Description
This Leftover Turkey Pumpkin Enchilada Skillet is a flavorful and hearty dish that transforms leftover turkey and vegetables into a comforting, southwestern-inspired meal. Featuring a creamy pumpkin enchilada sauce with smoky chipotle, tender turkey, sautéed vegetables, and melted cheese, this skillet recipe is perfect for quick weeknight dinners with a twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Pumpkin Enchilada Sauce (Makes 4 1/4 cups)
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes
- 2 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce or 2 tablespoons pureed chipotle in adobo (from 1 can)
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 garlic cloves (smashed)
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Fresh black pepper (to taste)
Assembly
- 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 large onion (sliced; yellow or red onion works)
- Kosher salt (to season)
- 1 1/2 cups leftover vegetable sides (such as roasted butternut squash or Brussels sprouts, cut into bite-size pieces, or 1 bunch of hardy greens like spinach or kale, roughly chopped)
- 4 cups (15 ounces) shredded leftover turkey breast or chicken breast
- 4 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into bite-size strips
- 3 ounces shredded cheese (Mexican cheese blend, Monterey Jack, or mozzarella)
- Garnishes (choose one or many!): sour cream, sliced fresh jalapeno, chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare the broiler. Move a rack about six inches below the broiler and heat to high to get ready for finishing the dish with melted cheese.
- Make the pumpkin enchilada sauce. In a blender, combine the pumpkin puree, canned chopped tomatoes, chicken broth, chipotles, chili powder, smashed garlic cloves, and kosher salt. Season with fresh black pepper to taste. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Sauté the onions. In a large cast iron or ovenproof skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil until shimmering. Add the sliced onion and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until the onions become translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the vegetables. Stir in your leftover roasted vegetables or chopped hardy greens. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are heated through or the greens have wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Incorporate turkey and tortillas. Add the shredded leftover turkey and the bite-size corn tortilla strips into the skillet. Pour in the prepared pumpkin enchilada sauce and stir to evenly coat all the ingredients with the sauce.
- Simmer the mixture. Bring the skillet contents to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes to ensure everything is heated through and flavors meld together. Remove the skillet from heat.
- Add cheese and broil. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top of the mixture. Transfer the skillet to the broiler rack set earlier. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese is melted and starts to brown in spots. Keep a close eye to prevent burning.
- Cool and garnish. Let the skillet cool for 5 minutes before serving. Top with garnishes such as sour cream, sliced fresh jalapeno, and chopped fresh cilantro according to your preference.
Notes
- Use any sturdy leftover vegetables like roasted butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, or leafy greens such as kale or spinach.
- Chipotle in adobo adds smoky heat; adjust quantity to suit your spice tolerance.
- The recipe uses a cast iron skillet for even cooking and broiling, but any ovenproof skillet will work.
- Leftover turkey can be substituted with leftover chicken if preferred.
- Watch carefully during broiling to prevent the cheese from burning.
- To make this dish vegetarian, omit the turkey and replace chicken broth with vegetable broth.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
