Enchiladas - in the crockpot?

I was pretty skeptical about this recipe when I tried it out last week.  The meals I made for dinner on Monday AND Tuesday were shockingly bad. Jason actually threw out the entire pot of pasta I made on Tuesday - which is really saying something since he is loathe to waste anything.  Ever.  So needless to say, I didn't have high hopes on Wednesday when I was preparing this recipe.  Who makes enchiladas in a crockpot?   Seemed strange.  But the recipe got such rave reviews and it looked so easy, I had to give it a try.  It took me 15 minutes to prep, tops  Turned on the crockpot and walked away.  A perfect meal for after a new baby arrives.  Being (mostly) vegetarians makes it harder to put our crockpot to good use so I'm always on the lookout for new ideas and this ended up being so popular with Jason that we're going to try another variation of it this week.

The recipe & photo both come from the kitchn.

Slow Cooker Enchiladas
Serves 4-6

1/2 yellow onion, diced small
1/2 bell pepper, diced small (any color)
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded and divided - we like monterey jack
2 16-ounce jars of your favorite salsa
12 6”-8” tortillas, flour or corn
Optional: 1 cup leftover meat - chicken, pork, hamburger, or shredded beef

In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, pepper, black beans, corn, spices, meat (if using), and just 1/2 cup of the cheese. Pour about a cup of salsa (half a jar) into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around evenly.

Scoop about 1/3 cup into one of the tortillas, roll it up, and nestle it into the bottom of the crock pot. Repeat with the half of the remaining filling, rolling tortillas until the entire bottom of of the crock pot is filled. Spread another cup of salsa over this layer and sprinkle it with another 1/2 cup of cheese.

Continue with the remaining filling and tortillas to create a second layer. Top with another cup of salsa, but reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese for later. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2-4 hours. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the leftover cheese over the top and let it melt.

Serve the enchiladas with the remaining salsa. Leftovers will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

My notes

• I only used about 1/2 the salsa because I didn't have enough but it seemed like the perfect amount for me.  
• The tortillas really seep up the salsa so you want to get a high quality salsa with good flavor.  
• You could easily double the recipe to serve more folks.
• Grease your crockpot for easier cleaning.
• I used a combo of flour and corn tortillas.  I liked both but the flour ones definitely held up better and made for much nicer presentation on the plate.
• The edges of the tortillas, where they touch the sides of the crockpot, get nice and crispy.
• I served ours with fresh chopped lettuce, avocado and lime.