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    Home » Recipes » Dinner » Ground Turkey Enchilada Casserole

    Published: Nov 29, 2019 · Modified: Oct 22, 2021 by Alicia This post may contain affiliate links.

    Ground Turkey Enchilada Casserole

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Turkey Enchilada Casserole

    This Ground Turkey Enchilada Casserole is versatile to use up holiday leftovers, or just as a delicious and healthy meal. A layering of black beans, cheese, tortillas, and homemade enchilada sauce makes this flavorful dish a fan favorite for an easy weeknight meal.

    An up close view of an enchilada casserole with melted cheese, green onions, and radish on top.

    You'll love this recipe because:

    • It's a great way to use up extra vegetables leftover in your fridge. Feel free to edit the recipe to what you have!
    • Turkey and cheese both contain tryptophan, which is an essential nutrient than can improve mood and migraine attacks!
    • Have turkey leftover from Thanksgiving? Use it instead of the ground turkey!
    • Easy to make gluten free and vegetarian.
    • This is great for meal prep and as reheated leftovers. You can also freeze it or give it as a gift to friends with a new baby or who could use a meal.

    Ingredients

    Spices, ground turkey, tortillas, pepper, corn and cheese on a cutting board.
    • Ground Turkey - This recipe uses ground turkey, but you can also use leftover turkey breast. Both work well in this recipe. Look for ground turkey without solutions or broth added to it. I used Mary's Organic.
    • Vegetables and Beans - For this recipe I used what I had on hand - so bell pepper, corn, shallots, green onion, black beans, and jalapeño. You can even see in the photos I added a handful of spinach to this one. Feel free to use what you have on hand! I like to use low sodium black beans.
    • Cheese - I like to use a quality American cheese like Boar’s Head or Andrew & Everett for this turkey enchilada casserole. Most of these can be found in the deli area of your local grocery store. Monterey Jack is another cheese that's a little more aged, but typically well tolerated from a migraine diet perspective.
    • Tortillas -  I used fresh flour tortillas from Central Market/HEB, but TortillaLand also makes some great ones. For gluten free, using an all corn tortilla would work here.

    For the enchilada sauce:

    • Feel free to leave out the tomato paste, but the spices are essential.
    • Broth - I like to either use a homemade broth or Trader Joe's Hearty Vegetable Broth.

    How to Make an Enchilada Casserole

    A step by step process for making enchilada casserole from preparing the sauce, layering tortillas and meat, and adding cheese

    This turkey enchilada casserole is really easy to build.

    1. Prep the meat and vegetables, as well as the homemade enchilada sauce. Both should be easy to cook at the same time! For the enchilada sauce, start by mixing the flour and oil together, then add in the spices. Whisk in broth slowly so it doesn't clump. Simmer until it's thickened, stirring occasionally.
    2. In a 9x9 baking dish, start with a layer of enchilada sauce, then top that with tortillas that are cut into half moons so they can be layered sort of like lasagna noodles. Spoon your meat and vegetable mixture on top of the tortillas. You'll finish with a layer of enchilada sauce. Continue to layer, reserving some of the sauce and cheese for the topping. I usually get about 2 full layers. 
    3. Top with cheese, cover with foil, and bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes. Uncover the foil and bake another 10 minutes or until light brown and bubbling on top.
    4. Allow the ground turkey enchilada casserole to cool for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

    How to Freeze and Reheat

    This casserole is great for freezing. I assemble everything together and put a plastic wrap over the top of my dish, flush with the top of the casserole. Then I'll wrap it in extra press and seal to store in the freezer. This will be good for up to 2 months. You can either defrost it in the fridge, or stick it directly in the oven at 375 and bake for about 20-30 minutes.

    The homemade enchilada sauce does "gel" a bit when frozen. It will loosen as it bakes, but may not look the most appealing. You can spread it around a little bit after it warms to get it to mix better...or just top with more cheese!

    Recipe Substitutions

    Obviously you don’t have to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey, but pretty much any ground meat will do. You could even make this totally vegetarian if you add more vegetables you enjoy to it. Here are some ideas.

    Use the same amount of vegetables to replace with:

    • Zucchini, summer squash, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes.

