Pumpkin Spice Enchiladas
These are very pumpkin-y and taste like Fall (in Mexico)? Super easy and nutritious with a few key ingredient swaps, these make a good weeknight meal when served with veggies (I chose corn) or a salad.
Pumpkin Spice Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 4 oz. light cream cheese (about half a small container)
- 1 1/2 cups pureed pumpkin (fresh or frozen — I used fresh!)
- heaping TBSP pumpkin butter
- dash of nutmeg
- packet of taco seasoning (only need a tablespoon or so, to taste)
- 1 can (7 oz.) diced green chilis
- 1 can (10 oz.) green enchilada sauce, mild
- 1 can (15.5 oz.) fat free black beans, rinsed
- 2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
- 1 package whole wheat tortillas (small or large)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 and get out a 9×13 glass baking dish.
In a mixing bowl, combine the pureed pumpkin (use frozen if you don’t have fresh) with the cream cheese (brought to room temperature) and stir to blend. Then, add the taco seasoning mix, chilis, and black beans (rinsed). Stir until just combined. Last, add the pumpkin butter and nutmeg and mix by hand until just blended.
In my opinion, the pumpkin butter really MAKES this dish and gives it the flavor punch it needs to be special. Without it, though, the enchiladas will turn out just fine, so don’t let one ingredient deter you.
Assemble each enchilada one by one, cupping the tortilla in one hand while scooping a few spoons full of the pumpkin mixture into the center, adding cheese on top. You’ll use about half your cheese inside the enchiladas and the rest on top of the dish before it goes into the oven.
Place the tortillas folded-side down in the pan; you can probably squeeze about 7 in one pan. Top them with enchilada sauce, taking a spoon to spread it in between and beneath each one, and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese starts browning. Serve warm.
I made some key choices to keep this healthier: whole wheat tortillas, low-fat shredded cheese, fat free black beans (which I rinsed under cold water to reduce the sodium content), lite cream cheese, and serving this with veggies on the side instead of tortilla chips, and without sour cream (it’s creamy enough already!) I also reduced the amount of cheese I typically bake on top. One of these enchiladas plus a full serving of veggies, like the frozen corn I used here, is a much healthier choice than using “Mexican night” as an excuse to overload on fried chips, fatty condiments and beer!
If you liked this, check out my butternut squash enchiladas, and my spinach-ricotta enchiladas — two more vegetarian options that are just as easy and delicious.
