An Unexpected Potluck Hit: Turkey Enchiladas

Hello again, Nicole here! With the holiday season upon us, it only means one thing... holiday parties. For potluck style events, or for large crowds, you need a meal that's easy, tasty and can feed a lot of people. Enchiladas can do just that and more because they transport fairly easily, and always leave people asking for more. Now, let me start off by saying that this is by no means an authentic, Mexican enchilada recipe that was passed down from generation to generation from my ancient abuela. This is Mexican done Mynott style, which means there’s only one kind of meat we could possibly use, ground turkey.

Don’t get me wrong, my family eats all the major meat groups, but ground turkey is always the staple in our house. Not only is it a great source of protein and contains less fat than most other meats, it is super versatile and can be used in a variety of dishes. But, if you were to go to a Mexican restaurant and ask for turkey enchiladas, they would probably think you were crazy. Most Hispanic cuisine utilizes chicken, beef or fish.  Despite it’s lack of authenticity, these enchiladas are still a hit no matter where they are served. They even became famous within the Spanish department at Los Alamitos High School!  Every year I would have teachers, most of whom are native Hispanics, asking me to bring in these enchiladas. So if they give them the seal of approval, I’m sure your family will love them as well!

Turkey Enchiladas

1 packet of Lawry’s Enchilada Sauce Spices and Seasoning

3 cups of water

• 1 6 oz can of tomato paste
• 1 lb of lean ground turkey (we get the 93/7 mix)
• 1/2 of a red onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, pressed or chopped very finely
• 8 flour tortillas
• 2 bags of Mexican blend grated cheese
• Olive OilSalt and Pepper, to tasteOptional: 1 small can of black olives

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

In a small saucepan, combine the spice packet, water, and tomato paste and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Then, pour the sauce into a separate bowl and let it get to room temperature. (You can also throw it in the fridge if you’re in a rush, or just impatient like me.)

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium high heat, drizzle enough olive oil to lightly coat the pan. Once heated, throw in the onions and garlic and cook until the onions begin to soften. Add in the ground turkey and break it up with spatula in order to mix it with all the ingredients. Once completely cooked, set the meat mixture aside to cool for a few minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Set up an assembly line with your tortillas, sauce, meat, cheese and onions. First take a tortilla and dip it into the enchilada sauce, coating it completely and place it in a large, glass baking dish (mine is a 9×2), Scoop the turkey into the middle of the tortilla, about a 1/4-1/3 cup. Then add a few olives and sprinkle with some cheese. Starting from one end, roll the tortilla with all the mixture inside and place it seam side down in the pan. Repeat the process until all the enchiladas are filled. Finally pour any remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas, and spread it evenly with a spatula. Cover the enchiladas with more cheese and olives.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are bubbling around the edges. Serve immediately with a side of sour cream, or you can refrigerate or freeze them. Reheat them at 400 degrees until the edges start to bubble again.

*Cook’s Notes: Of course you can change these up and do any kind of meat you like, or even add in some bell peppers or other veggies. This is a great base recipe to develop your own enchiladas!