Black Bean and Butternut Enchilada Skillet

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Make a note that this recipe calls for cooked chicken so plan ahead. You could easily leave out the chicken for a meatless meal if you prefer.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil (olive, coconut, canola, etc.)  *I also used some chicken broth
• 1/2 cup chopped red or yellow onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (optional) *We like a little kick, so I didn't thoroughly deseed ours. If you don't have a jalapeno you can add 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes.
• 4 cups diced butternut squash (from a small to medium butternut squash that has been peeled and seeded)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 8 yellow or white corn tortillas, cut into large squares (I cut each tortilla in thirds and then chopped the strips in half) *I only used 6 tortillas
• 2 cups green enchilada sauce *I used 1-10 oz can and it was saucy enough.  I've never used more than 1 1/2 cups. Red enchilada sauce is also good.
• 2-3 cups cooked, cubed chicken *I cooked mine in a separate skillet while the vegetables were cooking.  You can also cook it part way then add the vegetables.
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro *I used 1/2 cup.  We like cilantro.
• 6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) shredded Monterey Jack cheese *I used sharp cheddar because that's what I had.  Pepperjack would also be good.
• Can serve with sour cream, olives, avocado, or any other toppings you'd like.  It is good without any additional toppings.

Directions

1. In a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, garlic and jalapeno, if using. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften. Stir in the butternut squash, salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder.  *I also used some chicken broth to cook the veggies.
2. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the squash is tender. If you want a smoother consistency to the squash, continue cooking until it breaks down to a creamy consistency, otherwise you can cook it just until it becomes tender.
3. Stir in the beans, tortillas and enchilada sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for a couple of minutes so the tortillas can soak up some of the sauce and start to cook down just a little bit.
4. Add the chicken, cilantro and 1 cup of the cheese. Stir to combine and heat through. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and let the mixture sit for 1-2 minutes over medium-low or medium heat until the cheese melts.  *I only put cheese on top (did not stir any into it).

**This recipe can easily be adapted to what you want.  You could add or leave stuff out.  We really like it's flavor.