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A ground turkey enchilada casserole on a cutting board with salsa verde and chips
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4.95 from 17 votes

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.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Salt
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

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