The day after Thanksgiving is a busy one in our house. All the kids are home, we always have other family staying with us for the weekend, and we have at least 15 people for dinner on Thanksgiving Day. So the Friday after Thanksgiving is a day we normally reserve for doing something as a family.
Sometimes we head into downtown D.C. to look at the museums. Or we drive west to take a walk in the Shenandoah. Or visit one of the many historic villages in Virginia for a day of small-town shopping. Sometimes we even have to send one of our kids back to college or graduate school. Regardless of what we do, I know two things. First, dinner will be made from leftovers. Second, the dinner will be easy to make. I have two standby dishes that I serve for Friday’s dinner. One is a Turkey Stuffing Casserole and the other is Turkey Enchiladas. The enchiladas have more ingredients, much of it can be made ahead including the enchilada sauce. So while everyone is recovering from a day of fun (and probably watching football and eating leftover appetizers), I can get this dish in the oven quickly and everyone has a great meal. And, of course, it will be followed by leftover pie!
Leftover Turkey Enchiladas
Ingredients
Enchiladas
- 3 cups leftover cooked dark turkey meat shredded
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 3 cups enchilada sauce divided (recipe included below)
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes undrained and diced
- 2 jalapeno peppers chopped fine (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
- 16 small flour tortillas warmed (smaller size 6-8-inch)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded (more if desired)
Enchilada Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 5 teaspoons red chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 2 1/4 cups water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Enchilada Sauce
-
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the flour and keep stirring for 3 minutes to make a roux. Stir in the spices and tomato past. Keep stirring, over medium heat, until the roux thickens.
Slowly stir in the water and heat until the sauce boils. Lower to a simmer and keep stirring until the sauce is as thick as you want it. Taste and adjust any seasonings. Set aside.
Enchiladas
-
Preheat the oven to 350℉ and take out a 9×13" glass roasting pan.
-
In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil and saute the onions for 8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Then add the tomatoes, peppers, and all the seasonings. Stir until well combined. Stir in the turkey and 1 cup of the enchilada sauce. Simmer and keep stirring until the mixture dries out.
-
Stir in the cream cheese and simmer until melted.
-
Pour some of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of the glass pan.
-
On a cutting board, lay out the tortillas. Add 1/4 cup of meat mixture to each tortilla. Roll the tortillas and place them seam side down in the baking dish. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas. Cover with the cheddar cheese and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the filling is bubbly.
