Because That's How I Casse-roll! Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole with Cilantro-Lime Crema

I am a lover of starches and carbohydrates, and that isn't always a good thing.  I'm also slightly allergic to potatoes. Luckily I was introduced to its very distant cousin, lpomoea batatas, more commonly known as the sweet potato!

The Guest Dujor

It's a wonderful tuberous root also known as a yam, camote, kumara, batata, and a few others.  They range in color from a light yellow to orange and there's also a purple variety more commonly grown in Asia.  The variety I choose to use is the orange one with the darker skin.  Their orange color makes them an alternative to eating carrots for beta-carotene and that essential Vitamin A.  Not only are all rich with a variety of vitamins, but they also have antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and blood-sugar regulating nutrients.

I was inspired to create this dish from a tostada recipe I found on Pinterest that is a winner in my house.  I figured I could use the sweet potato, along with another favorite, black beans, as a hearty filling to another classic dish....enchiladas!

Rather then spending time rolling each individual tortilla with the scrumptious goodness I decided to turn it into a casserole.  I know it may seem like a lot of stuff, but this is an easy recipe and it will only get easier each time you make it.  I do, however, apologize in advanced that not everything is measured, but the stuff I eyeball is not easy to mess up, so you'll be okay.

Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients

1 1/2 small sweet potatoes (as uniform as you can find)

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 red bell pepper

1/4 purple onion, sliced 

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Crumbled Feta

Cilantro

10 corn tortillas

Enchilada Sauce:
1/4 c canola oil

Flour

Chili powder

Cumin

Garlic powder

Salt
Water
Tomato sauce

Crema:

1 c plain Greek yogurt

1/8 c crumbled feta

1 jalapeño

LIme zest

Juice of 1 lime

Garlic

Salt

Pepper

Cumin

Directions:

Set your oven to 400 degrees, then wash all your veggies and drain and rinse your black beans.

Peel your sweet potatoes and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices.  You want to try and find the most uniform sweet potatoes so that all your slices are relatively close in size, which is ideal for roasting.

Dice your red pepper and slice your onion, then toss in a bowl with your potatoes.  Coat your veggies with olive oil and salt/pepper/cumin to taste.  Spread them on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.  Don't worry if some of them blacken, they won't be detectable.

While those are roasting you can start your crema.  I love using Greek yogurt as an alternative to mayo or sour cream. In a blender or food processor, mix the yogurt, feta, lime zest, lime juice, garlic (I always have a jar of minced garlic in the fridge because I use it in almost everything!), and jalapeño (roughly chopped and deveined). 

            

I like to leave a little bit of the vein for some heat

Season it to your liking with salt, pepper, and cumin. Then put in a small container and 
refrigerate until you're ready to use.

Cumin is a spice that's always been a part of my childhood
but is something I have just grown to love.

Once your veggies are done, mix them in with your drained black beans and garlic.  Season a bit more at this time if needed and set aside. 

You can choose to buy your enchilada sauce (and you'll get no judgment from me), but I've grown up on homemade, so I chose to make my own.  First you heat up the canola oil.  Then add the flour and whisk until it forms a paste and let it brown a bit.  Next, whisk in your chili powder and garlic powder and let it brown some more.  

Slowly add water until it reaches the consistency you want, ideally kind of runny, but not too thin.  It may look a bit clumpy and separated at first, just be sure to whisk like crazy and the water will eventually incorporate.  Add in your tomato sauce, salt, and cumin, along with anything else you might want to include to taste. Keep whisking!

Once your sauce is ready, lower the heat and warm your tortillas.  I sandwiched them between two wet paper towels and heated them for 30 seconds in the microwave.  That was long enough to make them soft and heated through.

Then begin to layer your casserole by spreading some of your sauce on the bottom of your 9x9 dish. Follow with a layer of tortillas. I cut some in half and layer so that there is no space in between for the filling to fall through.  Spread the filling and sprinkle with feta and cilantro, followed with sauce and repeat.  Top it off with sauce, cheese, and cilantro.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Serve with as much crema as you like!

This happened to be another hit with Biz, and he's usually pretty honest with me if he doesn't like something.  I don't want to make anything he has to force down, so I'd rather know and not waste my time.  In this case it was a winner.  This size gave us nine servings.  I must admit I ran out of sauce, but the crema helped with the lack of moisture and they tasted great!  I still have quite a bit of crema left, but I figured we could use that on some chicken tacos later in the week.  

I'd love to hear if you give this a try and anything you might have done differently.