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One of the best recipes I’ve ever made! Been a vegetarian for a year and this takes the cake. WOW.
Lauren
Hey, guess what? You’re coming for dinner.
And I made you the Real Deal Dinner. As in corn tortillas stuffed with roasted peppers, butternut squash, and mushrooms, smothered with homemade tomatillo sauce and lovingly topped with melted cheese.
I was inspired to make these mushroom enchiladas after visiting a Mexican restaurant in Montana that blew my socks off with everything good and fresh and wonderfully spicy. Wait, what? Montana is full of surprises, folks. Almost everything in this recipe is made from scratch, it has incredibly fresh tangy flavor (thank you dear roasted tomatillo sauce loaded with cilantro), and the required enchilada melty cheese creaminess just makes me want to cry.
One teensy tiny thing, FYI. The Real Deal Dinner requires a pretty good amount of veggie-loving time to come together.
*pout* I almost never like recipes that are >30 minutes in prep. But you know what?
That’s right. I just gave you a little love note in the photo. New/exciting.
Think of the veggies that need your TLC here: squash, mushrooms, red peppers, jalapeños, onions, tomatillos, and cilantro. Now think of the flavors that will pop your mouth once you give them the attention they want. Even with the prep time, once you have the filling and the sauce made, you’re on EZ street.
Plus I’ve been known to make the filling and the sauce and just keep it in the fridge for a quick mini pan of enchiladas mid-week.
It’s just friendly food, guys.
Speaking of guys, my guy reports that he reeeeally liked these and they were so so sooo good but he just wished they were chicken.
Hmph. Sweet, babe.
Even though my inner veggie lover cried a little bit, it’s alright. He brings me back down to earth and reminds me that there are people in this world would rather not have mushrooms in their enchiladas. gasp.
But those of you who get me on this? I know you’re out there, and I can’t wait for you to come over for dinner. YOU’LL LOVE THEM.
So back to the food. While it’s all cookin’ up, get your buckets of toppings washed and chopped and crumbled, because it’s the right thing to do.
AVOCADO.
QUESO FRESCO.
CEELANNTROOO.
And once your lovely enchilada cooking sesh is done, you will scoop out a few of those bad boys onto a plate and you will let the toppings flow generously and you will have yourself a plate full of mighty fine butternut squash and mushroom enchiladas covered with homemade tomatillo sauce.
Mwah.
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Butternut Squash & Mushroom Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Description
These Butternut Squash and Mushroom Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce are vegetarian and packed with delicious flavor. So yummy!
Ingredients
For the enchiladas
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 large jalapeño, chopped, seeds and ribs removed
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper (2 peppers)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2–3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 16 ounces fresh chopped mushrooms
- 12–15 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded cheese
- Mexican toppings: cilantro, avocado, queso fresco
For the sauce
- 2 lbs. tomatillos
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 2 cups broth
- 1/2 cup half and half or cream
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Sauce: Remove the husks and place the tomatillos on a greased baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, until the skins have brown or black spots on them and the tomatillos are soft. Place in a blender with the garlic and cilantro and puree until mostly smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and add the broth. Simmer for 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Add the cream and season with salt.
- Squash Filling: In a large nonstick pan over high heat, roast the jalapeño and bell pepper. Do not stir too often; let the skins get browned and roasted. Add the onions and saute for a few minutes. Add the squash, 1 tablespoon butter, cumin, chili powder, and salt; saute until the squash is fork tender. Set aside.
- Mushroom Filling: Place 1 tablespoon butter back in the pan; add the mushrooms and saute until soft and browned. Season with salt and additional cumin and chili powder.
- Assembly: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wrap the tortillas in a moist paper towel and warm in the microwave. Stuff the softened tortillas with a little bit of squash and mushrooms. Roll and place seam-side-down in a baking dish. Repeat until finished; cover with sauce and top with cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
This recipe was perfect for us because even though it makes a ton of enchiladas, you can just keep the filling and sauce for a few days and then make a few enchiladas throughout the week as needed. As written, the filling would stuff about 20-25 small corn tortillas. The size of pan to use will depend on how many you’re baking at one time.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
Keywords: squash and mushroom enchilada, easy enchilada recipe, tomatillo sauce
PS. Thanks again for all your kind and caring comments and emails showing concern for those in the Philippines affected by Typhoon Haiyan.
