Pineapple-black bean enchilada bake

This is a very bad picture of a very good dish. I wasn't always very comfortable in the kitchen. A lot of my cooking consisted of steaming vegetables and adding them to pasta or heating up veggie burgers. This was one of my first real recipes, and it's very good. I love pineapple in savory dishes, and the beans make it more filling. The original recipe, which was a Pillsbury bake-off winner, calls for wheat tortillas and has you making actual enchiladas. I prefer corn tortillas, at least for enchiladas, and they broke a lot, so I gave up trying to make it into real enchiladas and settled on an enchilada casserole thing. I definitely don't miss the twenty minutes of wrestling with tortillas only to have them break anyway. I cut a lot of cheese out of the original recipe also. I love cheese, but it was a bit excessive.

It is with some trepidation that I tag this recipe "Mexican". It was made up by some lady in Minnesota, and it is in no way authentic. But it is definitely inspired by Mexican cooking, so I'll do it anyway.

I noticed that all the cans I used in this batch were dented. I always peruse the dented can clearance rack at the grocery store. I don't mind paying half price for the exact same food.

Pineapple-black bean enchilada bake
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about one cup)
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (about one cup)
1 20 oz. can pineapple packed in pineapple juice (I prefer "tidbits" or "crushed", but you can always just chop other ones more), juice reserved
1 14 oz. can black beans, rinsed, or 2 cups cooked black beans
1 4 oz. can green chiles
6 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
1 10 oz. can enchilada sauce
12-15 corn tortillas
fresh cilantro, for garnish
sour cream, for garnish

In a large saute pan, heat the oil and saute the onion and bell pepper for about five minutes. Add the pineapple, black beans, and chiles and saute for about three more minutes. Add about 2/3 of the cheese, stir in to mix, and turn off the heat. In a separate bowl, mix about half of the reserved pineapple juice and the enchilada sauce.

Grease a large baking pan. Mine is 9x13, but smaller ones will work too. Put down one layer of tortillas. Spoon some enchilada sauce over each one, then about 1/2 the filling. Spoon some more enchilada sauce on them. Now put down another layer of tortillas and repeat. Finish off with one last layer of tortillas and the last of the enchilada sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 F. Remove foil and bake about ten more minutes, or until cheese is getting a little brown and bubbly. Serve with cilantro and sour cream. Spanish rice is a nice side.