If you have 10 minutes of prep time to spare and a large skillet, you have everything you need to make this turkey enchilada casserole. It’s loaded with vegetables and extra lean ground turkey to make a one-pan meal with 31 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber per serving. Making an easy meal for the family or meal prep for the week doesn’t get much easier!
Ingredients for My Easy Turkey Enchilada Casserole
I used a few shortcuts to make this a no-knife-required recipe, which is always a great move in my opinion. Here’s the shortlist of everything you’ll need:
- Ground Turkey – I used 99% lean since the other ingredients mask any lack of fat or moisture from extra lean meat. Cuts like 93/7 or ground chicken breast would work perfectly fine.
- Frozen Fire Roasted Bell Peppers, Onions, and Corn – You can find this duo (pictured below) at Trader Joe’s or find similar options at most grocery stores. Feel free to use freshly sliced onions and peppers, if you like.
- Red Enchilada Sauce and Taco Seasoning – To take this in a green chile direction, check out the spice blend and veggies in my green chile turkey enchiladas recipe.
- Corn Tortillas and Shredded Mexican Cheese – You’re welcome to use macro friendly tortillas in place of corn tortillas for an even higher protein casserole. And while I never suggest using low fat cheese, this is one of the rare exceptions where you could probably get away with it.
- Black Beans – You can use pinto beans or any type of beans. Just don’t drain them.
And that’s it. I told you it’s a simple recipe!
Cooking and Assembling a Skillet Casserole
The recipe starts by browning ground turkey. Be sure to add the turkey to the pan and leave it untouched so you can properly brown one side. This creates a ton of flavor that you don’t want to miss out on with an otherwise simple ingredient list.
Once the turkey is fully cooked, the vegetables and taco seasoning are added. Everything is then cooked together until the frozen vegetables are up to temperature and softening. Once you’re at that point, the heat is turned off and the enchilada casserole is assembled.
To keep this casserole a one skillet affair, half the ground turkey and vegetables are transferred to a bowl. Corn tortillas and enchilada sauce are added on top. Then that’s repeated with the remaining turkey mixture.
Modification Notes
You can skip the layering by using chopped tortillas like in my chicken taco casserole or beef enchilada skillet recipes. To go that route, simply chop the tortillas into bite size pieces and stir them in before topping with cheese and baking.
On the flip side, if you want to have an extra bottom layer of tortillas, you can transfer all of the ground turkey out of the skillet and add some enchilada sauce followed by tortillas. I would still include a middle layer, so you would use 9 tortillas in total.
And if you have some extra calories to spare, you can add an extra ounce or two of shredded cheese between each layer.
Once assembled, the turkey casserole is baked for 15-20 minutes in a 400ºF oven until the top is crispy and golden brown.
I garnished my casserole with scallions, diced tomatoes, and cotija cheese. Cilantro, pico de gallo, black olives, sour cream or nonfat Greek yogurt, and salsa macha are also great options. You can find a few more garnishes and side dish ideas below, just in case you need to round out a full spread.
What to Serve with Enchilada Casserole
The baked tortilla chips from my hidden veggie turkey chili would be perfect for adding some extra crunch to this meal without too many calories. It’s also a great recipe for using leftover corn tortillas.
To make them, cut tortillas into triangles, place on a wire rack over a sheet pan, spray with a bit of avocado oil or cooking spray, and bake for 10-12 minutes at 400ºF. I like to squeeze a bit of lime juice and sprinkle some salt over the chips fresh out of the oven.
Alternatively, here’s a handful of dips, sauces, and garnishes that would be great pairings:
- Creamy Jalapeño Ranch
- Roasted Zucchini Salsa
- High Protein Cottage Cheese Ranch Dip
- Creamy Avocado Salsa Verde
- Mexican Pickled Vegetables
Tips for Storing, Freezing, and Reheating
I recommend storing leftovers in individual slices then microwaving for 3-4 minutes to reheat. The top layer will be extra crispy after baking, so there’s no need to worry about getting it crispy when reheating.
If you want to make-ahead and freeze the entire turkey casserole for later, I would assemble the casserole in a baking dish before baking, cooling to room temperature, and freezing. That way you don’t have to freeze your skillet! To reheat from frozen, tightly cover with foil and reheat at 350ºF for 30-40 minutes until the center is heated through.
Wrapping Up
I’m happy to help you with any questions you may have about ingredients, substitutions, or anything else. Just drop them in the comments at the bottom of this post. And I always appreciate recipe reviews and feedback if you try this high protein casserole and love it!
High Protein Turkey Enchilada Casserole
Extra lean ground turkey with bell peppers, onions, and corn between layers of corn tortillas and shredded Mexican cheese.
Ingredients
- 1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 pound Ground Turkey (99% lean)
- 14 oz bag Frozen Onions and Peppers
- 1 cup (140g) Frozen Corn (fire roasted if possible)
- 15 oz can Black Beans
- 1 packet Taco Seasoning
- 6 Corn Tortillas
- 8 oz Red Enchilada Sauce
- 4 oz Shredded Mexican Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400ºF.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground turkey and cook for 3-4 minutes to brown one side before breaking apart to fully cook.
- Once the turkey is fully cooked and no pink remains, add the frozen vegetables, black beans (undrained), and taco seasoning. Stir everything together and cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions and peppers have softened.
- Turn off the heat and transfer half the mixture to a bowl. Place 3 corn tortillas on top of the remaining mixture in the skillet. Add half the enchilada sauce and spread evenly across the tortillas.
- Add the remaining turkey mixture on top of the tortillas and top with the remaining 3 tortillas (place them in a different pattern than the original 3 to cover gaps), enchilada sauce, and shredded cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is golden brown. Garnish with cilantro or scallions, diced tomatoes or pico de gallo, and cotija cheese. Slice into 6 slices and serve warm.
Notes
Freshly sliced onions and peppers work fine if you can't find frozen.
You can add a third layer of tortillas on the bottom by transferring all the cooked ground turkey and vegetables out of the skillet and adding 1/3 of the enchilada sauce and 3 extra corn tortillas before adding the other 2 layers. Feel free to add 1-2 ounces of cheese between each layer with the tortillas and enchilada sauce for an even cheesier casserole.
See the post above for more garnish and pairing ideas as well as tips for storing/freezing and reheating.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 slice (about 10 oz)Amount Per Serving: Calories: 355Total Fat: 10gCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 9gProtein: 31g
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