Ingredients
Creamy Pumpkin Chipotle Sauce
- 30 ounces pure pumpkin puree two 15-ounce cans; not pumpkin pie filling
- 16 ounces low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 0-1/2 cup additional chicken broth only as needed
- 8 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1-1 1/2 teaspoons salt adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Chicken Filling
- 2 pounds cooked shredded chicken rotisserie chicken or any fully cooked shredded chicken
- 10-12 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 cup prepared pumpkin chipotle sauce from the sauce above
For Assembly
- 16 small corn tortillas approximately 6 inches each
- 12 ounces reduced-fat Mexican-blend shredded cheese
- cooking spray for the baking dish
Optional Toppings
- scallions, cilantro, toasted pumpkin seeds, cotija, pickled jalapeños, lime wedges, or extra adobo sauce optional; not included in nutrition
Equipment
- Deep 9×13-inch baking dish
- High-powered blender
- Large mixing bowl
Method
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly coat a deep 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Add the pumpkin puree, cottage cheese, 1 cup chicken broth, garlic, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, lime juice, salt, and black pepper to a large blender.
- Blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the blender as needed. There should be no visible cottage cheese curds or pieces of garlic.
- Check the sauce consistency. Add up to 1/2 cup additional chicken broth, 2 tablespoons at a time, only if needed, blending after each addition. The sauce should be thick but pourable.
- Add the cooked shredded chicken and scallions to a large bowl. Stir in 1 cup prepared pumpkin chipotle sauce until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Spread approximately 1 1/2 cups pumpkin chipotle sauce across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Warm the corn tortillas until soft and flexible. Keep them covered while assembling so they do not become brittle.
- Divide the chicken filling evenly among the 16 tortillas. Roll each tortilla and arrange it seam-side down in the baking dish.
- Pour enough of the remaining pumpkin chipotle sauce over the enchiladas to cover the tops and fill the spaces between them. Reserve any excess sauce rather than overfilling the pan.
- Sprinkle the reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese evenly over the enchiladas.
- Bake at 425°F for 25–30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is completely melted. Broil for the final 1–2 minutes if additional browning is desired.
- Let the enchiladas rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. Divide into eight servings with two enchiladas per serving.