CHORIZO EM GEE THESE ENCHILADAS ARE GOOD!
Butternut Squash & Chorizo Are the Perfect Pair for Enchiladas
Happy Thursday W4D Friends!! Well, we’re finally in the downhill sprint to the end of the longest month (spiritually) that exists—January. Girl, bye! 👋 If you’re currently digging out from a mountain of snow, you’ll want to dig in to this week’s recipe, because it’s chock full of warm spices, sweet squash, and gooey cheese. It will feel like a warm hug from your favorite abuelita!
CHORIZO & BUTTERNUT SQUASH ENCHILADAS
AU: As a someone who grew up in Texas, enchiladas are coursing through my veins as much as queso and brisket. In fact to this day, if there’s a combo plate at a Mexican restaurant, I’m getting at least one cheese enchilada with my meal.
And what’s not to love?! Corn tortillas that are soft and pliable, rolled around a flavor-packed filling of choice and topped with cheese and sauce? Babe. I’m in.
But enchiladas are also a MEGA FLEX when it comes to dinner parties or feeding a crowd, because you can make and assemble them ahead of time (thus avoiding the mad dash to finish cooking minutes before company shows up).
EK: As much as I love to cook, I hate that mad dash before the doorbell rings! If I can make it in advance and pop it in the oven while drinks are being served, I am happier and relaxed. And, the idea of making enchiladas at home is such a good one—I mean who doesn’t love an enchilada?!
AU: I love all enchiladas… The Tex-Mex Trinity: Beef, Cheese, Chicken; the green Enchiladas Suizas; I even love a good mushroom and spinach enchilada! But this week I wanted to use up a butternut squash that’s been staring at me for two weeks from my kitchen counter. And if you haven’t paired butternut squash with Mexican chorizo, you’re missing out!
AU: Most of the time when I’m making a butternut squash for soup or a mash, I’m using Elizabeth’s tried-and-true method… which is the most laissez faire technique out there!
But for enchiladas, we need to peel and dice the squash into lil quarter inch-ish pieces, so that they can become a tortilla filling. Here’s how I break down a butternut squash:
Start by lopping off just the top stem, and the bottom quarter inch of the vegetable, so you can work with a flat, sturdy base. Then peel the whole squash (either with a veg peeler or with your knife) until you see the bright orange flesh of the squash. If you see yellow, pale orange, or little green veins, you haven’t peeled away enough. Then separate the bulbous part from the top “stem” portion by slicing crosswise through the squash’s equator. Cut the “stem” part lengthwise into planks, and then cut the planks into batons, and the batons should be cut crosswise into cubes (as you can see above). Halve the peeled bulbous part and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, using the edge of the spoon to scrape away the stringy bits (like when you carve a pumpkin!). Then you can cut the curved sections into smaller pieces like you did with the other half of the squash. Done!
AU: When it comes to the filling, you could literally just brown some chorizo in a little oil, and add the cubed butternut squash. That would be lovely, but if you throw in some onions, garlic, poblano and jalapeño chiles, along with some chili powder, cinnamon, and cumin… you’ve got a wowee-wow-wow on your hands.
It’s important to use the fresh Mexican chorizo that can be freed from its casings, and not the Spanish-style chorizo that is cured and sliceable in its uncooked form. If you’d like to use a chorizo-style plant-based substitute, it is fantastic in this recipe. First of all, I would venture to say that plant-based chorizo is a gateway meat substitute. It’s just as tasty as the pork version, but a little lighter and without any of the (delectable) pork fat. But I’ll also say that there are so many other spices and flavors packed in this filling, that you could probably use plain ground beef, turkey, pork or plant-based crumbles here, and still have a fab enchilada experience. As for plant-based cheese… I’m a little more skeptical. I still haven’t found one that melts well.
EK: First of all, my mouth is watering! There is something magical about the combination of the smoky, spicy Mexican chorizo and the mild and nutty butternut squash. I have a squash that I was going to make soup with, but I am going to make these enchiladas instead!
Speaking of which, I want to emphasize how helpful your breakdown of how to cut butternut squash is. Squash is intimidating because it is so hard to cut, but if you approach it in your way—piece by piece—it’s so much easier!
AU: Thanks EK! After you’ve cooked your filling, let it cool to room temp (or just barely warm) before assembling the enchiladas.
AU: The “traditional” method to roll and stuff enchiladas, is to heat a skillet of oil ‘til it’s warm, but not hot. Then, with tongs (or asbestos fingers), quickly dip the the tortilla in the oil before filling and rolling it. The oil accomplishes two very important things that contribute to the structural integrity of your enchiladas: 1) it warms the tortilla enough to make it pliable, and easy to roll around the filling without cracking or breaking, and 2) the oil acts as a barrier to sort of insulate the tortilla from absorbing all of the sauce and become a fall-apart mess.
I find you can do this entire process easily (and with less oil) by simply brushing the tortillas with oil on both sides, and placing them on a sheet pan in a hot oven for a few minutes to warm through. Alternatively, you could brush them and warm them in a skillet or on a griddle for a minute on each side.
Once the filling is cooled, I like to mix in a little cheese and roll-and-fill the enchiladas. You only need a scant quarter cup of filling per tortilla, and you’ll probably have some filling left over (it’s fab with scrambled eggs!).
Start lining up your tortillas in a 13”x9” casserole dish that has a half cup of canned enchilada sauce on the bottom. Just like how you would start assembling a lasagna… always a little sauce on the bottom to start.
EK: It’s funny that you say that. I always say, if you can make lasagna, you can make enchiladas at home! So many people have only eaten enchiladas at a restaurant, but it’s such a fun dish to make at home, and you can really get creative with the filling!
AU: Shower the rolled tortilla soldiers with a blend of Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese (or a “Mexican Blend” from the grocery store) for the ultimate stretchy, gooey, cheesy factor. Then it’s time to pour over the remaining enchilada sauce. If you’re going to make these ahead of time, have a little extra enchilada sauce on hand, in case the tortillas absorb some in the fridge. Nobody wants to eat a dry enchilada. They should be SAWCY!
I bake them covered with foil to let the cheese melt, then uncover to get some yummy crisped edges. Serve ‘em up to a crowd with beans and rice, and you’ll have some happy campers at your table!
