Sweet Potato And Black Bean Enchiladas

I'll just apologize now for not getting a better photo and will offer up a promise of a better one the next time these grace my kitchen. They were just to good to really wait and make a "pretty plate" for the camera. We good? Okay, yes... I say we're good.

Enchiladas are something of a staple around here. Both the, slightly labor intensive, rolled variety and the, far easier, "casserole" variety. What can I say? We sort of really dig Mexican food. The only issue I, personally, have with enchiladas is that I tend to get bored. 90% of the time I make chicken enchiladas. Always yummy, but boring, after 11ty billion times. We almost never have beef around the house, when enchiladas occur to me, so sometimes... When I'm just to bored with chicken to be bothered, I get a little creative and sometimes, that creativity results in sheer awesomeness. Enter: Sweet potato and black beans, if you please. And even if you don't please, so there!

There really is nothing to not like here. The sweetness of the sweet potato makes sweet, sweet music with chili powder, garlic, and cumin. Chipotle would play nice, too, but he wasn't invited last night, to keep the heat down. The end result is a hearty and filling dish rich with spices and just the right amount of kick that I think you'll really enjoy.

So, enough talk! Here's the recipe:

2 large sweet potatoes (yams, if you really want to be technical. Go for orange!)
1 onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs olive oil
1.5 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
1 can of green enchilada sauce
corn tortillas

Preheat the oven to 350 and cook those sweet potatoes however you want. I boiled mine, but roasting them is nice, too. While they're cooking, saute the onions and garlic until they're translucent and the onions have taken on a pretty color. When the sweet potatoes are done, mash them up, add everything except the cheese and tortillas and mix it up. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.

Now, here's the good part. pour some enchilada sauce in the bottom of your baking dish. Sprinkle a bit of cheese in each tortilla, add a healthy scoop of filling and roll and place it in the pan. Repeat until done. Cover with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese and bake about 25 minutes.

If you're going casserole style, line the bottom with corn tortillas, then spread the mixture over the top, sprinkle about half the cheese over the top and cover with another layer of tortillas. Cover with enchilada sauce and the remaining cheese and bake for the same amount of time.

I serve these with a bit of sour cream.