Taste: Need another use for pumpkin? Try this enchilada sauce

Katherine Grandstrand
·5 min read

I would have never thought pumpkin belonged in enchiladas, but here we are.

I was scrolling through Pinterest the other day, as one does, and came across this recipe for pumpkin enchiladas, and I was intrigued. I wouldn’t think that pumpkin would belong in enchiladas, but it looked really good, so I wanted to try it.

The version I came across was from The Minimalist Baker, which was a vegan version of Ambitious Kitchen’s version of black bean pumpkin enchiladas. The Minimalist Baker’s version was even gluten free, provided you picked right tortillas.

I took my guidance from both recipes. I kept my filling veggie-based, which was a nice balance from our recent candy-heavy holiday when I also ended up eating chicken wings at least once.

I couldn’t make a fully vegan version because I just can’t have enchiladas without cheese. I also used chicken stock in the sauce, so these weren’t even vegetarian.

More:Taste: Broccoli cheese soup combines cheese and vegetables for comfort in a (bread) bowl

Ambitious Baker uses chicken in its filling, so you can just substitute about a pound of shredded chicken for one of the cans of black beans. Leftover pork or beef roast could also be used in the filling. Shred it up and add it to the pan.

One thing I really loved about this recipe, even the vegan version, is that all the ingredients are very accessible. Most of them come in cans.

The sauce is really the star of this whole dish. Mixing pumpkin, tomatoes, peppers and spices creates a really neat flavor that pairs well with the veggie blend and melting cheese.

One ingredient that, while good at first, failed to hold up in leftovers was kale. Kale’s not my first choice when it comes to leafy vegetables. I’m more of a spinach person — which I added to my filling as well since I had some extra in the fridge — and the reheated kale just enforced that belief. It was good the first day, but upon reheating in the microwave it became rubbery and unpleasant.

It got to the point where I was picking out the kale while eating my leftovers. I’m a leftovers kind of person. There are only two of us, so we’ll usually parcel out leftovers for lunches.

Kale did not make for good leftovers.

What I love about things like enchiladas or lasagna is that the filling always ends up a little different from the time before. There might be something in the fridge that needs to get used up or maybe a different kind of pepper was on sale.

These Americanized versions might not be authentic, but they can be tasty and packed with nutrients. I will definitely be making pumpkin enchiladas again, I just don’t think I’ll be using kale.

More:Taste: There's better way to serve soup than in a homemade bread bowl

Pumpkin enchiladas

Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 14.5-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes.

  • 1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée.

  • ⅓ to ½ cup sour cream.

  • 1 cup broth.

  • 2 teaspoons chili powder.

  • 2 teaspoons cumin.

  • 1 teaspoon sea salt.

  • 1 4-ounce can diced green chiles, to desired heat.

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until creamy and smooth, stopping to stir a few times to encourage blending.

Filling

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons oil.

  • 1 medium red onion, diced.

  • 1 large red bell pepper, diced.

  • 2 cups loosely packed chopped kale.

  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.

  • 2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed.

  • 8 8-inch tortillas of choice.

  • 1 16-ounce package of queso quesadilla melting cheese.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook for two to three minutes, stirring occasionally until it begins to soften. Add the bell pepper, kale and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the kale is wilted and no longer bright green, about four to five minutes.

More:Taste: Skip the boards and spread butter with a knife. New trend can make a mess

Add the drained and rinsed black beans, 3 cups enchilada sauce and 1/4 cup water. Stir and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat slightly, cover and cook for eight to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow the black beans to soak up the flavors of the sauce.

Pour about 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread to coat the bottom of the dish.

Take one tortilla and lay it down in the dish. Place about ½ cup of filling on one end, then roll it up and tuck the enchilada against the side of the baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. If there’s any leftover filling, you can either add it to the casserole dish or serve it in quesadillas or bowls.

Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas and use a spoon to distribute the sauce into the cracks. Top with a generous amount of cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until warmed through and a little crackly on top.

Served topped with sliced avocado and chopped cilantro.

Recipe adapted from The Minimalist Baker at https://minimalistbaker.com/pumpkin-black-bean-enchiladas-gf-optional/ and Ambitious Kitchen https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/spicy-black-bean-chicken-enchiladas-with-pumpkin-sour-cream-sauce/.

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Give pumpkin a try when making sauce for enchiladas