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Easiest Cheese Enchiladas Recipe (Freezer Friendly)

Jessica Fisher · April 16, 2018 · 37 Comments

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Cheese Enchiladas are quick and easy to prepare, but they taste like something special. They are a delicious, meatless meal you can make in a snap, freezer-friendly and even worthy of packing for work or vacation.

Cheese Enchiladas in a dish

It was a busy weekend, so I didn’t spend Sunday afternoon prepping lunches for the week like I normally do. But, I was still able to send a stack of black boxes with my husband to work, packed with one of our favorite meals: Cheese Enchiladas!

You see, I did myself a favor a few weeks ago when I made these enchiladas for dinner. I made some extra lunch-size pans and stashed them in the freezer. Woo hoo! Wife of the Year, right there.

But seriously, that’s the trick to living a richer life, planning things in advance and doing a little work on the front end, so you can reap big rewards, even something as simple — yet delicious! — as a tray of homemade Cheese Enchiladas to send to work with your husband.

This year I’ve been working toward serving more meatless meals. Occasionally opting out of meat can be great for your budget as well as lessen wear and tear on the environment. And require you to grocery shop less often!

That’s a fringe benefit I’ve discovered. I don’t worry so much when the freezer holds few proteins, I just make a meatless meal!

Years ago when we went to one income, I read Miserly Moms by Jonni McCoy; it’s a great book to get you thinking how to save on food costs. One of her suggestions was to serve a meat-less meal once a week. We’ve done that intentionally for over 20 years now, and we’re just fine.

My children are self-professed carnivores, and it can be hard for them to take — at times. In lean seasons, we’ve gone meatless 6 out of 7 nights. But, we have several regular meals to which they have just become accustomed: Beans and Rice, Bean Tostadas, Pasta with Marinara Sauce, Vegetable Fried Rice, and these Cheese Enchiladas.

What kind of tortillas are best for enchiladas? 

I love using corn tortillas, but flour tortillas work best as well. 

Of course, I love making my own corn tortillas and suggest you do the same! They are so much better than storebought. 

What do I serve with enchiladas? 

Here a few things to serve with enchiladas: 

  • Enjoy Homemade Mexican Rice- Just as Good as the Restaurant!
  • Pico de Gallo
  • Super Easy Salsa (VIDEO)
  • Healthier Refried Beans

cheese enchiladas in two gratin dishes

How to make this good and cheap:

Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this Cheese Enchiladas recipe more economical:

  • Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. The ingredients in these Cheese Enchiladas are all pretty cheap. All the same, stock up when you see a good sale on cheese, tortillas, black olives, or canned enchilada sauce. It’s one tip for saving money on my groceries. 
  • Shop at Costco or ALDI. When I did my big grocery store showdown, I learned that those two stores have the best price for a lot of the things I buy, plus they sell all the ingredients needed for this recipe. I LOVE one-stop recipes.
  • Make your own enchilada sauce. Have you ever read the can of enchilada sauce? Even Trader Joe’s brand has a ton of ingredients, many of which I cannot pronounce. No worries; Enchilada Sauce is super easy to make yourself.

How I make this recipe easy:

This Cheese Enchiladas recipe really couldn’t be easier than it is, but having the right kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs.

Here are the tools that I use for this recipe:

  • skillet for frying the tortillas – I use the same skillet over and over. It never comes spotlessly clean, so I long ago decided it was my tortilla-frying skillet. I don’t sweat the burnt on bits because it does its job just fine.
  • tongs for turning burning hot tortillas in oil – These are the ones I use.
  • 9×13-inch pans with plastic lids – These are perfect for freezing. Make this big batch and freeze one pan for another night.
  • meal prep boxes – Ideal for prepping individual servings of enchiladas to pack for work. Reheat in the microwave easy peasy.
  • gratin dishes – Be extra fancy by serving individual dishes at the dinner table.

And some ingredients short-cuts:

  • If I don’t make my own sauce, I use Las Palmas sauces. It’s my favorite commercial sauce.
  • Shredded cheese and sliced olives make your kitchen time much quicker and easier. Costco has the best price for shredded cheese, even better than the block, so why not?

Freezer-friendly tip:

Since this is one of our favorite budget meals, it’s easily a crowd pleaser to pack on vacation with us. I just load the frozen pans into the cooler and dinner is ready to slide in the oven when we get to our destination.

