Meatless Monday: Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

Another Meatless Monday is upon us, and it's time for me to give you another delicious recipe. I hope you're enjoying learning to cook without meat and learning it can be delicious (and is often cheaper and healthier).

This week's recipe is a comfort food. It is not the healthiest recipe in my collection, but it is cheap (about $2.25/serving) and easy. Everyone makes enchiladas differently; my sister, for example, adds black olives to hers. My friend uses kidney beans instead of pinto. This is a basic version. I've tried to substitute whole grain and even spinach tortillas for the flour tortillas, and it's ended up a disaster each time (they turn to goo). So, I recommend sticking with the plain, old flour tortillas.

Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups shredded pepper jack (or a Mexican mix) cheese
2 (10 oz) cans enchilada sauce
8 flour tortillas

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix beans, chili powder, cumin and salt in a medium bowl. Slightly mash most of the beans. Stir to combine. Add in 1.5 cups of the cheese and mix. Stir in one can of enchilada sauce.

3. Open the second can of enchilada sauce and pour 1/4 cup evenly in the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 4" baking dish. Pour the rest of the can in a bowl.

4. Brush one side of a tortilla with enchilada sauce. Spoon one cup of the bean mixture in the center on the sauced side. Roll up (like a burrito) and place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and bean mixture.

5. Pour remaining enchilada sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated throughout.