Sweet potato mole enchiladas

A good sauce can transform leftovers, make vegetables sing, and even turn plain ol’ tofu into something totally crave-worthy. Today we're talking mole, a category of sauces from the Oaxaca region of Mexico. Mole negro—a symphony of sesame seeds, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, chiles, and warm spices—is the most difficult to make with over 20 ingredients that are individually toasted, pounded, and simmered for hours to create the dramatic, rich, and complex sauce. Doesn’t sound like a weeknight flex, does it?

Our version, perfected over several years, is ready in less than 20 minutes. There’s no frying, and all of the ingredients are readily available in the pantry. It’s definitely worth adding to your speedy sauce index for making a variety of Mexican dishes, like tacos, burritos, and nachos.

The dish that will really help you fall in love with mole negro is a big platter of enchiladas. They’re a hit at dinner parties and great for meal prepping since you can assemble the sauce or the whole dish ahead of time. We stuff ’em with some spiced sweet potato, black beans, and faux feta which we love for its salty, crumbly resemblance to queso fresco. We're big fans of this one from Violife, or if you’re feeling ambitious you can make a quick batch of our quick tofu feta.

Sweet Potato Mole Enchiladas

Yield: 4 to 6 servings 

Ingredients:

• Mole Sauce:
  • 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • ¼ cup smooth peanut butter
  • ½ small onion, chopped
  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ⅓ cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar
• Enchiladas:
  • Canola oil or plant-based butter, for the pan
  • 2 pounds sweet potato (about 3 medium sweet potatoes), cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 12 soft 6-inch corn tortillas
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
  • ½ cup plant-based feta, crumbled, plus more for garnish  
  • ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds
  • Chopped cilantro, for garnish 

Procedure:

1. Make mole sauce. In a blender, purée tomato sauce, peanut butter, onion, chipotle chile and adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Add chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Taste and add salt if needed. 
2. Make the filling. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a baking sheet, toss sweet potato with oil, chili powder, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Roast until just tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Set aside and lower the oven temperature to 350.
3. Assemble. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with oil or plant butter. Spread a third of the mole sauce on the bottom. Fill each tortilla with about ¼ cup sweet potato, 1 tablespoon beans, and 2 teaspoons feta, if using. Roll and place seam side down in the prepared dish.
4. Bake. Spoon another third of the mole sauce over the top, cover, and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover, spread with remaining mole, and bake for 5 minutes more. Remove from the oven and top with more feta, pumpkin seeds, and cilantro.

Notes and Substitutions:

• Leftover enchiladas can be transferred to a sealed container and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
• Mole sauce can be refrigerated for 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.