Please please please, on behalf of all of our friends in the Philippines, if you are able, please consider giving to support relief efforts through an organization like Unicef or World Vision. Our friends in Cebu are safe, but so many people in the surrounding islands are without FOOD and WATER. Stores are being looted, communication lines have been cut off, and the situation is becoming increasingly violent as people become desperate to get what they need to survive.
Thank you again for simply caring! We so appreciate you all. ♥
Made this and although I doubled the spices, I found them a little underwhelming. That said, I make tomatillo salsa/enchilada sauce as you describe all the time and so I already had some on hand. Maybe I didn’t use enough of it? It just wasn’t quite as flavourful as I’d hoped. A bit too sweet and I needed something more zesty to balance it out. So I added lime and that helped. I’d add more hot peppers and more spice if I made this again. I have made your spicy lentil nachos and loved them—I make that with my tomatillo enchilada sauce too and it’s always a winner.
I didn’t find any amounts for the additional chili powder and cumin to add to the mushrooms.
Jannalee here again, Lindsay. I did two things: (1) Ilooked up the difference between tomatillos; and (2) found another of your recipes for the tomatillo sauce, which listed 2 pounds by weight, rather than a number of tomatillos. So I’m good!
From Dr. Google, here are the tomatillos that I currently need to prepare for the pot and the freezer:
“The Milpero tomatillo is a miniaturized, berry-like relative of the tomatillo. It’s about half the size, around 1 to 1 ½ inches in diameter, and its flavor is more concentrated with a less intense acidity and slightly sweeter taste than the tomatillo.“
I have never seen them in our local market, but I discovered that they are extremely easy to grow. They shoot straight up to about 5’+ and at least a 2’ in diameter, if not taller. Very bushy and prolific.
Thank you again for all of your wonderful recipes. I’ve been following you for years and appreciate everyone of them. ~Jannalee in Oregon
Zowies! Left over homemade tomatillo sauce, half/half filling of mushrooms & dark chicken meat, little spread of leftover refried beans on the inside, Mex cheese and a dollop of sour cream on top: WOW. I’m amazed I found a recipe with both butternut squash AND tomatillo sauce together! Thanks!!
So glad you enjoyed this!
This filling is so savory and delicious! I didn’t have the ingredients for the tomatillo sauce so I subbed a jar of whole foods enchilada sauce and these were so unique and great!
Glad you enjoyed the enchiladas, Amanda! 🙂
Your recipe here appeals to me, but it did not mention removing the skins from the tomatillos. The blackened skin might not taste good or look good after being processed. Please clarify. Thanks!
I had trouble getting the squash to fork tender. After 30 minutes, it was still a little hard and the onions were burnt to a a crisp. Any suggestions?
I had some delicious mushroom enchiladas at a restaurant over the weekend and decided I needed something similar at home asap, so off to google I went. It was no surprise that the best looking recipe was from one of my favorite sites 🙂 Shockingly, this was my first time making enchiladas and this recipe was so helpful! I confess I used store bought sauce (plus a few additions of my own) because I couldn’t find tomatillos. I also used Maria & Ricardo’s brand whole wheat tortillas — highly recommend. I made the fillings as written and it was soo tasty. Served with quinoa, black beans, sliced avocado and lots of cilantro. Thanks!!
So glad to hear that! 🙂
What is a tomatillo??? It is green I assume!! A form of tomato? A hot pepper?
Hi Sabrina! It’s a Mexican green tomato – we can usually find it in most grocery stores. 🙂
Made these last night for my dad for dinner. Kitchen smelled AMAZING throughout (I think it was the tomatillo sauce esp), which lifted all our spirits, and all who ate were very pleased. I had some white beans in the fridge that I warmed up in the skillet with the mushrooms and they worked texturally/tastefully in the enchiladas.
My one criticism: granted, I’m no kitchen expert, but prep time took much more than 30 minutes for me. I’d say ~2 hours for the whole process is accurate (maybe I just needed some more practice balancing everything going on between cuttingboard, stovetop and oven!). I also did terribly not destroying my little corn tortillas as I wrapped each enchilada; could you offer a spare tip there?
Overall, worth the effort – delicious! Thank you 🙂
P.S. Also subbed cashew milk for the half-and-half/cream in tomatillo sauce — seemed to work fine with a creamier nutmilk.
One of the best recipes I’ve ever made! Been a vegetarian for a year and this takes the cake. WOW.
i made your cashew spinach sweet potatoes..yummy..i put one yam with the sweet potatoes …i really enjoyed it..thank you..
p..s the butter nut and mushroom enchilada is next..
