Make Dinner Easy with Stacked Vegetable Enchiladas (Enchiladas Montadas)

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Anyone who knows me knows I have an obsession with the flavors of Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisine.

Vertical closeup image of a square portion of stacked enchilada casserole on a blue plate with a fork, topped with melted cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and fresh copped herbs, with more of the meal and a white cloth dish towel in the background, on a gray surface, printed with orange and white text near the middle and at the bottom of the frame.

I don’t know if it’s because of where I grew up, or just the fact that I practically lived on quesadillas when I was a kid. I was a really picky eater, but the combination of cheese, tortillas, and spicy salsa was always a win in my book.

Vertical overhead image of a large metal baking pan filled with a homemade stacked enchilada casserole covered with melted cheese, with blue and white plates, a metal spatula, and small round and square dishes of salsa, chopped herbs, and sour cream, on a white towel with one pink and one orange stripe, on a gray surface.

Enchiladas are a meal that I really love to make at home. They are pretty simple to prepare, and they are packed with flavor.

Vertical overhead image of two blue and white plates and a metal baking pan of homemade stacked vegetable enchiladas topped with melted cheese, garnished with sour cream and on a gray surface beside two small white bowls of chopped herbs and red salsa, and a square small dish of sour cream, with a metal spatula for serving.

Not to mention, an entire baking dish of them is enough to last for a few days, providing several dinners and leftover lunches for me and my husband to enjoy.

Vertical oblique overhead image of two blue and white plates of square portions of enchilada casserole topped with melted cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and fresh herbs, with forks, small dishes of salsa, and more of the meal in a metal baking pan in the background, with a folded white dish towel, on a gray surface.

But where I come from, enchiladas are typically filled and rolled. For this recipe, they are stacked instead.

This style, sometimes referred to as flat enchiladas or enchiladas montadas, are common to the Southwest region of the US.

New Mexico actually claims ownership of this dish, so you see it a lot there, both in restaurants and home kitchens. You’ll often find it served with a fried egg on top.

Vertical overhead image of a metal baking pan filled with a casserole topped with melted cheese, with a metal spatula resting on top holding a square portion, on a gray mottled surface with a striped white dish towel, a square white dish of sour cream, and a small white bowl of red salsa.

If this is an option that you want to try for yourself, go for it! My recipe below keeps things simple, to really highlight the flavor and texture of the vegetables that are layered between the corn tortillas, with plenty of shredded cheddar cheese.

Vertical image of a square portion of stacked vegetable enchilada casserole resting on a metal spatula on the rim of a metal baking pan containing the rest of the dish, on a blue gray surface with a mottled light and dark blue background, and a white cloth kitchen towel with a small white ceramic dish of red salsa in the foreground.

This vegetarian version will satisfy all kinds of diners, and there’s no added work required to roll each tortilla perfectly before stuffing it into the pan. In fact, some cooks like to go a little wild with the flat variety, taking advantage of the opportunity to build up that stack as high as they can!

This dish is also easy to customize with seasonal vegetables, depending on what’s available to you fresh. This is a great way to pack a few more healthy nutrients into your meal, in a colorful and flavorful way.

Veggies work perfectly not just for these enchiladas, but also for other Tex-Mex recipes, like in our spicy and vibrant sweet potato quesadillas.

We all need more colorful food in our lives, don’t we?

Vertical image of a forkful of stacked enchilada casserole being held up to the camera, with more of the disho n blue and white plates in the background and in a metal baking pan, with a white dish towel and small white ceramic dishes of chopped fresh herbs and red salsa.

This is the ideal recipe to serve for a crowd, plus it makes for fantastic leftovers. Cut it up into squares and wrap them in individually in aluminum foil for a grab-and-go lunch that’s easy to reheat in the toaster oven.

For some of my favorite ideas to top off your slice of stacked vegetable enchilada heaven, check out my suggestions at the end of this article.

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Horizontal image of a square portion of stacked vegetable enchiladas on a blue and white plate, with a fork on the rim to the left, and a small dollop of sour cream with fresh herbs for garnish on top, with another plate in soft focus in the background beside a white kitchen towel with an orange stripe and a small white ceramic bowl of red salsa, on a blue-gray surface.

Stacked Vegetable Enchiladas

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  • Author: Meghan Yager
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
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Description

Full of fresh vegetables and cheese, these stacked vegetable enchiladas are packed with all the best flavors.

Ingredients

Scale
  • Cooking oil spray
  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 medium bell pepper, diced (red, yellow, or green)
  • 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (optional)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
  • 1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
  • 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • Juice of 1 lime (about 1–2 tsp)
  • 1 15.5-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 10 small corn tortillas
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Spray a 9-by-11-inch metal baking pan or ceramic baking dish with cooking oil spray. Set aside.
  2. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno if using. Cook until softened, about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and continue cooking for 30 seconds. Stir in salt.
  3. Add spinach, corn, tomatoes, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Stir well to combine. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Stir in lime juice and pinto beans.
  4. While vegetable mixture is cooking, cover the bottom of the baking pan with half of the tortillas – feel free to tear them to cover the bottom completely.
  5. Spoon half of the vegetable mixture over the top, then sprinkle half of the cheese over that.
  6. Repeat with remaining tortillas, then the remaining vegetable mixture. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining cheese.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve warm.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Category: Enchiladas
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Tex-Mex, Casseroles

Keywords: enchiladas, stacked enchiladas, vegetarian

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep and Measure Ingredients

If using frozen spinach, allow it to thaw before making this recipe. Let it drain in a colander.

