Now that you have eaten all the turkey sandwiches you want, all that meat leftover from the giant carcass that has taken over your refrigerator doesn’t look quite as appetizing anymore. No, you don’t have to give it all to your dog.
This recipe for enchiladas will change how you feel about leftover turkey. Even better the recipe is easily doubled, and can be frozen and reheated for one of those ghastly evenings you have driven home from work in the dark, freezing rain, dreading the thought of preparing dinner.
Ingredients:
3 to 4 cups of turkey meat, skin and sinews removed
3 to 4 roasted, peeled, stemmed and seeded Anaheim or Poblano chiles; or, one large can of chopped green chiles (7 oz)
1 large onion finely chopped
1 finely minced Serrano pepper (seeds and stem removed)
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup butter or oil
2 cups or one can of chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream
2-3 cups grated Monterey jack cheese
12 corn tortillas
½ cup oil for frying
Step One:
Heat oven to broil. Place fresh chiles on foil lined cookie sheet. Broil until the skins are charred, turning with tongs. This may take 15 minutes. Remove and place in a brown paper bag, close and let cool for 20 minutes. When cool, remove skins, seeds and stems and discard. Chop coarsely and set aside.
Step Two:
Melt butter in a medium sauce pan. Add garlic, onion and Serrano pepper and cook until soft. Add flour and mix thoroughly. Stirring constantly, cook at low heat until blended.
Step Three:
Slowly stir in chicken broth. Bring to a boil and add chopped roasted chiles. Simmer at medium low heat for two minutes.
Step Four:
Add 3/4 cup of heavy cream, stir to blend and bring to a simmer then turn off the heat. Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Cool and blend in food processor until smooth.
Putting it together:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the second amount of oil in a medium fry pan. Quickly fry the tortillas one at a time until softened. Drain on paper towels.
Mix one cup sauce with the chopped turkey and taste for seasoning, adding cayenne, salt or chili powder to taste.
Fill each tortilla with about 2 tablespoons of turkey mixture and roll up, placing each seam side down in baking pan.
Pour remaining sauce over filled tortillas. Sprinkle generously with cheese.
Bake for about 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with sliced avocado or guacamole.
• Patty Schied is a longtime Juneau resident who studied at the Cordon Bleu in London, has cooked meals for both AWARE and the Glory Hall, and has written a cookbook. Cooking For Pleasure appears every other week in Capital City Weekly.
