Butternut squash and I are friends all year round. So I’m cheating on summer produce a little bit with this one. I feel this okay because we’re still talking Mexican food which is 50% of my summer intake (although this recipe is in no way remotely authentic). These enchiladas get lightened up with a sauce made of vegetable stock and almond milk plus whole wheat tortillas. It also gets a little protein punch from some chickpeas. There’s still a lot of cheese though… all the cheese.

Inspired by HowSweetEats

You’ll need:

4 cups cubed (0.5inch), uncooked butternut squash

0.5 sweet onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons freshly chopped sage, plus more for topping

2 tablespoons olive oil

0.5 teaspoon salt

0.5 teaspoon pepper

0.5 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup beans (I chose chickpeas but choose your choice)

1 tablespoon brown butter (directions here)

3 cups freshly grated provolone cheese

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon flour

1.5 cups low sodium vegetable stock

1 cup milk (I used almond milk*)

8 whole wheat tortillas

*The combo of the almond milk, veggie stock and limited flour/butter leads to a pretty watery sauce. If you want it to be thicker/richer I would use whole milk (or 2%) and more butter/flour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9×13 dish with nonstick spray.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and sage. Cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened. Add squash, salt, pepper and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, stirring to coat. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes. Do not overcook the squash- cook until it’s slightly tough but you can bite through a few pieces. Taste regularly so you don’t overcook. Once finished, stir in beans and mix well. Remove squash and bean mixture, placing in a large bowl and drizzle with brown butter, then toss with 1/2 cup provolone. Set aside.

In a small skillet, raise the heat to medium-high and add butter. Once sizzling add the flour and whisk for 2-3 minutes until a golden, nutty roux forms. Pour in stock and milk, whisking again until bubbly and slightly thick. Reduce heat to low and stir in 1 cup of provolone, stirring until combined. Add in remaining nutmeg and taste to season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Pour 1 cup of sauce into the bottom of the baking dish, then spoon a few spoonfuls of the squash mixture in the center of each tortilla, rolling up tightly. I set all the tortillas out on my counter and spooned the mixture into them evenly. Then I quickly rolled them and tucked into the baking dish. Pour more of the sauce on top (can pour all of it on like I did but I wish I had poured less on). Then sprinkle with more cheese (can be all the cheese left if you’re aggressive like me)and extra sage. Bake for 20-25 minutes.