Slow-cookin’ Sunday: Spinach Enchilada Casserole

My younger brother is probably one of the pickiest eaters I have ever met; no meat, no potatoes(unless frenchly fried), no eggs. No, no & no.

So when we told me he was coming up to visit, I figured I should try a slow cooker meal that he could actually enjoy. That’s when the idea of a spinach enchilada casserole hit me. I’ve never made enchiladas so I figured, what the heck? Why not experiment on my brother?? 🙂

What You Need:

Filling:

3 lb fresh spinach

1 large yellow onion

2 tbsp crushed garlic

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp cumin

1 tspn nutmeg

salt

black pepper

1 cup cream

16 corn tortillas

2 cups shredded cheddar & Monterrey jack cheese

1 cup tomatillo salsa

vegetable oil

Optional poblano pepper sauce:

2 poblano peppers

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 tbpn crushed garlic

1 cup

salt

1 tbsp goat cheese

1/2 cup chicken broth

Equipment needed: Large stock pot, small pot, immersion blender or food processor, and of course a slow cooker

 

How To:

Thoroughly rinse your spinach and set aside. Heat a tbsp of vegetable oil in a large stockpot. Add the chopped onion, garlic, oregano and cumin. Once the onion starts to become translucent, add in the spinach and stir. Once the spinach has wilted down, as we know it always does, pour in the cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Let the spinach mixture continue to cook for 5-7 minutes and then set aside.

Spread a tbsp or so of the tomatillo salsa on the bottom of the slow cooker and top with a single layer of corn tortillas; I used 4 per layer and I’m using a 5 qt slow cooker. Top with a layer of the creamed spinach mixture(be careful not to add too much of the actual liquid from the spinach), then a layer of the cheddar & Monterrey jack cheeses, followed by another tablespoon of salsa. Add another layer of tortillas and repeat. Keep layering until there’s no more spinach; there will probably be four layers. Make sure that the top of the casserole is a layer of cheese. Cover and set on low for 3-3 1/2 hours.

While the casserole gets all wonderful and bubbly, you can make the optional poblano pepper sauce. Over the flame of a gas stove, “roast” the peppers until they’re browned and blistery. Pop them in a brown paper bag or just a covered bowl, and let them cool. Once cooled, peel the skin off, cut off the tops and remove the seeds. Give the peppers a rough chop and set aside while you heat a teaspoon of vegetable oil in a small pot. Add the garlic and chopped onion to the pot. Once the onion has become translucent, add in the peppers. Be careful while cooking the peppers, they definitely sent me into a sneezing fit and caused some tightening in my chest, I’m a weeny when it comes to spicy food though lol.

Add in a tbsp of goat cheese. Why goat cheese, you may ask? 1. I love the flavor it adds here. 2. It cools the peppers down just a tad; which is great if you don’t love a ton of heat. Allow the cheese to melt and pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a slight boil and remove from the heat. Either use an immersion blender or pour in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Set the pepper sauce aside until time to serve.

Once your 3-3 1/2 hours are up, let the casserole rest for 20-30 minutes in order to keep the enchilada from spreading once it reaches the plate.

I’d recommend serving the poblano sauce on the side. It’s packed with a nice amount of heat and I wouldn’t want you to drench the casserole and then figure out it’s far too hot. 

Just look at all the pretty layers!

This dish exemplifies what I love about slow cooked meals; while the ingredients cook together for hours all of the flavors get a chance to come together and produce results that will leave you feeling like you’re eating at a restaurant!

The robust flavor from the tomatillo salsa with the creaminess of the spinach and the heat from the poblano pepper sauce equal absolute nommy-ness! I also like that this recipe takes about half the time of many of the other slow cooker recipes I’ve done on the blog– it’s almost like a slow-cooker quick meal!

Next time you’re in the mood for a little taste of Mexico, give this recipe a try!

 

@LifeandDimSum