Butternut Squash Mexican Enchilada Casserole
An easy, layered Mexican Enchilada Casserole filled with chicken, roasted butternut squash, kale, and black beans. Baked in an enchilada sauce with melty cheese and tortillas. It’s a crowd-pleaser and a family favorite.
This Mexican casserole is so easy, so flavorful, so healthy… so delicious. It’s on fall repeat at our house.
After a hearty weeknight dinner, this casserole has seen multiple duty meals. Honestly, I’ve been lunching on it all week long.
Ingredients for this Butternut Squash Mexican Enchilada Casserole
Vegetables: onion, garlic, 3 cups cubed butternut squash, and baby kale leaves.
Pantry: enchilada sauce (I love this Homemade recipe, but store-bought works good too), black beans, salsa, tortillas (I like whole wheat but any, including corn tortillas work).
Protein: 3 cups cooked chicken (rotisserie is wonderful or any leftover chicken you have), and Mexican shredded cheese.
Spices: ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Add heat with additional cayenne or throw in a jalapeno pepper or two!
How to Make Butternut Squash Mexican Enchilada Casserole
On a baking sheet in the oven or a skillet on the stovetop, roast the butternut squash until it begins to brown. Then add the onions, salsa, water, beans, and spices.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a 9×13-inch casserole dish, spread 1/4 of the enchilada sauce in the bottom. Lay 2 tortillas, overlapping, on top of the sauce. Then spread half of the butternut squash, black bean filling over the tortillas. Layer 1/2 of the chicken and baby kale leaves over the filling. Spread half of the remaining enchilada sauce over that and sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Repeat that layer one more time.
Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly. Let sit 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
Garnish with fresh cilantro, red pepper flakes, sour cream, avocados…. or anything else that sounds delicious!
Butternut Squash Mexican Enchilada Casserole
This easy, crowd-pleasing Butternut Squash Mexican Enchilada Casserole is packed with flavor, vegetables, and bubbling with enchilada sauce and melty cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups butternut squash, cubed
- 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup salsa
- 2/3 cup water
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 - 4 cups baby kale leaves
- 3 cups cooked chicken (rotisserie is great!)
- 2 cups shredded Mexican four-cheese blend
- 1 (14 oz.) can enchilada sauce
- 4 tortillas (corn or flour -- we like whole wheat flour)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onions until soft, about 5 minutes, add the garlic and cook for another minute. Then add to the skillet the raw butternut squash cubes, salsa, water, cumin, and chili powder. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until the butternut squash is fork-tender. Stir in the drained and rinsed black beans
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a 9x13-inch casserole dish, spread 1/4 of the enchilada sauce in the bottom. Lay 2 tortillas, overlapping, on top of the sauce. Then spread half of the butternut squash, black bean filling over the tortillas. Layer 1/2 of the chicken and baby kale leaves over the filling. Spread half of the remaining enchilada sauce over that and sprinkle with the shredded cheese.
- Repeat that layer one more time.
- Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the foil and bake another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly. Let sit 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro, red pepper flakes, sour cream, avocados.... or anything else that sounds delicious!
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