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    Home / Recipes / Entrees

    Sweet Potato, Chard and Black Bean Enchiladas

    Published Oct 31, 2012

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    sweet potato and black bean enchiladas

    I love enchiladas, but unless I'm dining at Gracias Madre in the Mission district of San Francisco, the standard choices tend to be limited to sketchy meat or a triple bypass surgery's worth of cheese. I've come to accept that when I want an enchilada with nutritional value, I have to make it myself.

    sweet potato in a baking

    This version combines soft nubs of roasted sweet potato with caramelized onion, wilted chard leaves, creamy black beans and tangy goat cheese. Jack cheese adds melty goo, and a piquant, tomato- and chile-based sauce bathes the tender tortillas. I dare any omnivore to claim hunger after a serving of this satisfying vegetarian meal.

    dry black beans

    The sauce is the aspect of enchilada-making that usually puts me off, as it turns the project into a more time-consuming endeavor than I usually have the stamina for. Enter my enchilada savior: Sara of Sprouted Kitchen, one of the most stunning food blogs on the interwebs. Until I read her post, I never realized that you can buy enchilada sauce. Our local co-op carries an excellent, organic version made by Sweet Creek that rivals any taqueria with its smoky tomatoey-ness. I no longer hesitate to make them for company, or when I want a filling and easily-re-heatable dinner for a few nights.

    leafy greens

    I do like to cook my own beans, however. This time around, I used purple-flecked Moros from Rancho Gordo (which look suspiciously like Mixed Berry Smoothie Jelly Bellys). Rancho Gordo's beans are fresher than the usual suspects, and they cook up plump and creamy, seasoned with salt and bay. The beans simmer in the time it takes to roast the sweet potato cubes, caramelize the onions, wilt the chard, and grate the cheese. Soaking helps them cook faster, but it isn't vital to their success.

    enchilada filling in a bowl

    I wrap the heavenly filling (which, minus the jack, makes a tasty dish on its own) in pliant corn tortillas and lay them in a saucy baking dish. I especially like blended corn-wheat tortillas here, which bake up with a dumpling-like chew, but pure corn tortillas work well, too. More sauce tops the rolls, the dish is covered, and into the oven it goes to heat through. Extra cheese on top makes them pretty and delicious.

    filling enchiladas

    The flavors in these enchiladas make them equally appropriate for an Indian summer lunch or for dinner on a chilly fall evening. I plan to make them year-round, but particularly during the dead of winter, when bright flavors will be especially welcome.

    enchiladas in a baking tray

    If you do have the time and energy, feel free to make your own enchilada sauce (this one from Simply Recipes looks fabulous and easy) and/or your own tortillas.

    sweet potato and black bean enchiladas in a baking tray

    More Sweet Potato Recipes:

    • Quinoa, Kale and Sweet Potato Salad
    • Spiced Sweet Potato Oven Fries
    • Pecan-Topped Sweet Potato Pie
    • Harissa Sweet Potato Latkes

    *Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram,  Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this sweet potato enchilada recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.*

    sweet potato and black bean enchiladas
    5 from 2 votes

    Sweet Potato, Chard and Black Bean Enchiladas

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    These vegetarian enchiladas are perfect when you fancy a bit of Mexican!
    Alanna Taylor-Tobin
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Servings: 6 main course servings (makes 12 enchiladas).

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup dried beans (such as Moro or Black)(or 1 1/2 cups cooked beans from 1 can)
    • 1 bay leaf
    • salt
    • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4" dice (12 ounces)(2 cups)
    • light olive oil or sunflower oil
    • 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced (1 generous cup)
    • leaves from 1 bunch chard, washed and torn coarsely
    • 1 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese, plus extra for garnish (4 ounces)
    • 2 cups loosely packed grated jack cheese, divided use (7 ounces)
    • 12 corn tortillas
    • 2 cups enchilada sauce (homemade or store bought; I like Sweet Creek's mild sauce)
    • handful cilantro leaves, chopped, plus extra for garnish

    Instructions

    Make the filling:

    • If you can, soak the beans overnight. Drain the beans and place them in a medium saucepan, cover with 2-3 inches of water and add the bay leaf. Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the beans are quite tender, but not falling apart. This can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours, so check the beans frequently and add more water to keep them submerged. When the beans are mostly tender, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the pan.
    • Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400º. Toss the cubed sweet potato with 1 tablespoon of oil and a few pinches of salt and spread it out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast the sweet potato until tender and golden in places, flipping the cubes halfway through, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
    • Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden and tender, about 10 minutes. Season with a big pinch of salt. Scrape the onion into a large mixing bowl and wipe out the pan with a paper towel.
    • Add the chard leaves and a splash of water to the pan. Cover the pan and let the chard steam until wilted and bright green, 3-5 minutes, tossing the chard once or twice for even cooking. Drain the chard, rinse with cool water, then squeeze all the moisture out of it and chop it coarsely. Add it to the bowl with the onion, then add the sweet potato.
    • Drain the beans well. Add them to the vegetables and toss everything together. Taste for seasoning, adding salt if needed, then toss in the goat cheese and all but 1/2 cup of the jack cheese. Add the cilantro and taste again for seasoning.

