Can you guess my favorite cuisine? Tex-Mex!! Vegetarian enchiladas?! Yes, please! I’m trying to go meatless more often around here. This has been a goal for years, but with one kid who doesn’t really like pasta and two who gag when consuming many vegetables, it’s a challenge! Sweet potatoes are one of the vegetables our youngest detests (he may have gagged to the point of vomiting as a toddler over them). Beans are still weird for the youngest two. But the rest of us love these black bean sweet potato enchiladas! I always consider it a win when one of my kids takes a bite and says, “Oh, these are really good.”
These enchiladas are a little time consuming – prepare to start roasting the sweet potatoes about 90 minutes before you want to have dinner on the table. There is plenty of baking time, so you’re not hands-on for the duration of the 90 minutes. But you could be if you wanted to make your own salsa verde. You can also make the salsa a day in advance. Or you can save yourself some time by using store-bought salsa verde instead. I’ve made these both ways and enjoyed them equally.
I always think, “do I really need to warm up the tortillas?” Yes, do not give into the temptation to skip that step. It makes the tortillas pliable. Otherwise they tear while you’re rolling them up and you end up with more of a tortilla lasagna dish. You can spread them on a baking sheet and bake for a few minutes in the oven or put them in the microwave. Make sure to keep them warm either in a tortilla warmer or wrapped in a clean kitchen towel.
Chips and guac are great on the side or this kale taco salad.
Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 ¼ pounds sweet potatoes (2 small-to-medium)
- 1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
- 4 ounces (1 cup) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 ounces (½ cup) crumbled feta cheese
- 2 small cans (4 ounces each) diced green chiles
- 1 medium jalapeño, seeded and minced, optional
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, optional
- ¼ tsp salt, more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the enchilada assembly
- 2 cups (16 ounces) mild salsa verde, either homemade or store-bought (double the recipe for homemade)
- 12 corn tortillas
- 4 ounces (1 cup) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tbsp water
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil. Place the sweet potatoes on the prepared baking sheet, with the flat cut sides facing down. Bake until tender, about 30-35 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven, leaving the oven on for baking the enchiladas.
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As the potatoes cook, combine all of the remaining filling ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
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Once the sweet potatoes are out of the oven and cool enough to handle, scoop out the potato pulp with a spoon; discard or compost the potato skins. Lightly mash the sweet potatoes with a fork or potato masher.
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Stir the mashed sweet potato into the bowl of filling, and season to taste with additional salt (about ¼ tsp) and pepper.
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Warm up your tortillas, either by spreading them on a baking sheet (overlapping slightly) and baking in the heated oven for 3-4 minutes or all at once in a microwave (for maybe 30-60 seconds?) so they don’t break when you bend them. Place them in a tortilla warmer or wrap them in a clean tea towel so they stay warm.
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Cover the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish with a thin layer of the salsa verde (about ½ cup). Working with one tortilla at a time, spread about ½ cup of the filling down the center each tortilla, rolling up both sides over the filling; place in your baking dish. Repeat until you have filled all of the tortillas.
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Pour the remaining salsa verde on top, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until sauce is bubbling and the cheese is puffy and lightly browned.
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As the enchiladas rest for a few minutes, make the crema. Whisk the sour cream and water together until smooth. Drizzle the crema over the enchiladas, then garnish with cilantro and red onion to taste.
Notes
Source: Cookie and Kate