I'm a sucker for cashmere. It's soft, cozy, warm, luxurious, and makes me happy just feeling/looking at it. I stalk my favorite catalogs until their cashmere offerings go on sale, then I pounce like a snow leopard. I have a friend who has cashmere PJs, and I want to break into her house and steal them. Of course, if I had them, I would never leave my couch, therefore preventing me from going to work, which would prevent me from making the funds necessary to feed my fetish. Guess I'll just have to settle for sweats and a soft, cozy, warm, luxurious Doberhound next to me. Not a bad deal :)
But I did find the cashmere of food: sweet potato enchiladas. Creamy, rich, cheesy, warm, and unique; if cashmere were edible, that's what it would be. The bonus points come from the minimal hands-on work and light price tag of this meal. And yes, I do appreciate the nutrition component-- for cheesy comfort food, it actually packs quite a lot of nutrients. Whoa, sorry to go all dietitian on you. Let's talk about butter (there, I'm back!).
I found this recipe on the Mindika Moments blog, which is very fun and full of tasty recipes. I modified it a little to make it into a casserole instead of individual enchiladas, and it turned out really well. The original recipe also calls for cooked chicken, but I felt that would be too much going on with the sweet potatoes and beans. I baked the sweet potatoes in the morning while I walked the hounds, so when din-din time rolled around that night, they were all baked, cooled, and ready to mash. Seriously, these took about 15 minutes to prepare with the cooked sweet potato. Ironic, since it took me about 15 minutes to stop staring at my favorite cashmere gloves from Garnet Hill. I think it's fate. Just sayin' :)
Sweet Potato Enchilada Bake
Adapted from mindikamoments.com
2 large sweet potatoes
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened (I used full fat, but feel free to be less indulgent)
4 green onions, chopped
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper (I used my fave, California Seasoned Pepper from Penzeys)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
12 7" corn tortilla
1 19-oz can red enchilada sauce (best on the market is Frontera Grill brand, from Mexican food chef and guru Rick Bayless... you can find it in most stores and it's totally worth it!)
1 16-oz package Mexican blend shredded cheese
Bake sweet potatoes for about an hour at 400 F, or until soft. Turn oven down to 350 F.
Cool sweet potatoes completely, then peel and place in large bowl. Add cream cheese to bowl and mash until well-combined. Add the green onions, chili powder, cumin, oregano, black beans, salt and pepper until well-mixed.
Spray 13x9" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, and pour about 1/2 bottle of enchilada sauce in bottom of pan. Place half of the corn tortillas in the pan, and turn them to coat with enchilada sauce on both sides. Spread sweet potato mixture evenly on top of tortillas. Top with half bag of cheese. Top with remaining tortillas, and pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas. Top with remaining cheese and bake for about 45-60 minutes, or until cheese begins to brown. Best eaten in a full cashmere body suit for optimal comfort.
Submitted by:
The Food Hound
food-hound@hotmail.com
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