Sean is a big fan of anything Mexican and loves when I make enchiladas.
I’ve been trying to get him to eat healthier (aka more veggies) and have been successful to a small degree. He loved the zucchini and squash chips so I figured I was on my way to more success.
I used to add pumpkin into my enchiladas all the time, but at some point forgot. I figured adding pumpkin would be a GREAT way to sneak some nutrients in without Sean even knowing it.
I used Hungry Girl’s Pumpkin Enchilada recipe for its simplicity.
PUMPKIN ENCHILADAS
Ingredients:
2 medium-large corn tortillas (I used Whole Wheat Flour tortillas)
Shredded Chicken (made in the crockpot with salsa)
3/4 cup enchilada sauce, divided
2/3 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese (I don’t like fat free cheddar cheese, so I used reduced fat)
1 slice fat-free cheddar cheese, halved (Used the real deal–full fat cheese inside)
1 1/2 tbsp. taco sauce
1 tsp. dry taco seasoning mix
Optional: salt, black pepper, sour cream,greek yogurt, chopped scallions
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Bring a pan sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat on the stove. Add onion and, stirring occasionally, cook until it begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.
- Add pumpkin, taco sauce, and taco seasoning to the bowl. Mix well. If you like, season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Spray a small baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside. Warm tortillas slightly in the microwave.
- Lay tortillas flat on a clean, dry surface. Spread 2 tbsp. enchilada sauce onto each one. Place a half-slice of cheese in the center of each tortilla.
- Evenly distribute the pumpkin mixture and chicken between the centers of the tortillas.
- Wrap tortillas up tightly and place them in the baking dish with the seam sides down. Cover with remaining 1/2 cup enchilada sauce.
- Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes, until enchiladas are hot. Carefully remove dish from the oven, and sprinkle enchiladas with shredded cheese.
- Return to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Plate those babies and, if you like, top with sour cream and/or scallions. Enjoy! Makes 2 servings.
I made about double this recipe so we could have leftovers! I also added black beans and more veggies into mine (zucchini, squash and peppers). That’s one thing I love about enchiladas–you can customize them SO much!
Oh, and a word about Hungry Girl–many people avoid her recipes because she uses a lot of fake, processed ingredients. I like to find her recipes and then substitute the ingredients out for REAL food. Her recipes provide a great backbone. Plus, she has a lot of “more natural” recipes. You’ve just gotta look a little harder.
They came out delicious and Sean had no idea about the pumpkin! He just mentioned that they were good!
So tasty and can’t wait to make this again!
(PS–thanks for all the wonderful comments on the sex post. I was honestly a little nervous to post it, but am so happy that I did!)
How do you feel about Hungry Girl?
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I would seriously LOVE these – my husband hates pumpkin so this would be his worst nightmare. But they sound and look incredibly delicious!
YUM these sound great… I bet I could get Jason to like these, he’s not much of a pumpkin or squash fan… thanks for the idea
One of the BEST meals I’ve eaten in Portland was at the Sapphire Lounge: butternut squash enchiladas. Every time I’d see it on a menu at any other restaurant I’d get it and be utterly disappointed. I would LOVE to recreate it. This looks close to it. Thanks for the recipe!
Lisa these look delicious. Usually I don’t like Hungry Girls recipes (she uses alot of ingredients I don’t have or like) — but this looks great!
These enchiladas look fantastic! Pumpkin + Mexican food = winning combo!
I used to get Hungry Girl emails. She has plenty of good ideas and I like the information on restaurants and such. I never made many of her recipes because she seemed big on a lot of artificial ingredients that I don’t typically eat or buy. Not a bad resource, though!
Yumm! Thanks for sharing! LOVED you sex post -so much truth, and articulated in such a wholesome and nourishing way. Thanks for being sooooo awesome!! I LOVE your blog! You are the sh**! xx, B
I almost always use a base recipe and make it exactly how the instructions say the first time and them each time after that I totally improvise. Those look delish. I have some pumkin so don’t buy any you can have mine. I don’t use it much these days.
Maybe I should make this recipe!!!
These look SO good, next time I make enchiladas (which is probably once every 2 weeks, seriously) I want to try it out!
I’ve never done the pumpkin + Mexican food thing…It sounds delish! I’m kind of obsessed with pumpkin right now…getting ready for fall!
