Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

These Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas grew from a need for a vegetarian meal. One of my friends follows a vegetarian diet so preparing something healthy that’s both inclusive and delicious, was a top priority. With a little experimenting, this no-meat recipe came about and let me tell y’all, it was a hit from the very first bite.

We use shredded cheddar as our go-to topper, but you can skip the cheese or swap in a vegan version to take this meal all the way to vegan perfection.

Getting Started

Start by poking a few holes in the sweet potatoes with a fork then pop them in the microwave for about 10 minutes. Go ahead and preheat your oven to 400 F while you’re at it.

While the potatoes are cooking, grab your Can Opener to open the canned black beans and diced tomatoes. Drain the liquid from both cans and be sure to rinse your black beans. After draining liquid from the can, add some water to the can and dump it over the beans to drain a second time to rinse away any excess liquid.

Next, it’s time for the spinach. Personally, I’m not a fan of the stems, so I removed them from the roughly four ounces of fresh leaves called for in this recipe. Use the 7-5/8" Petite Chef to rough chop the spinach. If you’re out of fresh spinach, don’t fret, frozen works just fine in a pinch, but you may just need to add a little extra.

When your sweet potatoes are done, handle them carefully — they’ll be hot. Using two forks, you may be able to pull off the skin, but if not, hold the potato steady with one fork while carefully paring away the skin with a 4" Paring Knife. Try to avoid the steam released as you go.

Once peeled, cut the sweet potatoes into half-inch cubes using the 7" Santoku.

Now, toss those sweet potatoes, tomatoes, black beans and spinach in a large mixing bowl and give them a good stir until everything’s nice and combined.

Prep and Bake

Pour about half of the enchilada sauce in to the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Take about 20 corn tortillas and microwave them for 20 seconds. This makes them soft, pliable and easy to roll without cracking.

Use an Ice Cream Scoop to portion out the filling and place it in the center of each tortilla.

Roll up the filled tortilla then place it seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat until the dish is full.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top then sprinkle with shredded cheese. If you feel like adding a little more — go right ahead. Around here, we believe in leading with your heart when it comes to cheese. Some days, an extra handful just makes sense.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Don’t let any excess go to waste. Store any remaining filling in the fridge — it’s delicious mixed into scrambled eggs or an omelet the next morning. If you have enough leftover filling and ingredients, fill up a second dish to seal and freeze for another day.

Serving Up Compliments

The best part of these Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas? The look of surprised delight when it’s served. So many folks don’t think about enchiladas without meat — or assume vegetarian meals can’t pack the same flavor punch. This recipe proves otherwise, broadening culinary horizons one bite at a time. Trust me, your guests will be going back for seconds.