Recently, my friend gave me beautiful cast iron baking dishes. I knew that I wanted to make enchiladas in them right away! Our Cinco de Mayo feast was the perfect occasion. Our meal also included chips and guacamole, of course. 😉
The recipe for these hearty, vegetarian enchiladas was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Ali Slagle. I modified the proportions and method. We ate them garnished with sour cream, red onion, avocado, and cilantro with refried beans and rice on the side. We topped off our festive meal with a Tres Leches Cake. Perfect.
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped (I used a food processor)
- 1 poblano chile, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (I used a food processor)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes (I used Trader Joe’s)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo, chopped
- 1/4 cup sour cream, plus more for serving, optional
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups coarsely grated mild Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- 10 to 12 (6-inch) soft corn or flour tortillas (I used Trader Joe’s corn & wheat tortillas)
- fresh cilantro leaves and stems, for serving
- sliced avocado, for serving, optional
- diced white or red onion, for serving, optional
- rice and refried beans, for serving, optional
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees. (I used the convection setting.)
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the onions and chopped poblano chile; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and charred in spots, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cumin and minced garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- Transfer half the vegetable mixture to a blender; add the tomatoes, chili powder and chipotle chile. (I used a Vitamix.) Blend until very smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (If your blender isn’t particularly strong and the sauce looks more like a chunky purée, add 1/4 cup sour cream and blend again until smooth.)(I omitted the sour cream in the sauce.)
- Add the black beans and 1/2 cup cheese to the remaining vegetables in the skillet and stir to combine. Some canned beans are already salted, so taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Place the tortillas in a tortilla warmer (or on a plate) covered with a damp paper towel. Cover and microwave for 1 minute, or until warm and pliable.
- If using individual dishes, spread a few spoonfuls of sauce over the bottom of each dish. (I used 5 dishes.) Alternatively, pour enough enchilada sauce to lightly coat the base of a medium casserole dish or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Spread it to cover the bottom of the dish(es).
- Line up the filling, tortillas and baking dish in a row. Place a heaping 1/4 cup of the bean mixture in the center of each tortilla. Roll up the tortilla and place in the casserole dish(es), seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. (I placed 2 enchiladas per individual dish.)
- Spoon or pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas.
- Sprinkle with the remaining 1 to 1 1/2 cups of cheese, to taste. (I used 1/2 cup cheese per dish.)
- Place the baking dish(es) on a rimmed baking sheet and tent with foil. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove foil and continue to bake until the cheese has melted and has browned in spots, about 10 additional minutes.
- Top with sour cream, avocado slices, diced onion, and cilantro. Serve immediately.
Note: The sauce and the black bean mixture (without the cheese) can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The spice level in the sauce can be easily modified by adjusting the amount of chili powder.
thebrookcook 
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