Creamy Black Bean Enchiladas

This dish is vegetarian-friendly or not (depending on the use of soy crumbles or beef), but either way I love them! If you decide to use ground beef, it will add some extra time because you'll need to cook and drain it beforehand. The soy crumbles are easier and my family actually didn't notice that it wasn't real meat - they are still delicious, despite the trepidation from meat-lovers (including myself). Add some chopped spinach at the end of cooking the mixture to make it a bit healthier - it doesn't change the taste at all, but adds some nice color.

The bit of cream cheese adds a great extra taste and texture to the mixture. I have used fat-free and regular and honestly couldn't taste the difference - I also reduced the shredded cheese to 2/3 cup, but it's up to you. The wonderful thing about recipes (with the exception of baking) is that you can play around with them and reduce what you don't like and add what you do.

Speaking of, the chili powder does give it a bit of a kick, so if you like things milder, you can reduce it and make sure to use mild salsa.

Enjoy! 

Black Bean Enchiladas

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 enchiladas)

Cooking spray

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (12-ounce) bag frozen soy crumbles, thawed (such as Morningstar Farms) or ground beef (cook and drain beforehand)

3/4 cup bottled salsa

1/3 cup (3 ounces) block-style cream cheese, softened

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, divided

12 (6-inch) corn or wheat tortillas

1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in cumin, oregano, chili powder, garlic, beans, and soy crumbles/beef, and cook 2 minutes, stirring mixture frequently.

Stir in salsa, and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat, and add cream cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, stirring until cheese melts.

Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spread 1/3 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/3 cup black bean mixture down center of each tortilla, and roll up. Arrange enchiladas, seam sides down, crosswise in dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce evenly over enchiladas, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheddar. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Enjoy!