Vegetarian Enchilada Bake
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Published Jan 21, 2017, Updated Oct 26, 2021
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A healthy make-ahead dish the whole family will love, this sweet potato black bean enchilada bake is layered with tortillas, cheese and a homemade enchilada sauce. Vegetarian, gluten-free and absolutely delicious!
I know a few of you are going to think I’m crazy, but for whatever reason I’ve never been that big on Mexican food. I like it and definitely have cravings for chips and guac from time to time, but it’s not something that I’m obsessed with. That said, things have changed as of late because I’ve totally been hooked on this Mexican-inspired enchilada bake.
And it’s a good thing that I’m coming around to Mexican food because I’m headed to Mexico next month!! I’ll be in Tulum with one of my best friends doing a ton of yoga, hanging on the beach, exploring and enjoying authentic Mexican food. Just a few more weeks and we’ll be on our way. I literally can not wait.
Okay so back to the sweet potato black bean enchilada bake… we’ve already made it three times because it’s SO good. The combo of creamy sweet potatoes and black beans with a spicy homemade enchilada sauce, tortillas and cheese works so well. Gah! Just writing this makes me want to make the bake again this weekend.
And it’s pretty easy too. All the layers come together quickly and it bakes up in about 20 minutes. I’ve been making it over the weekend so that we can have it for dinner one night and eat the leftovers for weeknight meals over the next couple days.
The spiced-up enchilada sauce is made by quickly whirling together all the ingredients in a blender and this can be done while the black bean and sweet potato mixture is sautéing on the stove-top. Once both of these components are done, you simply layer everything in a casserole dish and bake.
Once cooked, the sweet potato enchilada bake is ready to be served with your favorite garnishes. We like loading ours down with cilantro, green onion, jalapeño, avocado and sour cream for the ultimate Mexican dinner.
Want more healthy Mexican recipes? Try these:
- Sofritas
- Healthy Guacamole
- Turkey Taco Salad Bowl
- Southwestern Quinoa Salad
- Mexicali Stuffed Sweet Potato
- Southwest Sweet Potato Black Bean Dip
- Guacamole Salad
Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchilada Bake
Ingredients
Enchilada Sauce
- 28 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
Enchilada Bake
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil or coconut oil
- 1 large onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small bite-size chunks
- 2-3 Tablespoons finely chopped jalapeño
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 12 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
- toppings: chopped green onions, chopped cilantro, sour cream, avocado
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Make sauce by combining all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Add oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add jalapeño, sweet potatoes and salt. Cover and cook for 12-15 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender. The cook time will vary based on how big your sweet potato chunks are. Just be sure they are fully cooked and tender. Add black beans and baby spinach. Toss to combine and remove from heat.
- Grab a 9X13 baking dish, lightly grease and start layering ingredients for the bake. Place four tortillas over the bottom of the dish, add 1/3 of the enchilada sauce, 1/2 of black bean and sweet potato mixture and 1/2 of the cheese. Add 4 tortillas, 1/3 of sauce and 1/2 black bean and sweet potato mixture. Add 4 tortillas, 1/3 of the enchilada sauce and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake uncovered at 425° for about 20 minutes or until the top layer of cheese has melted and the bake is hot throughout.
- Serve with toppings of your choice — green onions, chopped cilantro, sour cream or Greek yogurt and avocado.
Video
Notes
- This bake is a tad on the spicy side, if you don’t like spicy food you’ll want to cut back on the jalapeño and cayenne pepper.
- To make this a freezer meal I recommend prepping the bake (following the recipe through step 4), then covering tightly with wrap or foil. Freeze until ready to serve (up to three months). On the day you want to serve the bake, take it out of the freezer, allow to thaw then bake according to step 5.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve been cooking with all of your recipes for over a month! My husband and I have loved every single recipe… I made this last night and substituted spinach with Beet Greens and butternut squash for sweet potato. It was so amazing. Keep the recipe ideas coming!
Woo!! That makes me so happy to hear. So glad you loved this recipe. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
Ran across your recipe while looking for a fun meal train meal for new parents. I took out all the spicy elements for them, left some of them in for us, and both of the options are delicious! Thank you!!
Yay!! I’m so glad this recipe was a hit, Denise! Thanks so much for the review 🙂
Can I use flour tortilla instead?
I just made this meal and it was delicious. I love spicy and this was perfect. So much flavor. Just curious if I can freeze it after I cooked it? If so what’s the best way to do that?
Yay! So glad you loved this recipe, Brianne. Thanks so much for making it and for coming back to leave a review. While I haven’t tested freezing these after cooking (we always devour them) I do think it’s possible. I would let cool, cut the bake into smaller portions and wrap with plastic wrap and then foil. Place in a freezer storage bag and freezer for 1-2 months. To serve you could reheat in the microwave from frozen or thaw in the fridge and then microwave until warm throughout or try the oven for reheating once thawed. That said, I’m not sure if the bake will dry out if it goes back in the oven. Let me know if you try it!
This has been one of my favs for a long time.
Thank you, Adrienne! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for coming back to leave me a comment and review!
YUM! This casserole was a hit! Even my meat-loving husband liked it. I only had 1 can of tomatoes, so I subbed in a jar of organic hot salsa for a work around. This was filling and delicious. Zero negatives!
Ah I am so excited to hear this, Rachel. Thank you so much for you’re review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
This was delicious!
Awesome, Angela. I am so glad you are enjoying this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
This casserole was delicious! I used jarred 365 enchilada sauce to save time but next time I’ll try the recipe sauce.
Excellent! I am glad this recipe turned out great, Deb. Thank you for your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
Could this be done without the onion? I have been wanting to try but didn’t know if it would be good without (my husband doesn’t like).
Hi Kelly – You could omit the onion. Depending on whether it is a flavor or texture dislike, you could always add some onion powder. Hope you both enjoy this recipe!
Just bought the new cookbook! =) =) and in one of the reviews, someone mentioned this recipe, so I had to check it out! Has anyone tried this with a plant-based cheese or without cheese, & if so, do you have any recommended brands or tips? This looks amazing! 🙂
Hi Cynthia – I haven’t make this recipe specifically with plant based cheese, but I bet it’ll work. I really like VioLife cheese. Just keep in mind, plan based cheese don’t melt like normal cheese does, so that would be the main difference here. Let me know how this turns out for you. Thanks so much for purchasing my cookbook, I hope you love it!