Fast Easy And Tasty Leftover Turkey Enchiladas

Before the Thanksgiving meal is over, we’re already thinking of the mouthwatering ways we can gobble up the leftovers. And this loaded turkey enchiladas recipe is one of the tastiest of options! When we say loaded, we mean generously stuffed turkey and cheese enchiladas snuggly arranged in a casserole dish, then lavishly scattered with a scrumptious combination of corn, black beans, and more cheese. When these leftover turkey enchiladas come out of the oven, your family is going to race to the table and fight for the first indulgent bite. MORE: Simple, smoky leftover turkey corn chowder with bacon This recipe is large enough to feed a crowd or a small group of insatiably hungry enchilada lovers. But if two dozen enchiladas is too much for you, simply cut the recipe down to accommodate a smaller meal or, even better, divide it into two or three casserole dishes and freeze a batch or two. To fix and freeze, let the enchiladas cool completely then tightly cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil. This disch can freeze up to three months. When you’re ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap, cover with foil, and bake at 375 F for 45 minutes or until heated through. You can also keep it simple and adapt this recipe to the ingredients you have on hand. If you don’t have leftover turkey, swap in cooked chicken, shredded pork, or ground beef. If you’re not a fan of corn tortillas, use flour tortillas — bonus, you don’t have to cook the flour tortillas in oil. Simply warm them up or dip them in warm enchilada sauce before filling. No ears of corn? Frozen corn works just fine. Anytime you need to use up some leftovers — from Thanksgiving or any night of the week — enchiladas make them into a delicious new meal.

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Cook the onions, leeks, garlic, and cumin

In a large skillet over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and leeks. Cook them, stirring often, for 6 to 8 minutes or until the onions and leeks are softened and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cumin. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes to soften the garlic.

Make the leftover turkey filling

To the onion mixture, add the shredded turkey, diced tomatoes, 2 cans of enchilada sauce, chipotle chilies, and fresh cilantro. Stir the ingredients together and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the turkey filling for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.

Cook the corn tortillas

Briefly cooking the corn tortillas in hot oil softens them and makes them more pliable when you’re filling them with the turkey mixture. In a small skillet, heat the remaining 1/2 cup of vegetable oil over medium heat. Submerge a tortilla into the oil and cook for 10 seconds. Flip the tortilla over and cook for another 5 seconds. Set the tortilla on a stack of paper towels to drain. Repeat this process until all the tortillas have been cooked.

Coat the bottom of a large casserole dish with enchilada sauce

Pour a 1/2 can of enchilada sauce into a large casserole dish. Spread the sauce out to coat the bottom of the dish.

Fill tortillas with the saucy turkey mixture

Place a tortilla on a plate and add about 1/4-cup of the turkey mixture down the middle of the tortilla. Modestly sprinkle cheese over the turkey filling—you’ll be using the shredded cheese for both the filling and for sprinkling over the top of the enchiladas. Roll up the tortilla and set it seam-side down along one edge of the casserole dish. Continue to fill tortillas and place them alongside each other until the casserole dish is full or you run out of filling. You may need two casserole dishes if you can’t fit all the enchiladas into one. Cover enchiladas with the remaining 1-1/2 cans of enchilada sauce.

Load up the enchiladas with corn, black beans, and cheese

This enchilada dish is a hearty meal that features a hefty topping of corn, black beans, and cheese. Top the enchiladas with corn kernels, black beans, and the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake the enchiladas

Place the casserole dish in the oven and bake, uncovered, at 350 F for 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Let the enchiladas cool for about 5 minutes.