Vegan Slow Cooker Pinto Bean Enchiladas

It took me a really long time to embrace my slow cooker. I received it as a Christmas gift at least fifteen years ago (I’m old!) and for about ten of those fifteen years, I didn’t really know what to do with it. So my slow cooker hung out all alone and sad in the back of a kitchen cabinet.

It wasn’t until I started blogging and exploring recipes that my readers were into that I started to realize the slow cooker’s potential. People really love these things! And I ignored mine for a decade. Were they on to something that I’d completely missed? Oh yes.

Seeing all the fuss that everyone made about slow cookers got me started with some slow cooker soups. And in addition to the obvious convenience of throwing a bunch of food in and having a meal ready at the end of the day, there’s just something really nice and cozy about slow cooker meals. In the cooler months your dinner simmers away all day, filling your house with enticing aromas, and in the summer it does that too, but without heating up the house like the oven does. It’s a win-win if you ask me.

I finally decided to branch out of the world of slow cooker soups and move on to some more substantial meals. Enter slow cooker enchiladas.

I’ll be honest: I’m usually a bit fussy when it comes to enchiladas. I use corn tortillas. I sauté my fillings on the stove. I bake them in the oven. I had to let go of those attachments to make these slow cooker enchiladas, and while they’re not anywhere near authentic, they’re absolutely delicious and a total cake walk to throw together.

I did make my own sauce, just because I had all of the ingredients on hand, but it’s just a basic red enchilada sauce, so feel free to use store-bought for maximum convenience. You can make the sauce a day or two in advance, and you can do the same with the fillings. If you go that route, all you need to do on the day of serving is assemble and throw everything in the slow cooker.

Go to Slow Cooker Enchiladas recipe