Chicken Enchilada Casserole (with Black Beans and Butternut Squash)

 This is a delicious meal to make for your family and friends.  It comes together easily, thanks to some time saving purchases, such as rotisserie chicken, tortillas, and frozen butternut squash.  You can make it and serve it the same day, but it tastes great as leftovers and I have frozen individual pieces to eat even later.  You can serve with any toppings you like:  salsa, sour cream, green onions, guacamole.  Recipe credit goes to Greta Podleski and her Yum & Yummer Cookbook.

 Using rotisserie chicken makes this dish so easy!  If you have an instant pot, why not save the bones and make your own broth?  If you are vegetarian, you can always leave out the chicken and just add more butternut squash and beans.

 You can use fresh butternut squash, but if you want to save on time, just by frozen.  You don't have to dice it and you can defrost it in the microwave or in the fridge.

Ingredients

Sauce:

1 Tb. olive oil

1 cup diced onions

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 can (23 oz) no-salt-added tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 Tb chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. sea salt

2 Tb. minced fresh cilantro (optional) 

12 7-inch corn or flour tortillas

4 cups chopped cooked rotisserie chicken

1 can (19 oz) no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups butternut squash, diced

2 cups shredded part-skim Tex-Mex cheese blend

Optional ingredients:  diced avocados, diced tomatoes, chopped green onions, and minced fresh cilantro.

Heat olive oil in medium pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic.  Cook and stir until onions begin to soften, about 2 minutes.

Stir in broth, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt.  Mix well.  

Bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce to low and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.  Remove sauce from heat and stir in cilantro, if using.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees f.  Spray a deep, 9 by 13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

Are you a fan of black beans?  I hate to admit it, but years ago, I was afraid of them.  I really wanted nothing to do with them. Weird, hey?  I guess I just thought they were going to taste bad.  Fortunately, I finally tried them and realized there was nothing to fear.  Black beans are a great addition to so many things, and you can feel good about it for the fiber and protein they add.

Spoon about 3/4 cup sauce over bottom of dish. 

Top with three tortillas, cutting as necessary (or just overlapping them, as I did).  Top with another 3/4 cup of sauce followed by 1/3 of the chicken, 1/3 of the beans, 1/3 of the squash, and 1/4 of the cheese.

Repeat layering two more times.

Top with remaining 3 tortillas, followed by remaining sauce and cheese.

Spray foil with cooking spray and cover casserole dish.  Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.  Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.  

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

 

Serve hot with any or all of the optional garnishes.