Roasted Sweet Potato Enchiladas

The perfect vegan enchilada to wow your dinner guests (or partner).

INGREDIENTS

Sweet Potato Filling

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 packet of taco seasoning or 3 tablespoons of preferred taco seasoning spice blend*
• 1 green bell pepper, diced and seeded
• 1 15 oz. can of black beans
• 1 15 oz. can of corn

Enchilada Red Sauce

• 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil 
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons of ancho chile powder
• 2 cups of vegan chicken broth or veggie broth (I’d recommend Better Than Bouillon)
• 6 oz. of tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Other ingredients:

• 1 package of flour tortillas (fajita size)

INSTRUCTIONS

Sweet Potato Filling

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel and cube sweet potatoes before spreading them on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and taco seasoning of choice. Roast for 25-30 minutes.
2. While sweet potatoes are roasting, dice bell pepper and drain and rinse both black beans and corn. Set aside diced bell pepper, black beans, and corn, in a large bowl.
3. Once sweet potatoes are ready (they should be fork tender and have golden brown edges), toss them into bowl with other filling ingredients, toss to combine.

Enchilada Red Sauce

1. Chop yellow onion and add the sunflower oil to a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Once oil is shimmering, add chopped yellow onion and cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add flour and chili powder and cook for about 2 minutes, to cook of the taste of the flour.
3. Add tomato paste and vegan chicken broth and whisk to combine. Continue to whisk as the mixture begins to bubble. Once bubbling, add in cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper. Turn heat down to medium low and bring to a simmer.
4. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Building Your Enchiladas

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Take out a large casserole dish and spoon out enough red sauce to coat the bottom, about 1/3-1/2 cup, depending on the size of your dish.
2. Take a flour tortilla and lay it out flat. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling and spread it down the center of the tortilla, vertically. Gently fold the sides of the tortillas in toward the center, one side over the other, until they look like mini rolled up rugs. Place as many enchiladas as you can in your dish, seam side down, in a single layer.
3. Spoon more red enchilada sauce over the top of your enchiladas, coating them well. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving then enjoy!

*This filling can actually be used to make about 20 enchiladas, but it really depends on the size of your casserole dish. I find that the extra filling makes great omelet filling or even an excellent burrito bowl over some rice. Or, if you can’t make them all in one night due to lack of dish space, save the leftover ingredients for another night and make them again later in the week. (Honestly, it’s hard to get sick of enchiladas).

*Whether you decide to peel or not peel your sweet potatoes, this recipe comes out excellent. Personally, I think the roasting is a little bit better when the potatoes are peeled, but it’s honestly up to you.

*To make the gluten-free version of this recipe, use corn tortillas instead of flour, and swap out the flour in the sauce for corn starch. I’ve made this recipes both ways and both are fabulous.

*The enchilada red sauce recipe was highly inspired by Budget Byte’s Red Enchilada Sauce recipe. You can find their (also excellent) recipe for enchilada sauce here. I would highly recommend serving these with homemade yellow rice and topping them with a little chopped cilantro.