Roasted Cauliflower Enchiladas with Poblano Cream Sauce

Growing up in the Southwest, we ate enchiladas for dinner at least every other week.

And while there are many recipes for making enchiladas, in our household, there were usually two options: beef with red sauce (from a can), or chicken with green sauce (also from a can) mixed with sour cream.

Both recipes were very straightforward: combine the shredded chicken or beef with a little shredded cheese, sour cream, and canned sauce, spoon into large flour tortillas, roll and place in a baking tray. Next, pour the remaining sauce from the can over the top, sprinkle (aka completely cover with) more shredded cheese, and bake.

While I was happy eating either version, I was always a little bit more excited when it was chicken enchilada night, as I loved the creaminess of the sour cream in the sauce.

Looking back, the dietitian in me cringes at the lack of vegetables when it was enchilada night at my house. However, the foodie part of me is salivating just thinking about how each bite would just ooze with cheese and sauce.

But why not have both?

This, my friends, is the recipe for those of you who want your vegetables, but want them delivered smothered in a smoky, creamy poblano sauce.

Not a fan of spicy foods? While the word “chili” might be concerning then to you, poblano chili peppers are actually very mild, and have a more smoky than hot flavor.

New to buying poblano peppers? Look for them near the other hot chili peppers. Unlike jalapenos, which are small and have that distinctive chili pepper look to them, poblano peppers stand out from the other chilies as they’re much larger, and resemble a slightly smushed dark green bell pepper.

While the label “poblano peppers” is helpful when buying them, I found that my grocery store actually mislabeled them as ancho peppers, which is the dried version of poblanos.

So, if you see a long, wide, green chili pepper, but it’s labeled “ancho,” as long as it isn’t dried, go ahead and pick it up. Chances are, your store is just confused like mine was.

Wondering if you can just skip this whole pepper business and make the sauce without them, or even worse, go with canned green chilies instead? You could, but it’d take away the whole point of this recipe.

I’m not a big pepper person, but I promise you that the poblano cream sauce is the best part of this recipe. Yes, the roasted cauliflower cuts like butter in your mouth and the cheese is so cool and tangy, but the magical liquid served with it is what makes these enchiladas special.

Plus, in addition to providing a smokiness to the dish, peppers also add a healthy dose of antioxidants and capsaicin.

While I won’t list them all here, chili peppers contain a wide range of antioxidants that can help with everything from protection against chronic disease to improved eye health.

Capsaicin in particular is one of the most studied plant compounds in chili peppers. While poblano peppers aren’t that spicy, they still contain a good amount of capsaicin, which is being studied for its potential role in reducing the growth of cancer cells, improving symptoms of psoriasis, and controlling appetite.

Smoky, nutritious, and creamy, there’s really no excuse not to make this poblano cream magic.

You can thank me later, when you realize you now have a go-to recipe to impress vegetarian and meat-eating guests alike!

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Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Preheat Oven, Chop Vegetables, and Measure Ingredients

Preheat oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Chop cauliflower into florets, dice onion (let’s not have any tears during this!), and measure out remaining ingredients.

Step 2 – Roast Cauliflower and Chili Peppers

Melt 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and brush the poblano chile peppers to lightly cover with oil. Place on the prepared baking sheet.

In a large mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with the remaining melted coconut oil, and salt and pepper. Add to the baking sheet and arrange in a single layer.

Place the baking sheet in the oven. Flip peppers after 6 minutes, and continue cooking another 6-7 minutes or until blistered. Remove peppers and continue cooking cauliflower for another 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.

While cauliflower finishes roasting, place peppers in a medium-sized bowl and cover with a clean cloth. Set aside until cooled.

Step 3 – Caramelize Onion

After you put the peppers and cauliflower in the oven, begin caramelizing the onion.

Place 2 teaspoons of coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 30-40 minutes or until caramelized, stirring occasionally to keep the onion from burning.

Step 4 – Make Sauce

For the sauce, place the vegetable broth in a small pot and bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a gentle simmer and keep warm until ready to use.

Meanwhile, make a roux by placing the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Once it’s melted, add the flour and cook until light brown while whisking constantly, about 5 minutes.

Whisk in 1 cup of warm broth to the roux. Once combined, whisk in the remaining broth and cook until thick and bubbly.

Turn the heat down to low, and whisk in the yogurt. Keep the sauce on low heat while you prep the peppers.

Step 5 – Peel, Seed, and Chop Peppers

Once the peppers are cool enough to touch, rub the skins off under running water. Using your fingers, tear off the stems and rinse out the seeds.

Place the peppers on a cutting board and dice, and then them to the sauce mixture.

Step 6 – Blend

Carefully transfer the sauce to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. You could also use an immersion blender right in the pan. Set aside.

Looking for another sauce with the same flavorful kick? Use the smoky garlic sauce in our chicken, black bean, and pepper enchilada recipe!

Step 7 – Make Filling

In a large mixing bowl, combine the roasted cauliflower, caramelized onion, cumin, coriander, 2/3 of the crumbled cheese, 1/2 of the parsley or cilantro, and 1 cup of the poblano chili sauce. Set aside.

Step 8 – Assemble Enchiladas

Pour about ½ cup of sauce into two 9-by-13-inch baking pans, or enough to cover the bottom of each pan.

Place a few spoonfuls of the cauliflower filling in the center of a tortilla, roll it up, and place it seam-side down in the prepared baking pan. Repeat with all of the remaining tortillas, or until all of the filling is used up.

If you’re using corn tortillas, you may need to warm them up slightly in the microwave if they’re too stiff to roll.

Step 9 – Bake and Serve

Place both pans in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until slightly crispy.

Pour the remaining sauce over enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese. Bake another 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling.

Remove from oven the and garnish with the leftover parsley or cilantro. Enjoy immediately.

You can keep leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days, just note that they may get slightly soggy after a day or two.