We try our best to eat fairly low-carb meals during the week, so we get creative with how we replace the common grains. There are obvious exchanges – like sub cauliflower rice for rice or lettuce wraps instead of bread, but I have to say I really love this use of chard to replace tortillas, because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a plate of classic Tex-Mex beef enchiladas, right?
The chard works wonderfully because it’s sturdier than most other greens. So sturdy, in fact, that we do recommend blanching the leaves before filling them, as they are hard to roll if you don’t. We even kept the stems of the chard, dicing them up finely and adding them to the filling! We didn’t notice them at all, plus less waste!
We opted for the traditional ground beef filling, but you could do chicken instead, or do a vegetarian version with black beans and mushrooms. The possibilities are endless, but regardless you can enjoy your Tex-Mex favorite without the guilt.
I topped mine off with some avocado and Mexican crema and was thrilled with the taste. Honestly, it’s one of our favorite recipes we’ve created to date. We always love when we can create healthy dishes that don’t compromise on taste!
PS- Whole 30 and Paleo compliant if you omit the cheese, just be sure your chipotle chiles in adobo don’t contain sugar!
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Ingredients
Method
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice bath (add ice and water to a large mixing bowl).
- Cut the stems off your chard leaves, dice them and set them aside. We will be cooking these with the filling.
- Blanch each leaf for 1-2 seconds in the boiling water and place into the ice bath. Blanching the leaves helps to make them easier to roll.
- Next, make the enchilada sauce. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chipotle chilies with some of the chipotle sauce, and 1 garlic clove to a food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onions, jalapenos, and 2 cloves garlic. Let cook for about 2-3 minutes or until softened.
- Add the ground beef next, using the back of a wooden spoon to break it up and brown.
- Once the meat has cooked through, add in the diced chard stems, and the spices - paprika, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and about 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine.
- Next, add in about 4 tablespoons of the sauce you had set aside and combine well. Cook for about 5-7 minutes and then remove from heat.
- Add 3-4 tablespoons of your sauce to the bottom of a baking dish (we used an 8.5" by 11" dish) to prevent sticking.
- Add a few spoonfuls (amount will vary depending on the size of your leaves) of filling to the center of your chard leaf. Fold in the sides and gently roll up, like a burrito. Place into baking dish. Continue until you have used all of your leaves.
- Pour remaining sauce over the top and bake at 350F for about 10 minutes.
- Remove enchiladas from the oven and top with your cotija cheese or queso fresco and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Top with fresh cilantro and any other of your favorite toppings such as sour cream, avocado, and sliced jalapenos!