Cooking for a Crowd with Dietary Restrictions: Mole Enchiladas

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Have you ever had the challenge of trying to cook for a group where everyone is eating a different diet? Paleo, Keto, Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-Free, you name it, someone was eating it at my last dinner party. So what’s a cook to do? Well, you could do a BYOM (Bring Your Own Meat) BBQ. Believe me, I’ve done that before. But sometimes you just want to be able to cook for your entire group! Just you, and nobody else!

I’ve found Mexican food to be a great solution to dietary challenges. Most people like it (You can’t live in Colorado and not like Mexican. You will be shunned) and it’s easy to make in large quantities. It’s also easy to modify in small ways to accommodate people with all those special diets!

Now, I’m not saying you have to. Being one of those difficult people with dietary restrictions, I do not expect people to cater to my needs. I’ve brought plenty of dishes over to people’s homes so that I know I’ll be able to eat something and not feel left out. But I’ve got wonderful friends and family who try to accomadate me and maybe that’s you too. Maybe you’re not Paleo but are cooking for someone who is. Maybe you’re not a Vegan or vegetarian but you would like an easy recipe for a friend who is. Well, look no further! I’ve got the perfect easy recipe for you. 

Mole Enchiladas featuring María & Ricardo’s Tortillas 

I made these Mole Enchiladas using María & Ricardo’s Tortillas. They have a whole line of amazing tortillas including sprouted grains, regular white, corn, and gluten free versions. They even have a spinach tortilla that looks amazing! Unfortunately, I didn’t see that version at my Whole Foods but I’ll definitely keep an eye out for them in the future. Check them out because seriously, they’re incredible. They came frozen for me and I just defrosted them overnight in my refrigerator and they were still perfect. No tearing or crumbling, even after being frozen! And oh, were they yummy!

I was cooking for three different dietary restrictions with this recipe. Gluten free, Keto, and normal (no restrictions). While I didn’t need to incorporate dairy free, I do give you alterations on cheese substitutions if you need that as well. My gluten free enchiladas were also vegetarian. No meat, but they did have regular cheese in them. I used both María & Ricardo’s sprouted grain tortillas for my regular (no dietary restrictions needed) enchiladas, Coconut flour tortillas for gluten free, and zucchini strips for myself (who’s doing Keto). They all came out fabulous! Everyone raved about them, no matter what diet they were on. With just some small modifications, you can cater to all your friends and family’s dietary needed without breaking the bank or buying a million different ingredients. That’s a win in my book!

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Mole Enchiladas- 3 ways!

Learn how to create scrumptious enchiladas in under 30 minutes that cater to a variety of dietary needs including Paleo, Keto, Primal, Vegetarian, and even Vegan!

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

For the Mole Sauce

• 24 oz tomato sauce unsweetened
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp ground clove
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp instant coffee
• 1-2 cup water or chicken broth

For the enchiladas

• 12 wrappers, whichever type you prefer I used Maria and Ricardo tortillas and thinly sliced zucchini
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 tbsp taco seasoning I used homemade
• 1 lb shredded cheese, any variety I used a combo of cheddar/jack and Dubliner

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients for mole sauce. Simmer on stove over medium-low heat for 20 minutes while you create the rest of the enchiladas.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking dish.

3. Over medium heat, preheat a large skillet. Cook ground beef until no longer pink. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and set aside.

4. Using a peeler or a mandolin, thinly slice zucchini to create long sheets. 

5. Microwave any tortillas you might be using to soften.

6. Fill both tortillas and zucchini with ground beef mixture and top with cheese. Roll up like a burrito and place in greased baking dish. Cover with enchilada mole sauce and more cheese. 

7. Bake in oven 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is bubbly. Remove and top with salsa and/or cilantro. Serve hot.

Recipe Notes

If you're interested in making these vegan, I substituted the ground beef for a mixture of spinach,kale, onion, and garlic. Chop fresh spinach and kale finely. Saute in pan with olive oil. Add finely sliced onions and minced garlic to pan for the last few minutes. Instead of the ground beef, use this mixture for the filling of your enchiladas. You can also sub out the regular cheese for Daiya's vegan cheese. Follow the rest of the instructions above.