Butternut Squash Enchiladas
Creamy Butternut Squash Enchiladas – Luscious squash, slimming beans, and just the right seasonings are topped with a healthy cream sauce for a nutritious and delicious dish.
Our garden produced quite a bit of winter squash this year and we’ve been enjoying it roasted, baked, and steamed. But after nearly 50 pounds of squash, I was looking for something different. And, oh wow, did these Butternut Squash Enchiladas hit the spot! They are now officially my favorite way to eat squash.
I even tested them on a few who didn’t like squash. They were a hit!
What I Love About these Enchiladas
My favorite meals are those that can be made ahead of time, kept in the freezer, and easily reheated when I’m too busy to cook. Besides their delicious flavor, that’s what I like most about these Creamy Butternut Enchiladas.
Oh, and also their uniqueness.
Oh, and I love the fact that squash-haters actually love squash prepared this way.
Are Creamy Butternut Squash Enchiladas Healthy?
Despite their luscious creaminess, these Creamy Butternut Squash Enchiladas are quite slimming.
And they pack a nutritional punch! They’re loaded with zinc, protein, magnesium, and calcium. And just one enchilada gives you nearly your entire day’s need for vitamin A! Wowsa!
What’s more, these enchiladas are also super high in fiber, which is great for weight loss.
How to Serve
These Creamy Butternut Squash Enchiladas go great with a salad or with these Squash Greens.
But really, these enchiladas are a meal in themselves. You’ve got protein, vegetables, and a creamy sauce all in one bready wrap. No side dish needed.
Tips for Making these Creamy Enchiladas
This recipe uses about one half of a small butternut squash or one-quarter of a medium to large one. So, you may have some leftover squash. The remainder of the squash can be enjoyed steamed or baked or roasted or used in these winter squash recipes.
Or you could make 2 recipes of these Butternut Enchiladas. This recipe is very easy to double.
How to Easily Cut Butternut Squash
Feeling intimidated by preparing winter squash? I gotcha covered. Here’s a step-by-step guide to cutting butternut squash.
I hope you have a great week! As always, I love hearing from you guys!
Butternut Squash Enchiladas
Ingredients
Enchiladas
- 2 1/4 cups shredded raw butternut squash - (about 1/2 small squash)
- 2 teaspoons granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/4 teaspoons cumin - scant
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
- 1/4 small red bell pepper, diced - optional
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup cooked white beans, drained but NOT rinsed - I use cannellini beans.
- 1 medium to large yellow onion, diced
- 8 6- inch whole-grain tortillas/wraps
Sauce
- 1 1/3 cups raw cashews
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 4 teaspoons (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon salt - scant
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
Optional Toppings
- sliced green onions
- diced ripe avocado
- minced fresh cilantro
- sliced black or tree-ripened olives
Instructions
- Peel squash and cut into large pieces, discarding seeds. In a food processor, using the shredding blade, shred squash into large shreds. Place into mixing bowl.
- Add seasonings and cilantro, mixing well after each addition. (I find that a fork works better for mixing this than a spoon.)
- Mix in bell pepper, garlic, beans, and diced onion.
- Rinse cashews in a colander under very hot water. Drain well.Place cashews and remaining sauce ingredients in blender and blend until smooth and creamy. (I recommend a heavy-duty blender for this; otherwise, the sauce may not get creamy.)
- Stir 1/3 cup sauce into vegetable mixture.
- Distribute approximately 1/3 cup of vegetable mixture down center of tortilla. Fold edges over filling and place seam-side down into an oiled 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Pour remaining blender mixture over enchiladas taking care to cover edges of tortillas.
- Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes. If top or edges get too dark before enchiladas are done, cover with foil.
- Serve hot topped with green onion, cilantro, avocado, and/or olives.
Notes
>> One quick request: if you like this recipe, please leave a rating and a comment. Ratings help more people find these healthy recipes!
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this looks so delicious! My husband hates eggs, so I never make Frittata’s which is a shame. Have you tried freezing this or something similar. I’m thinking for my breakfast or lunch, I could make ahead. Let me know, much appreciated!
Hi Rose,
Yes, this does freeze nicely.
I hope you enjoy!
Jennifer
Jennifer, quick question. You say that the butternut squash enchiladas are gluten free? Are there gluten free tortillas? Do you use corn or are there gluten free flour tortillas?
Just having fun picking out the next Jennifer’s Kitchen recipe I’m going to try!
Hi Stacey,
Thank you for your comment. Yes, there are a few gluten-free tortillas available. Here’s a post I wrote about where to get healthy wraps and tortillas which includes some gluten-free options.
Some of the gluten-free wraps are a little tricky to work with since they can be dry and can fall apart if not careful, but once you get the hang of how to work with them (keep them frozen until ready to use, cover them evenly with the sauce), they’re a great option.
Thank you! Do soft corn tortillas work well?
I haven’t tried corn tortillas with this recipe, but based on experience with them in other recipes, I think they should work!
Thank you, Jennifer! Your recipes continue to be a blessing!
Best recipe yet. It came out perfect and definitely not mushy! It’s pinned and saved for next time!
Aw, thanks Kelly! So happy you liked it. 🙂 Thanks for your comment and for pinning it 🙂
I made this recipe earlier today, but I refrigerated it while we went to Church. Now, I have baked it for the recommended 35 minutes, but the sauce is congealed, so we civered it and put it in or another 30 minutes. I am hoping this is going to work. If not, do you recommend making recipes ahead of time, and, if so, how do you adjust the cook time? I’ll finfish my review if we ever get to actually eat this dish.
Hi Carol,
Sorry you had this trouble! Your enchiladas probably needed a longer baking time since they started off cold. Also, the enchiladas probably absorbed some of the sauce as they sat in the refrigerator, so that likely threw the recipe off. I hope that it was at least edible.
Many of my recipes can indeed be made ahead, and I’ve included instruction for how to do so in the recipe. If the recipe does not include make-ahead instructions, my *general* recommendation is to prepare the recipe in its entirety, refrigerate until needed, and then reheat.
Hope this helps! 🙂