Smoky Black Bean Enchiladas

Smoky Black Bean Enchiladas Ingredients

-- THE FILLING --	1 cup Salsa (mild or medium)
1 Chipotle chile in adobo sauce minced	1 cup Tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Olive oil plus extra for greasing	1 teaspoon Dried oregano
1 medium Onion minced	1 teaspoon Ground cumin
3 cans (14.5 oz) Black beans drained and rinsed	12 Corn tortillas
3/4 cup Orange juice	6 ounces Neufchatel (or other light cream cheese) cut into 12 slices
-- THE SAUCE --	2 cups Monterey jack cheese grated

Instructions for Smoky Black Bean Enchiladas

1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion and chipotle pepper until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the beans and orange juice, and simmer 10 minutes. Using the back of a large spoon, mash half the beans by pressing them against the sides of the pan. Cook the beans a few more minutes, or until the texture of mashed potatoes. Let the beans cool.

2. To make the sauce, combine the salsa, tomato sauce, oregano, and cumin in a bowl.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

4. Wrap the tortillas in foil and bake 10 minutes. This will soften them and prevent them from splitting when rolled. Let cool slightly. Keep the oven on.

5. To assemble the enchiladas, lightly oil 2 shallow 2-quart baking dishes, such as 12x2x7-inch Pyrex dishes (you don't want to crowd the enchiladas). Pour a thin film of sauce on the bottom of each dish. Divide the filling in half. Lay six tortillas on a work surface and place 6 spoonfuls of the filling on half of each tortilla. Top with a slice of cream cheese. Roll the enchiladas and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat witht the remaining 6 tortillas and remaining half of the filling. Pour the sauce all over the enchiladas and sprinkle on the grated cheese. Cover the dishes with foil (the enchiladas can be prepared to this point and refrigerated up to 4 hours in advance; bring to room temperature before baking).

6. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes, or just until hot throughout. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Tip: Because the tortillas will absorb a lot of the sauce and become very soft, it's best not to assemble the enchiladas more than 4 hours in advance. If you want to do more advance preparation, prepare all the components separately (up to 2 days in advance) and put the enchiladas together a few hours before cooking.

Main Ingredient: BeansCuisine: Mexican

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