Vegetarianism, and eating more meatless meals, is here to stay. It is no longer a trendy option; for many, it is a lifestyle.

By definition, vegetarians don’t include beef, pork, chicken, fish or seafood in their diets. This cheese enchilada recipe is a great vegetarian alternative to beef enchiladas.

This recipe uses Monterey Jack cheese, which is a semi-hard cheese that is white in color and mild in flavor. It also uses Cheddar cheese, which is pale-yellow to off-white in color and sharp-tasting in flavor. You can always substitute reduced-fat or fat-free cheese and sour cream.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes

This recipe for Cheese Enchiladas will serve up to four people.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 ounces)
• 1 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chiles, drained
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 8 corn tortillas (5 or 6 inch)
• Additional shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped onion, if desired

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a medium bowl, mix cheeses, sour cream, onion, parsley and pepper; set aside.

3. In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the tomato sauce, bell pepper, chiles, garlic, water, chili powder, oregano and cumin to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Pour into an ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate.

4. Dip each tortilla into the sauce to coat both sides. Spoon about 1/4 cup cheese mixture onto each tortilla, then roll tortilla around filling. Place the seam side down into an ungreased 11 X 7-inch glass baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas.

5. Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until the cheese enchiladas look bubbly. Garnish with additional shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped onion.