Since I grew up in Tucson, Ariz., comfort food was always something Mexican or Southwestern, involving tortillas, rice, beans, cheese and a tasty sauce to drown it all in. Which is a long way of saying enchiladas are pretty much my dream food. So it became my goal to create a version of enchiladas that mimicked the flavors and comfort of my childhood but didn’t make me feel weighed down and searching for my elastic-waistband sweatpants.

I swapped out white rice for brown rice to boost the nutrient profile, and used black beans without added fat (I almost don’t miss the lard). While cheese enchiladas are honestly my flavor of choice, I added chicken to give heft and protein, which enabled me to reduce drastically the amount of cheese. Without the extra fat, I needed some moisture to keep the filling luscious and tasty. Surprisingly, finely chopped baby spinach worked great, adding nary a calorie but a little boost of vitamins (A, C, folate) and iron. Win-win.

I whipped up a simple enchilada sauce using canned whole tomatoes. And my final victory? I used large chard leaves instead of tortillas. Chard is an incredible source of vitamin K (one cup has 4 times your daily requirement) while also providing vitamins C and A. And one cup of chard has — get ready — seven calories.

Using chard as a casserole-wrapper is way easier than it sounds. Trim away the thick stem and then boil the leaves for two minutes, which softens them just enough to fill and roll without falling apart. Try today’s recipe for enchiladas, and once you master the roll-up technique, try swapping chard leaves for pasta in Italian dishes like manicotti.

Chard-Wrapped Enchiladas

• 8 large chard leaves
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
• >> Sauce:
• 1 28-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes
• 1/2 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• >> Filling:
• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
• 3/4 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and drained if canned
• 3/4 cup cubed or shredded cooked chicken breast
• 3/4 cup baby spinach leaves, chopped
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Pinch cayenne (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-by-9 or 2-quart baking dish with nonstick spray.

Trim chard leaves by cutting away stems below the leaves, then gently cut out the first inch or so of stem within the leaf, cutting it out in a “V” shape with a knife. Parboil leaves in a large pan of simmering water over medium-low heat until tender, but not falling apart, about 2 minutes. (Err on undercooking, not overcooking.)

To make sauce: Place all ingredients in medium saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat, partially covered, for 20 minutes, gently smashing open tomatoes as they cook. Turn off heat, let cool a little.

Carefully blend sauce with an immersion blender or in a regular blender (be very careful of steam).

To make filling: Combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl and stir.

To assemble: Place a softened chard leaf on a cutting board with stem end closest to you. Place about 1/4 cup of filling on the leaf, about 1 inch from bottom.

Gently fold sides inward, then roll up the leaf from bottom. (If the stem is still a little tough, go ahead and let it “break” as you roll; it will be in the center of the roll-up, so it won’t be visible.) You should have an enchiladalike packet. Repeat with remaining leaves.

Spread about 1/4 cup of sauce on the bottom of prepared pan and top with the 8 enchiladas. Pour sauce on top, tightly cover with foil and bake until hot throughout, about 20 minutes.

Remove foil, top with 1/4 cup of cheese and bake, uncovered, 10 more minutes.

Top with yogurt and cilantro. Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 169 calories, 6 g total fat, 3 g saturated fats, 30 mg cholesterol, 597 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 13 g protein