Name: Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 carnitas recipe (see link above); 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed); 1 pound sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed); 2 cans mild green chiles; 2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese; 12-15 corn tortillas (or flour); 2 cups enchilada sauce (homemade recipe link above); 1 tsp paprika; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Have you ever had Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas? I know it may sound a bit odd, but potatoes are a common ingredient in many Mexican recipes. And sweet potatoes with enchilada sauce are one of my favorite flavor combinations. Sweet, smoky and lightly spiced, total YUM!

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Dish of enchiladas with avocado and cilantro beside.

How to Make Enchiladas Ahead of Time

Follow the recipe all the way through to making the enchiladas in a 9"x13" baking dish. Cover with foil and refrigerate until ready. They can be refrigerated for up to 2 days (as long as your meat was fresh when you assembled).

You can also freeze these for up to 3 months! Be sure to cover tightly with plastic wrap and then foil or use a freezer friendly baking dish with a lid like this one.

To bake enchiladas from the refrigerator, remove plastic wrap, if using. Bake 20 minutes with the lid or foil on, remove lid, bake an additional 15-20 minutes until hot all the way through and the cheese is bubbling and fully melted. I like to spread apart the middle enchiladas and check if that part is hot hot hot.

To bake enchiladas from frozen, bake with lid on for 30 minutes, remove lid, then bake an additional 20 minutes until hot all the way through and cheese is fully melted and piping hot.

Delicious Make Ahead Enchiladas filled with Carnitas, Black Beans and Sweet Potatoes. Outstanding flavor combination of sweet, savory and spice. Simple homemade enchilada sauce recipe too!

All About Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Flavor - Smoky sauce poured over sweet potatoes, green chiles, carnitas and tortillas. I cannot even describe the amazing flavor of these enchiladas. They're a major step up from basic beef and cheese for sure and it will have your whole family oohing and aahing through the whole meal.
Texture - My favorite part of enchiladas is the slightly crunchy edge of the tortilla mixed with the soft center and the many layers of different textures coming from the filling. Such a great combination so you never get bored, even though it's as simple as a casserole (gasp!).
Difficulty Level - Normal. There is some prep work for the carnitas and the sweet potatoes, but assembly and baking is very simple. Our carnitas recipe is truly outstanding, but if you want to save time, feel free to pick up pre-made carnitas from Costco or the grocery store.
Time - About 1 hour, including making homemade sauce, roasting sweet potatoes assembly and baking. Not counting cooking the carnitas.

Ingredients

Carnitas - We love our really easy carnitas recipe. But if you're in a hurry, feel free to use pre-made store-bought carnitas or swap with cooked beef or chicken.

Black Beans - Drain and rinse these beans. They can be swapped for pinto beans if you prefer.

Sweet Potatoes - Peel and cube sweet potatoes or feel free to buy a bag of pre-cut sweet potatoes in the freezer aisle. This will cute back on hands-on time and I love that!

Mild Green Chiles - These chiles add a lot of flavor. You can use the hot version if you like your enchiladas a little spicy.

Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese - Buy pre-shredded to save more time!

Corn Tortillas - I prefer corn or gluten free tortillas to accommodate my gluten allergy, but flour tortillas work great as well.

Enchilada Sauce - We love our super fast homemade enchilada sauce, but feel free to buy cans of your favorite if you want to save even more time.

Sweet Potato Spices

Paprika, Salt & Garlic Powder - These spices are usually kept on-hand and elevate the flavor of the sweet potatoes to give them lots of delicious Mexican flavor!

Easy Enchilada Assembly

I like to go in this order to assemble enchiladas (but feel free to do what makes sense for you).

Pour about ½ cup enchilada sauce onto a plate.
Cover bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish with a thin layer of enchilada sauce as well.
Place one tortilla on the plate with sauce and flip so it's fully covered in sauce. (This gets messy, but it's definitely the easiest and quickest way!)
Add carnitas, sweet potatoes, black beans, green chiles and any other toppings you want.
Roll up and place seam side down in the 9"x13" baking dish.

Half a dish of enchiladas with serving spatula.

How to Make Gluten Free Enchiladas

The best part about this recipe is how easily it can be turned gluten free! Starting with the sauce, use a gluten free flour blend as the thickener, and omit the regular flour.

For the tortillas, use corn (my favorite option) or find a good flour tortilla substitute. I haven't found one I really love yet, so I stick with corn tortillas. Rolling the tortillas in enchilada sauce helps to keep them from breaking when they're rolled up. Also, make sure they're fresh!

There is no gluten found in any other part of the recipe! Phew, that was easy!

Hand dishing up two enchiladas with toppings.

We've got lots more amazing Mexican inspired recipes too!

Enchiladas on a plate with a casserole dish beside with more enchiladas.

Storage

These enchiladas are still terrific after the first day. Store leftovers in dish you baked them in, or a smaller ceramic baking dish. Cover tightly with foil. They will stay fresh up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

If you topped your enchiladas with fresh foods like avocado, scrape off before storing. Onions, sour cream and cilantro will be ok, although the cilantro will get a little wilted.

To reheat enchiladas, bake at 350°F with the foil on for about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until cheese is bubbling, about 5 more minutes. This will depend on how many you have leftover.

Alternately, place 1 or 2 enchiladas on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes. Cut open the center and ensure the center is piping hot.