    For recipe testing, I actually just bought a pound of fresh ground turkey.

    Some other proteins that would work here are:

    • ground beef
    • chicken
    • lamb
    • ground pork
    • more beans like black beans or pinto.

    Want dairy free? Just leave out the cheese. Don't tolerate tomatoes? Leave them out from the enchilada sauce.

    More Tex Mex Recipes

    For more Mexican inspired recipes like this ground turkey enchilada casserole, check out these favorites. 

    • Healthy Beef Enchiladas
    • Green Enchilada Chicken Soup
    • Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Cilantro Slaw
    • Baked Chicken Tacos

    Also don't forget this Salsa Verde recipe which is included in the pictures!

    A turkey enchilada casserole next to salsa verde and two topo chico bottles

    If you make any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me #thedizzycook or @thedizzycook on Facebook and Instagram. And please leave a review below!

    A ground turkey enchilada casserole on a cutting board with salsa verde and chips

    Ground Turkey Enchilada Casserole

    A great meal to mix up holiday leftovers or an easy and tasty weeknight dish with protein substitutions like ground beef or chicken. Easy to make gluten free by using all corn tortillas.
    4.91 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: American, Mexican
    Diet: Gluten Free, Low Salt
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 384kcal
    Author: Alicia

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 pound cooked leftover turkey, chopped up or ground turkey, beef, or chicken
    • 2 medium shallots, chopped
    • ½ cup corn (fresh, frozen or canned)
    • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
    • 1 jalapeño, de-seeded and minced
    • 1 15oz can black beans
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 2 cups enchilada sauce
    • corn or flour tortillas
    • ½ cup American cheese (or Monterey Jack if you can tolerate it)
    • kosher salt and pepper

    Enchilada Sauce

    • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (or gluten free)
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon tomato paste*
    • 1 tablespoon chili powder*
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small pot, combine olive oil and flour over medium heat and stir until smooth and starting to bubble, about 1-2 minutes. Add tomato paste and spices, then pour in chicken broth slowly, whisking everything continuously so that it becomes smooth. Turn the heat up till I just begins to boil and then simmer over medium heat until thick, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste. This sauce can be made ahead and stored in the fridge.
    • In a large pan, add olive oil over medium heat (if you have uncooked meat you can add it here). Add chopped shallots, corn, red bell pepper, and jalapeno, stirring till just cooked through - about 2 minutes. Drain the canned black beans and add them to the pan along with cumin and the cooked meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    • In a 9x9 inch baking dish add a little enchilada sauce to the bottom, enough to just cover it. Cut the tortillas into halves and layer it with the straight side sticking outwards so it forms a nice square and the rounded parts will overlap on the inside. Add a little bit of cheese, meat mixture, and a layer of sauce. Continue with this pattern until you reach the top of the baking dish, finishing with the remaining sauce and extra cheese. Cover with a sheet of tin foil.
    • Bake at 375° for 25 minutes then remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes uncovered, 35 minutes total. The top should be bubbling and the cheese melted nicely and lightly brown. Serve warm.

    Notes

    • Look for chili powder that doesn't contain onion or cocoa. Morton and Bassett is what I use. 
    • If you're sensitive to tomatoes, simply leave out the tomato paste.
    • Use all corn tortillas and a 1:1 flour substitute for gluten free. 
    • Switch out the turkey for any cooked meat like beef, chicken, or even zucchini for an all veggie version. 
    • To cut down on the time, prep the sauce and the cooked vegetable mixture ahead of time and store in the fridge (see pic above for how I did it). Then assemble and bake when you're ready. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2pieces | Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 1899mg | Potassium: 530mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 3053IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @thedizzycook or tag #thedizzycook!

    This post was original published November 29, 2019 and has been updated October 22, 2021 with new recipe tips, ingredient information, how to make instructions, and meal prep tips.