If two pans are too much for one dinner at your house, freeze the other pan for another night or your next weekend away. You can also divvy them up into smaller containers to take to work. They easily reheat in the microwave.

close-up of cheese enchiladas in dishes

gratin dishes with cheese enchiladas
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4.15 from 14 votes

Cheese Enchiladas

Cheese Enchiladas are quick and easy to prepare, but they taste like something special. They are a delicious, meatless meal you can make in a snap.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Servings: 8
Calories: 341kcal
Author: Jessica Fisher

Ingredients

  • oil for frying the tortillas
  • 2 dozen corn tortillas
  • 3 1/2 cup red enchilada sauce
  • 20 oz cheddar cheese (shredded) (5 cups) can also use jack
  • 1/4 cup sliced black olives
  • 2 green onion chopped

Instructions

  • Grease two 9×13-inch baking dishes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a small fry pan, heat 1 inch of frying oil. Fry the tortillas in the hot oil until leathery, but still pliable. Drain on paper towels.
  • Spread a small amount of sauce across the bottom of each baking dish. Reserve 2 cups of cheese for topping. Place a small handful of cheese down the center of each tortilla, roll and place seam side down in greased baking dish. Pour the sauce over the tops of rolled tortillas.
  • Sprinkle the remaining cheese as well as olives and onions over top. Bake in 350F oven until heated through and cheese is melted.

Notes

To freeze: wrap, label, and freeze prior to baking. To serve, bake according to recipe instructions, adding 5 to 7 minutes if baking from frozen.
You can also package the enchiladas into smaller, microwaveable dishes to pack for work lunches. You can cook the enchiladas in the microwave for 2-3 minutes for an individual serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 1352mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1408IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 514mg | Iron: 1mg

Originally published April 24, 2009. Updated April 16, 2018.

single servings of cheese enchiladas

Filed Under: Meatless, Recipe Tagged With: casserole, packable

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christy@MercyEveryMorning says

    April 23, 2009 at

    Your ideas look great! We don’t do meatless, as my dh doesn’t want to. But he does love Mexican food, so maybe I could get away with these dishes. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Stephanie says

    April 23, 2009 at

    I am looking to do more meatless meals for our family so this is AWESOME! I can’t wait to see all the great ideas!

    Reply
  3. Hoosier Homemade says

    April 23, 2009 at

    Those look really good! Thanks for hosting!
    ~Liz

    Reply
  4. Kristen says

    April 23, 2009 at

    We try to have a meatless dish each week, too. Sometimes it's as simple as macaroni & cheese or cheese pizza. Other times, I go to the trouble of making a lentil or bean dish. The kids are used to my strange meals.

    Reply
  5. Katie @ goodLife {eats} says

    April 23, 2009 at

    We try to do meatless once a week. One of our long time favorites are Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas with Pepper Jack Cheese. I serve it with guacamole for dipping. For sides we either have black bean and corn salad or spanish rice.

    Reply
  6. Jenna says

    April 23, 2009 at

    what a great recipe swap! for those of you who do it for frugality, an added bonus is nutrition. legumes (beans and lentils) are very nutrient dense, an execllent source of protein and other antioxidants! 3 cups of beans are recommended per week by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans! make a pot of beans every week and eat them warm one night then save the rest to rinse and put on green and pasta salads. or puree them and add fresh/roasted garlic and other spices for bean dip.

    Reply
  7. Brooke says

    April 23, 2009 at

    my favorite is just simply rice, black beans, and rotel.

    Reply
  8. Hoosier Homemade says

    April 23, 2009 at

    Sorry about the ham, I wasn’t thinking it was included in the recipe.
    I took it off.
    ~Liz

    Reply
  9. Karen says

    April 23, 2009 at

    Can’t wait to check these all out!

    Reply
  10. Together We Save says

    April 23, 2009 at

    Sounds really yummy. It is about 15 minutes till my lunch break and these recipes are making my tummy growl.

    Reply
  11. JessieLeigh says

    April 23, 2009 at

    What a great sounding recipe! I don’t even think my “meat and taters” hubby would miss the meat with the olives in there… another of his great loves. 🙂

    Reply
  12. Gina @ The Shabby Chic Cottage says

    April 24, 2009 at

    Sounds yummy!

    Reply
  13. Laura says

    April 24, 2009 at

    Thank you!! I’m a vegetarian, so finding a yummy enchilada recipe *and* a list of recipes to explore that won’t be needing substitutions has made my morning!

    Reply
  14. VeggieMomma says

    April 26, 2009 at

    I only eat ‘meatless’. But I really see meat–if you do eat it–as being a side dish. Beans, veggies and whole grains really should be more of a focus! Plus, they taste better to me 🙂

    My favorite is breaded and fried or baked tofu cubes. Serve with salad, whole grain bread and sauce for dipping (sweet chili sauce is my favorite but sweet and sour, ketchup, and plum sauce work well too).

    Reply
  15. Jen L. says

    April 26, 2009 at

    Yum! Great recipes, everyone! I linked up to an older post of mine featuring veggie burritos.

    Reply
  16. UnfinishedMom says

    April 27, 2009 at

    Thank you so much for hosting this. I really need to increase our meatless meal options and there are definitely some good ones on this list! Thanks so much.

