Three Cheese Pumpkin Enchiladas

That sounds like something seasonal you could order in a fancy restaurant, doesn't it? Or perhaps a well thought out, Pinterest-worthy, homemade, First Day of Fall meal, complete with an orangish-brown, leaf-apliqued tablecloth and matching napkins.

Let me tell you what it actually is:

Holy cow! It's 5:30. I've got to feed my people (again!) tonight, and we ate up all the leftovers last night!

Mom, can I have a quesadilla?

No! 

But, wait. Tortillas. What could I do with tortillas? Oh, I know: enchiladas.

Hmm. I've got tortillas, but what to put on top of them???

Well, there's a can of pumpkin in the pantry. I wonder if there's such a thing as pumpkin enchiladas?

{quick Google search}

Hey, there is such a thing! Cool. Hmm. Looks like I have...very few of those ingredients. But, pumpkin enchiladas are totally a thing, so I'm going to go with that. What else have I got?

Salsa. Onions. Garlic. Taco seasoning. Cheese, sort of. Sounds like dinner to me!

Wait. This mixture is too thick. What can I thin it with? If I add more salsa, it might be too spicy. Water seems boring. Ooh, carrot juice, that's pretty much the same color as the pumpkin puree. And, VEGETABLES! Perfect. And how about a few spoonfuls of plain yogurt, for creaminess?! And, boom! there's a baggie of chopped tomatoes in the fridge. Those are definitely going in. 

Alright. Now what to do about the cheese? We've got sandwich cheese, but not really in any Mexicany flavors. Well, would you look at that: two varieties of Mexicany flavors of Laughing Cow cheese I bought for the kids lunchboxes...and a quarter of a block of some kind of white cheddar, if I remember correctly.

Let's do this! 

So, I did. And, you know what? It was actually pretty good. In fact, there were no leftovers.

Wait. That means I have to come up with something to feed my family tomorrow, too! I wish I would have at least thought to tell them it was a special First Day of Fall meal. And taken a picture of it for Pinterest. {sigh}

Happy First Day of Fall! Here's something to feed your family tomorrow, if you're desperate:

Three Cheese Pumpkin Enchiladas

1 onion chopped

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 can pumpkin puree

1 cup chunky salsa

1/4 cup taco seasoning

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup carrot juice

1/2 cup plain yogurt

Salt and pepper, to taste

Laughing Cow Queso Fresco Chipotle

Laughing Cow Spicy Pepper Jack

White cheddar cheese

Corn tortillas, lightly fried for pliability

Optional toppings: cilantro, avocado, sour cream

Preheat your oven to 350. Mix everything but the cheeses and tortillas in a large mixing bowl. Add other stuff or different stuff if you like. Check your fridge and pantry for inspiration. Line the bottom of a baking dish with tortillas. Smother with The Mixture. Top with one of the three cheeses. Make another layer of tortillas. Cover with The Mixture, and top with another of the cheeses. Do it all again, using the last of your cheese. (Seriously, it should be pretty much the last of the cheese you have in the house.) Bake until warm through, maybe 20-30 minutes. You should be unclear on the exact time, because you should go pick up your kid from some practice while it's baking. (Leaving responsible people to make sure the house doesn't burn down, of course.) Top with cilantro, avocado, sour cream, or the tears of your youngest child, who is incredulous that you used his carrot juice.

Note: All measurements are approximate. Also note: Laughing Cow cheese does not ever melt.