Butternut Squash Enchiladas with Oaxacan Mole
I was recently at a tiny Mexican restaurant and had the chance to eat the “fiesta de mole” which is a platter of 6 chicken or cheese enchiladas each topped with a different mole.
Oh.
My.
Goodness.
Mind blown. First, I had no idea there was such a thing as white chocolate mole. Second, I had no idea that someone would make 6 types of mole at the same time. Third, I had no idea that I could eat 6 enchiladas (actually 5 ½) in one sitting. I was stuffed. And inspired to try my hand in the world of mole.
What better forum than Sunday dinner club?
For those of you not acquainted with our dinner club, it’s hosted by my friend Anna, and I, and we rotate hosting and the group of guests. We split up the menu and prep most of the food together. It’s relaxing and fun, plus we drink while we cook which makes it even more fun!
Because of the time involved in mole, I made it at my place beforehand. We then rolled the enchiladas as a team and baked them into bubbling goodness.
Our menu:
The only other question you may have is why a vegetarian option? Well, I don’t always know if our guests have any dietary restrictions. Plus I had a second chicken enchilada option. Plus I like to eat brightly colored things. Like butternut squash. And Fruit Loops. But I digress…
The point is that it’s good to have a few vegetarian options on hand for a crowd and Mexican food is pretty easy to make vegetarian so why not?
Anyway, empezamos!
Holy mole – do you have any idea how many ingredients go into this dish? It’s almost crazy. I’ve heard of one recipe that calls for 42 different ingredients. I figured sticking to something slightly simpler would be a plus, but mole is supposed to be complex, so I didn’t want to jump straight to a “quick” or “shortcut” mole. I figured Rick Bayless would be a good inspiration. I was right. Plus he has a cool video if you’ve never made it before which is super helpful.
First, clean the chiles by removing stems and seeds which is easiest if you tear open the side and make it flat so you can scrap the insides out. Heat up a skilled and toast the chiles one at a time, pressing down firmly with a spatula.
They will bubble and change colors, plus put off an amazing aroma when they are done. Set aside in a large glass bowl until all are done.
Fill the bowl with hot water until chiles are covered and place a small plate on top so they stay submerged. Soak for at least 30 minutes.
Wash tomatoes, remove husks from tomatillos, chop onions and garlic.
Place tomatoes and tomatillos on a rimmed baking sheet broil for 4-5 minutes per side until blackened. Remove from oven, set aside.
Caramelize the onions and garlic in a skillet with a small amount of oil. Set aside.
Peel skins off tomatoes and add to blender along with onions and garlic. Puree until smooth. Strain into a separate bowl.
Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add tomato puree and stir continuously until tomato mixture thickens, about 10-15 minutes.
Add chile puree and cook for an additional 20 minutes until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Add in bread crumbs, chocolate, and chicken stock. After the chocolate melts, turn the heat down to medium low and cook 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning with additional sugar and salt. While the mixture cools, prep the rest of the enchilada ingredients.
Let’s make some squash! I used a medium sized butternut squash. Once it’s peeled, diced it into little cube-like shapes. Evenly sized as much as possible please.
Toss in some canola oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast on a silicone baking sheet until just tender, flipping once as needed. Set aside in a little bowl until you’re ready to roll.
Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with cooking spray and add just enough mole to coat the bottom – usually between ½ to 1 cup of sauce depending on thickness.
Set up the rolling station and let’s rock. You will need:
Heat up batches of 6” corn tortillas covered in a damp paper towel in the microwave for 30-60 seconds until just pliable. In the center of each add a few rounded tablespoons of squash, a tablespoon of beans and liberally top with queso.
Roll tightly and lay seam side down in the baking dish.
Once your dish is packed with enchiladas, top with the remaining mole and bake until bubbly and warm through.
Top with sliced avocado and devour.
Oh.
My.
Goodness.
Mind blown. First, I had no idea there was such a thing as white chocolate mole. Second, I had no idea that someone would make 6 types of mole at the same time. Third, I had no idea that I could eat 6 enchiladas (actually 5 ½) in one sitting. I was stuffed. And inspired to try my hand in the world of mole.
What better forum than Sunday dinner club?
For those of you not acquainted with our dinner club, it’s hosted by my friend Anna, and I, and we rotate hosting and the group of guests. We split up the menu and prep most of the food together. It’s relaxing and fun, plus we drink while we cook which makes it even more fun!
Because of the time involved in mole, I made it at my place beforehand. We then rolled the enchiladas as a team and baked them into bubbling goodness.
Our menu:
- Chips & Guacamole
- Butternut Squash Enchiladas with queso fresco and Oaxacan mole
- Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
- Mexican chocolate lava cake
The only other question you may have is why a vegetarian option? Well, I don’t always know if our guests have any dietary restrictions. Plus I had a second chicken enchilada option. Plus I like to eat brightly colored things. Like butternut squash. And Fruit Loops. But I digress…
The point is that it’s good to have a few vegetarian options on hand for a crowd and Mexican food is pretty easy to make vegetarian so why not?
