Pumpkin Enchilada Casserole with Red Chile Sauce and Poblano-Pepita Salsa
by Jeanne Kelley
If you need a vegetarian “star” for the Thanksgiving table, this is it. (But if you have leftover cooked turkey on hand, it also makes a delicious addition to the filling.)
Serves 6 to 8
For the Sauce
3 oz. dried California chiles (about 10)
3/4 oz. dried ancho chiles (about 2)
6 large cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. light brown sugar
Kosher salt
For the Filling
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into small dice
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbs. ground cumin
3 cups 1/2-inch-diced peeled, seeded pumpkin
1/2 cup lower-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 cups diced leftover skinless roast turkey or rotisserie chicken (optional)
Kosher salt
For Assembly
Olive oil
Ten 6-inch corn tortillas
3 cups packed grated Monterey Jack cheese (3/4 lb.)
1 recipe Poblano-Pepita Salsa
Crema Mexicana or sour cream, for serving
Make the sauce
Stem, seed, and rinse the chiles. Put the chiles, garlic, oregano, and 3 cups water in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chiles and garlic are very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 30 minutes. Purée in a blender.
Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until it begins to color, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully stir in the chile mixture—it will spatter—and bring to a boil. Stir in the sugar and 2 tsp. salt. Keep warm.
Make the Filling
Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over mediumhigh heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until nicely browned, about 11 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin and stir to coat. Lower the heat to medium, add the broth, cover, and simmer until the pumpkin is just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the turkey (if using) and season to taste with salt. asse mble
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Brush a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce evenly over the bottom of the dish. Heat a griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and brush lightly with oil. One at a time, heat 5 tortillas until softened and pliable, about 1 minute per side. Arrange the griddled tortillas over the sauce in the pan (you can cut them to fit if necessary). Spread 1/2 cup sauce over the tortillas. Spoon the filling evenly over the sauce and top with 1 cup cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup of the sauce over the cheese. Heat the remaining tortillas on the griddle. Arrange the tortillas evenly over the sauce, filling, and cheese. Spread the remaining sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle withthe remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese bubbles and the casserole is heated through, 30 to 35 minutes. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving with the salsa and crema.
Serving Suggestions
Serve
Cold Avocado Soup with Chile-Lime Pepitas or
Chunky Guacamole with
Homemade Tortilla Chips while the casserole is cooling.
Gorditas de Piloncillo (Sweet Fried Masa Cakes) with
Mexican Hot Chocolate make for a sweet finish.
nutrition information (per serving):
Calories
(kcal):
500;
Fat
(g):
24;
Fat Calories
(kcal):
220;
Saturated Fat
(g):
10;
Protein
(g):
30;
Monounsaturated Fat
(g):
10;
Carbohydrates
(g):
42;
Polyunsaturated Fat
(g):
2.5;
Sodium
(mg):
1100;
Cholesterol
(mg):
70;
Fiber
(g):
7;
photo: Scott Phillips
From Fine Cooking 107
, pp. 84
September 2, 2010
