One-Pot Wonder: Butternut squash enchiladas layer hearty winter flavors

Living in a mainly vegetarian household can make being creative in the kitchen a little hard at times. But one of my go-to ingredients in the winter months is butternut squash because the flavor complements so many dishes.

Take enchiladas, for example. This super-tasty Mexican meal goes meatless using cubed butternut squash.

Slightly sweet with just a hint of nuttiness, butternut squash makes an excellent filling or topping for salads, pastas and, yes, even Mexican food. Diced butternut squash is layered with corn tortillas, black beans and vegetables along with red enchilada sauce and is baked up perfectly for this one-pan meatless meal.

One-pan butternut squash-black bean enchilada bake recipe

Serves 6

Prep time: 15 minutes | Bake time: 30 minutes | Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups red or green enchilada sauce (I used red)
• 10 small corn tortillas, diced
• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• 2-1/2 cups diced butternut squash (if using frozen, thaw completely)
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
• 1 small sweet onion, minced
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Toppings

• Fresh cilantro, for garnish
• Fresh sliced green onions, for garnish
• Sour cream, for serving

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F, and spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Add a few tablespoons of enchilada sauce to the bottom of the baking dish, spread it in an even layer over the bottom, and top with the diced corn tortillas.
3. Add a layer of butternut squash, black beans, diced tomatoes and corn, and then sprinkle the vegetables with some of the taco seasoning.
4. Top with more enchilada sauce, and repeat until all the vegetables and tortillas are used.
5. Finally, sprinkle the shredded cheese on top, and bake uncovered for 25 – 30 minutes or until the squash is tender and the cheese has melted.
6. Remove from the oven, and garnish with fresh cilantro and green onions.
7. Spoon onto plates, and serve warm with sour cream, if desired.

More Mexican recipes

Vegetarian-style Mexican lettuce wraps
Vegetarian lentil tacos
Slow cooker vegetarian taco soup