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I woke up the other morning thinking, “I need enchiladas…”. True story.
And rather than think about how weird that is (at least for someone who rarely eats enchiladas), I went on a mission to create an enchilada inspired Paleo dish that I could eat that day.
The result was this Sweet Potato and Ground Turkey Enchilada Casserole. And all I can say is… mission accomplished!
Now I do have to state the obvious… this casserole isn’t very pretty.
My amateur photography skills probably don’t help either, but the reason that I am posting this recipe ( the most important reason) is because it is AMAZINGLY delicious.
Like, needs to be in your regular rotation delicious.
Have I convinced you yet?
I layered thinly sliced sweet potatoes, ground turkey covered in home-made enchilada sauce, goat cheese, and chopped tomatoes in a cast iron casserole pot.
Its kind of pretty before it’s baked, right?
Then I put the whole thing into the oven for 45 minutes and out came this Paleo enchilada deliciousness.
I mean seriously, YUM!!
I officially am in love with using goat cheese with enchilada sauce…it’s a match made in heaven… better than cheddar if you ask me.
To make sure the sweet potatoes are cooked, you have to make sure that a knife can easily go through the whole casserole.
Then, it’s really all quite simple, cut the first slice of this casserole with a metal spatula.
Then scoop the enchilada sauce leftover on the bottom of the casserole and pour it on top of the slice.
I actually recommend that you pour that enchilada sauce on top of the whole casserole. It adds a nice texture to everything.
For anyone who loves enchiladas, this Sweet Potato and Ground Turkey Enchilada Casserole is a great way to get enchilada flavor in a Paleo format.
It also stores well in the fridge.
I put the casserole into the fridge and was able to enjoy this meal for days— it was really so great!!
Note: omit the goat cheese for strict Paleo or Whole30.
Sweet Potato and Ground Turkey Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
Sauce ingredients:
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- 1 Tbs + 2 tsp coconut flour, ( I like Nutiva for quality and price)
- 4 Tbs chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 2 cups organic chicken stock
Ground Turkey Ingredients:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 red pepper, , diced
- 1/2 yellow onion, , diced
- 2 lbs ground turkey
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Layering Ingredients:
- 1 sweet potato, , sliced thin
- 1 cup (8 ounces) crumbled goat cheese (Note: omit for strict Paleo and Whole30)
- 2 cup chopped tomatoes, ( I always use Pomi)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
To start, make the enchilada sauce:
- Heat the 1 Tbs olive oil over medium-high heat in a sauce pan. Add 1 Tbs of the coconut flour into the oil and mix it into the oil. Let it cook for 30 seconds. (You’ll notice that it starts turning brown).
- Stir in the 4 Tbs of chili powder.
- Gradually add the chicken stock and whisk ( add 1/3 cup at a time, until a full 2 cups has been put into the pan).
- Then add the garlic powder, salt, cumin, and oregano to the mixture and stir.
- Reduce the heat to medium and let the sauce cook for 15 minutes.
- Then add 2 tsp of coconut flour to the sauce, whisk, and turn the heat off.
Next, cook the ground turkey:
- Put 2 tsp of olive oil into a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced onion and red pepper to the pan and cook for 4 minutes.
- Add the ground turkey, salt and pepper to the pan and cook until the ground turkey is browned.
- Strain any excess fat from the ground meat and then pour the enchilada sauce on top of it. Mix well.
Lastly, layer the casserole:
- Grease a cast iron casserole. I used a 3 quart cast iron casserole pot.
- Put one layer of sweet potatoes on the bottom of the pan (this was 1/2 of a large sweet potato for me). Top with 1/2 of the ground turkey mixture. Put 1 cup of chopped tomatoes on top of the ground turkey mixture and then put 1/2 cup of crumbled goat cheese on top of that.
- Repeat with another layer of sweet potatoes, the other 1/2 of the ground turkey mixture, 1 cup of chopped tomatoes, and 1/2 cup of crumbled goat cheese.
- Sprinkle with some oregano and put the casserole into the oven for 45 minutes.
- Cut the first slice of casserole with a metal spatula. Scoop up the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the casserole and top the slice and the whole casserole with it.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
