This leftover turkey enchiladas recipe with butternut squash combines the flavors of Thanksgiving and Mexico to give you an outstanding leftover dish!
When you look for leftover turkey recipes, what are you looking for? For me I'm looking for something that is not only unique and different, but tasty as well - from turkey hash to turkey tamale pie to turkey stuffing dumplings soup.
But who would think of turning leftover turkey into a Mexican dish? Half Baked Harvest of course! I think she loves cheese almost as much as I do, so naturally when I saw this recipe a couple of years ago I had to make my version of it!
And after making it, a part of me almost enjoyed these leftover turkey enchiladas more than the Thanksgiving dinner... almost! I mean enchiladas are one of those things to me that's hard to screw up and these are no different.
It may seem a little strange to combine the flavors of Thanksgiving with Mexican cuisine but in this case, it's the perfect combo! The sweet/nutty flavor from the butternut squash goes great with the spices and enchilada sauces, and of course the cheese! You can't forget the cheese!
As I mentioned before enchiladas are hard to screw up and for me it might be because most are loaded with cheese which obviously makes everything better!
I don't know about you but one of my favorite parts about Thanksgiving is having leftovers for the next few days. Now you can be old-school and just heat up your turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, etc... or you can try something new and unique like these butternut squash enchiladas with turkey. There is a reason leftover turkey recipes are so popular.
Like most dishes I like to make during the week, this doesn't take much effort and uses minimal dishes. Oh and you don't have to wait for leftover turkey to make this.
You can always just use a rotisserie chicken and it will taste just as good. I might have done that once or twice already! Either way, you should give these turkey enchiladas a try.
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Recipe Ingredients
- Olive oil - used to cook the butternut squash.
- Butternut squash and sage - where a lot of the flavor comes from.
- Chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper - enhances the flavor.
- Green chili enchilada sauce and red enchilada sauce - the combo makes for a tasty sauce.
- Mild green chiles - adds some heat.
- Milk - whole milk is best.
- Turkey - leftover turkey works best.
- Sharp cheddar cheese and smoked gouda cheese - the combination has great flavor.
- Corn tortillas - flour tortillas work too.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Put a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butternut squash, cooking for about 10 minutes or until the butternut squash is fork tender.
- Add the spices and sage and cook for an additional minute.
- Toss in the green chili enchilada sauce, diced green chiles and milk. Cook for about 5 minutes until sauce is slightly thicker.
- Remove from heat and stir in the turkey and half of the cheese.
- Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour ⅓ of the red enchilada sauce along the bottom and spread out. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and cook corn tortillas for about 20 seconds on each side so they are more pliable. You'll have to do one at a time. Working with one tortilla at a time, spoon about ⅓ cup of the mixture into the tortilla and roll up.
- Place each enchilada in the dish with the seam facing down. Once all the enchiladas are rolled, top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake the enchiladas for about 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned. Remove and let cool for about 5 minutes.
- While cooling heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Cook the sage for about 30 seconds until, darkened but not burnt.
- Place the fried sage on top of the turkey enchiladas.
Side Dish Suggestions
You can go a number of ways with side dish options for this leftover turkey enchiladas recipe. Some include:
FAQs
Of course. Pumpkin makes for a great substitute or even sweet potatoes.
If you don't have leftover turkey, you can easily use rotisserie chicken. But this dish works great for right after Thanksgiving, so go with the turkey if you can.
Yes. Heat the corn tortillas in small skillet for 20 seconds per side so they are pliable. If you skip this step, the tortillas will break apart as you roll them up.
Yes. Make everything up to cooking the enchiladas in the oven. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil.
Freeze for up to 3 months. Once ready remove from oven and bake for 45 minutes with only aluminum foil covering it. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Add cold oil to a cold skillet and let heat up to proper temperature before adding the butternut squash. You’ll know it is ready when the oil starts to shimmer.
- Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has addition ingredients that you don’t need. Just buy blocks of cheese and grate yourself.
- If you have the time, make your own enchilada sauce. This recipe doesn't call for it, but the extra effort is worth it. However store-bought will work as well.
- Add some fresh avocado to give the dish some healthy fat. You can also make your own guacamole.
- Store the leftover turkey enchiladas in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Other Thanksgiving Recipes
- Herb Roasted Turkey
- Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy
- Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast
- Easy Turkey Gravy
If you’ve tried this leftover turkey enchiladas recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Leftover Turkey Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced into ½ inch cubes
- 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- 1 (10 ounce can) green chili enchilada sauce
- 1 (4 ounce can) diced green chiles
- ½ cup milk
- 3 cups shredded turkey
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 6 ounces smoked gouda, shredded
- 1 (10 ounce can) red enchilada sauce
- 10-12 corn tortillas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 14-16 fresh sage leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Put a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butternut squash and cook for about 10 minutes or until the butternut squash is fork tender. Add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and sage and cook for an additional minute. Add the green chili enchilada sauce, diced green chiles and milk. Cook for about 5 minutes until sauce is slightly thicker. Remove from heat and stir in the turkey and half of the cheese.
- Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour ⅓ of the red enchilada sauce along the bottom and spread out. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and cook corn tortillas for about 20 seconds on each side so they are more pliable. You'll have to do one at a time. Working with one tortilla at a time, spoon about ⅓ cup of the mixture into the tortilla and roll up. Place each enchilada in the dish with the seam facing down. Once all enchiladas are rolled, top with remaining red enchilada sauce and cheese.
- Bake the enchiladas for about 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned. Remove and let cool for about 5 minutes. While cooling heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Cook the sage for about 30 seconds until, darkened but not burnt. Place the fried sage on top of the enchiladas and serve immediately.
Notes
- Add cold oil to a cold skillet and let heat up to proper temperature before adding the butternut squash. You’ll know it is ready when the oil starts to shimmer.
- Heat corn tortillas in small skillet for 20 seconds per side so they are pliable. If you skip this step, the tortillas will break apart as you roll them up.
- Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has addition ingredients that you don’t need. Just buy blocks of cheese and grate yourself.
- If you don't have leftover turkey, you can easily use rotisserie chicken. But this dish works great for right after Thanksgiving, so go with the turkey if you can.
- If you have the time, make your own enchilada sauce. This recipe doesn't call for it, but the extra effort is worth it. However store-bought will work as well.
- Add some fresh avocado to give the dish some healthy fat. You can also make your own guacamole.
- Store the enchiladas in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Chris says
Looks delicious!