Vegetarian Sweet Potato & Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

This vegetarian sweet potato & black bean enchilada casserole is the easiest one skillet meal for busy weeknights! Tender sweet potatoes and black beans combined with seasonings and topped with corn tortillas, enchilada sauce, and plenty of cheese. Onion, jalapenos, and potatoes and sautéed in an oven-safe skillet then the beans, sauce, and tortillas are added in and the whole things is thrown in the oven to get golden brown and bubbly.

This dish has all the flavors of homemade enchiladas, without the Hassel of rolling individual enchiladas. The tortillas get a bit soft while also a bit crispy on the edges. Top with your favorite taco toppings like sour cream, cilantro, avocados, or jalapenos! This is a great vegetarian option but you can also add in ground beef or shredded chicken for more protein!

If you like this dish you should try these Breaded Sesame Chicken Tacos with Asian Slaw, Copycat Chipotle Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Recipe, or these Lightened Up Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas!

Highlights Of The One-Skillet Meal

• Easy clean up: since this dish is prepped and baked in the same dish it makes for quick clean up since you just need to wash the one skillet! Make sure your skillet is stove-top and oven safe, you don’t want a pan that has any rubber handles – you also want a pan that is meant for stove-top use. If you don’t have a pan like this, prep the mixture in a sauté pan and transfer it to an over safe pan prior to assembling.
• Family favorite: kids and adults will love this casserole. It is cheesy and loaded with flavor from the spices and enchilada sauce. The black beans add some protein and the sweet potatoes add a bit of creaminess. This is such a simple meal to serve family style for a weeknight dinner.
• Vegetarian option: this sweet potato and black bean casserole has so much flavor and texture you wont notice it doesn’t contain any meat. The black beans are an easy way to add in some protein and if desired, shredded chicken or ground beef can be added!
• Quick recipe: this recipe takes just about 30 minutes start to finish so you can have a hearty, warm meal in no time, a perfect weeknight dinner. This also heats up great for leftovers!

This is a vegetarian meal the whole family will love, perfect if you are looking for more meatless meals. A big plus is that you don’t have to roll individual enchiladas, simply layer tortillas over the black bean filling in a large skillet and top with sauce and cheese. The whole thing goes into the oven to get warm and bubbly.

Ingredient List & Ingredient Notes:

• Olive oil: extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil can all be substitutes.
• Onion: red onion, white onion, or yellow onions can work in the recipe, omit onion if you prefer.
• Jalapeno: fresh diced jalapeno is the best option for this recipe but jarred jalapenos will work as well, omit if you do not like the spice. Bell pepper can be a substitute.
• Garlic: add as many fresh garlic cloves as desired, I use upwards of around 4 or 5 cloves. Jarred minced garlic can be a substitute. Use garlic powder in a pinch.
• Sweet potato: peeled and diced sweet potato adds a nice creamy touch and makes this dish more filling. Sweet potatoes don’t have to be peeled, but they give a better texture if they are.
• Seasoning: a mix of ground cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper are used to add loads of flavor to this dish.
• Black beans: canned black beans add extra protein and fiber, pinto beans or kidney beans could be used in substitute.
• Enchilada sauce: canned red enchilada is a quick way to add flavor and moisture. Homemade red enchilada sauce can work as well.
• Corn tortillas: corn is my preference for tortillas in this recipe as they don’t get soggy but rather a little crispy. Flour tortillas will also work, make sure to cut them into pieces so the casserole is easier to scoop.
• Shredded cheese: any type of shredded cheese will work here. Shredded pepper jack cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, shredded Colby jack cheese, or a Mexican cheese blend. Use vegan cheese to make this a completely vegan meal.
• Toppings: Cilantro, jalapenos, sour cream, green onion, lime wedges, and avocado slices for garnish.

