Tuck in to a slice of these stacked Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas and you'll be treated to layers of melty cheese, tender corn tortillas, bright enchilada sauce, and hearty black beans and sweet potato. The no-fuss prep means your dinner is in the oven in 20 minutes and this casserole can feed any crew with its family-friendly blend of flavors. This is a gluten-free and vegetarian meal that is filling and delicious for Tuesday night dinners or meals with friends.
Stacked enchiladas are a great time saving alternative to traditional rolled enchiladas. Like many of your favorite casserole dishes, this recipe is super forgiving, too. Want to use the last of a stack of tortillas? Add a few extra. Need to make half with green sauce and half red to please pickier palates? No big deal. Add some extra leftover rotisserie chicken, use vegan cheese, swap pinto beans in for black beans; it's all going to work out!
Just don't skip the sweet potatoes. They melt into the enchiladas but add a nice subtle sweetness. We love sweet potatoes as a simple roasted side dish, but try them in these soyrizo and sweet potato baked tacos next!
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Ingredients
I include ingredient notes here when I think they'll be helpful, including ways to source, any preparation tips, or why I've chosen a particular ingredient. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and their quantities!
- Sweet Potato - A medium sweet potato is plenty for this recipe to yield about 12 ounces of shreds. You can peel it and shred it on the side of a box grater or with a food processor.
- Black Beans - Black beans are a family staple, we use them in so many ways to add protein and fiber to kid friendly dinners. Be sure to drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the recipe.
- Corn Tortillas - Use taco-sized tortillas, about 6" in diameter. They bake up soft and make the layers in these stacked enchiladas.
- Enchilada Sauce - Choose a brand and spice level that suits your family's tastes. I find they have quite a range of spice, even with "mild" labels. My kids aren't very tolerant of spice, so once I identify a good one I tend to be brand loyal.
- Shredded Cheese - I like sharp cheddar in these, but a Mexican blend, Monterey Jack, or Colby Jack will all be good substitutes. Choose pre-shredded cheese for an easy shortcut!
- Ground Cumin, Chili Powder, and Kosher Salt - These spices add extra warm, earthy flavor to the beans and sweet potato. See my Vegan Chili Mac recipe post for details on chili powder.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9" x 13" casserole dish or baking pan.
Peel the sweet potato and shred it on the large holes of a box grater. You can also pull out your food processor for this step.
Add the shredded sweet potato to a microwave-safe bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a silicone cover. Steam the sweet potato in the microwave for 3 minutes. The bowl will be hot. Take care when removing it from the microwave.
Add the drained and rinsed black beans, cumin, chili powder, and salt to the steamed sweet potato.
Mix the filling together to distribute the ingredients evenly.
Pour a small amount of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the casserole dish. Swirl it around to cover the bottom evenly.
Layer 5 tortillas over the enchilada sauce, tearing them as needed to cover the bottom completely.
Add about ⅓ of the bean and sweet potato mixture over the tortillas.
Sprinkle the bean and sweet potato mixture with about two ounces of shredded cheese.
Drizzle ¼ of the remaining sauce over the cheese.
Repeat the tortilla - bean and sweet potato - cheese - sauce layers two more times. Finish with one last layer of tortillas.
Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas, ensuring that they are completely moistened with sauce.
Sprinkle four ounces of shredded cheese over the top of the sauce evenly.
Cover the enchiladas with foil.
Bake the enchiladas for 30 minutes. Remove the foil.
Bake the enchiladas, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes, until the cheese is golden and the sauce is bubbling at the edges.
Toppings
Garnishes are half of the fun at our dinner table, so add anything you think will be good on top of your enchiladas. My kids are partial to a big scoop of guacamole, but we also love sour cream, fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, or hot sauce. Another great way to serve these enchiladas is with a drizzle of creamy cilantro pepita dressing.
Equipment
Here are the standard kitchen tools and gear that make getting these sweet potato and black bean enchiladas to the table as easy as possible:
- 3 ½ Quart Casserole Dish (9" x 13" Baking Pan) - This standard-sized baking pan is a workhorse in the kitchen. It is a common size for casseroles, cakes, lasagnas, brownies, and these enchiladas. The one picture here is deeper than your standard casserole dish, but any basic one will do.
- Mixing Bowl - It's helpful to have mixing bowls in a variety of sizes, but you'll always reach for a sturdy glass mixing bowl for mixing batters, cookie doughs, snack mixes, and salads. Choose glass and you can go from microwave to counter and do all of the filling prep in one bowl. Bigger is better, usually! It's the worst to try to mix carefully in a too-small bowl.
