Turkey Enchiladas
4.3
(6)
Jason Vincent, executive chef of Chicago's Nightwood, shared this recipe exclusively with Epicurious. His creative take on Thanksgiving leftovers does require some extra prep on Turkey Day—you need to add the enchilada sauce ingredients to the bottom of the turkey's roasting pan—but it's a technique Vincent has perfected over the years and will save you tons of time and effort in the end. "The sauce kind of makes itself," says Vincent.
You can also make this recipe with a roast chicken, but be sure to soak the dried chiles—cover them in boiling water and let sit until softened, 25 to 30 minutes—before adding them to the sauce mixture. Also, have 2 cups of chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth ready, and add it to the roasting pan if the bottom gets too dry.
For more on Vincent, plus four more chefs' recipes for transforming your Thanksgiving extras, see The Five Best Leftover Turkey Recipes.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 1/2 hours
Yield
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
For the enchilada sauce:
To assemble:
To serve:
Preparation
While preparing Thanksgiving dinner, make the enchilada sauce:
Step 1
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onions, ancho and arbol chiles, garlic, celery, carrots, coriander, cumin, and dill and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper then transfer to the roasting pan you will roast the turkey in.
Step 2
Roast the turkey according to your recipe. As the turkey roasts, its juices and fat will drip down and cook the enchilada sauce ingredients. (Keep in mind that if you baste the turkey with the turkey juices, they'll be flavored with your enchilada sauce ingredients. To avoid flavoring your turkey this way, baste with melted butter, turkey or chicken stock, or low-sodium chicken broth—or a combination of these.)
Step 3
When you remove the turkey from the oven to rest, check to see that the vegetables are tender and if necessary return them to the oven to finish cooking.
Step 4
Working in batches, transfer the enchilada mixture to a food processor or blender and process until smooth—if necessary, use a few splashes of water to loosen or thin the mixture and create a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: The enchilada sauce can be prepared ahead and refrigerated, in an airtight container, up to 3 days, or frozen, up to 3 months.
Assemble the enchiladas:
Step 5
Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter 2 (9- by 13-inch) baking dishes. Spread about 1 cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of each dish.
Step 6
Pick the meat off the leftover turkey carcass and transfer to a large bowl—you'll need about 4 cups of meat. Add half the remaining enchilada sauce, along with half the queso fresco and half the queso Chihuahua, and stir to combine.
Step 7
On a work surface, spread about 1 cup of the turkey filling on the bottom half of 1 tortilla and roll it up burrito-style, folding in the sides to seal them closed. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling. Arrange the enchiladas tightly in the 2 prepared baking dishes then cover with the remaining sauce, followed by the remaining queso fresco and queso Chihuahua. DO AHEAD: The turkey enchiladas can be assembled up to this point, covered, and refrigerated, up to 24 hours, or frozen up to 3 months.
Step 8
Cover the enchiladas with foil and bake until the cheese has melted and the sauce is thickened and dark, about 1 hour. Serve immediately with sour cream and limes.
Recipe notes
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