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As much as I love Mexican food, photographing it is a big ‘ole pain in the you know what!  Refried beans – YUM!  Photographed – big pile of poo.  These enchiladas – FREAKING YUMMY!  Photographed – not my best shot.  Don’t let the picture fool you, these are the best enchiladas I’ve ever had!  I binged on these for a week after I first made them.  They freeze really well too.  When freezing them add a bit more sauce than you would normally.  You can reheat in the microwave or the oven and they are simply delicious!

~Sarah

Ingredients for Homemade Enchilada Sauce:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 12 ounces no salt added tomato paste
• 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• sea salt to taste

Ingredients for Enchiladas:

• 1 large butternut squash (use half for this recipe and half for this recipe)
• 2 small onions, diced
• 1 1/2 cups cooked lentils (you could also use 1 can of black beans)
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• salt to taste
• 6-8 whole grain tortillas
• 3 cups enchilada sauce (recipe above)

Preparation for Homemade Enchilada Sauce:

1. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add flour and stir until completely dissolved and smooth.  Stir in chili powder and cook for 1 minute.
   

   Add chili powder and cook for another minute more

2. Add tomato paste, vegetable broth, onion powder, cumin, and garlic, and stir to combine.  Cook over medium heat, stirring every so often, for about 4-5 minutes.  Add salt to taste.
   

   Add remaining ingredients and cook for 4-5 minutes

3. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Preparation for Enchiladas:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
   

   Cut squash into 1 inch thick cubes

2. Peel, de-seed, and cube the butternut squash into 1 inch thick cubes.
   

   Roast for 1 hour or until soft and golden brown

3. Toss squash with a bit of oil and salt, and spread evenly on a baking sheet.  Roast for 1 hour or until soft, stirring once during cooking.
4. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.  Transfer half of the cubes to a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher or a fork until smooth. Store the other half in the refrigerator for later use.
5. Add nutmeg, cinnamon and cumin to the squash.  Stir well and set squash aside to cool completely.
   

   Saute the onions and then add the lentils

6. In a large saute pan, add a splash of vegetable broth and over medium high heat sauté the onions until translucent.  Add the lentils and continue to cook until the beans are warmed all the way through.  Remove from heat.
   

   Add 1 cup of sauce to the bottom of a 9×13 dish – I used 2 8×8 pans

7. Spread 1 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 glass baking dish.  Spoon the squash filling evenly onto the tortillas.
   

   Layer the squash and lentils and onions onto the tortilla shell and roll loosely

8. Next spread the lentil and onion mixture evenly onto the tortillas and loosely roll.
   

   Place the tortilla seam side down in the dish

9. Place filled tortillas seam side down in the baking dish and top tortillas with the remainder of the enchilada sauce.
10. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Nutritional Info:

Makes 6-8 enchiladas.

Serving size 1 enchilada.

Nutrients per serving:  Calories: 309.5, Cal. from Fat: 61, Total Fat: 10.5g, Sat. Fat: 1.5g, Carbs: 44.5g, Fiber: 9.5g, Sugars: 6g, Protein: 10.5g, Sodium: 192.5mg, Chol: 0mg

Notes:

Leftover enchiladas can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.  After that they need to be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Variations:

My husband loves rice so for his enchiladas I added 1/4 cup of rice to each enchilada.  It was superb!  I also added some refried beans to mine and it was delicious!

Also, you can add a little cheese to the inside or sprinkle on the outside if you like.  I preferred mine plain but for my husband I added some Daiya Cheese.