- Box Grater - A box grater will get that sweet potato grated with some elbow grease, but feel free to use a food processor with a shredding blade. A box grater is also a great tool to have for shredding carrots, zucchini, or onions for both sweet and savory recipes.
Serving Suggestions
These enchiladas are hearty and filling enough to be the only course at your dinner. Of course you can also add a green salad with avocado and tomato, a side of sazon or cilantro lime baked rice, or simple sliced fruit to round out the meal.
Make This Recipe Kid Friendly
Oftentimes, a casserole is a hard option for picky kids to try on their own. Try presenting any new food alongside a plate of safe food options. These can be anything that's familiar: cheese sticks, apple slices, pretzels, chips and salsa, you name it. This way their whole plate isn't made of something new and your chances that the kids will give the enchiladas a try are better.
Find more tips like this in my big post on keeping peace with picky eaters at the dinner table!
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. These enchiladas make a great lunch when heated up in the microwave. My favorite way to enjoy the leftovers is at breakfast! Cut the enchiladas into small pieces and heat them in an oiled skillet. Crack in a couple of eggs and give them a scramble along with the enchiladas and you have an elite breakfast scramble.
Make-Ahead Options
You can assemble this casserole dish of stacked enchiladas up to two days in advance! Cover them with plastic wrap to keep the flavors fresh and bring the casserole to room temperature as you preheat the oven. Bake the enchiladas as directed.
FAQ
Use any chili seasoning or taco seasoning blend to flavor the steamed sweet potato and black bean mixture. As long as you like the spice blend, it will work in these enchiladas.
Flour tortillas aren't the best option in these stacked enchiladas. They will take on the moisture from the enchilada sauce and sweet potato and end up too soft or gummy in the final dish.
You can make these sweet potato and black bean enchiladas spicy with any number of ingredient swaps and additions. Start by using a spicy enchilada sauce. Use a pepper jack cheese in place of the shredded sharp cheddar. Add some diced fresh or pickled jalapeños to the layers. Finally, serve these with your favorite hot sauce!
Black Bean Favorites
We use black beans in our dinners all the time. They are one of my kids' favorite sources of fiber and protein. Try one of the tasty recipes below if you want to incorporate black beans into your meals:
More Casserole Recipes
Some of the best meals come out of a 9" x 13" casserole dish! Check out any of the recipes below for some more great options for using this versatile kitchen tool:
Try It and Share
I hope you try these Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas and enjoy the recipe as much as we do. I want to see your results! Tag your photo with #planeatpostrepeat and mention me @planeatpostrepeat on Instagram or Facebook. I can give you a virtual high five and thank you for cooking one of my recipes! Comment below with any questions and please leave a review so others can find this recipe more easily.
The post was updated in October 2026 to change the title, add extensive preparation details and step-by-step photos, and add additional post structure for easy navigation. The recipe was changed from the original April 2022 version to add extra enchilada sauce and cheese for improved texture and flavor.
Recipe
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas
Equipment
- 3-qt. baking dish or 9x13" casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato (abut 12 ounces)
- 15 oz. black beans (1 can, drained and rinsed)
- 20 corn tortillas (6" size)
- 28 oz. red enchilada sauce
- 10 oz. sharp cheddar (shredded)
- 1 teaspoon cumin (ground)
- 1 tbsp. chili powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- cilantro, lime wedges, sour cream, or guacamole for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 3-qt. baking dish (or a 9x13x2" pan).
- Peel the sweet potato and shred it on the large holes of a box grater.
- Steam the shredded sweet potato in a covered microwaveable bowl for 3 minutes.
- Carefully remove the cover from the sweet potato and stir in the black beans, cumin, chili powder, and salt. set this filling mixture aside.
- Add a small amount of sauce to the bottom of the baking dish and rotate the dish to cover the bottom with sauce.
- Create a layer of 5 tortillas over the sauce, tearing the tortillas to get full coverage. Add ⅓ of the bean mixture, 2 ounces of the cheese, and ¼ of the remaining sauce over the tortillas.
- Repeat the tortilla - sweet potato and bean mix - cheese-sauce layers two more times for a total of three layers.
- Cover the enchiladas with the last 5 tortillas. Add the remaining sauce to the top and sprinkle with four ounces of cheese.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes, until golden and bubbly.
- Cool the enchiladas for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish as desired with guacamole, sour cream, lime, and cilantro.
Nutrition facts are sometimes provided below and are calculated using an online calculator. With specific brands of ingredients and additions, omissions, or substitutions the nutrition facts may change. We encourage you to use your own nutrition facts calculator to obtain the most accurate nutrition facts for your meal.
Cassie Waltman says
These make such a hearty and satisfying meal!