Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Green Chile Enchiladas

By on 09 October 2010 in Main Courses with 29 Comments.

We generally cook in the Mediterranean style (usually Italian), but lately we’ve been on a bit of a Latin American kick. This latest venture may be one of the tastiest thus far, I might contest!  It does take a bit of time to assemble, but the extra effort is worth it. These enchiladas had tons of flavor, and are a great alternative for a hearty meatless meal where you don’t miss the extra protein! 

The recipe below is the result of a lot of trial and error, but we were pleased with the end result. We made a few perhaps less “authentic” substitutions – flour tortillas were better texture-wise to our liking versus corn, but you could certainly use corn, especially for a gluten-free recipe!  We also preferred the flavor of Colby jack cheese to Monterrey jack. We’d recommend using salsa verde (made with tomatillos) for these “green” enchiladas, but you could substitute with your favorite salsa or enchilada sauce as well. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Green Chile Enchiladas

Serves six

What You Need
2 medium to large sweet potatoes (2 cups diced)
1 15 oz. can black beans
1 cup diced green chilies (canned)
1 medium red onion
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
About 2 cups salsa verde (or homemade tomatillo salsa)
8 oz. Colby jack cheese, shredded
10 flour tortillas
Salt and pepper
Sour cream, and fresh cilantro, to garnish

What To Do

1  Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2  Cook the sweet potato*: Peel and dice the sweet potato. Place in a pot and cover with water; add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, around 12 to 15 minutes.

3  Prepare the filling: Finely chop the red onion. Drain and rinse the black beans. (If using cilantro to garnish, you could chop it at this time as well.)

4  Assemble the filling: In a large bowl, combine the cooked sweet potato, black beans, red onion, diced green chilies, 1/2 tablespoon cumin, and 1 tablespoon chili powder. Mix to combine, and add a bit of salt and pepper.

5  Assemble the enchiladas:
–Warm the tortillas for a minute in the microwave, or in a pan for a few seconds per side.
–In a large baking dish, spread 1 cup of the salsa verde.
–Fill each tortilla with a scoop of the filling, add a handful of cheese, and roll it up.
–Place the enchilada seam-side down in the baking dish.
–Repeat for the remaining tortillas.
–When all enchiladas are in the dish, top with the remaining cup of salsa verde and the remaining cheese.

6  Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

7  Serve, garnished with sour cream (mixed with a tiny bit of water to loosen it) and chopped cilantro.

Note: As a time saver, you could cook the sweet potato beforehand, and even prepare the entire filling in advance.

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