OK, I admit it. I don’t love to cook. If I were a single person, I’d probably eat cereal for dinner a few nights a week. OK, fine, I do eat cereal for dinner when my husband is out of town, but I realize this isn’t the healthiest way to eat, so I dabble. A friend of mine introduced me to a version of these burritos using sweet potatoes, and they were delicious. Though I discovered, simply because I had butternut squash in the house and was too lazy to go to the store to buy sweet potatoes, that I like the butternut squash recipe better. Less sweet. Here is my version.
Suggestion: I buy precut butternut squash because … have you tried to cut a butternut squash in half? I usually wind up using a knife as a hammer drill when I attempt to cut through a butternut squash, and inevitably half of it flies across the room when I finally succeed. Which scares my cat, who is jumpy and ancient — potentially one flying object away from a heart attack. If you have a young and hardy cat, however, then by all means buy a whole squash and have at it.
Butternut Squash Burritos
Serves about 8 to 10, depending on what size burrito shells you use.
1 butternut squash, or about 1½ lb. of precut squash
½ sweet white onion
enough olive oil so your onions and squash don’t stick to your frying pan
1 tsp. red pepper flakes, to taste
1 tsp. cumin
black pepper to taste
1 tsp. kosher salt (or less, if your fingers swell up like mini sausages from sodium)
1 can of black beans
2 cups spinach
about 1 cup chopped cilantro
6 to 8 Baby Bella mushrooms (unless you hate mushrooms)
8 to 10 burrito shells
1 can of enchilada sauce (mild, medium, or hot)
shredded Cheddar cheese, or dairy alternative. Use your discretion on the amount.
Preheat oven to 350°. If you have a whole butternut squash, cut it in half (somehow), lose the skin, and cut it into 1-inch cubes. To speed up cooking time, place the cut squash into a bowl with a little water, and microwave it for about 5 minutes.
Cut up the white onion, and place it in a frying pan with olive oil. When the onion is translucent, add the mushrooms, let them cook for a few minutes, then the squash. Cover and let it cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the squash gets a tad softer, mix in your spices, and use a potato masher to mash the squash and mushrooms a bit. (I like to leave it a tad chunky, because otherwise it reminds me of baby food.) Add black beans, and mash those up a bit too. Then add spinach and cilantro.
Load up your burrito shells with filling, roll them up, and place in a baking pan (I use parchment paper to line my pan). Once they’re all in the pan, pour as much enchilada sauce as you like over them (I use about half a can), and then smother them with cheese or dairy alternative. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. (Set your timer. You know you’ll get distracted.)
Additions/alternatives: corn, peppers, kale, and/or meat of your choice. I always make guacamole to have on the side, and sometimes sour cream. I also squeeze a little fresh lime juice onto my burrito right before eating it, because it’s dreamy. Make a margarita — virgin or not — and enjoy!
