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A large white casserole dish with turkey enchiladas in it, topped with sliced olives and cilantro.
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Leftover Turkey Enchiladas Casserole

Remake your Thanksgiving dinner with this leftover turkey enchiladas casserole! This recipe is a bit of an indulgence, but it completely transforms your turkey and tastes amazing. It's mild enough for kids but still flavorful, and is also gluten-free. Transform your turkey into a new dinner your family will love!
Cuisine American
Diet Gluten Free
Keyword #thanksgiving, #turkey, leftovers
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • ½ tbsp oil plus more for spreading on the baking dish
  • 1 c chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 ounces mild diced green chiles
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ c sour cream
  • 3 cups shredded turkey
  • 8 corn tortillas about 8 inches wide
  • 1 c black beans rinsed and drained
  • 8 ounces shredded cheese or 6 if want less
  • 16 ounces mild red enchilada sauce
  • ½ cup sliced olives
  • cilantro for garnish

Instructions

  • Start with the filling. Place a medium pan over medium heat and add 1 tbsp oil. Let warm for 1 to 2 minutes, then pour the chopped onion into pan and cook until translucent, between 5 and 7 minutes. Add in the garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika and cook for about 1 minute more, until the spices are fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside momentarily.
  • In a large bowl, pour in the turkey, diced green chiles, sour cream, black beans, 2 oz of the cheese, ¼ cup enchilada sauce, and cooked onion and garlic mixture and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon to combine.
  • Take out a 9x13 baking dish and add 1 tsp of oil. Grease the inside by using your hands to rub the oil all over the inside of the dish. Pour in ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce and use a spoon or brush to spread it into a thin layer in the baking dish. At this point, turn on the oven to preheat at 350F.
  • Wrap half of the tortillas in a wet paper towel and set them on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave them until warm, about 20-30 seconds. Use a wooden spoon to divide the turkey mixture into half in the bowl, then divide each half into two, and each of those sections into two until you have eight small sections of filling that are roughly ⅓ cup each. Take one of the tortillas and add one section of the turkey mixture. Fold one side of the tortilla in, then the other until it's rolled up, then place it on one end of the 9x13 dish with the seam side facing down.
  • Continue with the next 3 tortillas. Then repeat the process with the other 4 tortillas, warming them up in the microwave with a damp paper towel to start, until all of the turkey mixture is used up. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas and use the back of a spoon to coat the tops of all the tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over all of the tortillas and place a large piece of aluminum foil over the 9x13 dish but tent it a bit so that it doesn't touch the cheese. Place it in the pre-heated oven and cook for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the aluminum foil and sprinkle the sliced olives on top. Place the baking dish back in the oven and cook for another 15 -20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Remove from the oven and let the enchiladas cool for 5-10 minutes before serving, topping with chopped cilantro if desired.

Notes

  • Make this casserole spicier by adding in hot chiles instead of mild ones, adding a combo of chipotle powder and cayenne instead of smoked paprika in with the onions, or using a spicy enchilada sauce.
  • This dish can be made slightly healthier by omitting 2 ounces of cheese. Keep the same amount in the filling, but just sprinkle less on top.
  • Use a different type of bean! If black beans aren't your thing, use pinto or red beans instead. Or you can just omit them entirely too.