Layers of enchilada sauce soaked corn tortillas with sweet potatoes, pepped up veggie crumbles, spinach and more  sauce. Makes enough to feed a small army. Or just an army of one for days and days!
Cooking big, hearty, inexpensive meals that last for days is kind of my thing. I’m always on a tight budget (blogging ain’t paying the bills yet!) and as a result, have lots of experience making meals out of very little that look good, taste good and cost little. Â So, when I saw the theme for The Recipe Redux this month, healthy meals for under $3/person, I knew just what I had to share. This Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole makes enough to feed a small army (well, ok, 10-12 people) and costs about $2/serving. But, and most importantly of all important things, there is absolutely no sacrifice to taste or texture, even with a budget.
Corn tortillas are soaked in enchilada sauce and used to line the pan. Then layers of sweet potatoes, veggie crumbles, spinach and more enchilada sauce are added until you have a casserole dish you can barely lift off the table. Oh yeah, it’s a good workout too!
This dish is entirely plant-based, perfect for a meatless Monday dinner or for meatless everyday dinners and is packed with nutrition.
- Sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, copper, vitamin B6, potassium, dietary fiber, niacin, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and phosphorus.
- Spinach is a good source of vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, copper, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin E, calcium, potassium and vitamin C, dietary fiber, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, protein and choline.
- Meatless crumbles differ by brand – this one offers 11g of protein per serving, 8% of iron needs, 6% of calcium needs and 0 fat.
It’s pretty quick to put together too. Some chopping and dicing and mixing is needed before assembling the layers, but none of it is difficult or that time consuming. Then, once it’s ready for the oven, it goes in for 45 min – 1 hour and viola, dinner for a crowd. Or, if you’re a single meatless girl living in the sticks, dinner for the rest of the week. And maybe breakfast too.
To make this gluten free, just make sure the meatless crumbles you get are ok.
$21.20 for 10 servings = $2.12/person.Â
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 60 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 20 corn tortillas
- 32 ounces enchilada sauce *
- 2 lb sweet potatoes
- 1 12 oz package meatless crumbles*
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 red pepper
- 1 4.5 oz can green chilis
- 1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 10oz pkg frozen spinach* defrosted and drained
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Ingredients
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- Preheat oven to 425F. Lightly spray or coat a 9x13 baking dish with oil.
- In a medium bowl, combine the corn tortillas and 3/4 cup of the enchilada sauce. Flip around the tortillas until they are coated in sauce. This can also be done (gently) in a plastic bag. Set aside.
- While the tortillas are soaking, prep the rest of the casserole components. Defrost the spinach and set it in a colander to drain. Press out the excess liquid if needed.
- Add the meatless crumbles to a large bowl, breaking them up as best as possible if there are clumps. Dice the red pepper and onion and add them in. Add the drained and rinsed black beans and the green chilis and then mix the whole thing together until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Slice the sweet potato in 1/4 inch slices. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the spinach, garlic powder, paprika, cumin and salt.
- Assembly: Arrange 10 of the tortillas in the bottom of the casserole dish. Place a single layer of sweet potatoes on top of the tortillas. Arrange 1/2 the veggie crumble mixture on top, then 1/2 the spinach mixture. Spread 2/3 cup enchilada sauce on top. Arrange 3 more tortillas on top, tearing them if needed to fit.
- Repeat the layers, ending with the remainder of the torillas covering the top and covered with the remainder of the enchilada sauce.
- Cover with foil and Bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour until sauce is bubbly and when the casserole is pierced easily through the center. If the sweet potatoes aren't cooked through yet, cook for longer until they are.
- Serve with non-dairy sour cream and avocados.
- I use jarred enchilada sauce because I'm lazy. This recipe uses 2 16 oz jars, or approximately 4 cups. Please feel free to make your own if you feel inclined.
- I used Lightlife original meatless crumbles. They also make a mexican style one that's really good too and would be excellent in this casserole. Gardein, Beyond Beef, Yves and Tofurkey also make good meatless crumbles - there are lots to choose from! If you are gluten-free, make sure you read the packages to get one that is suitable.
- I use frozen spinach because, 1) You guess it, Lazy!, 2) It doesn't need to be precooked, just defrosted and pressed to get the water out. Â You can use fresh spinach if you'd like, but you'll have to give it a quick cooking to release the water first and then drain it.
Definitely pinning this for later! I love enchiladas and the sweet potato and spinach is right up my alley!
Awesome :-D. It’s a great combination if I do so myself!
This dish literally has everything I LOVE! I bet I could even get my kiddos to enjoy this as a meatless dinner option!
Awesome! Yeah, I’ll bet it would be a hit with the kids. They might not even notice the meatless-ness – the veggie crumbles are very spot on taste and texture wise.
What a delicious recipe! I am currently obsessed with sweet potatoes so this looks right up my ally!
Thanks! I’m on a sweet potato kick at the moment too – so good!
I love how this is stuffed with veggies! Looks too good not to try.
Veggies are awesome! 😀
This looks so delicious & I can’t wait to make it! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks! I’d love to hear if you make it 😀
Perfect Combination. Sweet potato and spinach. Try them soon
It has been quite a while since I made this MEMORABLE dish. I will prepare this week. I totally remember loving the recipe.