    Assemble the enchiladas:

    • Pour 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish (lasagna pan). Position a rack in the center of the oven and decrease the temperature to 350º.
    • Coat a medium skillet with a thin layer of oil and place it over a medium flame. Add a tortilla and heat for 10 seconds on each side until heated through and pliable. Place the tortilla on a cutting board, and place 1/4-1/3 cup of filling on the lower third of the tortilla, squishing the filling into an oblong shape. Roll up the tortilla and place the roll seamside-down in the baking dish.
    • Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling until all the filling is used up. Pour 1 cup of the sauce all over the enchiladas, and cover the pan tightly with foil.
    • Bake the enchiladas until the sauce is bubbling and the enchiladas are heated through, 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with the remaining sauce, and sprinkle the remaining jack cheese over the tops. Bake until the cheese is melted, 5 more minutes.
    • Serve the enchiladas garnished with cilantro leaves and goat cheese. They are best when freshly baked, but extras keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days; reheat in an oven or toaster oven until heated through.

    Notes

    Beans cook faster if you have the foresight to soak them overnight; if not, just simmer them until they're tender. They'll take a bit longer than if you had soaked them. The bay leaf supposedly helps make beans more easily digestible, and it adds a lovely depth of flavor. You can use 1 1/2 cups (1 can) of cooked black beans in place of cooking your own. Drain them and rinse off the goo before combining them with the other ingredients.
    Avocado and sour cream make nice garnishes to serve with your enchiladas, especially leftovers which dry out when the tortilla absorbs the sauce. If you happen to make Avocado Tomatillo Salsa with your extra cilantro, that goes well, too.
    These keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days, but are best when fresh from the oven the first time around.
    Nutritional values are based on one of six servings.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 475kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 25gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 1131mgPotassium: 549mgFiber: 8gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 5930IUVitamin C: 12.1mgCalcium: 412mgIron: 3.8mg
    Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

    Sweet Potato, Chard and Black Bean Enchiladas

    Beans cook faster if you have the foresight to soak them overnight; if not, just simmer them until they're tender. They'll take a bit longer than if you had soaked them. The bay leaf supposedly helps make beans more easily digestible, and it adds a lovely depth of flavor. You can use 1 1/2 cups (1 can) of cooked black beans in place of cooking your own. Drain them and rinse off the goo before combining them with the other ingredients.

    Avocado and sour cream make nice garnishes to serve with your enchiladas, especially leftovers which dry out when the tortilla absorbs the sauce. If you happen to make Avocado Tomatillo Salsa with your extra cilantro, that goes well, too. These keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days, but are best when fresh from the oven the first time around.

    Makes 12 enchiladas; 6 main-course servings

    1/2 cup dried beans (such as Moro or Black)(or 1 1/2 cups cooked beans from 1 can)
    1 bay leaf
    salt
    1 large (12 ounce) sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4" dice (2 cups)
    light olive oil or sunflower oil
    1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced (1 generous cup)
    leaves from 1 bunch chard, washed and torn coarsely
    1 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese (4 ounces), plus extra for garnish
    2 cups loosely packed grated jack cheese (7 ounces), divided use
    12 corn tortillas
    2 cups enchilada sauce (homemade or storebought; I like Sweet Creek's mild sauce)
    handful cilantro leaves, chopped, plus extra for garnish

    Make the filling:
    If you can, soak the beans overnight. Drain the beans and place them in a medium saucepan, cover with 2-3 inches of water and add the bay leaf. Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the beans are quite tender, but not falling apart. This can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours, so check the beans frequently and add more water to keep them submerged. When the beans are mostly tender, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the pan.

    Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400º. Toss the cubed sweet potato with 1 tablespoon of oil and a few pinches of salt and spread it out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast the sweet potato until tender and golden in places, flipping the cubes halfway through, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

    Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden and tender, about 10 minutes. Season with a big pinch of salt. Scrape the onion into a large mixing bowl and wipe out the pan with a paper towel.

    Add the chard leaves and a splash of water to the pan. Cover the pan and let the chard steam until wilted and bright green, 3-5 minutes, tossing the chard once or twice for even cooking. Drain the chard, rinse with cool water, then squeeze all the moisture out of it and chop it coarsely. Add it to the bowl with the onion, then add the sweet potato.