    Reply
  17. christa says

    April 23, 2012 at

    Yum! We prefer homemade mole sauce, so this is a great idea since I am completely out of meat (and money) till the end of the month. I just made a large pot of fresh beans, and have some in the freezer so that and rice will be great with these for dinner tonight!

    Reply
  18. Kelly says

    January 27, 2013 at

    I agree that a meatless meal can save money, but in our house, we spend more on cheese than we do on meat! A few years ago we started raising our own steer and pigs. The mama cow was supposed to be a milker, but she’s been too cantankerous for us. So-beef for us is about $2.50 per pound to raise, and pork is $3.50. The organic cheddar cheese I buy is $5.60 per pound though!

    I LOVE cheese enchiladas though, so this is going on the Feb meal plan, thanks!

    Reply
    • Jessica Fisher says

      February 4, 2013 at

      Yes, cheese is expensive.

      Reply
  19. Dorothy says

    June 3, 2013 at

    I’m looking at the enchilada recipes with my mouth watering. My son has tomato issues, however (it causes horrible reflux). Do you have suggestions to adapt the enchilada recipe to be tomato-free?

    Reply
    • Jessica Fisher says

      June 18, 2013 at

      My enchilada sauce (Las Palmas) doesn’t have tomatoes. 😉 Can he have tomatillos? You could use a green sauce…. Typical enchilada sauce doesn’t usually have tomato sauce, it’s chile based.

      Reply
    • Jana says

      January 5, 2018 at

      Yeah, try cream cheese maybe spinach. My son likes cream cheese and spinach.

      Reply
  20. Nia Boor says

    October 9, 2013 at

    Can I put beef in this recipe? Would it freeze the same?

    Reply
    • Jessica Fisher says

      October 9, 2013 at

      Yes. That is fine.

      Reply
  21. Marie says

    April 25, 2014 at

    I made these last night for dinner but made them into bean and cheese b/c i knew my husband would be “starving” without his meat. I also made a side of rice. My husband said it was the best meal I’ve made in a long time! After he gobbled up seconds, I asked if he noticed there was no meat? His response? “Really?” Lol! Thank you for sharing your recipes! I love reading both your blogs and cooking your yummy food!

    Reply
    • Jessica Fisher says

      April 25, 2014 at

      Yay for men gone meatless! That’s a great story.

      Reply
    • Jana says

      January 5, 2018 at

      Which beans did u use ?

      Reply
  22. christy angeles says

    October 17, 2015 at

    I’m a missionary in Mexico. And we have lots of meatless meals. My enchilada sauce is the best. Cut your chile’s in half and your tomatoes. Then fry them up in a little oil. While doing that slice your onions and garlic. When it smells spicy and the tomatoes are soft, blend them in the blender with one teaspoon of chicken broth powder or just salt. Then Sautee your onions and add your blended salsa. Cook on medium heat until boiling. You can also add oregano to your tomatoes and peppers or sesame seeds. Which is super yummy.

    Reply
  23. Anne B says

    May 30, 2017 at

    We’re just my hubby and myself so I am leary of making up a big batch of a sauce we may not like. Is there a way to scale this smaller or larger, please? Maybe there is a website that has this tool? Thanks so much ahead.

    Reply
    • Jessica Fisher says

      June 23, 2017 at

      Are you asking about the homemade enchilada sauce? Yes, it’s pretty easy to cut it in half.

      Reply
  24. Katie says

    April 18, 2018 at

    These are exactly the enchiladas we made in Gallup, New Mexico for school fundraisers. So delicious they always sold! I’d kind of forgotten about them and look forward to making some for my family or even my “frozen dinner club.” 🙂

    Reply
  25. Katie says

    April 18, 2018 at

    5 stars
    I forgot to rate the recipe–make these. You won’t be sorry!

    Reply
    • Jessica Fisher says

      April 29, 2018 at

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
  26. Audra Baecker says

    March 29, 2019 at

    Hi Jessica,

    I’m going to try you recipe in about 1 hour and I have one question! The olives and onions on your recipe pictures don’t look cooked did you put fresh olives and scallions on after you bake themfor just visually brighter images or did you actually put the olives in your onions on your enchiladas cuz the recipe says to do it before you bake it but again yours don’t look baked!!!!!

    please let me know!
    Thanks so much! Audra

    Reply
    • Jessica Fisher says

      March 29, 2019 at

      You can do either. I like doing it after so that they look fresher.

      Reply
  27. Liz says

    August 16, 2019 at

    Hi! The recipe sounds great. But I’m curious why it says to fry the tortillas? Could you get away without frying them?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Jessica Fisher says

      August 16, 2019 at

      Frying the tortillas helps them have been texture and helps them to roll better, without breaking.

      You can make them without frying, provided you heat the tortillas before filling and rolling. However, the texture will not be as good and they won’t be freezer-friendly. The tortilla tends to crumble and break down more.

      Reply

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