Anyway, empezamos!
Holy mole – do you have any idea how many ingredients go into this dish? It’s almost crazy. I’ve heard of one recipe that calls for 42 different ingredients. I figured sticking to something slightly simpler would be a plus, but mole is supposed to be complex, so I didn’t want to jump straight to a “quick” or “shortcut” mole. I figured Rick Bayless would be a good inspiration. I was right. Plus he has a cool video if you’ve never made it before which is super helpful.
They will bubble and change colors, plus put off an amazing aroma when they are done. Set aside in a large glass bowl until all are done.
Fill the bowl with hot water until chiles are covered and place a small plate on top so they stay submerged. Soak for at least 30 minutes.
Wash tomatoes, remove husks from tomatillos, chop onions and garlic.
Place tomatoes and tomatillos on a rimmed baking sheet broil for 4-5 minutes per side until blackened. Remove from oven, set aside.
Caramelize the onions and garlic in a skillet with a small amount of oil. Set aside.
Using the same skillet, toast the sesame seeds with a small amount of vegetable oil for 2 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently. Transfer into a large bowl.
In batches, add chiles, spices, sesame seeds, raisins and almonds into a large blender. Add a small amount of chile-soaking water and blend on high until smooth. Place a strainer over a large bowl and remove any remaining chunks.
Peel skins off tomatoes and add to blender along with onions and garlic. Puree until smooth. Strain into a separate bowl.
Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add tomato puree and stir continuously until tomato mixture thickens, about 10-15 minutes.
Add chile puree and cook for an additional 20 minutes until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Add in bread crumbs, chocolate, and chicken stock. After the chocolate melts, turn the heat down to medium low and cook 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning with additional sugar and salt. While the mixture cools, prep the rest of the enchilada ingredients.
Let’s make some squash! I used a medium sized butternut squash. Once it’s peeled, diced it into little cube-like shapes. Evenly sized as much as possible please.
Toss in some canola oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast on a silicone baking sheet until just tender, flipping once as needed. Set aside in a little bowl until you’re ready to roll.
Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with cooking spray and add just enough mole to coat the bottom – usually between ½ to 1 cup of sauce depending on thickness.
Set up the rolling station and let’s rock. You will need:
- Roasted butternut squash
- Crumbled queso fresco
- Canned black beans, rinsed
- Corn tortillas
Heat up batches of 6” corn tortillas covered in a damp paper towel in the microwave for 30-60 seconds until just pliable. In the center of each add a few rounded tablespoons of squash, a tablespoon of beans and liberally top with queso.
Roll tightly and lay seam side down in the baking dish.
Once your dish is packed with enchiladas, top with the remaining mole and bake until bubbly and warm through.
Top with sliced avocado and devour.
Mole Coloradito
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Toast the cleaned chiles in the pan one at a time, pressing down firmly with a spatula. Set chiles aside in a large glass bowl. When all have been toasted, fill the bowl with hot water until chiles are covered and place a small plate on top so the chiles stay submerged. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes.
- Turn on the broiler. Place tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and place on the top rack in the oven. Broil for 4-5 minutes per side until blackened. Remove from oven, set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the garlic and onions. Toast for 8-10 minutes until caramelized. Set aside to cool.
- Using the same skillet, toast the sesame seeds with a small amount of vegetable oil for 2 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently. Transfer into a large bowl.
- In batches, add chiles, spices, sesame seeds, raisins and almonds into a large blender (this may have to be done in batches). Add a small amount of chile-soaking water and blend on high until smooth. Pass through a medium strainer into a large bowl. Repeat on remaining chiles.
- Peel skins off tomatoes and add to blender along with onions and garlic. Puree until smooth. Strain into a separate bowl to remove any chunks.
- Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add tomato puree and stir continuously until tomato mixture thickens, 10-15 minutes.
- Add chile puree and cook for an additional 20 minutes until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Add in bread crumbs, chocolate, and chicken stock. Stir until the chocolate melts. Turn the heat down to medium low and cook 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning with additional sugar and salt. Set aside to cool and make enchiladas.
Butternut Squash Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 can black beans, rinsed
- 1 package queso fresco
- 1 recipe mole coloradito
- 1 package small corn tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss squash in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil, salt and pepper, and roast for 15 minutes until soft.
- Place 4 tortillas on a microwave safe plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Heat for 30-60 seconds until warm and pliable.
- Place 1/2 cup of mole in the bottom of a 9x13" glass pan.
- Fill tortilla with butternut squash, beans, queso fresco and roll tightly. Place seam side down in the pan.
- Cover with an additional 1 cup of mole, making sure everything is completely covered. Sprinkle remaining queso on top.
- Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until heated through and cheese is bubbly. Devour.
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