November 23, 2016
My girls are currently obsessed with enchiladas with this recipe being a favorite. I’m always searching for protein to use in place of that ubiquitous chicken and creative ways to use leftover turkey beyond those sandwiches. These enchiladas are a double whammy for the win.
You know the meat on your turkey that gets stuck and you can’t slice? Use it here – it’s perfect for shredding into enchiladas. Three to four cups of meat might seem like a lot, but it’s amazing the amount of turkey meat you can find. If you’re not using leftovers and just making these delicious enchiladas for a Tuesday in January, then It’s usually about half of a breast worth of meat — here’s how to simply roast a turkey breast.
This homemade tomatillo sauce straight from the garden (or produce section) makes for a perfect flavor bomb. This sauce is so good that I could literally drink it from a teacup. Like most veggies and fruits, tomatillos and jalapeños can very in size and flavor – conventional tomatillos are about the size of a golf ball. Always taste as you go and add more of this or that as needed to suit your taste buds.
The longer tomatillos stay in their husks, the sweeter they get. Whether you buy them at the grocery store or grow them in your backyard, keep them in the husks until ready to use. The husks also act as a type of preservative. I’m not sure about the science behind this, but the ones we grow keep for weeks and continue to get sweeter, similar to pumpkins.
You can choose your own adventure when it comes to assembling your enchiladas. I’ve made them in all sorts of ways. I’ve gone the most authentic route where I dipped them in oil, then sauce and then rolled —messy but absolutely delicious. I’ve tried a no oil method of heating tortillas in a dry pan and then poured sauce over the wrapped parcels. Fine, if you’re not crazy about frying, but you do lose a certain depth of flavor. My preferred way is what I’ve detailed here, heat tortillas in oil, roll and then pour the sauce over. Amazing taste and not too messy. Whatever route you choose, you can’t go wrong!
Sending you wishes today for a beautiful, safe and delicious Thanksgiving holiday.
Thanksgiving leftovers signal the official start of the holiday shopping season. If you’re ready to do some cyber spending, my Cook Apron is on sale now at a fantastic price. I’ve also just added my new Halter Apron to the shopping site, too!
Serves 4/makes 15+ enchiladas
15 – 17 medium size corn tortillas (we like Guerrero)
3 – 4 cups shredded turkey
10 tomatillos, cleaned and husks removed
1 large jalapeno, stem removed
½ cup cilantro, packed
¼ of a small white onion
3 cloves garlic
1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup grape seed oil or canola oil
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Make the sauce: Bring water with a pinch of salt to boil. Pierce each tomatillo and the jalapeno with a sharp knife and place in water. Simmer, poaching the tomatillos and jalapeno about 8 minutes. The tomatillos will get soft and turn slightly yellow. Reserve the poaching water.
Remove the seeds from the jalapeno and add it to a blender with the tomatillos, cilantro, onion, garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and about ½ cup of the poaching liquid. Blend until creamy and smooth.
You’re not done yet! Put two tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and simmer the blended sauce for about 8-10 minutes. This helps concentrate the flavor and thicken it up a bit. Taste for seasoning. Now your sauce is ready, stash in a container with a pour spout for later use.
Make the enchiladas: In a new frying pan (or just quickly clean and dry the one you just used) add two tablespoon of grape seed oil or canola oil – your preference. Heat on medium until very hot, but not quite dancing around the pan. Working quickly, heat the tortillas one at a time. In a few seconds they begin to bubble, then flip for a few more seconds. Reserve on a plate. Add more oil to the pan as needed. This process does two things — it makes the tortilla playable, it seals the tortillas so they don’t crumble when they meet the sauce and it adds incredible flavor.
Spoon a little of the green sauce like 1/2 cup to the bottom of a casserole dish. Grab a tortilla and add about two tablespoons of shredded turkey, roll up and place seam side down in the dish. Repeat with all tortillas. Now, pour the sauce over the tortillas making sure sauce covers the tortillas completely; you may not need all of your sauce but reserve it for serving. Cover with shredded cheese.
Broil the enchiladas until the cheese melts. Serve warm with fresh cilantro, sour cream, any extra salsa and guacamole or avocado slices.
