Black Bean Enchiladas with Corn Salsa & Chipotle Cream Sauce

I couldn’t have been more excited when these enchiladas became a reality yesterday, and I’m thrilled to report that they were every bit as mind-blowing as I imagined…

Sweet and savory with a subtle tang and a kick of heat, the flavor profile for these babies is perfection. 

Just to give you the full run-down: Hearty black beans, are mixed with fresh cilantro, salty Cotija (or feta) cheese and smoked paprika, wrapped in soft tortillas, smothered in enchilada sauce, and then baked to golden, bubbling perfection. 

There’s depth, and texture, and my goodness the smell!!

And I’m particularly excited to inform you this delightful meal is 100% fool-proof. 

I’m talking 15 minutes of hands-on time, and the only challenge is not eating the filling before you roll the enchiladas. (Don’t do that) 

I opted for store-bought enchilada sauce to save significant time/effort, but if you’d like to go the scratch route THIS recipe is a winner.

Oh, and you can easily prep the enchiladas in advance and then pop them in the fridge/freezer to be baked whenever. Which makes them excellent weeknight fare, especially if you’re on the Meatless Monday bandwagon, yet they’re still impressive enough for casual entertaining.

I’m really into the vegetarian nature of these nutrition-packed flavor bombs, but you can obviously get some meat involved if you must.

I’m thinking rotisserie chicken, or some lean ground turkey are your best bets to keep things light/tight.

Happy Cinco de Mayo, friends!

Best Ever Black Bean Enchiladas

(2) 15-ounce cans black beans (rinsed and drained)

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

6 ounces cotija cheese or feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup cilantro, minced

24-ounces Enchilada sauce (homemade or store bought)

8 corn or flour tortillas (If you use corn tortillas warm them up first to make them easier to roll)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To make the filling, place black beans in a bowl, season with sea salt and black pepper, to taste. Add in 4 ounces crumbled cotija or feta cheese and add olive oil, then roughly mash half the beans and stir back through so you get a mixture of textures. Add in cilantro and stir through.

Pour half the sauce into a 9×13 baking dish, and spread it out to coat the bottom of the dish. Divide the filling between 8 tortillas, then roll up into thin cigars, placing into the pan as you go. Pour over the remaining sauce and crumble over the remaining 2 ounces of cotija or feta, then bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Garnish with additional cilantro.

Top with Avocado Corn Salsa (below) and a Dollop of Chipotle Cream Sauce (below)

Avocado Corn Salsa

1 large ripe avocado peeled & cubed

1 cup organic corn cooked

1/4 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped

1/4 cup red onion finely chopped

1/2 small jalapeño seeded and finely chopped

1/2 medium lime juice freshly squeezed

salt & pepper to taste

Prepare all ingredients by peeling and finely chopping them. Combine sliced avocado, 1 cup of corn, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, 1/4 cup red onion, 1/2 of small chopped jalapeño, 1/2 of lime juice, salt & pepper to taste. Gently, stir avocado salsa mixture using a spoon. 

Chipotle Cream Sauce

1 1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 cup packed cilantro

1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt 

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Start with less chipotle peppers and you can add more to taste after it’s blended. Adjust to taste with additional chipotle peppers, lime or salt. For thinner, add milk or water 1 tablespoon at a time.