Enchilada 'Meatball' Bake
with rice / pico de gallo / chili-roasted zucchini
These black bean 'meatballs' are loaded with Tex Mex spices and baked in enchilada sauce. Pico de gallo and roasted zucchini add layers of texture and fresh contrast.
Smarts: Make the meatballs ahead of time (or make some ahead to freeze) and this meal will come together quickly.
Ingredients
- Rice, uncooked white or brown - 1 cup
- Shallots - 1 bulb , minced
- Garlic - 2 cloves , minced
- Rolled oats - 3/4 cup + 3/4 cup
- Beans, black (14 oz / 397 g) - 1 can , drained and rinsed
- Cornmeal - 1/3 cup
- Milk, any type - 3 Tbsp (sub water)
- Eggs - 1
- Oregano, dried - 1 tsp
- Chili powder - 1 tsp
- Cumin, ground - 1 tsp
- Salt - 3/4 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
- Cheese, cheddar - 4 oz , shredded (look for pre-shredded to save time; sub Mexican blend)
- Jalapenos - 2 , seeded and diced
- Onions, medium - 1/2 , diced
- Tomatoes, medium - 2 , chopped
- Lime juice - 2 Tbsp
- Enchilada sauce, red - 2 cups
- Sour cream - 1/2 cup , for serving
- Garlic - 2 cloves , chopped
- Zucchini - 12 oz , chopped into 1/2" / 1.3 cm cubes
- Chili powder - 1 tsp
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Lime juice - 1 tsp
Prep
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Rice - For white rice, rinse until clear. Fill a saucepan or Dutch oven (or rice cooker) with rice, water (use 2:1 ratio for water to rice), and some salt. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Once water boils, stir, lower heat to a low-medium, and cover. Check white rice after ~20 min; brown at ~45 min. Rice is done when it's absorbed all the water. If it's not done, leave the cover on until all water has been absorbed. Take cover off to release steam and fluff with a wooden spoon after 5 minutes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Shallots / Garlic (for 'meatballs' and zucchini) / Cheese / Jalapenos / Onions - (If prepping right before cooking, get oven heating first.) Prep as directed. Store shallots, garlic, and cheese in their own separate containers. Store jalapenos and onions together in one container. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Zucchini - Prep as directed. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
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Make black bean 'meatballs' - Place first portion of oats in a food processor. Pulse until the oats are finely ground and resemble flour. Drain and rinse beans. Add beans, shallots, and garlic (portion for 'meatballs') to ground oats and pulse a few times just to break beans into small pieces. Transfer ground oats and beans to a mixing bowl. Add second portion of oats, cornmeal, milk, eggs, oregano, chili powder (portion for 'meatballs'), cumin, salt, and pepper. Gently mix together with a spoon or with your hands. If the mixture is too wet to roll into balls, stir in more cornmeal 1 Tbsp / 15 mL at a time. Form into 1” / 2.5 cm balls. Refrigerate until ready to use. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
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Tomatoes - Prep as directed
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Make
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Heat oven to 400 F / 204 C degrees.
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Spread zucchini out onto a baking sheet and toss with garlic (portion for zucchini), chili powder (portion for zucchini), cooking oil, and some salt and pepper.
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Roast the zucchini until tender, shaking the pan halfway through cooking, ~15 minutes.
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Brush a baking dish with some oil or coat with cooking spray (baking dish should be large enough to hold all of the meatballs comfortably). Arrange the meatballs in the baking dish and brush the tops with some oil. Transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown and cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.
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Make the pico de gallo by combining chopped tomatoes, jalapenos, and onions in a medium bowl. Toss with lime juice (portion for meatball bake) and season with a sprinkle of salt.
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If rice was made ahead, warm it in the microwave.
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When zucchini is finished cooking, remove it from the oven and toss with lime juice (portion for zucchini). Transfer to a serving bowl and cover to keep warm.
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Heat the oven's broiler. Remove baking dish from the oven and pour enchilada sauce over the meatballs, then top with shredded cheese. Return meatballs to the oven and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 2 to 4 minutes.
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Serve enchilada 'meatballs' over rice and top with pico de gallo and sour cream. Serve roasted zucchini on the side or add it to the bowls alongside the meatballs if you prefer. Enjoy!
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