Chicken & Black Bean Enchiladas with Pumpkin Cream Sauce

It’s pumpkin season! In addition to its impressive canvas for creative carving, pumpkin also happens to have an impressively productive nutrient profile – rich in fiber, potassium, beta-carotene and vitamin C. Fiber fills you up and keeps you full; potassium helps the heart; and beta-carotene (vitamin A) is great for vision and strengthening the immune system. And the best part? Pumpkin is super low in calories – just 50 calories per cup of cubed pumpkin. But wouldn’t you know it - most pumpkin-flavored things we enjoy this time of year are in fact, quite the opposite. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin muffins are loaded with added sugars, refined carbohydrates and excessive fat. Even the ever-popular pumpkin-spiced latte carries an overwhelming 50 grams of sugar per 16-ounces. That’s the equivalent of five glazed donuts!

Want to delight and surprise your pumpkin-loving family and friends? Try these chicken and black bean enchiladas with a creamy, zippy sauce. Lightly sweet pumpkin is the perfect accompaniment to the warm spices like cumin as well as chiles and peppery enchilada sauce, while the buttery texture lends a decadent mouthfeel to the entire dish. As for the filling? Fiber-rich black beans and tender chicken get tossed in a bit of creamy-but-light Neufchatel cream cheese and more pumpkin sauce. It’s cozy, festive and filling, and with zero added sugar it’s a pumpkin dish you can feel great about serving your friends and family all cold-weather-season long.

This dish is best when covered in a blanket of heart-healthy avocado slices, fresh cilantro, zesty lime juice and vibrant hot sauce. If you’ve got some roasted pumpkin seeds in the pantry, sprinkle some of those on top, too!

Chicken & Black Bean Enchiladas with Pumpkin Cream Sauce

Serves 6

Pumpkin Cream Sauce:

1 (15-ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin
1 (14.5-ounce) can organic red enchilada sauce
½ cup low fat sour cream
¼ cup water or chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 minced garlic cloves

Enchiladas:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chilies
1 (8-ounce) package Neufchatel (1/3-less-fat cream cheese)
2-3 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
6 (10-inch) whole wheat flour tortillas
1 cup shredded 4-cheese mexican cheese blend
1 avocado, sliced
1 jalapeno, sliced (optional)
Cilantro, hot sauce, and sour cream, lime wedges for serving

Directions:
To prepare enchilada sauce:  Combine pumpkin, enchilada sauce, sour cream, water, lime juice, 1.5 teaspoons cumin, garlic and salt in a blender or food processor; process until smooth.

To prepare enchiladas:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cumin; sauté 6-7 minutes or until tender. Add green chiles, sauté 1-2 minutes. Stir in cream cheese, chicken, black beans, and 1 cup prepared pumpkin cream sauce. Cook 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cream cheese melts.

Spoon ¾ cup pumpkin enchilada sauce into an 11 X 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place filled tortillas, seam sides down, in baking dish. Spoon remaining pumpkin sauce over tortillas; sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are lightly browned.

Serve with avocado, sour cream, jalapeno slices, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and hot sauce.

Sidney Fry is a two-time James-Beard-Award-winning food and nutrition writer who loves creating simple, healthy recipes and thoughtful, actionable content for the hungry consumer. A healthy living proactivist, Sidney is also a registered dietitian nutritionist, recipe developer and mama of three based in Birmingham, Alabama.