Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchilada Bake
Yesterday was the kind of Sunday that made me want to live inside a Jane Austen novel. Totally exhausted from planning and celebrating a surprise birthday for Kirk, all I wanted to do was read, drink cups of tea, and take a long bath (I draw the line at needlework of any kind). After a blustery walk (another very Austen-y activity), I was craving some good bolstering food, something comforting and delicious. In the end I plumped for my Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchilada Bake, I took the opportunity to snap a photo so I could share the recipe with you today.
I LOVE enchiladas, and usually make them the traditional “rolled up” way, but recently discovered that there is an easier option for when you’re feeling a bit lazy- the enchilada bake! Instead of rolling the filling in the tortilla, you layer the tortilla and filling like a lasagne, and then bake the whole thing in the oven to become gooey, cheesy and wonderful. If you are in the mood for a more traditional enchilada, you could easily use the same filling and roll each tortilla instead- chefs choice!
- 8 wholegrain tortillas
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 cups prepared black beans (or one tin of black beans)
- 1 cup frozen sweetcorn, thawed
- 1½ tsp cumin, divided
- 1 tin diced tomatoes
- ½ cup fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce finely chopped (or use a different chile pepper depending on your tastes and what you have available)
- juice of half a lime
- ½ tsp liquid smoke (optional)
- 2 cups good quality cheddar cheese, grated
- Begin by preparing the tortillas: heat a dry pan to medium-high heat, dry fry the tortillas on each side so they become golden and slightly blistered in places. Put on a plate and set aside
- Reduce the heat to medium and add olive oil to the pan, and then the onions. Cook for about 3 minutes until softened
- Add the garlic and cook for a minute longer
- Add the sweet potato and 1 tsp of cumin and cook for about 5 minutes until the sweet potato starts to catch and become golden at the edges
- Add half a cup of water to the pan, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often, until the water has almost gone, and the sweet potato is beginning to catch again
- Add the black beans and corn to the pan, stir and warm through, remove from the heat
- While the sweet potato mixture is cooking, you can prepare the salsa sauce: drain the excess liquid from the tinned tomatoes and place in a small bowl
- Add the fresh coriander, ½ tsp cumin, chile, lime juice and liquid smoke (if using), stir to combine well and set aside
- Preheat the oven to 375F/190C
- Assemble the bake: cut each tortilla into quarters. Take 8 tortilla quarters and layer them at the bottom of a 9x9 casserole dish
- Next, spread ⅓ of the salsa sauce on top of the tortillas, followed by ½ of the sweet potato mix, and ⅓ of the cheddar. Repeat with 8 more tortilla quarters, ⅓ of the salsa, the remaining sweet potato mix, and ⅓ of the cheddar. Finish with the remaining tortilla, remaining salsa and remaining cheese
- Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until the cheese begins to bubble, garnish with some fresh coriander, and serve!
What a perfect dinner for a blustery day! Hope you had a relaxing Sunday 🙂
Thanks Taylor!
Busy weekends definitely call for easy casseroles! This sounds so delicious to boot. I love sweet potatoes and black beans together!
Ah, me too. The perfect combo, and they look so festive together!
Oh my. This looks amazing, I love enchiladas! I hadn’t even thought of using sweet potatoes in enchiladas before, I’m definitely going to have to try this now, it looks so good!!
Thanks Harriet!
Enchilada bake sounds delicious! I totally want one of those Jane Austen days right now, too (but also no needlework for me hehe)
Haha, thanks Bianca!
This looks marvelous! I love every single ingredient in here!
Thanks Rachel!
I’m not sure if it was a different size of tortilla I used, but my version ended up too dry and a bit stodgy at the same time. Great flavours, but don’t think I would drain the tomatoes for a start and would definitely use more chipotle peppers – I doubled it anyway, but it still wasn’t enough for me. Nice idea and will definitely tweak and try it again! Many thanks for all your recipes – they are very imaginative and look beautiful.
Jules, I’m, so sorry to hear that! Dry and stodgy doesn’t sound like fun 🙁 Yes, perhaps it was the tortilla, perhaps it was the oven? Either way, I’m really sorry, it is so disappointing when a recipe doesn’t work out. I truly appreciate the feedback x