My favorite kind of people are enchilada-loving people. It is a real thing. I knew my friend Tessa (of awesome blog Natural Comfort Kitchen) was good people when I found out she wanted to have enchiladas at her wedding. I make a LOTTT of enchiladas. They’re great for a big crowd, perfect leftovers, my toddler will eat them, and I love the versatility of filling and sauce/topping.But my favorite enchiladas are simply #basic black bean. My mom started making these black bean enchiladas for me over 15 years ago, and it’s a recipe I ask her to make for me every single time she visits. When I recently birthed baby #2, her black bean enchiladas were at the top of the list of meals I was very grateful to accept.
I’m not very good at following recipes so you’ll notice in these photos I used other veggies – a green and yellow pepper, one can of diced green chiles, and an onion. I also used a mix of monterey jack, cheddar, and queso fresco, and added dried oregano, paprika, chile powder, and cumin. Feel free to do the same – you really can’t go wrong. But the recipe below is for the most basic version possible.
I’ve started making my own enchilada sauce but there is absolutely no shame in going canned. Recipe for home made enchilada sauce coming soon, I’m still testing to find the perfect version.
Black Bean Enchiladas
A hearty, vegetarian dinner. This makes 4 servings if each person has 2 enchiladas. There are 8 total, so this could feed more people depending on how many you eat in a serving! This recipe is the quickest way to enchilada deliciousness possible - if you use other ingredients like peppers or onions, just saute the veggies first so that they release water and cook down.
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz can of black beans (I sometimes mix pinto and black beans)
- 1 10 oz can of enchilada sauce (or 10 oz of your own homemade sauce)
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 1 .5 tsp cumin
- 2 gloves minced garlic
- 2 cups of shredded cheese, such as cheddar and monterey jack
- 8 tortillas
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
If using canned beans, drain/rinse the beans and place in a mixing bowl.
Stir in half of the salsa, half of the cheese, the garlic, cumin, and salt and pepper.
In an 11x7 baking dish (or whatever long dish you have), spoon a small amount of enchilada sauce on the base of the dish to lightly coat.
Prepare your enchiladas by spooning filling into a tortilla, rolling, then placing seam side down in the dish.
Combine the remaining salsa and enchilada sauce together and spread over the top of the enchiladas.
Top with remaining cheese.
Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until cheese is fully melted.
Notes
My mom makes these in the microwave instead of the oven. HUGE time saver. To skip the oven, do the following: -After spooning the salsa/sauce on top of the tortillas, cover the dish with waxed paper and microwave for 5 minutes. Then remove waxed paper, top with the remaining cup of cheese. Microwave again for 4-5 minutes and serve.