Sweet Potato and Chorizo Enchiladas (aka DA BOMB)

A few weeks ago, I promised you a delicious recipe to make with the homemade tortillas I posted about. I realized that I have been holding out on you and never posted about the delicious recipe I was hinting at!  Well, before I take off for a two week long hiatus to the mountains for the wedding of my dear sister-in-law, I decided that I had to leave you with the recipe for these Sweet Potato and Chorizo Enchiladas.

They are so darn good.  Wonderful, complex flavors that mingle together so well!

Paul declared this his absolute favorite enchilada recipe.

It does have quite a few little steps, but none of them are difficult and you could even make the filling and sauce ahead of time and then assemble and bake the enchiladas right before dinner.  If you like a lot of sauce with your enchiladas, you might want to double the recipe.  For us, it was just the right amount.

Unfortunately, I do not have a gorgeous picture to go along with these.  Enchiladas really do not photograph well.  They especially do not photograph well when you have to take a picture of the leftover enchiladas because you were too hungry on the first day to bother photographing them before digging in.  But do not let the sad photos fool you, they are really, really good.

Give them a try!  I promise you will love them!!

Sweet Potato and Chorizo Enchiladas
Inspired by Cook's Illustrated, Pink Parsley Catering, and Perry's Palate

For the sauce:
1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil or corn oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 cans tomato sauce (8 ounces each)
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 can (4 ounces) pickled jalapeños, drained and chopped (about 1/4 cup)
8 ounces Monterey Jack, grated (2 cups)

For the Filling:
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup frozen or fresh corn
3 Tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 teaspoons ground cumin
¼- ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped white onion
10-12 ounces chorizo, casings removed
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
12 8-inch Flour Tortillas
Additional Cheese for garnish (feta, Monterey Jack, etc.)

For the Sweet Potatoes, Corn, and Chorizo:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place sweet potato cubes and corn on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 T of the oil and sprinkle with cumin, chipotle, sugar, and a good pinch of salt. Use your hands to toss the vegetables and coat them well with the oil and spices.  Spread them into a single layer and roast for 15-20 minutes, stirring a couple of times during roasting, until the potatoes are tender browned in spots.  Let cool and then transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add the chorizo, breaking up the clumps with the woolens spoon.   Stir and cook until the chorizo is browned and cooked through, about 5-8 minutes.  Taste and season with additional salt if necessary.  Transfer to the large bowl with the sweet potato mixture.

For the Sauce:
Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt, and sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce and 3/4 cup water. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Pour mixture through medium-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on onions to extract as much sauce as possible; set sauce aside. Combine onion mixture with sweet potatoes, chorizo, cilantro, jalapenos, and ¾ of the grated cheese and set aside.

Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 300 degrees.

To Assemble:
Spread about ¾ cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 pan.  Roll up each tortilla with about ¾ cup filling and place in the pan.  When all tortillas are filled, spread the remaining enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with additional cheese.

Cover the pan with foil and bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes, or until cheese is melted.  Serve immediately.

Serve with optional Cilantro-Lime Crema:  1 cup sour cream + 2 tablespoons lime juice + 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro + salt and pepper to taste.