Refried Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

4.49 from 27 votes

These enchiladas make super-satisfying vegetarian comfort food. Here's how to make them.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Mexican-Inspired

Cuisine: American

Keyword: refried bean and cheese enchiladas

Calories: 331kcal

Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Preheat oven to 375°F with a rack in the center.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the refried beans, half the cheddar, half the pepper jack, and the scallions.
Spread one cup of the enchilada sauce evenly over the surface of the baking pan.
Divide the filling evenly among the tortillas, making a strip of filling down the center of each tortilla and rolling the tortilla fairly tightly around it.
Line up tortillas seam-side down in the pan, packing them in snugly. They should fit with eight across and two lengthwise across the bottom, per the photos and video above.
Top evenly with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheddar and pepper jack.
Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until melted, hot, and bubbly.
Garnish with cilantro and serve.

The 3 ½ cups refried beans in this recipe equals two 15.4-ounce (437-gram) cans or one recipe homemade refried beans.
Try to use good-quality flour tortillas if possible. Supermarket brands are fine but can be a little doughy, especially when coated with sauce. I don't call for pre-warming the tortillas, but you can do so one at a time on a dry skillet before assembling if you like, to enhance the flavor and increase pliability.
You can prep the entire dish in advance and bake it just before serving. Tightly cover the baking pan with foil and store in the fridge for up to a week, or with plastic wrap followed by foil in the freezer for up to a year. You can defrost first or bake straight from frozen, adding 20 minutes to the baking time and keeping the pan covered with foil for the first 20 minutes. (Be sure to remove plastic wrap before baking.)
Enchiladas make great gifts for new parents or folks going through a tough moment. Use disposable foil baking pans, and let recipients know they can bake them right away or freeze for later.

You can substitute corn tortillas. In this case, definitely warm each one on both sides on a dry skillet before assembling, to enhance both flavor and pliability.
Try adding two links of Spanish-style chorizo, diced and browned, to the filling.
Or halve the beans and add a pound of cooked, shredded chicken to the filling.