    « Honey Spice Cookies
    Creamy Boursin Pasta »

    About Alicia

    Alicia is a vestibular migraine advocate and the bestselling author of The Dizzy Cook: Managing Migraine with More Than 90 Comforting Recipes and Lifestyle Tips. Her articles and recipes have been featured by Healthline, Parade, mindbodygreen, Today, Good Morning Texas, the Vestibular Disorders Association, and the American Migraine Foundation. Read More

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Maranda says

      June 13, 2022 at 5:55 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely an amazing recipe! Added to rotation! I chose green peppers, spinach and jalopeno as my filling with the turkey (also added small can green chili's to the ground turkey). And used soft street tortillas. Topped with green onions and cilantros when served.

      Reply
    2. Kathy Funk says

      May 25, 2022 at 12:06 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe "knocked it out of the park!" SO delicious! My husband said it was perfect and had seconds, as did I. 🙂 The enchilada sauce is so easy to make but very flavorful. All the ingredients meld very well together to make a satisfying, gooey, tasty meal. I used corn tortillas, as we just like those best in this type of dish and they were splendid. Thank you once again Alicia for our mealtime deliciousness!

      Reply
      • Alicia says

        May 25, 2022 at 1:20 pm

        Thank you so much, Kathy! You made my day!

        Reply
    3. Kaitlyn says

      April 11, 2021 at 4:30 pm

      5 stars
      Yum!! I love this recipe, and it always is a big hit when I make it for others!

      Reply
    4. Jan Green says

      November 06, 2020 at 12:39 pm

      5 stars
      Such a huge hit with our family all the time . thank you

      Reply
    5. Pam Green says

      October 31, 2020 at 5:56 am

      5 stars
      This was amazing. The directions are so easy to follow. The flavor was amazing. My husband said he would love to have this more often. Thanks for another great recipe!

      Reply
    6. Laurel says

      October 25, 2020 at 6:51 am

      4 stars
      My husband insists that he doesn't like enchilada sauce but we both thoroughly enjoyed this. Definitely adding in to the dinner rotation.

      Reply
    7. Kathryn says

      May 21, 2020 at 10:59 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing recipe! My whole family loved it. I made it with ground beef and used extra cheese.

      Reply
      • Alicia says

        May 25, 2020 at 6:42 pm

        Such great subs!! Glad you enjoyed!

        Reply
    8. Casey says

      January 26, 2020 at 2:31 pm

      5 stars
      DELICIOUS! Full of flavor and a great way to use left over meat. The dish also works great for lunch left overs the next day!

      Reply
    9. Kjersha says

      January 22, 2020 at 5:51 pm

      5 stars
      I made this with leftover rotiserrie chicken and left out the jalapeno peppers. It was super yummy and even my picky husband (the one who get migraines all the time) liked it!

      Reply
      • Alicia says

        January 25, 2020 at 8:46 pm

        SO happy you both loved it!

        Reply

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    Meet the Cook! I’m Alicia, cookbook author and recipe developer. I was diagnosed with Chronic Vestibular Migraine in 2016 - a diagnosis that changed my life. I’ve gone from bedridden to extremely active by implementing migraine diet, incorporating key supplements, and making lifestyle changes. The Dizzy Cook is a collection of my delicious recipes that everyone will love, and tips for anyone that struggles with migraine attacks.

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    Meet the Cook! I’m Alicia, cookbook author and recipe developer. I was diagnosed with Chronic Vestibular Migraine in 2016 - a diagnosis that changed my life. I’ve gone from bedridden to extremely active by implementing migraine diet, incorporating key supplements, and making lifestyle changes. The Dizzy Cook is a collection of my delicious recipes that everyone will love, and tips for anyone that struggles with migraine attacks.

    About The Dizzy Cook

    Trending Recipes

    • Creamy Boursin Pasta
    • Mediterranean Baked Halibut
    • Air Fryer Flank Steak
    • Grilled Bok Choy
    • Crustless Chicken Pot Pie
    • Chicken Zucchini Poppers with Creamy Cilantro Sauce

    Get New Posts via Email

    Subscribe for new recipes, tips, and discounts.

    Popular Summer Recipes

    • Crustless Blueberry Pie
    • Vanilla Ice Cream Pie
    • Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder
    • Dry Rub Oven Ribs (Baby Back)
    • Creamy Sweet Corn Pasta
    • Grilled Bok Choy

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