Thanks for the recipe! We have a BUMPER crop of tomatillos this year, (5 gallons …!!) so I have been searching for non-salsa recipes, as we’ve already made so. much. salsa. I simplified the recipe a bit by roasting all of the veggie filling ingredients in the oven at 425. I also always make flat enchiladas, (corn tortillas layered lasagna-style with the filling, cheese, and sauce,) as corn tortillas always seem to crack and break on me. We can’t wait for dinner tonight!
That’s awesome, Catherine! Glad to hear it!
What a delicious meal! My hubby says the final vote from him will be today after he sees how the leftovers are, but so far it’s tops with him too. I did veganize the dish by using vegan butter, omitting the cheese (topped it with diced avocado before serving to get the rich creaminess) and used coconut milk in place of the cream. This is going to be on the menu again soon!
I had some free time in the morning the day I made this, so I cut all my veggies ahead of time and roasted my tomatillos. It made the dinner come together really fast that night. Who could complain about 30 minutes in the kitchen when you have a glass of wine in hand?
So glad to hear that, Shannon! (and good to know it works with coconut milk!)
I made this dish a few weeks back and loved it. I was just looking at my recipe printout thinking about making it again and wondered where I got this recipe? Luckily it prints your website on the top of the recipe. So I’m back at your website to look at what else you have. You have some great recipes here. I think I will become a regular.
Thanks Cheryl! So glad to hear that!
Can’t wait to try this dish!! What do you use for the broth when making the sauce?
Usually chicken broth or veggie broth!
I stumbled upon this recipe when I got both tomatillos and butternut squash in my CSA share this week. I made these last night and they were SO worth the effort. With the large quantities I made three 8×8 pans – baked one for dinner and put the other two in the freezer for later. Both me and my husband raved about how delicious they were!
Thanks for the comment – I’m so glad to hear that you liked it Megan!
This dish is amazing. I made this for dinner and my husband said it was better than Fronterra in Chicago, which is his favorite restaurant. I am definitely going to be making this again. It is time consuming but well worth it. I also substituted olive oil for butter and omitted cheese which made it Vegan.
I love this! 🙂 🙂 Mostly because I adore Frontera so the idea that this is on point with their yumminess is awesome. Thanks!
This is my favourite dish! I have only made it twice now (in 3 weeks) – but it seems to taste better the 2nd time 🙂
I love all of the flavours and how they work so well together.
Thank you for sharing this!!
Thank you Valeda! So glad to hear that.
My husband can’t handle lactose, could I substitute plain almond milk for the half and half or should I just skip the milk all together? Thanks.
I made this recipe today. Was a little apprehensive because we are meat eaters. Went for it based on the other comments. We all loved it. Husband too. Will definitely be making it again. Next time I will add a second jalapeno because we really didn’t get any of the spicy heat from just one, but the flavors really were wonderful. Topped with a dollup of plain Greek yogurt, chopped avocado, chopped cilantro.
Great comments! Thanks Kathy!
Ooooh…. All these veggies be in my garden, even the tomatillos! Could this be any more perfect?
I’m making these tonight and I can’t wait – but before I do that I want to thank you for including the nutritional information on your recipe! This is so helpful and I really appreciate it.
Thanks for the comment Elizabeth!
Hey,
Sounds amazing, I love having delicious veggie options, but….I hate mushrooms. Any alternatives you can think of?
Thanks!
Black beans? Not exactly the same, but they’d go nicely with the squash!
So, I prepped all the “stuff” for this meal this morning, like I was pealing squash and frying everything up at 6am. I am not normally that person who has that much energy but I knew I was going to have a long couple of days and not much time for dinner so at risk of having McSomething again I got cooking in the am.
It smelled great! I fully admit that I am breaking the rules and am going to add some shreaded chicken I have on the fridge to make hubby happy.
My question is do you have any tips for pealing butternut squash? Do you use a technique similar to https://pinchofyum.com/how-to-cut-and-peel-a-kabocha-squash.
Or do you use a vegetable pealer, and if so do you have any recommendations? My potato pealer was having some trouble. (Bonus points in my book if I can order whatever you recommend on amazon) .
Thanks for sharing all your great recipies!
Nooo way, my vegetable peeler would die if I tried to use it on the butternut squash! The skin is really tough, so I use a big ol’ knife and do it just like it is pictured in the post you mentioned. My knives aren’t anything super fancy, just a Kitchen Aid knife set I we got a few years ago. You can also roast the squash and then take the skin off, but for whatever reason in general I prefer to work with it pre-peeled, cubed, and uncooked. 🙂