Quick & easy Turkey Enchilada Casserole! Just layer tortillas with turkey & cheese, pop in the oven & you’ll have dinner on the table in under an hour. Great for ground turkey or chicken or even holiday leftovers.
I had one of those days when the last thing I wanted to do was think up something for dinner. It seems like whenever my day is really crazy I always seem to gravitate towards Mexican. Case in point, this Turkey Enchilada Casserole, or our Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos, Carne Asada, Fish Tacos or Beef Enchiladas. See what I mean? I think it must be one of my comfort foods.
I love this recipe because it’s so easy. No filling and rolling of tortillas just simply layering ingredients in a big casserole, kind of like fixing a lasagna, that goes together quickly and really has little clean-up. The only hard part is waiting for it to finish cooking when you smell all those warm & inviting aromas emanating out of your kitchen.
I like to serve this with sides of chopped lettuce and tomato and sliced avocado. You could also add refried beans if you didn’t add the black beans into the casserole and I know some people love to serve with a little Spanish rice (or you could try our Spanish quinoa :-)). I didn’t add kernel corn but you can also layer that in on top of the beans for a bit of a Southwestern flavor.
Oh, one last thing. This is great to slice, once its cooled down, and freeze in squares to bring to work for lunch. Just a few minutes in the microwave heats it right back up and it tastes as good as it did the first time.
Enjoy!
TURKEY ENCHILADA CASSEROLE
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1-1/2 lbs. ground turkey (chicken can also be used as can cooked shredded turkey or chicken)
- 1/2 large onion chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fresh oregano chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 4- oz can chopped green chiles drained
- 1 15.5- oz can black beans drained & rinsed (optional)
- 3 cups enchilada sauce
- 8- 10 " flour tortillas cut in half (corn can also be used but you will need a few more)
- 3 cups cheese (I used 1-1/2 cups jalapeno jack & 1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese)
- Garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, chopped green onions, chopped lettuce & tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with a non-stick spray.
- Heat oil in a large skillet. Cook turkey, onion, spices and green chiles together until turkey is cooked through. Note: If using cooked turkey, add after onion mixture has cooked.
- Add 1-1/2 cups enchilada sauce to cooked turkey, stir and set aside.
To assemble:
- Pour a small amount of enchilada sauce in bottom of prepared baking dish (just barely enough to cover). Lay 4 or 5 half-tortillas in bottom. Overlap them so the bottom is completely covered.
- Continue layering with 1/3 of turkey mixture, 1/3 of black beans if using, 3/4 cup cheese. Repeat with layers 2 more times ending with cheese.
- Pour remaining enchilada sauce over all. Cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes then remove from oven, uncover, sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup cheese on top and bake for another 10 minutes. If you like your cheese browned like I do, place under broiler for 3-5 minutes.
- Serve with chopped lettuce & tomato and avocado slices.
