Mexican Black Bean and Butternut Squash Casserole



In the winter my family survives on casseroles like this one. I love a good casserole for a number of reasons –
  1. casseroles can be a whole meal - if it includes at least three of the four food groups and lots of vegetables
  2. they make enough for at least two meals
  3. they usually freeze well and
  4. my favourite – you can always, always, always add more vegetables!

I made this one before the holidays. I added more vegetables, substituted in plain Greek Yogurt and removed some of the salt.

We loved the flavour of the vegetable mixture but were not big pans of the layered tortillas which became soggy while baking. In the future I will totally make the vegetable mixture again. I would plan of serving it in a variety of ways.
  • At breakfast in an omelet or with scrambled eggs or in a wrap for on the go  
  • For lunch or dinner in a taco (instead of the meat), as a salad on top of some green, in a lettuce wrap or on its own like a chili/stew with some hot sauce –yum!


Ingredients
Roasted Butternut squash
  • 5-6 cups of butternut squash, cubed
  • 1 tbsp. canola oil
  • Salt and pepper

 Vegetable Mixture
Always get help if you have it. Chopping vegetables is a great skill for older children to learn.
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 tsp. canola oil
  • 2 green pepper, diced
  • 2 red pepper, diced
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 can of corn, drained and rinsed or you could use fresh or frozen corn
  • 1 - 19 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed

Ingredients for assembling the casserole
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 9-12 corn tortillas, 6 inch (I could not find corn tortillas so I used whole wheat wraps)
  • 1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt, divided
  • 1 cup enchilada sauce, divided
  • 1 ½ cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided


Directions
Roasting the butternut squash:
  • Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
  • Peel the squash and slice it into 3/4 inch cubes. Toss the squash cubes in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon canola oil and salt and pepper to taste.

  • Put butternut squash on the baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, until soft. Flip the squash cubes over after the first 15 minutes of baking.

  •  TIP: You will likely only need about ½ of a medium sized squash for this recipe. I roast the whole squash and freeze the extra or use it in something else later on in the week.

Making the vegetable mixture:
  • Heat 2 teaspoons of canola oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped green and red bell pepper, 2 teaspoon cumin, and 2 teaspoon chili powder, and roast the vegetables until charred just a bit.

  • Then add corn, black beans and roasted butternut squash.

  • Taste the mixture. Add more chili powder or cumin, if needed.


Assembling the casserole:
  • In a 9 x 13 inch casserole pan, add 1 cup of salsa and spread to coat the bottom evenly. Top with 3-4 tortillas, overlapping to cover the bottom of the casserole dish.
I cut the wraps to fit better and to use less. If you use 4 wraps per layer there will be more overlap.
  • Spread 1/3 of the vegetable mixture over the tortillas. Top with 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, dropping it in small dollops all over, and then carefully spreading it over the veggies. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese. Top with 3-4 tortillas.


  • Spread 1/3 of the vegetable mixture over the tortillas. Top with 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, dropping it in small dollops all over, and then spreading it carefully over the veggies. Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce evenly all over. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese. Top with 3-4 tortillas.
  • Spread 1/3 of the vegetable mixture over the tortillas. Top with 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, dropping it in small dollops all over, and then spreading it carefully. Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce evenly all over. Sprinkle with 1/2 Mozzarella cheese.

  • Bake at 375 F for 35 minutes uncovered.



Enjoy!

Shannon RD
Registered Dietitian


Comments