Turkey Enchilada Casserole

I made this casserole for the first time a couple months back and it was an instant hit. It‘s one of those dishes that is super easy to throw together in a short amount of time. Perfect for assembling after a long day, especially during the winter months when you get home and it’s dark out. Due to its simplicity this is on our dinner list every couple weeks. The majority of prep can be done the night before, so you are ready to go when you get home. Now, on with the recipe.

For this recipe, including prep and cooking time, give yourself about 35 minutes. Remember some of these things can be prepped the day before, saving yourself some time.

The night before:

– dice a whole white onion and put in a sealed container and place in the fridge

– put 2.5 tablespoons of taco seasoning along with 1.5 teaspoons of cumin in a sealed container

That was easy, right?

The next day, when you are ready to begin:

– take a pound of ground turkey (any ground meat would work) and brown over medium heat with a little olive oil and a slight pinch of salt. Keep in mind that taco seasoning is very high in sodium so don’t over salt!

You don’t want to cook the hell out of it because it is going to bake in the oven for about 20 minutes as well. When the meat starts releasing juices and the majority of the pink is gone you are ready to drain. Pour the entire pan in a colander over the sink and let drain thoroughly. Now on to the onions.

In the same frying pan that you browned your turkey, add a little olive oil and saute the diced onions until nice and tender. About halfway through I added half of the taco seasoning and cumin mix to get the flavor train going. About 2 minutes later, return the drained meat to the pan and add the rest of the dry spice mixture. Along with the spice mixture, add a half cup of your favorite salsa (we had a bit of salsa I canned this past summer) and mix thoroughly. Let this simmer for about 7 to 8 minutes and you are ready to go.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and get ready to assemble. Here comes the fun part!

I used a medium sized circular oven safe dish, about 8 inches in diameter and 4 inches deep. Have ready your meat mixture, organic corn tortillas (bonus points if local), canned enchilada sauce, and some spicy canned peppers (if desired). 

Take the enchilada sauce and lightly coat the bottom of the dish. [Add a single layer of tortilla. Don’t be afraid to rip in half to make sure the bottom is completely covered. Next add a ladle full of the meat mixture, distribute evenly. Then add some more enchilada sauce and some cheese over the meat.]

Now repeat the [brackets] above until you run out of your meat mixture. I typically get about 4 to 5 layers. Coat the top with a final layer of tortilla and cheese and its ready for the oven. If you want, add the hot peppers on top of the cheese for an extra kick and a nice visual.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. *Caution contents may be hot

Ingredient List:

– One white onion

– 2.5 tablespoons of taco seasoning

– 1.5 teaspoons of cumin

– 1 pound of ground turkey

– half a cup of salsa

– jar of enchilada sauce

– 12 corn tortillas

– couple cups of shredded cheese

– hot peppers (if desired)