Healthy Butternut Squash Mexican Casserole

It’s Thanksgiving week.  And here I am posting a Mexican casserole.

What IS wrong with me?

I’m really not trying to throw the Universe out of order, but I figure that there’s a few more days left before Thanksgiving.  And you might just want this for a warm, sweet and savory weeknight meal.
And if nothing else, you can always just Pin it for later!

The truth is, I’ve been wanting to share this recipe for two weeks, and it keeps getting pushed aside.  And after my last post, which was a little heavier, (and brought on more colorful commentary than usual) I am just in the mood to post something safe and neutral to start a new week.  
So if you hate squash or casseroles, please go easy on me.  (Or at least don’t blame it on homeschooling;  I promise there is no relationship between this recipe and my kids being homeschooled.  🙂  )

Moving right along:  Do you love Mexican flavors as much as I do?   And Mexican dishes seem to make for the best family dinners!  Everyone loves Mexican food.

And squash?  Who doesn’t love squash?
(Ok, two of my kids don’t, that’s who—but they will by the time I’m done with them.)

So when I bought a big butternut squash a few weeks ago, I knew I had to find a creative use for it.
I had Mexican on my mind…
And we all know how much I love one-pot meals, right?

As soon as I put this together, I knew it would be joining the Family Favorite Dinner Rotation Club. (“FFDRC.”  And yes, I did just name that.)
Please give a warm welcome to the newest member.

Of course I’ve made it two more times since, tweaking this and that…and I feel 100% confident that anyone who tries this will absolutely love it.
Whether you’re a squash-lover or not.

The key to this dish’s fabulous flavors is roasting the squash, onion, and seasonings first.

As always, I encourage you to try tossing any ingredients into this recipe that you might have on hand.  Extra veggies?  Yes!  (I’m looking at some carrots and leftover green beans in my fridge…)  Maybe a jalepeno jack cheese in place of cheddar?  Try with or without the chicken….You just can’t go wrong!

The only rule is:  There are no rules.  

Print this baby, and carry it around until you make it.

Print

Healthy Squash Enchilada Casserole

Course Healthy Mexican Casserole

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Author www.monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

• 1 Medium-sized butternut squash peeled and diced (OR buy the pre-peeled and cubed squash at Costco! :))
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 poblano pepper cored and sliced
• 1 jalapeno cored and sliced
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1-2 tsp. cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 chicken breasts cooked and diced, OR 1 cup shredded chicken. (optional)
• 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 cup corn frozen, fresh, or canned--drained.
• 1/4 cup cilantro chopped finely
• 1 cup fresh kale or baby spinach cut into small pieces
• 1- 11/2 cups salsa
• 1 small can mild green enchilada sauce
• 2-4 to rtillas depending on pan used. *Use corn tortillas to make this gluten-free.
• 1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place diced butternut squash, sliced onoin, jalapeño, and poblano pepper in a baking dish and toss with olive oil, cumin and salt and pepper. Combine well. Roast veggies in the one for 40-45 minutes, until it smells wonderful and squash is tender.
3. Lower oven temp. to 350 degrees
4. Transfer roasted vegetables to a large bowl and add the chicken, 1 cup salsa, beans, corn, and cilantro.
5. Prepare baking dish by spreading half of the can of enchilada sauce on the bottom. (I like to use a round dish that fits a tortilla perfectly, but you can use any size and simply cut tortillas into smaller pieces for layering.)
6. Cover the enchilada sauce with one layer of tortillas. Top tortillas with 1/2 of the vegetable mixture, then 1/2 cup cheese, and chicken, if using chicken.
7. Add one more layer of tortillas, the rest of the vegetables, and then the kale or spinach.
8. Top with 1/2 cup cheese, and then drizzle the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top to keep moist.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through and a little bubbly.
10. Let sit for 5 minutes and then serve.

Recipe Notes

I have made this in two layers as my recipe suggests, or in three layers. Either way is good. I personally do not like my casserole to be very tortilla-heavy, so I prefer the two layer version.

Let me know how you like it, and as always pin and share to spread the Aloha! 🙂

XO,

Monica