Name: Festive Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas with Squash and Brussels Sprouts
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, baked and shredded (see note); 1 pound (454 grams) Brussels sprouts, sliced in half lengthwise; 4 heaping cups peeled and diced butternut squash (3/4-inch cubes); 1 green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces; 4 garlic cloves, sliced; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; Pinch of sea salt; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 teaspoon dried rosemary; Chicken and roasted vegetables from above; 1/3 cup dried cranberries; 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped; 4 ounces cream cheese; 1/2 cup salsa verde; 1 cup shredded gouda cheese; 12 6-8-inch flour tortillas; 1 1/2 cups salsa verde, divided; 1 cup shredded gouda cheese; Arils from 1 pomegranate; 1 cup diced pineapple; 1/2 cup cilantro; 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped; Pinch of sea salt; Squeeze of lime juice

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These festive salsa verde chicken enchiladas with squash, Brussels sprouts, gouda, and pineapple pomegranate salsa are simply irresistible. With a filling that features shredded chicken, roasted Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, and green pepper, cranberries, cream cheese, and salsa verde, these chicken enchiladas are topped off with salsa verde and shredded gouda cheese. Once baked, garnish them with a pineapple pomegranate salsa and sliced avocado for a beautifully festive and flavourful dinner!

Hello my friends! Happy Friday to you all. I had good intentions of getting this festive chicken enchilada recipe up for you much earlier in the day, but time has once again gotten away on me! The earlier part of the evening was spent making pizza for my family (which I can’t complain about, Friday night pizza parties are always a blast), and now I am finally getting a chance to sit down and write out this post.

Like so many of my recipes, this one evolved as I was creating it. I began with the goal of making a really great chicken enchilada recipe, and then thought, “Hmmm, what seasonal theme can I run with?” Naturally, with the Christmas/holiday season almost upon us, I wanted to incorporate lots of red and green, as well as seasonal produce, such as Brussels sprouts and butternut squash. But I then realized that I wasn’t really craving a red enchilada sauce, so I decided to try making green enchiladas with salsa verde in place of red enchilada sauce. It worked out perfectly!

These enchiladas would be perfect to make this weekend, or any day leading up to Christmas. I will likely make them for our Christmas Eve dinner!

They do take a little bit of prep, but they are not at all difficult to make. And the flavour and texture are over the top. Think spicy salsa verde mingling with sweet and tender butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, juicy chicken, gooey melted gouda cheese, a soft flour tortilla, creamy avocado, and a sweet and tart pinapple pomegranate salsa accented with fresh cilantro.

Are you drooling yet? Because I certainly am!

ingredients you’ll need

For the roasted vegetables, you’ll need Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, green pepper, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano.

For the creamy salsa verde chicken filling, you’ll need shredded cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts (I provide cooking instructions for this in the notes section on the recipe card), a jalapeño pepper, the roasted vegetables, cilantro, dried cranberries, cream cheese, salsa, verde, and gouda cheese.

For assembling the enchiladas, you’ll need small flour tortillas, salsa verde, and gouda cheese.

For the pineapple pomegranate salsa, you’ll need pomegranate, pineapple, cilantro, lime juice, sea salt, and a jalapeño pepper.

the method

Roast the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 425 F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the Brussels sprouts, squash, green pepper, and garlic on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt, pepper, and the oregano and thyme. Toss to coat. Roast for 25 minutes, or until tender and browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Make the filling: In a large bowl, combine the roasted vegetables, shredded chicken, cream cheese, cranberries, jalapeno, cilantro, 1 cup of shredded cheese, and ½ cup of the salsa verde. Stir to combine.

Assemble the enchiladas: Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F. Spread ½ cup of salsa verde over the bottom of a 9×13-inch glass baking dish. To assemble the enchiladas, place a tortilla on a flat surface (I used a cutting board) and place ½ cup of filling down the middle of each tortilla. Roll up and place in the prepared baking dish. If you run out of space, pour some salsa verde into a second baking dish and place the enchiladas in there.

Top the enchiladas with the remaining 1 cup of salsa verde and the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the pomegranate salsa: In a bowl, stir together the pomegranate, pineapple, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and jalapeño.

Garnish the enchiladas with salsa, sliced avocado, sliced lime, and cilantro. Serve and enjoy!

more healthy + delicious holiday meal ideas

Last but not least, I hope that you love these festive salsa verde chicken enchiladas with Brussels sprouts and butternut squash! If you make them, let me know how you enjoyed them by leaving a comment and rating below the post. And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love seeing what you’ve made.

Enjoy!