Different Recipes To Try Next Time You're Craving Enchiladas

Traditional enchiladas date all the way back to the Aztec Empire and were savored by both Aztec nobles and commoners (via History Today). Rich in history, fillings, and flavor, the enchilada is an extremely popular dish in the United States today and has many different variations.

It is difficult to find another meal that embodies the flavor and heartiness of a good enchilada. A savory, meaty filling wrapped in a warm tortilla and lathered with a flavorful sauce and melted cheese is a tough dish to compete with. But just because enchiladas have been around for quite some time, that doesn't mean you won't enjoy various spins.

Whether it's mimicking the flavors to create a soup, finding a new way to accommodate the delicious filling, or simply utilizing a specific cooking technique to let the flavors further develop, these are a few recipes to try the next time you're craving enchiladas.

Each enchilada provides a bounty of flavor, but it's safe to say that the star of the dish is the enchilada sauce. You could always buy pre-made sauce, but where's the fun in that? This chicken enchiladas recipe includes directions to make your own perfect enchilada sauce right at home. The magical concoction consists of flour, mild chili powder, dried oregano, tomato paste, ground cumin, garlic powder, salt, and vegetable broth or water. 

Once it's ready, lather the sauce onto the tortillas, and begin to assemble your enchiladas. Once that's done, it takes just 25 minutes to bake, and then your saucy enchiladas are ready to be devoured.

Where would we be without slow cookers? Fortunately, that's not something we ever need to consider. Instead, we can think of all the delicious recipes we can use the appliance for, including this one for slow cooker chicken enchiladas. 

Here, the slow cooker does most of the work for you. Simply layer enchilada sauce, tortillas, shredded chicken, and cheese into the slow cooker. Then, pop the lid on and cook your enchiladas on high for one hour. Just like that, you have restaurant-quality chicken enchiladas without so much as breaking a sweat.

This enchilada casserole dish is essentially an enchilada-flavored lasagna. That alone should put your salivary glands into overdrive. Instead of tomato sauce and pasta noodles, this casserole has layers of enchilada sauce, tortillas, seasoned ground beef, shredded cheddar, and Monterey jack cheese.

If this sounds intimidating to make — think again. The whole dish can be prepped in as little as 15 minutes. After another 30 minutes in the oven, your new favorite dinner is ready to go. Each person in your household can customize their slice with sour cream, lettuce, tomato, onion, salsa, pica de gallo, or anything else their tastebuds desire.

Sometimes, you want the flavor of an enchilada without having the whole meal. When that time comes around, this enchilada soup recipe will hit the spot. Not only is this soup flavorful, hearty, and simple enough to be made in just 20 minutes, it's also extremely versatile. Are you cooking for a vegetarian? Swap out the chicken for pinto beans. Do you want to dial up the spiciness? Add some more chili powder.

Although there are plenty of ingredients in this enchilada soup recipe, you're simply putting everything in the same pot and letting it simmer. The cook time is 15 minutes, making it an ideal weeknight dish. Plus, you'll really enjoy the leftovers.

Chicken is a very popular filling for enchiladas, but don't sleep on beef. This recipe for cheesy beef enchiladas goes one step further by adding in black beans, which pair well with the protein and make the dish even more hearty. The recipe also allows for a great deal of customization. Whether you want to swap in different cheeses (our recipe calls for a Mexican blend), cook up your homemade sauce or use your favorite store-bought brand, you can totally make this dish your own.

If you're looking for a fun spin on the traditional enchilada, this recipe for zucchini enchilada boats may be right up your alley. Instead of wrapping the enchilada mixture in a tortilla, the recipe calls for you to fill hollowed-out zucchinis with it. (The scooped-out zucchini flesh gets added into the meat mixture, so nothing goes to waste.)

After that, it's a pretty straightforward enchilada recipe. Line the boats in a baking dish, fill them up until they're overflowing, and then bake them in the oven for 35 minutes.