Bake this butternut squash enchilada casserole on the weekend and enjoy the leftovers for your lunch or dinner! Packed with veggies and easy to throw together.
Today’s post is brought to you by cravings for enchiladas, with no desire for the effort involved.
I’m sure that converting these into actual enchiladas wouldn’t be all that difficult, yet somehow, filling, rolling, saucing, smothering, baking those enchiladas seems to take forever, and I’m looking for fast and flavorful these days.
Want a killer enchilada recipe? Check out these Maple Pulled Pork Enchiladas with Butternut Squash!
My solution? This super simple butternut squash enchilada casserole.
This recipe does take a bit of time because you need to roast your butternut squash. But it’s a really hands off recipe with only around 15 minutes of total prep time… and it’s a breeze to assemble this casserole!
The concept is very similar to the Cauliflower Rice Chicken Enchilada Casserole I posted last December, except this time I went vegetarian with black beans and I layered the casserole slightly differently.
This time it’s layered a little more like a lasagna with one layer of tortillas in the middle rather than on top.
Regardless of how you layer, it’s still going to come out of the pan like most casseroles: messy, gooey, cheesy and delicious.
Top with green onions, sour cream, salsa and/or avocado, and enjoy! We also liked using some tortilla chips to scoop.
This butternut squash enchilada casserole tastes like total comfort food but still clocks in at under 400 calories per serving.
We enjoyed this casserole baked fresh, and leftovers were delicious for the next 2-3 days.
We also froze one version and Ben thawed and re-heated portions for his lunch for a week…he enjoyed it (although I never taste tested that version so I can’t officially give it the thumbs up yet 😉 ).
Tips for your perfect butternut squash enchilada casserole:
- I used my 8 x 8 inch pyrex dish…
- …and this enchilada sauce (Canadians- I found mine at Co-op!). If you can’t find enchilada sauce, I’ve used this recipe in the past, omitting the salt.
- looking for more enchilada-inspired dinners? Try this Spiralized Sweet Potato Enchilada Skillet or these Enchilada Stuffed Grilled Portobellos
Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole (Prep Ahead)
Ingredients
- 6 cups butternut squash (peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1 inch cubes; this is roughly 1/2 of one large butternut squash)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 19 oz can of black beans (540 mL ; drained and rinsed)
- 11.5 oz can of corn kernels (341 mL; drained and rinsed)
- 20 oz enchilada sauce (2 cans; mild recommended; 600 mL)
- 2 tortillas (large; cut in quarters)
- 2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella or monterey jack)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°F.
- Toss butternut squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast for 25 minutes, turning squash over half way through.
- When tender and cooked through, turn oven temperature down to 350°F.
- Combine the squash, black beans, corn, and enchilada sauce.
- In the bottom of a 9 x 9 inch pan, arrange 1 tortilla so all corners of the dish are covered.
- Spread out half of the enchilada sauce mixture.
- Sprinkle with half the cheese.
- Repeat layers.
- To bake immediately Place in the oven, baking for 20-30 minutes, until heated through and cheese is bubbling.
- To serve Top with green onions, avocado and/or greek yogurt.
Storage
- This casserole may be assembled ahead and frozen in a metal (not glass) baking pan.
- To bake: place the frozen casserole directly into the oven and bake (covered) at 350°F for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for another 20 minutes or until warmed through completely.
Sarah Rowles
This is good but it definitely seems to be missing something. It is also pretty bland (maybe it’s the enchilada sauce I used?) I may try this again with shredded chicken.
Amy
I made this tonight and enjoyed it! It was too spicy for my kids, but I’ll continue to make it for myself for sure because I loved it!
I also shared it on my blog today as part of my meal plan for the week! https://beautifullybrokenjourney.com/2017/10/16/weekly-meal-plan-1016-102217/
Denise
Hi Amy! Glad you enjoyed it, sorry to hear it was too spicy for your kids…it must really depend on the enchilada sauce. I’ve used this recipe in the past and it really isn’t spicy at all: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/red-enchilada-sauce/ (I omit the salt)
Livi's Mom
How many squash would you say you used to make the 6 cups? This looks delish and I can’t wait to try it!
Denise
I found that a small butternut squash gives around 6 cups. I hope you enjoy the casserole!