Sweet Potato + Black Bean Enchiladas
Hearty Sweet Potato + Black Bean Enchiladas with a simple homemade red sauce make a delicious vegetarian entree. The enchiladas are filled with a crowd pleasing mix of brown rice, beans, sweet potatoes and salsa, topped with Monterey jack cheese and baked. Super easy and can be partially or fully prepped ahead. NOTE: Prep time includes 25 minutes baking for the sweet potatoes which could be made ahead of time. In fact, the rice and beans, enchilada sauce and sweet potatoes could all be made ahead of time so that you just have to assemble and bake the enchiladas when ready to eat.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Enchilada Sauce (recipe adapted from Cookie and Kate, yields 2 cups sauce, save extra for another meal)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free plain tomato paste
- 2 cups gluten-free vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Black pepper to taste
Filling
- 4 cups sweet potatoes cubed into bite size pieces (2 small-to-medium sweet potatoes)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt more to taste
- 2-3 tablespoon olive oil or neutral oil of choice divided
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- 1 15 oz can black beans rinsed and drained
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 cup already prepared salsa
- 2 tablespoons jalapeño seeded and finely chopped
- squeeze of fresh lime juice optional
- 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese or dairy free cheese of choice divided (save 1/2 cup for topping)
- 1/2 fresh lime optional
8 gluten-free tortillas
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Enchilada Red Sauce
- Measure the flour and spices into a small bowl and place your tomato paste near the stove.
- In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, warm the oil until shimmering (it should be warm enough that the spices sizzle on contact).
- Pour in the flour and spice mixture. While stirring constantly with a whisk, cook until fragrant and slightly deepened in color, about 1 minute.
- Whisk the tomato paste into the mixture, then slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to remove any lumps.
- Low heat to a simmer, whisking often, for about five minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit and a spoon encounters some resistance as you stir it. (The sauce will further thicken as it cools.)
- Remove from heat, then whisk in the vinegar and season to taste with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
- You may not need all the sauce but it keeps well in the refrigerator for several days and works great with chickpeas (see Spiced Chickpea Tacos).
Filling
- Roast Sweet Potatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place sweet potatoes in a large bowl, add olive oil to very lightly coat (about 1 tablespoon), cumin, chili powder and salt. Toss to combine. Place sweet potatoes in a single layer on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, or until tender. Set aside.
- Meanwhile,saute the rest of the filling: In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add jalapeño and saute 1-2 minutes. Add cooked rice, black beans and salsa. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat for about 7-10 minutes until well heated. (NOTE: Depending on how thick or thin the salsa is,sometimes I will add an extra 1/4 cup salsa while stirring and heating the mixture). Remove from heat.
- Add cooked sweet potatoes to cooked rice and bean mixture and toss to combine. Give is a squeeze of lime juice if desired-- I have done this from time to time for a little tang.
Assemble
- Lightly grease a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Warm Tortillas to make more pliable -- place them on a plate, gently cover with a damp paper towel and microwave 20 seconds at a time, exact time will depend on strength of microwave.
- Pour ½ cup enchilada sauce into your prepared pan and tilt it from side to side until the bottom of the pan is evenly coated.
- To assemble the enchilada, spread ½ cup of the sweet potato-black bean-rice mixture down the middle of a tortilla, sprinkle with Monterey jack if desired, then snugly wrap the left side over and then the right, to make a wrap. Place it seam side down against the edge of your pan.
- Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
- Drizzle enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas, leaving the very ends of the enchiladas bare. Sprinkle 1/2 cup or more shredded cheese evenly over the enchiladas.
- Bake, uncovered, on the middle rack for 15-20 minutes or until cheese melted.
- TIP: You could prepare everything ahead of time and just assemble and cook when ready to eat. In that case, you may have to cook longer, more like 25-30 minutes to make sure everything is heated through.
- Remove from oven,sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
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What tortillas do you use? I like the GF Mission tortilla’s but they tend to tear easy.
I used Siete Foods Almond Flour Tortillas. I like to warm them in the microwave under a damp paper towel for about 30 seconds to warm and they roll well with little tearing!
We loved these!! I’ll never use any other enchilada sauce and I’m glad to have some left over for another meal. Thanks for a delicious and healthy recipe. ???