You probably didn’t know that you can use a can of pumpkin puree to make an amazing delicious homemade enchilada sauce! This dish always gets rave reviews. This enchiladas recipe is a great way to enjoy savory pumpkin along with roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin soup and roasted pumpkin.
Pumpkin Enchiladas Ingredients
When you make these pumpkin enchiladas you will need cooked, shredded chicken, pumpkin puree, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, seasoned salt, kosher salt, tortillas, Monterey jack cheese, a tomato, black olives and cilantro leaves. If you want more pumpkin dishes, try my favorite pumpkin desserts like pumpkin cheesecake bars, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, chocolate pumpkin cheesecake muffins and pumpkin dip.
How Do You Make Pumpkin Enchiladas?
Tips For The Perfect Pumpkin Enchiladas
Make sure you have smaller tortillas. You want ones that are 6 or 8 inches in diameter. They might be called soft taco or fajita size. This recipe calls for cooked chicken. You could use rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken or bake and shred some chicken thighs or chicken breasts. The pumpkin puree gives the enchilada sauce a smooth and creamy texture that you may not find with other enchilada sauces. You can use canned pumpkin puree or make your own pumpkin puree. I’ve written this recipe to serve 4 people, but it can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd. You can also make a big batch and freeze some for another day. The sauce and enchiladas can be frozen separately for up to 3 months. To bake, thaw the enchilada sauce and pour it over the frozen enchiladas. Bake according to recipe directions and add an additional 5-7 minutes to the cook time.
Flavor VAriations
This pumpkin enchiladas recipe is fantastic; however, you can change the flavors to suit your own taste. Next make the enchiladas by laying tortillas flat and placing chicken and shredded cheese into the tortillas. Roll the tortillas up and set them in your baking dish. Pour sauce over the top and sprinkle on more cheese. Bake until the cheese melts and the enchiladas warm through. Add some sliced olives, chopped tomatoes and cilantro on top for a fresh flavor to complement the richness of the sauce and enjoy.
Spicy: Add your favorite hot sauce to the enchilada sauce or chicken to bring the heat. Meat: You can make these enchiladas with cooked meats like ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey, shredded beef or shredded turkey. Beans: Feel free to add pinto beans or black beans to your enchiladas. Make sure to drain and rinse your beans before using them. Toppings: Pick your favorite toppings like sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, sliced avocado, sliced jalapeno peppers and salsa. Cheese: I use Monterey Jack cheese but you could also use cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese or a Mexican cheese blend. Seasoning: Feel free to add seasonings to your chicken. You can add salt, black pepper, cumin, chili powder or a little of my taco seasoning.
These enchiladas are great as is or make a complete meal with pinto beans and rice. So many enchilada sauces are made with tomatoes which are flavorful, but don’t provide much texture. This enchilada sauce uses pumpkin puree as a base which creates a smooth, velvety and creamy sauce. You may never want to make regular old enchiladas again!
