Black bean and sweet potato enchilada casserole

Another fabulous 

This week we have been trying hard to stay away from rice and wheat. I'm on the constant lookout for delicious gluten-free dishes that will be an easy to put together after a long day at work. I did prep for this over the weekend. I prepared the mixture and stuck it in the refrigerator. The end result is a family-friendly Mexican-inspired enchilada casserole recipe, that's as tasty as it is healthy. This Sweet Potato(or butternut squash) Black Bean Casserole is vegetarian and gluten-free, but can also be easily adapted to include meat.

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato or the neck of the butternut squash peeled and diced (roast in the oven with a drizzle of EVOO and salt at 425 for 7 minutes) **
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed (I soaked 1 cup of dried beans overnight and pressure cooked them)
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup frozen corn thawed
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp taco seasoning (optional)
• 1 cup salsa, divided
• 2-4 tortillas, depending on size (corn, flour, sprouted, gluten-free or whole wheat)
• 4 ounces shredded cheese, use dairy-free as desired (optional)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Optional garnish: fresh cilantro, avocado sliced, guacamole, and/or sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Spray an 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
2. Heat a little EVOO and saute the onions, when pink add the bell peppers, cook for a minute, add the tomatoes and taco seasoning if using, chili powder, garlic salt, and cinnamon. Mix in the corn. Set aside.
3. Spread ½ cup salsa on the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a tortilla on top, ripping into strips to get the right fit. Spoon a large layer of sweet potato/black bean mixture over tortilla strips. Spread the remaining ½ cup salsa over the sweet potato/black bean layer.
4. Add one more layer of tortillas and then add the rest of the sweet potato/black bean mixture over the tortilla layer. Top with cheese, if using.
5. Bake, uncovered, 20-25 minutes and until cheese is melted and top is slightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into squares and serve. Top with additional salsa, cilantro, and/or avocado, if desired. Serve with a dollop of sour cream!

Until next time...XOXO