Baked Turkey Burrito Casserole
Baked Turkey Burrito Casserole, made with left over turkey, vegetables and a creamy pepper jack cheese sauce.
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
For the Baked Turkey Burrito Casserole:
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 (15 ounce) can canned black beans or about 2 cups
- 16 ounces frozen corn kernels defrosted
- 2 (7 ounce) can canned poblano chilies
- 1 (7 ounce) can black olives drained
- 4 cups cooked turkey chopped
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups shredded pepper jack cheese reserve 1 cup for the top
- 10 flour tortillas I used the 10-inch size
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish
Cheese Sauce: (This will make about 3 cups of sauce)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper or white pepper
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Instructions
For the Baked Turkey Casserole:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Coat a 9x13x2-inch oven proof casserole dish with oil spray
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onion. Cook just until translucent, then add the black beans, corn, chilies, olives, turkey, cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper. Heat through then remove from the heat and reserve while making the cheese sauce.
For The Cheese Sauce:
- In a medium size saucepan set over medium-low heat; add the butter and when it has melted stir in the flour, salt, dry mustard, and pepper. Cook and stir for 1 minute and slowly add the milk, stirring to blend. Cook, stirring continually, until slightly thick and smooth. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring, for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add cheese stirring, until the cheese has melted and the sauce is blended, smooth and creamy.
Assemble the Casserole:
- Spread about 1/4 cup of the cheese sauce to the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Tear about 3 tortillas into pieces and cover with 1/2 cup of the cheese sauce.
- Add 1/3 of the turkey mixture, spreading evenly, then add 1/3 of the grated cheese.
- Repeat the layering 2x and top with the 1 cup of reserved cheese.
- Spray one side of a sheet of foil and cover the dish. Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Serve with salsa, lime wedges and avocado slices.
Notes
Shred your own cheese: Pre-shredded cheese can make the pepper jack sauce clumpy. Freshly grated cheese melts smoothly for a creamier turkey burrito casserole.
Warm the tortillas: A quick 10–15 seconds in the microwave softens flour tortillas, making them easier to layer without tearing.
Spray the foil: Lightly spray one side of the foil with oil before covering the casserole. This keeps the melted cheese topping from sticking and pulling away when you uncover it.
Simmer the sauce: Let the homemade pepper jack cheese sauce bubble gently for a few extra minutes so it’s velvety and free of any raw flour taste. This recipe makes about 3 cups of cheese sauce, plenty for layering.
Adjust the heat: Cheddar or Monterey Jack are great swaps if you want a milder flavor than pepper jack.
No turkey? No problem: If you don’t have leftover roast turkey, cooked shredded chicken works just as well in this recipe.
Taste before salting: With salty cheese, canned olives, and green chilies in the mix, you may not need much extra salt.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 661mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 9g
