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