These Vegetarian Enchiladas with Sweet Potato and Black Beans are incredibly flavorful. They are topped with my favorite homemade enchilada sauce and cheese, and baked to perfection! They are so delicious whether you are a vegetarian or not!
Mexican is one of my favorite cuisines. I love how versatile Mexican food is. You can take the same fresh ingredients and make various dishes: quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, burritos, nachos, etc. Then you get to add your favorite tasty toppings like guacamole, pico de gallo, cilantro, jalapeños, and sour cream. Serving Mexican food is also great for entertaining. You can prepare all the fillings and toppings and let your guests create their own combinations!
Mexican recipes are also loaded with spices and zesty flavors, making them ideal for adapting to a vegetarian diet (or a meatless meal). You can make the most incredible Mexican dishes with only plant-based ingredients (these vegetarian enchiladas being one of them!) I love chicken, beef and fish Mexican dishes just as much as the meatless counterparts. However, if you are looking to try to incorporate a few meatless meals, Mexican cuisine is a great place to start!
The filling that I chose to put into my enchiladas works well together and are staples year round. This recipe is extremely adaptable and you can literally substitute any combination of veggies or beans that you like into the dish. For example, in the fall I will use butternut squash instead of sweet potato. Also, for non-vegetarians, you can add meat to these enchiladas. I suggest ground beef or pulled chicken. No matter what you can’t go wrong. Just fill your enchiladas with delicious & fresh ingredients!
Don’t be scared by the amount of steps in this recipe. It may seem daunting at first but they are all simple and quick. One of the best parts is the homemade enchilada sauce, which is incredibly easy to make! You combine everything in a saucepan and let it simmer for fifteen minutes and that’s it! Prepare it while the sweet potatoes roast or while you prep the other vegetables. I initially used store bought sauce, but after I made the Emeril Lagasse recipe the first time I couldn’t go back. Store bought items are good, but usually aren’t the same as homemade.
So how can you save time and get these on the table faster?
Use frozen or canned corn (frozen roasted corn works best). Buy store bought enchilada sauce and black bean spread. Also, you can prep all the ingredients in advance and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble. Or assemble the entire dish on the weekend and warm it up during the week.
The topping possibilities for these enchiladas with black beans and sweet potato are as endless as the filling choices. For instance, I like mine topped with guacamole, cilantro, diced red onion, and Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream). Other tasty additions include sliced jalapeños, pico de gallo or salsa, as well as chopped tomatoes.
Give these healthy vegetarian enchiladas with sweet potato and black beans a try! In addition, you can serve them with a side of Mexican street corn salad.
Enchiladas with Sweet Potato and Black Beans
Ingredients
- ¾ cup homemade black bean dip* linked below recipe
- 1 cup homemade enchilada sauce** or store bought (linked below recipe**)
- 1-15 oz can black beans drained & rinsed
- 2 tsp light olive oil
- 1 large sweet potato cubed small
- ½ yellow onion sliced thin
- 1 red pepper sliced thin
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 cup shredded cheese Mexican blend, cheddar or pepper jack
- 8-10 10 inch whole grain tortillas
- 1 TBSP cilantro minced
- 1 bunch scallions minced
- ½ red onion diced small
Instructions
- Make black bean dip. Refer to recipe
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease (or you can use parchment paper). Place diced sweet potato in a small bowl. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil and toss well. Spread sweet potato in a single layer on the baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until sweet potato are soft and lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool.
- While the sweet potato is cooking, make enchilada sauce. Or you can use store bought and skip this step
- Heat a medium sized pan over medium-high heat. Place 1 teaspoon of oil in the pan. Sauté onion and red pepper 10 minutes until soft. Add minced garlic and sauté for 3-4 more minutes until vegetables are lightly browned. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 13 by 9-inch pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease the bottom. Pour ¼ cup enchilada sauce into your prepared pan and tilt it from side to side until the bottom of the pan is evenly coated.
- Mix the filling: In a medium size bowl, add drained and rinsed black beans, sweet potatoes, the sautéed pepper and onions, 1/4 cup the diced red onion and ½ cup shredded cheese. Stir until well combined.
- Assemble the enchiladas: Heat a medium sized pan over medium heat. Working with one tortilla at a time, warm the tortilla (30 seconds on each side). This will help make them more pliable before rolling. You can skip this step and just carefully roll them. If they split, that is the beauty of a casserole, it all gets covered with sauce and cheese.
- Remove the tortilla from the pan onto a plate or wax paper. Spread ~1/4 cup black bean dip down the middle of the tortilla (make it about 2 inches wide). Spread ½ cup filling mixture down the middle of a tortilla, then snugly wrap the left side over and then the right, to make a wrap. Place it seam side down in the baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Note* 13 x 9 pan fits about 6 ( I filled my Enchiladas pretty big though), you should have enough filling to make three more if you want to prepare another baking dish.
- Drizzle the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas, spreading the sauce thinly to coat each one entirely.
- Cover with foil and bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with ½ cup of cheese and put back in the oven, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Before serving, sprinkle chopped cilantro, scallions and red onion all over the top of the enchiladas. Serve with desired toppings.
Nutrition Facts
**Homemade Enchilada sauce by Emeril Lagasse- make 1/2 a batch or the entire recipe and freeze half. This recipe calls for chicken broth but you can substitute vegetable broth to keep them vegetarian.
What’s your favorite Mexican dish?
Enchiladas with Sweet Potato and Black Beans
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