Coulda' Been Meatless Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

Last night's dinner could have been gluten free had I used corn tortillas instead of flour; it coulda' been meatless too had I left out the ground beef but for certain it couldn't have been any more delicious. I had every intention of making them in the manner in which Karina the Gluten Free Goddess intended, but I got the look when I divulged what was for dinner so I had to make a few modifications. That's OK because it wasn't a bad thing believe me, but please hit the link above to see Karina's official version.

Fashioned from cubes of cooked sweet potato, black beans, a mere 4 ounces of ground beef, a bunch of spices, and a lick of cheese, the truly wonderful thing about these autumny enchiladas is, excluding the tortillas, they're scratch made up to and including the sauce... and oh what a sauce it is!

I changed up Karina's recipe a tad and rather than making a chunky Salsa Verde, I dumped some of our home roasted Hatch chiles into a container, added stock, garlic, cumin and chili powder and whizzed it up with the immersion blender, then heated the gorgeous green liquid in the microwave before pouring it over the filled tortillas. The casserole hit the oven for 25 minutes and came out looking like this!

By the way, I made 5 enchiladas and kept the rest of the filling in a container for the Big Guy's lunch today. He'll be making soft tacos out of the same basic ingredients and enjoying every morsel I might add. Oh and one more thing - personally I think the enchiladas will be fabulous meatless as they were intended, but they'd also be a great way to use some leftover pork, chicken or turkey too, so feel free to substitute another meat for the beef.

Beef, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas (adapted from Karina’s Kitchen, Recipes from a Gluten free Goddess)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion finely chopped

4 ounces ground beef (or leftover pork, chicken or turkey)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder (I used spicy)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 cups cooked diced sweet potato

1/2 cup chopped green chiles

1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 -1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided

8  6 inch flour tortillas  

Sauce:

1 cup roasted green chiles, skins and seeds removed (about 6 large)

1-1/4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot

Place ingredients into blender and blend until smooth, adding more stock if necessary to make a smooth sauce with a fairly thick consistency. Set aside.

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350.

In a large sauté pan heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and sauté until softened. Add ground beef and cook, crumbling with a fork until no longer pink. Add cumin, chili powder and cook for additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove beef/onion mixture to a bowl and add sweet potatoes, chiles, cilantro and black beans. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Lay tortillas flat on work surface and place approximately half a cup of filling along one edge. Top with some of the grated cheese. Roll tortilla into a cylinder and place seam side down into prepared casserole dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Casserole may be refrigerated at this point to be reheated later.

Heat sauce in microwave until bubbling. Pour over filled tortillas and top with remaining grated cheese. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until enchiladas are hot and sauce is bubbling. Serve with sour cream and additional salsa if desired. – Serves 4 to 6. Download Beef, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

A year ago - Coq au Vin

Comments

[Mary from Apron Strings & Wedding Rings]

I love visiting you June because you always teach me the difference between Southwest cooking and my snobbish plain New England style cooking! My parents were both Irish and devoured plain chicken and meat with mashed potatoes and plain veggies every night... I've come a long way but can see I have a ways to go yet :o))

HUGS, Mary L.

[June]

Mary - I grew up north of the border from you and honestly, until I was 16 I thought salt and pepper were spices. I hear ya' cause I've followed a path much like yours. It's amazing how much of the world one can travel through adventures in cooking, trying new tastes and flavor combinations. I used to sweat buckets worrying about cooking something that was inedible, but honestly what's the worse thing that can happen? So what if the garbage can dines better than you do one night...ya' just pick up and start over. LOL

[Lea]

Now - those are some enchiladas that make my tomato-less mouth water - to be sure! Heaven in a casserole dish!

[June]

Lea - so true. Not a "fruit of death" to be found and with the green chiles, not missed one bit either.

[Big guy]

And you were right every morsel was devoured at lunch. And a fine lunch it was too.

[June]

So glad you enjoyed it my love...and rather healthful too!

[Mags]

Can't wait to try your version. I just made chicken enchiladas for the kids when I was there last weekend and this would have been a really great alternative. LOVE black beans. And.... I'm really impressed that you made your own sauce! I'm a cheater.

[June]

Mags - they're really good and the sauce is so darn easy to make, I'm hoping to make it all the time. Notice I said hoping! It's so simple to just pick up a jar/can of ready made.

[Lorraine]

Black beans and sweet potatoes - not your ordinary enchilada that is for sure, and what a great use of (very little)left over protein. The sauce sounds great. I need to remember to process some chilies and get them in the freezer like you did. A great way to get all of that great flavor without a great deal of game time work.

[June]

Lorraine - The first year we lived here our good neighbors Dev and Diane told us how to process chiles. We roast then bag and freeze 'em in the quantity we like with the skin on. When they're defrosted the skin slips off as easy as you please and lop the top off and the seeds go with it.