Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

I'm convinced that you can make just about any dish using roasted vegetables and it would be delish. I've done it with pasta and pizza, tacos and quesadillas, sandwiches, salads, and soups, and now enchiladas. It's a no-fail method for a healthy, flavorful, enticing veggie meal. I'm trying to cut back on the amount of meat in our diet, but it would be perfectly acceptable to add some shredded chicken or turkey into the mix. Or keep it vegetarian and up the protein with beans. Really, it's up to you. But I found these to be perfectly satisfying as written. Dustin must have agreed because he attacked the leftovers for lunch and then finished them off by dinnertime the next day.

A note: You can roast any combination of vegetables you want to include in the filling. Just remember that certain vegetables take longer than others to cook, so you will want to roast them on separate trays. Root vegetables (such as carrots and potatoes) and hard winter squash take slightly longer. Chopping them into smaller cubes will help them roast faster.

Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 medium white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1-2 jalapenos, stemmed (I used one for a slight kick)
extra virgin olive oil
2 cups homemade or low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup Mexican crema or creme fraiche (I substituted sour cream)
8 cups vegetables, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, sweet potato, cremini mushrooms, sweet peppers, and cauliflower)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 small corn or 8 medium whole wheat tortillas
1-2 cups Mexican melting cheese (like Asadero, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Cheddar, or a combination of the above)
white onion, thinly sliced for garnish
fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

DIRECTIONS
1. To make the sauce, preheat oven broiler. Place the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapeno on a large rimmed baking sheet. Place directly under the broiler and broil for 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through, until the tomatillos are soft and blotchy black in spots. Remove and reduce the oven heat to 400 F. Puree tomatillo mixture until smooth in blender or food processor. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the puree and cook for several minutes until darker and thicker. Add the broth and crema. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer 30 minutes until reduced and thickened. Once the sauce has thickened, season to taste with salt.

2. Meanwhile, to roast the vegetables spread the cubed vegetables on a large rimmed baking sheet (or two baking sheets). Toss with enough olive oil to lightly coat. Season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast in preheated 400 F oven for 20-30 minutes, until golden and tender. Remove from the oven and set aside.

3. To assemble the enchiladas, warm tortillas in the microwave until pliable. Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Roll a portion of the roasted vegetables into each tortilla (with a little cheese if you wish) and place in the baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with several handfuls of cheese.

4. Bake in preheated 400 F oven for 10 minutes, until the enchiladas are heated through and the cheese is golden brown and bubbling. Garnish with onion and cilantro and serve.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from Rick Bayless)