Secrets from the Cookie Princess: Turkey Enchiladas with Corn & Chile Sauce

Monday, July 9, 2012

Turkey Enchiladas with Corn & Chile Sauce

As I've said before, Mexican food is a favorite in our house. We generally have it at least once a week, but it will often make more than one appearance on the weekly menu. And these enchiladas are definitely a favorite among our many Mexican dishes. The turkey is perfectly spiced and you can adjust the heat to your liking by varying the chili powder and salsa. Rolled into tortillas with cheese and topped with a perfect sauce, you'll love how flavorful these are. The sauce deserves it's own time in the spotlight--it's just so good. Corn, chiles and cilantro play well together in this creamy sauce that you'll want to eat by the spoonful. But I recommend actually putting it on the enchiladas and then going to town.

Last summer, Dave and I visited our friends Kate and Andy (you remember Kate, she's the one who gave me this fabulous recipe). Kate was kind enough to make us dinner and treated us to these delicious enchiladas. Which Dave immediately fell in love with (I like them a lot too). So asked Kate for the recipe which she shared (I don't know where she got the recipe from), and then I made these right away. And again before the week was out. They really are that good. I've often added a can of black beans to the turkey mixture (you'll notice I actually have a can of beans in the ingredients picture but forgot to add them to this recipe), just to bulk them up a bit and add another level of flavor. Either way, this is a great recipe that's quick to put together. These enchiladas are a pretty frequent member of our dinner rotation and if you like Mexican, you'll be hooked, too.

Turkey Enchiladas with Corn & Chile Sauce

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 4 ounce can chopped green chiles
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon pepper, divided
3/4 pound ground turkey
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup salsa
1 Tablespoon cornmeal
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
6 flour tortillas
1 1/4 cup shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese

Add corn, chiles, cilantro, cream, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until blended. (Note: Mixture will be slightly chunky.)

Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add turkey, onion and garlic and cook until meat is no longer pink, crumbling with a spoon as it browns. Remove from heat and drain off any excess liquid.

Stir in salsa and seasonings, mixing to combine.

Spoon 1/3 cup turkey mixture onto the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons cheese and roll up. Place seam-side down in a greased 11 x 7 baking dish. (Note: I only had 5 tortillas, so I filled mine a bit more.)