Get Natured

, by Allison

Simple crockpot enchiladas

I'm on a big crockpot kick lately. I am loving the convenience of it and the way that it fills my kitchen with yummy dinner smells! The other day I actually had the bread machine and the crockpot going at the same time- I think I might win some sort of domestic award for that, right?

When I was searching online for dinner ideas last week, I found a couple of people had posted crockpot enchiladas on Pinterest (which I'm addicted to, by the way!). One of the recipes used salsa as the sauce and, though I was skeptical about that idea, I decided that I'd give it a try. Enchilada sauce is nice, but I have been wanting to make something with the green tomatillo salsa made by my favorite salsa guy at the farmers' market (The Crazy Gringo) so green enchiladas it was!

I used a combo of sweeter ingredients in the filling that paired perfectly with the sweet but savory tomatillo salsa. My husband and I loved this combo!

Simple Crockpot Enchiladas
Serves about 4

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small or one large sweet potato(es), peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
4 shiitake mushrooms, chopped
4 chili peppers (serrano, jalapeno, etc.), adjust number and type of peppers to desired level of spice
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano (or plain oregano)
1 teaspoon chili powder of choice (I used red New Mexico)
Sea salt to taste
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
~1 cup grated cheese of choice (jack, non-dairy, or a vegan "cheese" sauce like this one)
5-7 whole wheat tortillas
1 1/2 - 2 cups salsa (preferably tomatillo)

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potatoes, onions, mushrooms, and chili peppers. Saute until onions and potatoes are beginning to brown then add coriander, oregano, chili powder, sea salt, and beans.
Put enough salsa to cover the bottom into the crockpot. For enchiladas, place a generous scoop of the sweet potato mixture onto a tortilla and top with a little cheese. Roll up like a burrito and place, fold down, into the crockpot. Repeat until the bottom of the crockpot is full. Spoon salsa on top of the enchiladas (reserving some if you will be doing another layer) and sprinkle lightly with cheese. If another layer is necessary to use up the filling, it is ok to stack them! When you have finished, cover the top of the enchiladas with the remaining salsa and sprinkle with cheese. Cook on high for about 2 - 2 1/2 hours. Checking to make sure that the bottom doesn't burn after about 2 hours.