    Drain the beans well. Add them to the vegetables and toss everything together. Taste for seasoning, adding salt if needed, then toss in the goat cheese and all but 1/2 cup of the jack cheese. Add the cilantro and taste again for seasoning.

    Assemble the enchiladas:

    Pour 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish (lasagna pan). Position a rack in the center of the oven and decrease the temperature to 350º.

    Coat a medium skillet with a thin layer of oil and place it over a medium flame. Add a tortilla and heat for 10 seconds on each side until heated through and pliable. Place the tortilla on a cutting board, and place 1/4-1/3 cup of filling on the lower third of the tortilla, squishing the filling into an oblong shape. Roll up the tortilla and place the roll seamside-down in the baking dish.

    Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling until all the filling is used up. Pour 1 cup of the sauce all over the enchiladas, and cover the pan tightly with foil.

    Bake the enchiladas until the sauce is bubbling and the enchiladas are heated through, 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with the remaining sauce, and sprinkle the remaining jack cheese over the tops. Bake until the cheese is melted, 5 more minutes.

    Serve the enchiladas garnished with cilantro leaves and goat cheese. They are best when freshly baked, but extras keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days; reheat in an oven or toaster oven until heated through.

    sweet potato and black bean enchiladas in a bowl

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Logan Lo says

      November 02, 2012 at 2:57 am

      As I'm a devotee of chili, I'm totally going to try this as another bean dish - plus the heat in my building is just the pits right now so I'm def looking for things that involve baking so thanks for the tips!

      Hopefully this comment will "make your day" (I can relate, comments make my day too)!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        December 04, 2012 at 7:38 pm

        I like the idea of sweet potato, chard and moro bean chili. :)

        Reply
    2. Heather Hulsey says

      December 06, 2012 at 4:20 pm

      Made the lazy version of this last night (canned beans, and layered as a lasagna) and the flavors were exquisite! I'm back to being a vegetarian recently and always looking for flavorful ways to forget about meat. This recipe will be in my regular rotation. Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        December 06, 2012 at 5:31 pm

        Awesome - so glad you liked it. Thanks for the endorsement!

        Reply
    3. Anonymous says

      March 25, 2013 at 9:24 pm

      Fabulous. I'm so happy to have found your site.

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        March 25, 2013 at 9:41 pm

        Thanks for stopping by!

        Reply
    4. Anonymous says

      August 06, 2013 at 6:23 am

      I would also like to add my endorsement of this recipe. It's SO good! I found that I had way more filling than I needed, so I did something very naughty, but very delicious and piled it on top of tortilla chips, then added even more cheese, baked the whole thing, and ended up with the most tasty nachos ever!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        August 06, 2013 at 9:21 am

        Oooh, brilliant - I'll have to try that next time! I'm so glad you liked the enchiladas. :)

        Reply
    5. Mary Jo says

      January 27, 2014 at 2:47 am

      we had this tonight, my husband was hesitant about the sweet potatoes but after it was all assembled and devoured he said not to change a thing! even the 4 year old loved it, thank you!!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        January 27, 2014 at 3:29 am

        That's fantastic, Mary Jo! I'm so glad you all liked the enchiladas. Thanks so much for trying the recipe, and for the sweet note!

        Reply
    6. Anonymous says

      October 28, 2014 at 2:02 am

      I am new to your site and trying to shed 50 pounds. I just served stuffed butternut squash to my girlfriend and she loved it! This recipe looks right up our alley as well! Looking forward to trying many more of your recipes!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        October 28, 2014 at 3:35 am

        Wow, good for you! This is one of my very favorite fall recipes, and one that I've made many times. I hope you love it, too. Thanks so much for the kind note.

        Reply
    7. Christine and Daniel says

      October 28, 2014 at 5:05 pm

      I don't usually comment on blogs but I have made this recipe over and over the past year. Everyone LOVES it--kids, family, guests, me! Thank you. I love your blog.

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        October 30, 2014 at 6:57 pm

        Aw! Thank you so much for letting me know - that makes my day! I love these enchiladas myself. :)

        Reply
    8. Christine says

      April 11, 2020 at 3:59 pm

      I've made these enchiladas at least 15 times, if not more. They are SO GOOD. My kids love them, my husband and I love them, family and friends love them. People ask for the recipe every time. I've never left a review before but I've made many of your recipes and they always turn out great! Thank you! :)

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        April 12, 2020 at 4:58 pm

        Aw thank you so much for leaving a review, this completely made my day! I've made these enchiladas a zillion times too. So glad they're a favorite with you and yours!

        Reply

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