These Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce get an unexpected upgrade with a spicy pumpkin sauce! Sharp cheddar lightly covers the top, melting in to a bubbly, cheesy topping. These enchiladas simple to make, require few ingredients, and are healthy and delicious!
An Unlikely Pumpkin Recipe
Enchiladas tend to be a favorite food group over here, and I’ll take them any way I can get them. Chicken, beef, cheese, smothered in a rich sauce, or served dry and topped with copious amounts of avocado and cilantro.
But…pumpkin? In enchiladas?
The answer is a resounding YES, and they might just blow your mind.
Pumpkin, But Make It Spicy
The pumpkin in these enchiladas comes through in the sauce. A humble can of pumpkin puree serves as the base, but it gets a spicy kick from jalapeños and chili powder. This luscious sauce is poured over simple roasted chicken and green onions, wrapped in corn tortillas.
Top with some fresh grated sharp cheddar, and you’re golden.
Well technically, you’ll be orange, you know – since this is pumpkin and all.
Add some avocado (obvi), some cilantro, and your favorite hot sauce. These Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce are so incredibly delicious!
Looking for some other recipes to kick up the spice?
- Garlicky White Bean and Chicken Enchiladas
- Fish Tacos with Chipotle Crema
- Healthy Mexican Street Corn
- Texas Caviar
- Pineapple Jalapeno Margaritas
Tried Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce and loved them? Use the hashtag #sohappyyoulikedit and tag @sohappyyoulikedit on social media so I can see your creations!
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Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups leftover roast chicken, skin removed and meat shredded
- 6 scallions, thinly sliced
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 15 oz pumpkin puree
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 jalapeno chile, quartered (remove ribs and seeds for less heat, if desired)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
- 8 6 inch corn tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine chicken and scallions. Season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.
- In a blender, puree pumpkin, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, 2 1/2 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth (hold top firmly as blender will be quite full). Pour 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square (or other shallow 2-quart) baking dish.
- Lay tortillas on work surface; mound chicken mixture on half of each tortilla, dividing evenly. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in baking dish.
- Pour remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with cheese. Place dish on a baking sheet; bake until cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.