I’m with you on Hungry Girl. I usually just make a few substitutions to her recipes to make them more natural, and then they’re great!
I’m like you – I use her recipes as a guide and then make “necessary” changes. I’m like you in disliking no-fat cheese. What’s the point?
YUM! i love these already. if those green placemats are from target, i have them too
Yum! Those look great, and I don’t even like pumpkin.
These enchiladas look great!! I love pumpkin anything!!!!
And I totally agree about Hungry Girl. I’ve made many of her recipes, but put in the real thing instead of the fat free/sugar free version. I think she gives a great recipe to start with and from there we can put in whatever ingredients we want!! 
Go ahead and keep bragging about the pumpkin. *sigh*
I have the hungry girl cookbook and have maybe made 2 things. She has some neat ideas though.
I still have yet to make these! I need to get on it.
I think HG does a good job at making healthier options more relatable to the general public. I do think she tends to use a lot of processed things, but if it makes for a fun meal on occasion oh well! And hopefully the steps of making lighter dishes will push someone to making even better choices.
i love pumpkin but I still cant find the canned ones yet! they are become extinct!
Oh I gotta try these!! I’m making enchiladas tonight… but the old, boring kind
still tasty though!
But I love sneaking in extra healthy ingredients!
I have never made pumpkin enchiladas but they are something I have always wanted to make. I bet my husband would adore them, he love anything with pumpkin.
Hmmm…what are my thoughts on HG…
I would have to say that she has some great ideas for when you really want a fatty recipe but I don’t know if I particularly like all the processed foods she uses…but once in a while (when I would be eating something much worst that her slimmed down recipe) I don’t mind it.
Those look fantastic! I should make them some time!
HG. At first I thought she was brilliant, but as I steered away from ff-everything and crazy substitutions I stopped liking her so much. I don’t want to make chicken cutlets using Fiber One, you know?
I really want to make these! I can’t find canned pumpkin though.
I hate that there is a canned pumpkin shortage. I need to make this! 
I am NOT a fan of Hungry Girl at all. I don’t like the fact that she uses a lot of artificial products. I just really don’t like her approach. I do however, like that you used her recipe and made it healthy without using artifical ingredients.
I used to take Hungry Girl’s word as gospel years ago…before I realized how bad artificial stuff is for you and how it makes me feel. I still read her emails and make a few of her recipes, but for the most part her recipes either have ingredient lists a mile long or have stuff in them that I don’t have in my house.
Those pumpkin enchiladas look delicious!
Ttotally saved this post and am going to make these.
Hot pics from your U too!
Oh, yum! Your take on pumpkin enchiladas sounds absolutely delicious and satisfying. I like your idea to sub in REAL food and add black beans and more veggies.
i didnt know hungry girl had a pumpkin enchilada recipe! i actually made up my own pumpkin enchiladas last year after thanksgiving, they had leftover turkey in them and were super yummy. i like lisa lillian (sp?) and think she helps a lot of people lose weight~ although i don’t agree with the abundance of artificial items she suggests to use.
I’ll check out her site occasionally but I won’t put any money towards her business. She puts forth some pretty inaccurate information and a lot of tips that remind me of the days that I starved myself. Besides, the recipe you posted and the substitutions you made? Well, you pretty much just made your recipe into a Cooking Light recipe that predates Hungry Girl and can be found on their site (through their recipe finder) for free!
Very true and all great points.
I actually found this recipe online, so I didn’t have to buy anything!
That’s because you’re cool like that
Hi,
Those enchiladas look great!
I used to LOVE hungry girl. I would read every recipe, use her recommendations for different foods and use all of her ‘tips and tricks’. I also had an eating disorder and Hungry Girl, for me, enforced the idea that many of my disordered ways of thinking were normal. I believe now that she encourages a lot of disordered behavior, and I really don’t think her diet is healthy. I know many people with eating disorders or disordered eating who use her website, and not always for a healthy purpose. I also agree that she has a lot of fake ingredients – but you’re right, she has a lot of good ideas too, and you can always sub out the fake stuff. However, for the most part I think that the site is rather unhealthy, and I’m glad that I’ve come to that realization now.
Sorry for the rant. I guess I needed to express my frustration with that site.
PS i really love to read your blog!
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