Remember these taco salad bowls? That was definitely awhile ago; it’s about time for another Mexican-inspired dish around here! This enchilada bake is so comforting and satisfying and absolutely delicious. I am excited to be sharing this recipe with you today!
As many recipes are, this recipe was created due to a combination of two main factors: 1. What I happen to be craving at that moment and 2. What I have on hand in my pantry/fridge. I have to say, I do believe this recipe came out pretty well! Chris (my number 1 taste tester) loved it and I believe had a second serving the first night I served this, so I’ll count that as a win.
I debated whether or not to call this recipe “Mexican Lasagna” or “Enchilada Bake.” Clearly, the “enchilada bake” won. I just couldn’t decide which name described this recipe best! I eventually decided on the latter mostly just because I personally am not the biggest fan of lasagna and enchiladas sound way more delicious to me.
Ingredients and Substitution Ideas
Ground turkey
Feel free to use ground chicken or ground beef in place of the ground turkey! I’d just recommend draining the fat after cooking before adding the refried beans to the meat.
Spices
I really wanted to come up with a homemade taco seasoning while I was testing this recipe instead of using store-bought taco seasoning packets, as those often are very high in sodium and have added preservatives. I will definitely be using this combination/ratio of spices again in the future when making tacos or similar items! I loved using these spices, but if you want feel free to use 1 packet of store-bought taco seasoning instead.
Refried Beans
Growing up, my mom would always add a can of refried beans to taco meat. I love this idea to get the added nutrition from the beans (fiber, plant-based protein, etc.) and it makes the meat go farther too! I used traditional refried beans (made with pinto beans), but I also think using black refried beans (something I’ve recently bought and tried) would be great in this recipe. And honestly, if you really want to I’m sure you could completely omit the refried beans from the meat mixture! Just note you won’t have as much filling and it won’t taste as creamy.
Black beans
Any time of beans will do! Black beans are my go-to with Mexican foods, but feel free to use any variety you have on hand! Kidney beans, pinto beans, white beans, etc.
Enchilada sauce
Just like with the taco seasoning, I really wanted to make a homemade enchilada sauce. I used tomatoes I had canned from our garden. I modified this recipe, but I personally omitted the water and jalopeno as thought it would make the sauce much too runny/spicy for my taste.
Cheese
I love sharp cheddar cheese for the stronger flavor. I also am a big fan of buying a block of cheese and grating it myself…no added preservatives like the pre- shredded cheese you buy in the grocery store! It honestly tastes WAY better and more fresh when you take the extra minute to grate it yourself too. If you’re dairy-free you could omit the cheese or use a vegan cheese, but I can’t vouch for how that would taste!
Kale
I couldn’t help but throw in a couple handfuls of kale into this recipe. It cooks great into the recipe and honestly isn’t very noticeable, and gets in a small about of veggies! Feel free to use spinach instead of kale or omit completely.
Tortillas
My personal preference is corn tortillas, but you could also use small (6 inch size) flour tortillas instead if you want. A note: if you want/need this recipe to be gluten free, then use the corn tortillas as they are naturally gluten free!
Toppings
As I’ve previously mentioned, I absolutely love this recipe topped with something fresh, such as romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, and salsa! Feel free to add whatever toppings you want. Adding the fresh veggies really make this meal come together though.
- For the turkey:
- 1 lb. ground turkey (or ground beef)
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 can refried beans
- For the Layers:
- 1 can black beans
- 3 cups enchilada sauce, divided
- 8 ounce block cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 2 cups packed kale (or spinach, optional)
- 9 corn (or flour) 6-inch tortillas
- In medium skillet, brown ground turkey, diced onion, and garlic until turkey is no longer pink and completely cooked through. Add in spices and can of refried beans and stir until combined.
- Spray 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Time to layer everything! You will need to divide ingredients into roughly thirds.
- First layer: ½ cup enchilada sauce, 3 tortillas, ⅓ of ground turkey/refried bean mixture, ⅓ of the black beans, ⅓ of the cheese, 1 cup kale, and 1 cup of enchilada sauce.
- Second Layer: Repeat layers (3 tortillas, ⅓ of ground turkey/refried beans, ⅓ of black beans, ⅓ of cheese, 1 cup kale, and 1 cup enchilada sauce).
- Final (third) layer: ⅓ of ground turkey/refried beans, ⅓ black beans, ½ cup enchilada sauce, and ⅓ of cheese last.
- Bake at 375 degrees for about 25-35 minutes, or until cheese is melted and completely heated/warmed through. Makes 9 large servings.
- Delicious topped with guacamole or avocado, salsa, fresh tomatoes, romaine lettuce, sour cream, etc.! Perfect recipe to meal prep/prep ahead of time and then refrigerate overnight (that’s what I did).
I still have leftover turkey in the freezer from Thanksgiving. How could I use it in this recipe? I don’t have a meat grinder.
I would just chop the leftover cooked turkey (or chicken) and use that! No need to grind it. I hope you like the recipe! ?
I want to stop using the store bought taco seasonings packets. If I mix those spices listed in recipe is that the substitution for the store packet. I assume its gluten free:?
Yes, you can substitute the seasonings in the recipe for store bought taco seasoning packets. And it is naturally gluten free too! ?