Lightened-Up Red Sauce Enchiladas

These are enchiladas 2.0. — a Tex-Mex inspired healthy reboot of classic red sauce enchiladas. Instead of Texas beef, we lighten things up with ground turkey and a quick homemade smoky sauce. Forget the messy and fattening step of frying each tortilla, and instead microwave to soften. Low-fat cheddar provides the cheesiness that’s so essential to any enchilada recipe. Finally, we top with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream so you won’t miss that extra creaminess. We promise these enchiladas will scratch that junk food itch without busting your gut.

Ingredients:

Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • One 6-ounce can tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 minced canned chipotle pepper (plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can if you like it spicy)

Filling:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 12 corn tortillas (6-inch)
  • 2 cups shredded low-fat cheddar cheese, divided
  • Roughly chopped cilantro and diced tomatoes, for garnish (optional)
  • Greek yogurt, for serving
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

To make the sauce: heat olive oil in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Sprinkle flour and cook, while stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and chili powder and continue to cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken broth and chipotle until smooth (plus adobo sauce if you’re using). Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add turkey and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chili powder and cook for another minute or so. Season with a nice pinch of salt and pepper, then remove from heat.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 10 seconds to soften.

Add 1/4 cup ground turkey to each tortilla and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cheese. Roll up tightly and place seam side down in casserole dish. Ladle the sauce over the enchiladas to completely cover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes then remove foil and cook for 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with roughly chopped cilantro and diced tomatoes before serving. Add a nice dollop of Greek yogurt, if desired.

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