Peel and dice one medium-sized yellow onion. Not your favorite cooking task? Check out our tips!

Remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper, and dice it up. Dice up the jalapeno as well, and remove the seeds if you want your meal to be a little less spicy. If you are using fresh corn, cut it off the cob.

Peel and mince two cloves of garlic. I like to use my garlic press to get this done quickly.

Rinse and drain the pinto beans. Juice the lime.

Horizontal overhead image of ceramic glass bowls of various sizes filled with the ingredients required to make a recipe, including chopped jalapeno, chopped onion, chopped yellow bell peppers, minced garlic, beans, spices, a can of tomatoes, spinach, shredded cheese, and corn, with a stack of flour tortillas, on a blue-gray mottled surface.

If you haven’t already, get out your box grater or food processor with the shredding disc attached, and shred the cheddar cheese.

Measure out all of the remaining ingredients as listed on the ingredients list.

If you’re looking for something a little different, try swapping out the pintos for black beans, use fresh greens like spinach or kale, and try zucchini or summer squash instead of the bell pepper.

Preheat your oven to 375˚F. Use cooking spray to grease a 9-by-11-inch metal baking pan or glass or ceramic baking dish. Set aside.

Step 2 – Cook Vegetables

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Tilt the pan to coat the surface.

Horizontal closely cropped oblique overhead image of a large nonstick frying pan of sauteed diced yellow bell pepper, onion, and jalapeno, on a blue-gray surface.

Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno. Cook until the vegetables are softened, about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Stir in the salt.

Horizontal image of a large nonstick frying pan filled with separate piles of yellow corn kernels, wilted spinach leaves, canned tomatoes, spiced, and sauteed onion and bell pepper, on a blue and white surface.

Stir in the spinach, corn, tomatoes, cumin, paprika, and chili powder until combined. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir occasionally while the mixture cooks.

Horizontal image of a large nonstick frying pan of mixed vegetables and pinto beans, on a blue-gray and white sponge painted surface.

Stir in the lime juice and pinto beans. Continue to cook until warmed through, for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Step 3 – Assemble

Horizontal overhead image of a metal rectangular baking pan lined with flour tortillas, some whole and some torn in half, on a blue and white painted surface.

While the vegetables are cooking, cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with half of the tortillas.

You may need to tear some in half to cover the bottom completely.

Horizontal overhead image of a metal baking pan filled with an even layer of cooked spinach, tomatoes, beans, and corn, on a blue-gray mottled surface.

Spoon half of the vegetable mixture on top of the tortillas, in an even layer.

Horizontal overhead image of a rectangular metal baking pan filled with a mixture of vegetables and beans, topped with a layer of shredded cheese, on a blue and white sponge painted surface.

Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly over the top.

Horizontal overhead image of a rectangular baking pan lined with whole and halved small flour tortillas, on a blue and white mottled and speckled background.

Repeat with another layer of tortillas.

Horizontal overhead image of an even layer of sauteed spinach, tomatoes, corn, and other vegetables in a large rectangular metal baking pan, on a blue-gray sponge painted surface.

Next, add all of the remaining vegetables.

Horizontal overhead image of a metal baking pan filled with a red vegetable mixture topped with orange shredded cheese, on a blue and white surface.

Finally, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Step 4 – Bake

Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. After removing from the oven, set aside to cool in the pan for 5 minutes.

Horizontal overhead image of a closely cropped metal baking pan filled with an enchilada casserole topped with melted cheese, on a blue and white sponge painted surface.

Serve immediately, as is, with a fried egg on top, or with your choice of toppings.

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. It’s easy to grab a slice and put it on a plate in the microwave for about 2 minutes, maybe 1-2 minutes more if frozen.

The More Toppings, the Merrier

I love to serve up this dish with a whole host of different toppings.

Horizontal image of a square portion of stacked vegetable enchiladas on a blue and white plate, with a fork on the rim to the left, and a small dollop of sour cream with fresh herbs for garnish on top, with another plate in soft focus in the background beside a white kitchen towel with an orange stripe and a small white ceramic bowl of red salsa, on a blue-gray surface.

Here are my top recommendations for what to serve with these stacked vegetable enchiladas:

If you want even more enchiladas in your life, here are some stellar recipes:

What’s your favorite topping for enchiladas? Tell us in the comments below. And be sure to come back to rate the recipe as well!

Photos by Meghan Yager, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on May 13, 2012. Last updated: September 20, 2022 at 11:51 am. With additional writing and editing by Allison Sidhu.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Meghan Yager

Meghan Yager is a food addict turned food and travel writer with a love for creating uncomplicated, gourmet recipes and devouring anything the world serves up. As the author of the food and travel blog Cake 'n Knife, Meghan focuses on unique foodie experiences from around the world to right at home in your own kitchen.

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