Taste-Off: The tastiest frozen enchiladas — and the ones to leave in the freezer case

Spicy earthy and packed with layers of umami an enchilada drenched in sauce is the kind of comforting deliciousness that s tough to beat especially if you don t have to chop cook shred fry and roll the ingredients yourself When the craving for enchiladas hits restaurant takeout is a great option but even easier is to shop the frozen aisle where there s a generous selection of enchiladas made every which way They come stuffed with chicken meat cheese beans vegetables even tofu Sauces range from red to green to white Most of frozen enchiladas come in boxes that are designed to entice they have gorgeous styled pictures of luscious-looking enchiladas Spoiler alert That s rarely what you ll find inside the box The fillings are rarely as generous and often look entirely different It s also good to know that frozen enchiladas even the best ones are typically loaded with salt A great enchilada has a generous spoonful of rich succulent filling wrapped up in a flavorful tender tortilla and is topped with bold complex sauce Cheese is optional but it does add richness and balance Enchiladas gone wrong are far too common Texture can be mushy flavors flat But the worst of the lot are yucky bites that are way out of balance or so packed with preservatives and fake ingredients that they don t even taste like food Here are details on fork-worthy bites that will satisfy the craving for an enchilada and the mushy bites that aren t worth the freezer space As serving sizes cover such a broad range nutrition info refers to a -ounce serving grams no matter the size of the package Tapatio Chicken Enchiladas These enchiladas deliver the authentic texture and flavor of a well made homemade enchilada There s also plenty of bold-flavored sauce that provides a welcome hit of heat calories g fat mg sodium g sugar g protein for ounces at Walmart stars Frontera Beef Enchiladas with Red Enchilada Sauce Excellent tortillas and the toasty flavor of roasted chiles in the sauce make this tray of enchiladas one of the best in the freezer development If Frontera made these with shredded instead of ground beef they would be restaurant quality calories g fat mg sodium g sugar g protein for ounces at Raley s stars Realgood Foods Chicken Enchiladas This gluten-free option smothered in mild tomatillo sauce is a fresh lime-forward garlicky mouthful The tortilla looks like a flour tortilla but it s truly made with chicken and parmesan hence the blast of protein in this meal calories g fat mg sodium g sugar g protein for ounces at Target stars Stouffer s Chicken Enchiladas Family Size The mash of chicken and beans inside these extra-thick tortillas is comforting and the sauce while minimal is tasty The generous layer of cheese is a bonus These are a great option for young eaters who are spice-averse calories g fat mg sodium g sugar g protein for ounces at Safeway stars Saffron Road Chicken Enchiladas Poblano The spinach-cheese-chicken mixture inside these enchiladas is a solid effort and the tortillas are delightfully corn-forward The sides of rice and black beans are perfectly cooked but every component of this meal begs for salt calories g fat mg sodium g sugar g protein for ounces at Raley s stars Amy s Roasted Poblano Enchiladas Made with tofu and an array of vegetables these are entirely edible but they are texturally unpleasant as the corn tortillas have gone mushy calories g fat mg sodium g sugar g protein for ounces at Raley s stars El Monterey Signature Beef Enchiladas As delicious as the picture on the package looks these enchiladas are anything but The filling is pasty and pocked with chewy onions And the only heat comes from a big punch of black pepper calories g fat mg sodium g sugar g protein for ounces at Safeway star Trader Joe s Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde This generous tray of two enchiladas made with corn tortillas looks appetizing but it is awash in palate-punishing raw onion flavor Even fans of onion will be hard-pressed to enjoy these calories g fat mg sodium g sugar g protein for ounces star Smart Ones Chicken Enchiladas Suiza Truly smart ones will steer clear of this brand that features two of the tiniest enchiladas ever about inches long Alongside is a spicy sour cream sauce that tastes like canned soup Even the rice is tasteless calories g fat mg sodium g sugar g protein at for ounces at Raley s no stars Lean Cuisine Comfort Cravings Chicken Enchilada Suiza This tray that includes one small enchilada is swimming in sauce that s trying to taste like cilantro but authentically tastes like medicine Inside the dry tough tortilla is a teaspoon of what tastes like canned chicken cooked up into a tomato stew calories g fat mg sodium g sugar g protein for ounces at Raley s no stars Reviews are based on product samples purchased by this newspaper or provided by manufacturers Contact Jolene Thym at timespickyeater gmail com Read more Taste-off columns at www mercurynews com tag taste-off