Serves: 2-4

Prep Time: 5 min.
Cook Time: 30 min.
Total Time: 35 min.

Calories: 250 per serving

One of the jobs I worked during my time in college was a Resident Assistant. Yup, I was the guy who held floor meetings and helped residents unlock their doors when they eventually lost their key. Once a week and at least once a month I would be required to have a ‘duty night’ where I would roam the building at hourly intervals to make sure each student was safe. Some nights I’d be up until 2 a.m. working but with no nearby restaurants open I’d hear my stomach growl more than I heard students being loud.

After posting my woes on Reddit someone suggested I try black bean and Corn Enchiladas and I’ve never looked back. This was the perfect recipe that didn’t require a lot of oversight, took only 40 minutes, and more importantly, was cheap. I became known for my Enchilada Duty Nights among residents and staff alike. After graduating from university, I would still get cravings for this filling meal making it at least once every other week.

We hope you’ll enjoy!

Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of olive oil
½ Sweet Onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 15.5oz can of black bean, drain half
½ bag of frozen corn, about 2.5 cups worth
2 cups of shredded cheese: sharp cheddar, monterey jack, asadero, and queso blanco.
1.5 cups of red enchilada sauce, store bought or homemade
1 teaspoon each of salt, black pepper, paprika, cumin, and dried oregano

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and set a medium sized pot to medium heat. Place olive oil once hot.
Add the diced yellow onion and let them sauté until translucent. Once your kitchen smells like onion, throw your minced garlic in. About 3 to 5 minutes.
After your garlic and onion have gotten to know one another for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, add your black beans and give everything a good stir. They’ll reheat fast and due to the remaining liquid being used, they won’t burn (for the time this recipe calls for).
Once everything is thoroughly heated and you can see small bubbles popping between the beans, push everything to one side. At this point, there should be just enough liquid to keep the current ingredients moist. From there, add in your 2.5 cups of frozen corn to the empty side of the pan.
Season the corn side with salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and dried oregano. Now stir and combine the corn in with black beans, onions, and garlic. The residual heat from the beans will help cook the corn and combined with stirring, will distribute flavors evenly.
After around 3 to 5 minutes of this step, I begin assembling my enchiladas. Take a few spoonfuls of food and place onto a flour tortilla, followed by a sprinkling of cheese, then folded and placed in a casserole dish. If you’re looking for the best way to fold a burrito, we’ve got you covered below. Be sure to tuck your burritos in a mid-sized casserole dish and be greedy! Take up as much room as possible.
Top your enchiladas with your red sauce once all of them are placed in the pan. Sprinkle with cheese (We used Trader Joe’s Mexican blend).
Place in the oven, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately with sour cream. Enjoy!