Today I wanted to kick off a new Friday series. I’m calling this one Tonight & Take 2. I get questions about how I have all the ingredients for everything I make or how I come up with what I make.

The reason I have an ingredient on hand is because:
a) I live to avoid grocery shopping so leftovers are planned to a T
b) using-what-I-have is my middle name
c) cooking for 2 of us means a whole package/container/item needs creativity so we aren’t eating the same thing day in and day out.
I just don’t usually share how I plan to use the other half. I might use part of the whole for a recipe but now you’re going to see how that happens. I also might make something and space out the blog posts so you think each posted item was spaced out. Aren’t you excited?!
Here are my meal planning tips here and here. Now, back to using an ingredient to make 2 totally different dishes.
Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas
Ingredients:
½ roasted butternut squash
1 cup black beans
8 oz shredded monterey jack cheese or pepper jack
1 tbs liquid smoke (optional)
1 tbs salsa
8 wheat tortillas
Directions:
Fill each tortilla with squash, black beans, and cheese.

Roll up and top with enchilada sauce.
Bake covered for 20 minutes at 350-degrees.

These were flavorful and I loooved the smoke flavor with the squash. The beans make it filling and balanced. Does this have you thinking about another leftover that would be good in here? Throw it in! Go crazy!
Now, these enchiladas were take 2 on a roasted butternut squash. Round one was a fall pizza with butternut squash, gouda, and bacon.




Finish with bacon.























The chicken was so good and actually unlike any I’ve ever had. It had the slightest sweetness to the crunchy batter. The mac and cheese wasn’t amazing, but good for a few bites. The fried green tomatoes had a little red pepper aoli and goat cheese. Ohh my word. It was a great meal.



