I heart Veggies, and You Can too : Enchilada Skillet

We all know that we need to consume more vegetables and fruit, but can only think of so many ways to sneak them into our diet. About a year ago, I tried to incorporate more vegetables into my meals and had some successful and not-so successful attempts at veggin’ out (note to self: Bok Choy is not a good pizza topping).

I began very small. Adding squash to my spaghetti, avocado to my omelette, and even tossing in a handful of spinach into my morning protein shake. I am now no longer afraid to add my favorite leafy greens to just about any recipe! I have compiled a few delicious, veggie-centric recipes for you to experiment with. Over the next month, I will be sharing each of these recipes, one-by-one for a veg-tastic culinary series.

• Bacon and Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts
• Chicken, butternut squash and black bean enchilada skillet
• Shrimp scampi and “Zoodles”
• Calabacitas Enchiladas and Veggie Tacos
• Stuffed Portobello Burger

Chicken, Squash and Bean Enchilada Skillet
(Gluten-free, vegetarian (optional))

This skillet meal is SO simple! I love it because it is a relatively easy clean-up and my cast iron pan is one of my favorite items in my kitchen. This meal can be customized in so many ways. The preparation of butternut squash can be very time consuming, unless you can find it pre-cut and bagged at your local grocery store. The vegetable add-in options for this recipe are endless, try using: Summer squash, diced tomatoes, jalapenos, corn, pinto beans, or even shredded carrot. I have made the red chile from scratch many times, but I prefer to use Tia Rita’s Sauce Mix . You can look on the website for stores that carry it in your area.

If you don’t plan to serve this meal immediately, be careful about adding the corn tortillas too soon. This will result in soggy strips.

Ingredients:

1 cup chicken- diced and pre-cooked
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cups butternut squash – 1/2-inch-diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic- minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 – 15 ounce can black beans- rinsed and drained
8 yellow corn tortillas, cut into thick 1/2 inch strips
1 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce – (mix or homemade)
1 cup shredded colby jack cheese- divided
cilantro and low-fat sour cream- for serving
salt and pepper, to season

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in large oven-proof skillet. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno and cook until onions become translucent. Incorporate cubed squash, cumin and chili powder and lightly season with salt and pepper.
2. Cook until squash is tender, usually 8-10 minutes. Add in diced chicken pieces, enchilada sauce and black beans. Allow to lightly simmer for 2-3 minutes. Gently fold in tortilla strips and half of the cheese.
3. Turn on oven broiler and sprinkle remaining cheese on top of enchilada mixture. Place in oven for 3-5 minutes until cheese melts and tortilla strips are lightly browned.
4. Top with your favorite enchilada toppings: cilantro, sour cream, guacamole or an over easy egg.