They’re Back! Sweet Potato Enchiladas!

I keep coming back to this recipe time and time again because it’s such a crowd pleaser. It also happens to be the first recipe I ever sent out to friends and what inspired this blog.  And since I receive requests regularly for my sweet potato enchiladas, I thought it couldn’t hurt to break it out of the archives, dust it off  and resurrect it for round two.

I was given this recipe from my friend Christa who is always trying to make healthy, satisfying meals for her family – needless to say I’ve been hooked ever since. I’ve carried these into potlucks at the office, made them for a birthday dinner in honor of my mom and I’ve whipped them up for a delicious weeknight dinner. The recipe makes enough to share or to freeze and have on night when you don’t feel like cooking. And as for us veggies it’s nice to have a dish that is hearty, delicious and packed with protein.

Over the last year I have tweaked and played with the recipe, not because it wasn’t amazing but partially because I developed an addiction to poblano peppers.  All I want to do is stuff them, fry them and eat them for breakfast lunch and dinner so it’s no surprise that they snuck their way into the enchiladas. There were also times that I just didn’t have all the right ingredients so I tweaked the recipe a bit. That is the joy of cooking my friends. Recipes are only guidelines.

The best part about this recipe is that it is super easy and healthy. Peel and chop the potatoes, toss them into salted boiling water and boil until soft. While those pretty orange and white cubes do their thing, you rinse a can of black beans and toss them with lime juice, lime zest and garlic then roast and peel your peppers. Next, you drain and mash the potatoes and mix them with cumin, Serrano pepper, cilantro and your chopped roasted poblanos. Now comes the fun part – spread the potato mixture onto a tortilla, add a spoonful of beans and wrap that baby up and throw her in a pan, gently of course. Pour your favorite enchilada sauce and crumble queso fresco over the top, cover with foil and you’ll have delicious, healthy enchiladas in less than an hour.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Enchiladas

Prep time: 20 minutes, Cook time: 30 minutes, Makes 8-12 enchiladas

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 (15oz) can of black beans, drained & rinsed

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

Juice and zest from 1 big lime

2 sweet potatoes and 1 russet potato, peeled and chopped

2 poblano peppers roasted, peeled and seeded then chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

1 seeded and chopped Serrano pepper or 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1 small can of black olives (optional)

Tortillas (I like the fajita size)

Salt to taste

Topping:

8 tortillas (white, corn, or whole wheat)

1 large jar of enchilada sauce (I prefer green)

8-10 oz crumbled qeuso fresco – you can find it near the string cheese in the market. It’s a Mexican cheese that is salty and delicious!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

1. Place peeled and chopped potatoes into a large sauce pan and cover with water, season with salt.  Boil until you can easily stick them with a fork.

2. Coat a 9×13 dish with cooking spray. I can usually fit enough into a 9×13 and a 9×9 dish.

3. Roast the peppers by placing them under the broiler or directly on the flame of a gas stove. Char all sides until black and blistering. Put in a ziplock bag and seal. Leave for 5 minutes and then peel off the outside skin. It’s easier to do it under running water. Slice them open and remove the seeds as well. Chop them up.

3. Drain & mash the sweet potatoes.  Add the peppers, cumin, olives and cilantro and combine.  Season with salt.  In a separate bowl mix black beans with the chopped garlic, lime zest and juice, toss to coat.  Set aside.

4. Pour half of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.  Spoon the sweet potato mix down the center of the tortilla.  Top with a spoonful of the black bean mix.  Wrap and place seam side down into the baking dish on top of the sauce.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas.  Top with the remaining enchilada sauce.  Top with queso fresco.

5. Cover with foil. Spray the side facing the cheese with cooking spray before you put it on.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and continue to bake for 10 more minutes.

Makes 8 – 12 enchiladas.

Enjoy!!!

Chassie