Beef & Zucchini Enchiladas

My favorite genre of food would probably have to be Mexican. I could probably eat something from that category 4 or 5 times a week, no problem, and I’m not picky about whether its tacos, nachos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas etc. My husband is a little more selective. There are really only three Mexican dishes that he truly enjoys – Pollo Loco, Chicken Enchilada Casserole, and these Beef & Zucchini Enchiladas.

Originally these did not contain zucchini, but when I started experimenting for this Sneaking in Veggies series it very quickly occurred to me to use the magical disappearing zucchini vegetable (so called by me because it seems to basically dissolve into whatever food you add it to) to add some extra nutrients to one of our favorite dishes. Turns out that was a good call because now these enchiladas feature green veggies and taste amazing. Try them for yourself and see!

You just shred up the zucchini and throw it right in with the beef. It looks like a lot, but by the time you put it in the enchiladas you can barely even see it’s there.

See? And then you layer it in there with sour cream and cheese.

Once those enchiladas are all stuffed with good stuff the last step is to smother them with green chili and sour cream sauce and top that with some cheese.

Then we bake for 20 minutes until melty and bubbly.

 

Beef & Zucchini Enchiladas
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes

1 lb ground beef
1 medium zucchini, finely shredded (about 2 cups)
1 packet taco seasoning
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
4 oz can chopped green chilis
1/2  + 1/2 cup sour cream
1 + 3/4 cup Monterrey Jack cheese
8 medium flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350F. In a skillet begin browning the ground beef. Finely shred one medium zucchini and add it to the browning beef. While the zucchini and beef cook, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in the flour and then gradually whisk in the milk, simmering until thickened (about 10 minutes). Set sauce aside while you assemble the enchiladas.

When the beef is fully cooked add the water and taco seasoning and mix thoroughly. Spread about 2 tsp of sour cream up the middle of a tortilla. Add 3-4 Tbsp of beef and top with 2-3 Tbsp of cheese. Fold in the ends and then roll up the long sides and place seam down in a 9×13 baking dish. Continue until all the tortillas, beef, the first 1/2 cup of sour cream, and 1 cup of cheese are used up. Finish up the cream sauce by stirring in the green chilies and remaining sour cream. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle the remaining cheese over top. Bake for 20 minutes, until bubbly around the edges.