Ground Turkey Enchilada Casserole Slow Cooker

#FlashbackFriday with one of my must make fall treats! Happy Halloween all! One of my favorite dishes to make whenever I go to a potluck is my Lazy Chicken Enchiladas. They are easy, cheesy and delicious. While I've made these enchiladas using chicken, both boiled and rotisserie, along with pulled pork, I've never used ground turkey or my slow cooker. I wanted to have our office smell delicious while my enchiladas cooked and to serve them hot to everyone since I knew we didn't have a way to heat them up.

I love the way the all the flavors melt together in this turkey enchilada casserole as it cooks. It definitely reminds me a little bit of the enchiladas I make and a little bit like my mom's tamale casserole she used to serve us growing up. I think next go round, I'd totally add corn to the turkey mix to add a sweet, crunchy bite. This is pretty tasty as is, although you could definitely bulk out your serving by topping it with fresh romaine, tomatoes, avocado and all of your favorite toppers.

SLOW COOKER TURKEY ENCHILADA CASSER (print it!)

INGREDIENTS

1.25 lbs. lean ground turkey
1 small onion, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp. Homemade Taco Seasoning
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
32 oz. mild enchilada sauce
16 corn tortillas
8 oz. reduced fat sharp cheddar
4 oz. olives, sliced

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large nonstick skillet, combine the turkey, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain any excess liquid and return the turkey mixture back to the pan. Sprinkle with taco seasoning, 1/4 cup enchilada sauce and cilantro, stirring until combined. Remove from heat.

2. Spray slow cooker with nonstick spray. Begin layer the casserole by pouring 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker, then, top with a single layer of tortillas, 1/3 of the meat mixture, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, 1/4 of the cheese and a 1/4 of the olive slices. Repeat 3 times with the top layer being just sauce, cheese and olives.

3. Cook on low for 4 hours or until the cheese is melted and the casserole bubbles knowing it is heated through. Serve as is or add toppings such as lettuce, tomato, sour cream, green onion, etc.

Makes 10, one cup servings, 8 Smartpoints, 7 points+ each or SF + 3 WPA

Nutritional information per serving calculated at caloriecount.com

STEP – BY – STEP

After browning the ground turkey, onion, bell pepper and garlic, season the turkey mixture with taco seasoning, cilantro and 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce. Stir until combined.

Layer up the casserole starting with 1/4 cup enchilada sauce.

Then, a single layer of corn tortillas.

Your 1/3 of the turkey mixture. You could easily use ground beef, pork, chicken or veggie crumbles in place of the turkey.

Spread half a cup of sauce on top.

Followed up with 1/4 of the cheese and 1/4 of the olives.

Repeat layers with the last layer being sauce, cheese and olives.

I made this for a Halloween Potluck so it only seemed appropriate to let The Husband go to town making it a Jack-O-Lantern Enchilada Casserole. I told him I liked the cilantro hair – he said, that's a stem, not hair….oh and this is a "scary" casserole!

The only thing was the face melted away when the casserole cooked on low for 4 hours. Let it stand for about 10 minutes before serving to let everything settle and make serving easier.

For casseroles like this, if I am not dividing it into 10 servings, I will weigh my serving on my food scale (in grams as noted above) to ensure I am dishing up the proper portion.

I couldn't exactly do a Halloween post without sharing a few highlights of the day! I love that everyone at work got all decked out ~ it definitely makes the work day fun.