Veg ‘meat’ball enchilada bake

In an S blade food processor – blend the sweet potatoes, black beans and brown rice until it is blended well but still a little chunky.

Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients – except for the cheese.

Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon, or perhaps your hands, until well combined. You can then either pre-shape your meatballs ahead of time (less frantic during the cooking phase), or scoop and form rough balls as you are cooking (more efficient). We quite like the crusty exterior on these balls once fried, so we make them small to maximise surface area (about 1.5cm in diameter).

Pre-heat your cast iron / stainless steel deep skillet or wok – this needs to be oven proof as we’ll be transferring to oven to bake.

Don’t forget to pre-heat your oven at this point.

Add a good amount of oil to your pan and ensure it comes up to temperature before starting to cook your meatballs. If you are scooping and forming balls as you go – then it’s handy to use a measuring teaspoon to scoop and form the balls and then just push it out using a finger. Not perfect balls but good enough and faster than rolling between your palms – and you want to be quick – you will need to constantly monitor each ball and make sure they are not burning. 

Keep cooking the balls in small batches and drain on a paper towel as you go.

Once all balls have been cooked – pop them all back into the pan or wok and pour over the Enchilada Sauce, making sure all is covered.

Grate cheese on top and pop in the oven until cheese fully melts and a nice crusty layer is achieved.