How to make the Vegetarian Sweet Potato Casserole

Let’s talk a little about how to make this skillet enchilada casserole (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Quick overview:

• Prep fresh and canned ingredients.
• Sauté onions and jalapenos. Add in sweet potatoes, garlic, and seasoning.
• Sauté and add in black beans.
• Combined with enchilada sauce and cover with tortillas, more sauce, and cheese.
• Bake until golden brown and bubbly. Enjoy!

1. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet. Add in onion and jalapenos, sauté for a few minutes until they begin to soften.
2. Add in sweet potatoes, garlic, and seasonings.

3. Stir to combine and sauté again until the sweet potatoes begin to soften. Add in drained black beans.

4. Mix in half of the enchilada sauce, stir to combine. Layer quartered corn tortillas to the skillet in a single layer. Tortillas can over lap, quartering tortillas makes scooping this casserole easier.

5. Top tortillas with the remaining enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with an even layer of cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the sweet potatoes are tender.

6. Serve immediately topped with your favorite toppings!

More Easy Weeknight Recipes

• Simple One-Pot Black Bean Soup – a simple one-pot recipe for dried or canned black beans!
• The Best Lightened Up Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas – simple chicken enchiladas made with lighter swaps.
• Quick & Easy Air Fryer Blackened Chicken Bowl – fresh and flavorful chicken rice bowls!
• Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup – loaded with chicken, green chiles, and cream cheese!
• Honey Lime Marinated Chicken Burrito Bowls – a great recipe for indoors or outdoors!

Recipe Serving Suggestions

The best way to serve the enchilada casserole is fresh out of the oven while the tortillas are a bit crispy and the inside is still bubbly. But if you’re looking to elevate this dish, try serving your casserole with some of these fresh side dishes:

• Perfect Steamed Rice (without a rice cooker) – a great base recipe for cilantro lime rice, coconut rice, or plain rice! Any easy side to make this dish more filling! Cauliflower rice or Mexican rice are other great ideas.
• BLT Salad Recipe – this salad is super light and packed with flavor. Lettuce, tomatoes, chopped bacon, and avocado tossed in a roasted garlic ranch.
• Perfect Brown Rice (without a rice cooker) – a quick and easy way to make perfect steamed brown rice without any special equipment.

Looking for something to serve alongside this skillet enchilada casserole, this guide on What to Serve with Chicken Enchiladas (35 Easy Sides) will bring you some inspiration! If you have more sweet potatoes you are trying to use up, try this recipe for Easy One-Pan Scalloped Sweet Potatoes or How to Cook Sweet Potatoes in Foil on the Grill! This is a delicious vegetarian meal that will become one of your favorite meals thanks to its simplicity.

Tools I Use For The Enchilada Casserole

• Sauté pan: I love this non-stick sauté pan for several things, it is oven safe making it perfect for one-skillet meals that need to cook on the stove and bake in the oven. I like the high walls of the pan for keeping messes at bay.
• Rubber Spatula – a must have! I like these because they don’t come apart so I don’t have to worry about water getting inside the spatula and causing mold.

Recipe FAQs

How do you make enchilada casserole not soggy?

Placing the tortillas in a single layer on top of the casserole vs combining the quartered tortillas into the sweet potato mixture helps the tortillas to stay crispy on top. This recipe also only calls for 1 can of enchilada sauce so the mixture isn’t drowning in liquid. I do not cover the casserole, this helps from trapping steam inside and lets the top get crispy.

Is it better to make enchilada casserole with corn or flour tortillas?

I prefer corn tortillas as they are a bit heartier and stand up better to the enchilada sauce. They also get a bit crispy around the edges which adds to the texture. Flour tortillas will definitely still work in this recipe.

What is the best way to store leftover enchilada casserole?

Leftover enchilada casserole can be cooled completely and transferred to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 2-3 days. To reheat warm in the oven or microwave.

Can I add meat to my vegetarian enchilada casserole?

Yes. You can added in leftover shredded chicken, ground chicken, or rotisserie chicken. Ground beef can also be cooked in the skillet with the veggie mixture.