It’s difficult to find someone who doesn’t enjoy Mexican food. But sometimes love hurts, and this delicious cuisine can be way too heavy to eat regularly or too complicated to cook on a weeknight. I’ve resisted that whole idea and am always trying to find ways to make my favorite flavors lighter and easier to make. This recipe takes a lot of the manual labor out of the enchilada rolling process by turning it into a casserole (no tortilla frying or rolling!). The cottage cheese and spinach layer adds creaminess without the weight, and infuses all of the health benefits of the leafy greens without compromising any taste.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
1 onion chopped
2-3 minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano leaves or 1 tablespoon dried
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 container Kalona Supernatual Cottage Cheese
1 package frozen, chopped spinach
1 can (29 oz.) red enchilada sauce
Salt
12 corn tortillas (6 in. wide)
2 cups shredded reduced-fat jack cheese (8 oz.)
Kalona Supernatural Sour Cream
Chopped fresh cilantro
Sliced avocado
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425F and thaw frozen spinach
- Sautee onion, garlic, oregano and cumin in olive oil for a few minutes then add the turkey. Cook until it is crumbly and no longer pink (about 5 minutes).
- Add a cup of enchilada sauce to mixture and salt and pepper to taste.
- Drain thawed spinach and mix with the cottage cheese and ¼ cup of the shredded cheese
- Spread a few tablespoons of sauce in the bottom of a 3-quart casserole.
- Cut tortillas in half. Arrange a fourth of the halves evenly over the bottom of the casserole, overlapping to fit.
- Assemble the casserole in layers: Sprinkle a fourth of the cheese evenly over the tortillas, then top with a third of the turkey mixture, a third of the spinach mixture and a fourth of the remaining enchilada sauce, spreading each level. Repeat to make two more layers of tortillas, cheese, turkey, spinach mixture and sauce; top with another layer of tortillas and sauce, then cheese.
- Bake in a 425° regular or convection oven until cheese is melted and casserole is hot in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve with sliced avocado and/or sour cream on the side.
Turkey, Spinach & Cottage Cheese Enchilada Pie
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
- 1 onion chopped
- 2–3 minced garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano leaves or 1 tablespoon dried
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 container Kalona Supernatual Cottage Cheese
- 1 package frozen, chopped spinach
- 1 can (29 oz.) red enchilada sauce
- Salt
- 12 corn tortillas (6 in. wide)
- 2 cups shredded reduced-fat jack cheese (8 oz.)
- Kalona Supernatural Sour Cream
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Sliced avocado
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F and thaw frozen spinach
- Sautee onion, garlic, oregano and cumin in olive oil for a few minutes then add the turkey. Cook until it is crumbly and no longer pink (about 5 minutes).
- Add a cup of enchilada sauce to mixture and salt and pepper to taste.
- Drain thawed spinach and mix with the cottage cheese and ¼ cup of the shredded cheese
- Spread a few tablespoons of sauce in the bottom of a 3-quart casserole.
- Cut tortillas in half. Arrange a fourth of the halves evenly over the bottom of the casserole, overlapping to fit.
- Assemble the casserole in layers: Sprinkle a fourth of the cheese evenly over the tortillas, then top with a third of the turkey mixture, a third of the spinach mixture and a fourth of the remaining enchilada sauce, spreading each level. Repeat to make two more layers of tortillas, cheese, turkey, spinach mixture and sauce; top with another layer of tortillas and sauce, then cheese.
- Bake in a 425° regular or convection oven until cheese is melted and casserole is hot in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve with sliced avocado and/or sour cream on the side.