Recipe: Butternut Squash & Mushroom Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce

Image found here

Last Friday I went to the grand opening of the new MOM's Organic Market near Gaithersburg, MD. As a special, the store was offering $15 off of any $30 purchase. I bought a lot of squash, so I figured over the weekend I could try to use some of it.

Okay, so they don't look exactly like the other picture, but they were still yummy!

I found this recipe from the blog "Pinch of Yum." I love Mexican food, and I thought this would be the perfect time to use half of the butternut squash I bought. But I should warn you: while the original recipe includes directions for both the enchiladas and the tomatillo sauce, I did NOT bother to make my own sauce. My roommate had a huge jug of Herdez Salsa Verde, so I used that instead. So much easier! So I did not list the ingredients or the directions related to the sauce here.

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 large jalapeño, chopped, seeds and ribs removed
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper (2 peppers)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2-3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 16 ounces fresh chopped mushrooms
• 12-15 corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded cheese
• Mexican toppings: cilantro, avocado, queso fresco

Directions

1. Squash Filling: In a large nonstick pan over high heat, roast the jalapeño and bell pepper. Do not stir too often; let the skins get browned and roasted. Add the onions and saute for a few minutes. Add the squash, 1 tablespoon butter, cumin, chili powder, and salt; saute until the squash is fork tender. Set aside.
2. Mushroom Filling: Place 1 tablespoon butter back in the pan; add the mushrooms and saute until soft and browned. Season with salt and additional cumin and chili powder.
3. Assembly: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wrap the tortillas in a moist paper towel and warm in the microwave. Stuff the softened tortillas with a little bit of squash and mushrooms. Roll and place seam-side-down in a baking dish. Repeat until finished; cover with sauce and top with cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with your favorite toppings.

AND as usual I did not follow the recipe to a T. I don't like spicy food, so I completely disregarded the jalapeño. And I don't use a lot of spices when I cook (both because I'm lazy and the fact that food can taste perfectly good without them), so I didn't put those in, not even the salt. I also did not cook the mushrooms separately. Why dirty another pan? I just threw them in with the other ingredients. And rather than use the small corn tortillas, I used the big, flour ones, so I only made 6 enchiladas instead of 12-15 (that would be too many anyway!). Also, I clearly went overboard on the cheese on top, but I'm not complaining! It was the only topping I really used since I didn't have cilantro.

And here's a tip with the sauce: make sure you cover the ENTIRE tortilla with sauce. If you don't, there will be parts that get hard and dry when cooked, and no one wants to eat that. I even used a special brush to make sure each nook and cranny was covered in the sauce. It doesn't have to be thick, but enough to get the tortilla wet so it doesn't dry out in the oven.

This recipe is so good and so easy to make! I highly recommend it. I might try adding some cheese to the inside of the enchiladas next time for double-extra-plus cheese!