18 corn tortillas
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes
Directions:
In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, chili powder, and cumin to make a thick paste. Add the milk, a little at a time, using a wire whisk. Slowly add the cheese, stirring constantly until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and zucchini and sauté 2 more minutes. Add ¼ cup of water, cover, and steam veggies until tender. Remove vegetables from heat, and drain excess liquid. Gently mix in 2/3 of the cheese sauce. Lightly oil a 9×13-inch baking dish. To assemble, place two tortillas side by sade at one end of the pan. Spread a generous amount of filling down the center of the tortillas, then fold them over and roll up the tortillas. Place filled enchiladas seam-side-down in the pan. Continue in this manner until you have filled the pan. Spoon remaining sauce on top and garnish to tomatoes. Bake, uncovered, for 20 -25 minutes. Serves 8
*I prefer making this as a casserole since it’s much easier. i do take the time to prepare freshly made corn tortillas with Masa Harina, then loosely layer the flavorful tortillas on the bottom of the pan, then top with half the zucchini/cheese mixture, layer another set of tortillas and spread the remaining zucchini/cheese mixture. Spread the remaining 1/3 of cheese mixture on top, then dot the whole casserole with diced tomatoes.
