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two rolled corn-tortilla enchiladas in smooth red roasted-pepper sauce with melted white cheese, one opened end showing finely crumbled turkey, yellow corn and small white queso fresco pieces, without garnish
Andre Lewis

Turkey and Corn Freezer Enchiladas

Roasted red peppers give this enchilada sauce body before a spoonful of ancho chile adds its gentle earthy flavor. The turkey filling stays loose enough to roll neatly, with corn and crumbled cheese distributed through the meat rather than piled onto one end of each tortilla. Warm the tortillas before filling so they bend without cracking, then pack the cooked enchiladas in pairs with sauce underneath and over the top. That extra coating matters in the freezer, where an exposed tortilla edge can dry out long before the filling does. Take the lid off only after the centers are hot if you want the cheese to firm slightly in the oven.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3 large red bell peppers halved and seeded
  • 1 tbsp olive oil divided
  • 1 small yellow onion finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp ground ancho chile powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 cup plain tomato passata
  • 1 cup unsalted chicken broth
  • 3/4 tsp fine salt divided
  • 1 1/2 lb ground turkey
  • 1 cup frozen corn thawed
  • 4 oz queso fresco crumbled
  • 12 corn tortillas 6 inches across
  • 4 oz Monterey Jack cheese shredded

Method
 

  1. Heat oven to 450°F. Put peppers cut side down on a sheet pan and roast for 25 to 30 minutes until softened and blistered. Cover in a bowl for 10 minutes, then peel and blend with passata and broth.
  2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a saucepan and cook garlic, ancho powder and cumin for 30 seconds. Add pepper puree and 1/2 teaspoon salt; simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Heat remaining oil in a skillet. Soften onion for 5 minutes, add turkey and remaining salt and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking the meat finely, until it reaches 165°F. Fold in corn and queso fresco off heat.
  4. Reduce oven to 375°F. Warm tortillas under a damp paper towel in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds until flexible. Spread 1 cup sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
  5. Divide filling among tortillas, roll and place seam side down in the dish. Spoon over remaining sauce, add Jack and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbling and 165°F inside.
  6. Divide into six shallow freezer containers, two enchiladas each with sauce. Refrigerate within 2 hours, chill fully, cover and freeze for up to 2 months.
  7. Reheat one frozen portion in a microwave-safe container, loosely covered, at 50 percent power for 4 minutes. Separate gently if possible, then heat at full power in 1-minute intervals until both centers reach 165°F, usually another 3 to 5 minutes; rest for 2 minutes.