Since my husband discovered he likes butternut squash (Butternut Squash & White Bean Chili is what sent him over the edge), I’ve wanted to whip up a ton of different recipes to showcase this versatile fall favorite. And what a surprise—he loved this Roasted Butternut Squash Enchilada Stack with Creamy Green Sauce even more than the chili!

The sweetness of the butternut squash in this recipe perfectly balances the slight kick from the roasted poblano peppers in the filling. And the creamy green sauce…prepare yourselves. It’s so delicious, so tangy and is made simply with light cream cheese, hatch green chilies and green enchilada sauce (the kind from a pouch or a can). Top each golden brown slice with a bit of avocado + cilantro, and you’ll be in business!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 butternut squash, cubed

• 1 red onion, chopped

• 2 poblano peppers, chopped

• 2 T. olive oil

• 1 T. ground cumin

• 1 T. ground chili powder

• 2 t. smoked paprika

• 3 T. butter

• 3 T. flour

• 1 c. vegetable broth

• 16 oz. green enchilada sauce (I used Frontera brand)

• 1 - 4 oz. can green chiles

• 8 oz. light cream cheese

• 1 - 14.5 oz. can fiesta corn

• 1 - 14.5 oz. can black beans, drained & rinsed

• 18 street taco-sized corn tortillas

• 3/4 c. shredded pepper jack cheese

• Pickled jalapeños, sliced avocado and cilantro, to garnish

STEPS

1) Use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin from the squash. Chop both ends off the squash and cut it in half length-wise. Use a spoon (or your hands) to remove the pulp, seeds and stringy bits. Cut the squash into small cubes.

2) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the butternut squash, red onions and poblanos on the sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika. Use a spatula to toss the veggies, making sure they’re well coated. Cook for 10 minutes, remove and toss the veggies, then cook another 10 minutes.

3) While the veggies are cooking, prepare the creamy green sauce. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the flour to the pan and whisk until smooth and bubbly.

4) Pour in the vegetable broth and enchilada sauce and stir well to combine. Add the cream cheese and green chiles and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat.

5) Add the roasted veggies, black beans and fiesta corn to a large bowl. Season with a bit of salt and toss well to combine.

6) Reduce the oven to 350 degrees. Ladle a bit of the sauce onto the bottom of a 9 in. x 13 in. glass baking dish. Cover the bottom of the dish with six tortillas. Pour in half of the veggie mixture and spread out evenly. Pour 1/3 of the sauce over the veggies. Top with six more tortillas, the rest of the veggie mixture and another 1/3 of the sauce. Finally, top with six more tortillas and the rest of the sauce. Finish by sprinkling the enchilada stack with the shredded pepper jack cheese and placing pickled jalapeños across the top.

7) Cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Adjust the oven to broil and bake for another 3-5 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with sliced avocado and fresh cilantro.