Healthy Enchiladas, Healthy Ground Turkey Recipes 1 — PIN FOR LATER

What do pizza, lasagna, and enchiladas have in common? They taste EVEN BETTER the next day! Fight me on the pizza one, I love me some second day pizza when the fat sets in and solidifies. Ooomph. And since some people consider meal prep to be glorified leftovers, you’re about to start the week on the right-est foot with some leftovers that feel good to eat!

Enchiladas + Meal Prep

Name a better duo, I’ll wait. I think it’s because enchiladas hold their shape and texture when you refrigerate them. The sauce and cheese “stick” nicely once refrigerated so there’s none of that sliding-off business that happens with piping hot food. And these ground turkey enchiladas fill you up SO well. Even big, hungry men like my husband love these and request them often:

PS how lucky is my husband to have a personal meal prep chef?!

Lightening Up
the Enchiladas

Smart idilla #1

We need to swap out the tortilla. I know! We ALL LOVE TORTILLAS but enriched flour tortillas don’t offer us much nutritional value and they’re very high in calories. By swapping out white flour tortillas with high-fiber option with manageable calories (try 60 per wrap!), we are off to an incredible start.

The two brands I love are Ole Xtreme Wellness and Mission Carb Balance. Both roll great, they’re still nice and chewy, and they make for some tasty enchiladas when topped off with red sauce and cheddar cheese.

Speaking of cheese,

Let’s use sharp cheddar! Pro tip: You don’t need to douse your Mexican food in handfuls of cheese to get the “cheesy experience” that we all love. If you choose a cheese with a more robust flavor, such as sharp cheddar, you’ll definitely taste it in there but you won’t need to pile it on. I’m not in the business of skipping out on cheese, just hacking it a little.

And finally, may I introduce you to….

Next Level Ground Turkey

Next Level Ground Turkey is the PERFECT source of lean protein and some fiber but it just tastes like the best taco meat you’ve ever had. Seems complicated? It’s not! Just use a good quality taco seasoning (my favorite is Simply Organic Spicy Taco—you will die!) and toss in a can of ROTEL. Yeah! Rotel diced tomatoes and chiles do the next-leveling for you, adding depth of flavor and sneaky veggies (the best veggies, IMO).

If you love ground beef, I invite you to use extra lean ground beef instead of turkey—they’re actually pretty comparable in nutrition (beef is just a tad more fatty). Less rules, more sauce.

Healthy Enchiladas, Healthy Ground Turkey Recipes 2

Choosing Enchilada Sauce

Hatch makes an awesome one. Minimal ingredients, all natural, with great flavor. I also really like Trader Joes red enchilada sauce for the same reasons. If you choose Hatch, pick up the “big can” or two of the smaller ones!

Okay my friends, I’ve rambled enhough—let’s roll!

MACROS

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Healthy
Ground Turkey

enchiladas

Yields: 4 servings (2 enchiladas per serving)

Ingredients

For Ground Turkey Mixture:

1 to 1.5 pounds lean ground turkey
1 packet preferred taco seasoning (I like Simply Organics mild or spicy!)
1 can mild or hot Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chiles)
1/4 cup water

Other Ingredients:

8 High-fiber tortillas (See note 1 for recs)
2 cups sharp cheddar or colby jack shredded cheese
12 oz red enchilada sauce (I like Hatch or Trader Joes)
A 9” x 13” glass or metal baking dish

Method

Start by preparing the turkey:

Break up lean ground turkey in a stovetop skillet over medium heat. It will become easier to break up as it cooks through. Once it’s no longer pink, drain off excess fat if necessary and reduce heat to low.
Add in Rotel and water, then sprinkle taco seasoning evenly. Stir to coat.
Optional: Stir 1/3 cup of your red enchilada sauce into the ground turkey mixture for extra oomph.
Allow mixture to simmer and thicken up for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and get ready to assemble.

Assembling Enchiladas:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the base of your 9 x 13 baking pan.
Spoon about 1/4 cup of ground turkey into each tortilla, along with a pinch of cheese. Tuck the corners and roll them tightly. Arrange enchiladas side-by-side inside the pan Once the pan is full, pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the tortillas and sprinkle remaining cheese evenly.
Bake for 15 – 18 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and edges start browning.
Allow enchiladas to cool slightly before transferring them to meal prep containers. Enchiladas will last 6-7 days in the fridge.