Enchiladas with Black Bean Sauce

Growing up my mom used to always make enchiladas and it was one of our favorite meals.  No offense to my mom but her recipe hardly resembled a traditional enchilada.  They were delicious probably due to the cream of mushroom soup that she put in them, along with the hormel chili and white flour tortillas.  To my mom's defense, she really didn't know how to use the internet to find a traditional recipe or a healthier option for making her recipe.  She also didn't have much of a Mexican influence when it came to food.  The closest thing we got to Mexican food was Taco Johns...  :)

So I decided to take this favorite childhood dish, and eliminate the processed foods and add a couple more components.  I really hope you all enjoy this because we certainly did.  You could smear this black bean sauce on a car tire and it would be delicious.  

Black Bean Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz can of black beans
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook or medium heat for 10 minutes.  Then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.  
2. Add the mixture to a blender or food processor and pulse until it is mostly smooth but still has a few chunks left in it.  

Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 15 oz can of dice tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of tomato paste (I used the remainder of the can of tomato paste)
• 1/4 cup chipotle sauce, feel free to adjust to the spice level you want
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 whole wheat tortillas or corn tortillas
  
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. In a saucepan, cook onions in a little olive oil for 5 minutes, until slightly softened
2. Add ground turkey and garlic and cook until turkey is slightly browned and cooked all the way through.  
3. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. To assembly spoon a small amount of the turkey mixture into the bottom of a 11 x 7 baking dish.  The layer should just cover the bottom of the dish.  
5. To assemble the rest of the dish, spoon about 1/2 cup of the turkey mixture in each of the tortilla shells.  Spread it evenly across the tortilla, then roll up and lay in the pan.  Repeat for all 6 tortillas.
   
6. Spread an even layer of of the black bean sauce on top of the rolled tortillas.  Top with the cheese and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.