Slow Cooker Black Bean Enchiladas

By vealam

Ingredients

• 1 small yellow onion (or 1/2 large onion), diced small
• 1 sweet bell pepper, diced small
• 1 (16-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups Monterey jack, colby, or other melting cheese, shredded and divided
• 2 (16-ounce) jars salsa, any kind
• 12 to 15 medium (6-inch or so) flour tortillas

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from thekitchn.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, pepper, black beans, corn, spices, meat (if using), and just 1/2 cup of the cheese. Spread a cup or so of salsa over the bottom of a 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker, enough to evenly coat the bottom with a bit of sauce. (See the Recipe Note below for cooking in smaller slow cookers.)

Fill each of the tortillas with about 1/3 cup of the filling, roll them up as tightly as you can, and pack them seam-side down into the bottom of the slow cooker. Don't worry if some filling falls out — just tuck it back in once you've set the tortilla down.

When you complete the layer, spread another cup of salsa over the top and sprinkle with about 1/2 cup of the remaining cheese. Continue rolling the remaining tortillas with the remaining filling to make one more layer; if you have leftover filling, sprinkle this over the top. Finish by pouring another cup of salsa over the top of the enchiladas. Reserve the last 1/2 cup of cheese to add later.

Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2 to 4 hours. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over the top, re-cover the slow cooker, and finish cooking.

Serve the enchiladas with any remaining salsa. Leftovers will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Recipe Notes:
Gluten-Free Enchiladas: Use gluten-free corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas. These tortillas tend to fall apart a bit more during cooking, but I've tried them and the dish is still just as tasty!
Longer Slow-Cooker Times: You can cook the enchiladas for longer (6 to 8 hours on LOW), but I find that the tortillas in the middle start to get very mushy while the ones touching the sides of the cooker get crispy. Still tasty, though!
Oven-Baked Enchiladas: To cook these enchiladas in the oven, layer the rolled tortillas in a 9x13-inch baking pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake uncovered for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the dish is bubbling.
Smaller Slow Cookers: To make this recipe in a smaller (3-quart or so) slow cooker, halve the recipe and make 3 layers instead of 2.
Doubling the Recipe: If your slow cooker is large enough, you can also double the recipe. Just continue creating layers in the slow cooker and bake as usual.