{"id":1160,"date":"2021-12-23T08:48:25","date_gmt":"2021-12-23T08:48:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/khetwise.com\/blog\/butternut-squash-enchilada-casserole-without-tortillas\/"},"modified":"2021-12-23T08:48:25","modified_gmt":"2021-12-23T08:48:25","slug":"butternut-squash-enchilada-casserole-without-tortillas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/khetwise.com\/blog\/butternut-squash-enchilada-casserole-without-tortillas\/","title":{"rendered":"Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole without Tortillas"},"content":{"rendered":"

This butternut squash enchilada casserole is a delicious alternative to standard enchiladas, nourishing comfort food at its finest. It can easily be made keto-friendly without beans or vegetarian by substituting extra veggies for the meat. It is a perfect way to use that extra shredded meat from a roast or whole chicken or leftover roasted vegetables. And you\u2019ll find butternut squash to be the perfect, tasty substitute for tortillas.<\/p>\n

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Jump to Recipe<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Why We Love Enchilada Casserole!<\/h2>\n

Enchilada casserole is a family favorite, frequently requested on birthdays and special occasions. Swapping butternut squash for the tortillas increases the nutrients without compromising anything in the taste or texture. It is a great fall and winter dish that puts to use squashes that store well for months when seasons of green grass and fresh veggies from the garden are long gone.<\/p>\n

Growing up, enchilada casserole was a dish that we busted out maybe once a year for a special occasion. Assembling it would be a family affair with cans upon cans lining the counter. Chili, enchilada sauce, beans, almost everything in the recipe was poured from a can.<\/p>\n

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I\u2019m always on a mission to take our favorite recipes and figure out how I can adapt them to pack them full of more nourishing, from scratch, and fresh ingredients. Once I discovered how to make a simple from scratch enchilada sauce<\/a><\/strong>, enchilada casserole was immediately on the menu.<\/p>\n

Why We Use Squash<\/h2>\n

This year, our goal was to feed our family all year<\/strong><\/a>, as much as possible, through the food that we grew or raised. With this goal in mind, we emphasized growing crops that stored well through the winter and winter squashes ranked high on that list. We planted a large three sisters garden (corn, beans, and squash) and were delighted to harvest a couple hundred winter squashes come October.<\/p>\n

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Just a portion of our 2021 squash haul!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Now, I\u2019ve been trying to figure out creative ways to incorporate all of those beautiful, orange fruits into our cooking. Roasted, mashed, pancakes, baked, you name it, we\u2019ve been doing it. When there was a request for enchilada casserole, I tried swapping the tortillas for butternut squash slices and the result was a resounding success.<\/p>\n

This butternut squash enchilada casserole has three main layers that you alternate three times: Butternut squash slices, filling, and cheese in addition to the enchilada sauce<\/a><\/strong> that is incorporated throughout. Our favorite way to eat the enchilada casserole is over a bed of Spanish rice or cauliflower rice. The rice absorbs the extra liquid in the butternut squash enchilada casserole and pairs beautifully. This recipe makes a hefty portion perfect for leftovers or when having guests for dinner.<\/p>\n

What Do You Need?<\/h2>\n

Butternut Squash Slices<\/strong> –<\/strong> You\u2019ll want these slices to be thin (roughly 1\/8\u201d) and uniform in width. The slicing attachment on a food processor or a mandolin slicer would make cutting these a breeze. However, my preference is still to slice them by hand with a sharp knife!<\/p>\n

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Filling <\/strong>– This part of the recipe is so versatile and where you have the chance to customize your casserole to your family\u2019s preference. Beef, pork, chicken, fish, or vegetarian. Beans or no beans. Spicy or mild. Loaded with vegetables or more meat based. It\u2019s all up to you. I\u2019ll share our basic recipe where we used shredded beef, black beans, onions, peppers, and garlic, but feel free to adjust it to incorporate what you love. We have never made a combination we haven\u2019t devoured.<\/p>\n

Cheese<\/strong> –  We used a combination of mozzarella and cheddar because that is what we always have on hand but you can use whatever sliced or shredded cheese you prefer.<\/p>\n

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Adding a layer of butternut squash.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Enchilada Sauce<\/strong> – With a bone broth base, thickened by arrowroot starch and seasoned with tex-mex spices, this enchilada sauce recipe is an easy, nourishing alternative to the standard canned version and in our opinion really takes this recipe up a few notches. It avoids the top allergens making it a friendlier option for serving to a crowd without lacking any of the flavor. You can find the recipe here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole without Tortillas Recipe<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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