Vegetarian Enchiladas

Four months old, adjusted three months. They are doing everything the charts say they should be doing at three months adjusted, and I look at those charts the way I used to look at rubrics in grad school: helpful, imperfect, not the whole story. The whole story is that Owen has discovered that if he kicks his legs fast enough and in the right way, he can propel himself slightly in the direction of whatever he is looking at, and he has the expression of someone who has just understood physics. The whole story is that Nora is making consonant sounds at the mobile above her crib with focused intensity, which I believe is the beginning of opinions.

Summer is coming. I have a plan for the summer, which is: survive it gracefully. Ryan's shift rotation is heavy through July, which means there are periods of thirty-six hours where it is just me and two babies in a Chicago apartment, and I have thought carefully about how to manage this, and the answer involves: batch cooking on the good days, Patty on speed dial, and an honest reckoning with the fact that some days are going to end with me standing at the stove at 9 PM eating crackers and cheese because that is all I had the executive function for.

I have started making slow cooker chicken on Sunday as a base for the whole week. One large pack of Aldi chicken thighs, a can of diced tomatoes, chicken broth, garlic, Italian seasoning, cook on low for eight hours. Shred. Goes into tacos, pasta, rice bowls, sandwiches. Eight minutes of active work Sunday morning, dinners for Tuesday and Thursday and Friday. This is the math I am doing right now. I am very proud of this math.

Patty has suggested she could come Monday, Wednesday, and Friday through June to give me the equivalent of a part-time day off while Ryan is on shift. I said I could not ask her to do that and she said you are not asking, I am telling, which is a sentence I have heard from her my entire life in various contexts and which always means the same thing, which is: this is happening, stop arguing, let me help you.

The slow cooker chicken carries Tuesday and Thursday and Friday, but Wednesday is the wild card — the day that needs its own answer. Vegetarian enchiladas became that answer without me fully deciding they would: one pan, mostly pantry ingredients I can grab at Aldi without a list, and the kind of warm, filling dinner that works whether I’m eating it at 6 PM at the table or 9 PM standing over the sink. Patty has already requested I make a double batch on one of her Monday visits so we can freeze half, which is exactly the kind of math I am trying to get better at.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

8 medium flour or corn tortillas
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (such as Rotel), drained
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 cups shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese, divided
1 (19 oz) can red enchilada sauce, divided
Optional toppings: sour cream, sliced green onions, fresh cilantro, sliced avocado

Instructions

Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce across the bottom.
Make the filling. In a large bowl, combine the black beans, pinto beans, drained diced tomatoes, corn, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Fold in 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
Fill the tortillas. Spoon about 1/3 cup of filling down the center of each tortilla. Roll tightly and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish, fitting them snugly in a single layer.
Top and cover. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled tortillas, making sure to coat the ends. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top.
Bake. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and beginning to bubble at the edges.
Rest and serve. Let the pan rest for 5 minutes before serving. Add any desired toppings and serve directly from the dish.

Nutrition (per serving)

Vegetarian Enchiladas — The Weeknight Win I Didn’t Know I Needed