Easy Turkey Enchilada Casserole

Easy Turkey Enchilada Casserole is loaded with ground turkey, corn, pinto beans, tortillas and an easy homemade enchilada sauce. This delicious layered enchilada casserole recipe is sure to be a hit at your dinner table!

You’ll love how easy this enchilada casserole recipe comes together.  Instead of rolling tortillas, all of the enchilada ingredients are layered in a casserole dish or you can use your favorite dutch oven like I do.  

This is one of those versatile dinner casserole recipes that’s easy enough to make any night of the week. You can switch the ingredients up however you like. If you want to cut down on time, use a store-bought rotisserie chicken and chop into bite-size pieces, or use shredded turkey meat if you have leftovers instead of using ground turkey.

ENCHILADA CASSEROLE RECIPE

This is a crowd-pleasing Mexican casserole with ground turkey, beans and corn and it’s rich with classic Mexican flavors.

• 3 cups red enchilada sauce (homemade or store bought)
• 12 corn tortillas
• 2 15-ounce cans pinto beans (or black beans), rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1-1/2 to 2  cups shredded Monterrey Jack or Mexican blend cheese
• 1 Roma tomato, chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/8 cup purple onions, slivered
• 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped

HOW TO MAKE A CASSEROLE

This layered enchilada casserole is so easy to make and it comes together in about 45 minutes start-to-finish.   

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
3. Add the ground turkey to a skillet and cook over medium low heat for 10-12 minutes or until no longer pink. Break pieces up using a wooden spoon and stir as it cooks.
4. Pour 1 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of the baking dish and spread evenly.
5. Add a layer of  4 tortillas to the top of the sauce.
6. Sprinkle 1 can rinsed pinto beans and 1/2 cup corn and distribute evenly over the tortillas.
7. Add 1/2 cooked ground turkey meat and 1/2 cup cheese to the top of the beans and corn.
8. Repeat with another layer of tortillas, sauce, beans and corn, turkey and cheese.
9. Add a final layer of tortillas.  Spread the remaining sauce over the tortillas.  Sprinkle the cheese to the top of the sauce.
10. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, then bake for 20 minutes.
11. Remove pan and remove aluminum foil. Sprinkle the top of the enchiladas with chopped tomato, sliced green onion, slivered purple onion and olives.
12. Return to oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
13. Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.  Garnish with chopped cilantro.

HOMEMADE ENCHILADA SAUCE

• 4 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
• 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 8-oz can low sodium tomato sauce
• 1 cup chicken broth

HOW TO MAKE ENCHILADA SAUCE

1. Add the  olive oil (or canola oil) to a large pot.
2. Over medium high heat cook the onion, jalapeno and garlic for about 8 to 10 minutes or until soft and cooked evenly.
3. Stir in the chili powder, cumin and oregano.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and chicken broth.
5. Blend well and bring the sauce to a simmer.
6. Lower the heat and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the sauce has slightly thickened.
   Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

MEXICAN DINNER RECIPES

• Enchilada Style Baked Chicken
• Mexican Meatloaf Meatballs
• Easy Chicken Fajita Bake
• Mexican Style Shredded Chicken
• Taco Skillet

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Yield: 8 servings

Easy Turkey Enchilada Casserole

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

This Easy Turkey Enchilada Casserole is loaded with ground turkey, corn, pinto beans, tortillas and an easy homemade enchilada sauce

Ingredients

• 3 cups red enchilada sauce
• 12 corn tortillas
• 2 15-ounce cans pinto beans or black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1-1/2 to 2  cups shredded Monterrey Jack or Mexican blend cheese
• 1 Roma tomato, chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/8 cup purple onions, slivered
• 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped

Enchilada Sauce

• 4 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 8-oz can low sodium tomato sauce
• 1 cup chicken broth

Instructions

Easy Turkey Enchilada Casserole

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
3. Pour 1 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of the baking dish and spread evenly.
4. Add a layer of  4 tortillas to the top of the sauce.
5. Sprinkle 1 cup pinto beans and 1/2 cup corn and distribute evenly over the tortillas.
6. Add 1/2 of the cooked ground turkey meat and 1/2 cup cheese to the top of the beans and corn.
7. Repeat with another layer of tortillas, sauce, beans and corn, turkey and cheese.
8. Add a final layer of tortillas.  Spread the remaining sauce over the tortillas.  Sprinkle the cheese to the top of the sauce.
9. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, then bake for 20 minutes.
10. Remove pan and remove aluminum foil. Sprinkle the top of the enchiladas with chopped tomato, sliced green onion, slivered purple onion and olives.
11. Return to oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
12. Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.  Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Enchilada Sauce

1. Add the  olive oil (or canola oil) to a large pot.
2. Over medium high heat cook the onion, jalapeno and garlic for about 8 to 10 minutes or until soft and cooked evenly.
3. Stir in the chili powder, cumin and oregano.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and chicken broth.
5. Blend well and bring the sauce to a simmer.
6. Lower the heat and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the sauce has slightly thickened.Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 799Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 1459mgCarbohydrates: 74gFiber: 20gSugar: 15gProtein: 46g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations.