Cheese & Onion Enchiladas

Name: Cheese and Onion Enchiladas
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 bunch green onions (divided); 2 cups sour cream; 4 cups shredded Mexican Blend Cheese; 8 small corn tortillas; 22.5 ounces tomato sauce; ¾ teaspoon oregano; 2-¼ teaspoons garlic powder; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1-½ teaspoons onion powder

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Homemade cheese and onion enchiladas are deliciously cheesy with rich flavor from the traditional corn tortillas and made-from-scratch red enchilada sauce.

Enchilada covered with melted Mexican blend cheese and diced green onions on a clear plate with green onions in the background.

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⏲️ Time needed
🥘 Ingredients
📋 Instructions
❓ FAQ
Recipe
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⏲️ Time needed

Preparing the enchiladas takes about 15 minutes and baking them takes 40 minutes or so. Total prep time is just under an hour.

🥘 Ingredients

cheese and onion enchiladas method image

green onions
sour cream
shredded Mexican blend or quesadilla cheese
homemade enchilada sauce
corn tortillas

📋 Instructions

Combine the ingredients for the enchilada sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes.

homemade enchilada sauce — Homemade enchilada sauce

Chop green onions, reserving 2 chopped onions.

chopping green onions — Green onions add a flavor punch to cheese enchiladas

Mix all but the 2 reserved onions with the sour cream and 2 cups of the Mexican cheese.

Pour ⅓ of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x12 pan.

Fill each tortilla with an even amount of the cheese mixture, spooning it down the center line of the tortilla. Fold the two unfilled sides to the center, overlapping them, and place the enchilada folded side down in the baking pan. (If the tortillas are too stiff to fold, you can heat them in the microwave under a damp paper towel or carefully steam them for a few seconds over boiling water.)

Pour the remaining sauce over enchiladas in the pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.

Top with cheese and reserved green onions and bake until cheese is melted over the top (about 10 more minutes).

cheese and onion enchiladas — After baking, add remaining cheese and green onion and heat until cheese melts

❓ FAQ

Can I use flour tortillas?

Certainly! Although the rich flavor of corn tortillas adds to the finished dish, flour tortillas are a perfectly acceptable substitution.

Can I use canned enchilada sauce? Which one is best?

Our homemade enchilada sauce recipe is less expensive than canned sauce and easy to make, but canned sauce can be used. My family prefers Old El Pasa red enchilada sauce, which comes in mild, medium, and hot variations.

Can I use verde sauce instead of roja sauce?

You can use either green (verde) or red (roja) sauce in cheese enchiladas. Each has a distinctive flavor, with green chilis as the base for verde sauce and tomatoes as the base for roja sauce.

What kind of cheese do Mexican restaurants use in enchiladas?

Oaxaca cheese, or quesilla, is a white cheese that melts easily with a creamy texture that is often used as filling in Mexican dishes. Queso quesadilla, labeled quesadilla cheese in English, is another creamy white cheese that melts easily.

Since these cheeses are not universally available in grocery stores in the US, Mexican cheese or Monterey Jack cheese are often used by home cooks.

How do I keep corn tortillas from breaking when I roll/fold them?

Corn tortillas are prone to breaking, and traditionally they are quick-fried and rolled or folded immediately afterward. I find it easier to steam them in the microwave wrapped in damp paper towels.

When shopping for corn tortillas, look for products specifically labeled "soft." These will fold easier.

Recipe

Clear baking dish with enchiladas covered with cheese and diced green onions.

Cheese and Onion Enchiladas

4.39 from 60 votes

Homemade cheese and onion enchiladas are deliciously cheesy with rich flavor from the traditional corn tortillas and made-from-scratch red enchilada sauce.

Mary Ann

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Tex-Mex

Servings enchiladas

Calories 621

Ingredients

1 bunch green onions, divided
2 cups sour cream
4 cups shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
8 small corn tortillas

Enchilada Sauce

22.5 ounces tomato sauce
¾ teaspoon oregano
2-¼ teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1-½ teaspoons onion powder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine 22.5 ounces tomato sauce, ¾ teaspoon oregano, 2-¼ teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and 1-½ teaspoons onion powder in a sauce pan and simmer for about 10 minutes.
While sauce is simmering, chop 1 bunch green onions, reserving 2 chopped onions.
Mix all but the 2 reserved onions with 2 cups sour cream and 2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese.
Pour ⅓ of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x12 pan.
Fill each of 8 small corn tortillas with an even amount of the cheese mixture, spooning it down the center line of the tortilla. Fold the two unfilled sides to the center, overlapping them, and place the enchilada folded side down in the baking pan. (If the tortillas are too stiff to fold, you can heat them in the microwave under a damp paper towel or carefully steam them for a few seconds over boiling water.)
Pour the remaining sauce over enchiladas in pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.
Top with remaining cheese and reserved green onions and bake until cheese is melted over the top (about 10 more minutes).

Notes

If available, make this recipe more authentic by using Oaxaca cheese (also called quesilla), a white cheese that melts easily with a creamy texture that is often used as filling in Mexican dishes. Queso quesadilla, labeled quesadilla cheese in English, is another creamy white cheese that melts easily.