Leftover Turkey Enchiladas Recipe

This Leftover Turkey Enchiladas recipe is one of my favorite healthy turkey leftovers recipes; one that my mom always made after a Thanksgiving dinner. I love it because it's simple, healthy, and delicious. Loaded with veggies and Mexican flavors, this recipe is also a nice change-up from the typical turkey dinner leftovers! It's also healthier and lighter than your typical leftover turkey enchiladas because who wants a fattening leftover meal after indulging in a big holiday dinner?

Especially popular after big holiday turkey dinners like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter, these leftover turkey enchiladas are also Weight Watchers friendly @ only 4 WW points. They pair well with Homemade Pico de Gallo!

🥘 Ingredient Notes

• Leftover turkey. I use a combination of white meat and dark meat for the most flavorful enchiladas!
• Vegetables. Red pepper, green onion, and celery are the perfect medley of healthy deliciousness! Green onions and Red peppers are milder than their opposite color counterparts (green bell peppers and red onions), and I use them for this reason. My Mom never liked green pepper, so that is another reason red pepper was originally used in this recipe.
• Jalapenos. (I use tamed jalapenos (affiliate link), as I find them just the right amount of spice).
• Fresh cilantro - fresh cilantro is key! However, if you don't like cilantro, just don't add it.
• Canned sliced black olives. I use canned, sliced black olives because they are easy and economical.
• Low-fat cheddar cheese. You'll notice that low-fat shredded cheese does not melt as nicely as regular cheese (because it has less fat). It doesn't get gooey and melty looking, and it hardens faster. You also have to keep a close watch on it if you broil it, as it burns more quickly than regular cheese. 
• Salsa. You can make your own Pico de Gallo Salsa Recipe or buy it from the grocery store. When I use store-bought, I use medium.

*See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities

📖Variations & Substitutions

• Mushrooms - you can use canned mushrooms instead of fresh.
• Tortillas - You can use flour or corn tortillas. You could also use spinach or tomato tortillas.
• Cheese- you can use another type of cheese, such as Monterey Jack cheese.
• Turkey - you can use leftover shredded turkey instead of chopped, or use deli meat or ground turkey.
• Onion - you can substitute red onion or white or yellow onion for green onion.
• Add-ins - refried beans, or a can of black beans.

🔪 How to make Healthy Leftover Turkey Enchiladas

These Weight Watchers Enchiladas are bursting with fresh veggies, and Mexican flavors, and most importantly, they are quick and easy to make. You don't have to make any special enchilada sauce or sauté any veggies.

You quickly chop the turkey, microwave the veggies and it comes together in about 30 minutes. Who wants to do a ton of cooking when they just finished making a big turkey dinner anyway? Not me!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C and spray two 9X13 casserole dishes with non-stick cooking spray. Wash and chop mushrooms, celery, green onion, and red pepper. Place chopped onions, celery, red pepper, and mushrooms in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 7 minutes on high.
2. Add chopped cooked turkey, tamed jalapenos, 1 tablespoon of cilantro, black olives, ¾ cup of salsa, and ½ cup of cheddar cheese to vegetables and stir.
3. Add about ⅔ cup of the mixture to the middle of each tortilla
4. Then fold over one end from the bottom. (SEE VIDEO in recipe tips)
5. Next, fold in on each side of the tortilla.
6. Then roll to the top.
7. Place 6 enchiladas seam side down in each casserole dish.
8. Top with remaining ¾ cup salsa
9. Then top with remaining ½ cup cheddar cheese, dividing evenly between all enchiladas. * I grate the cheese for the top a little finer. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with additional chopped fresh cilantro and garnish with additional salsa and sour cream, if desired. Serve warm.  

Cooking time: Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Garnish: Sprinkle with additional chopped fresh cilantro and garnish with additional salsa and sour cream, if desired. Serve warm.

VIDEO: How to roll an enchilada - jump to 2:32 in the video to see the rolling of the enchilada

🥗 What to Serve with Leftover Turkey Enchiladas

I always serve these turkey enchiladas with extra salsa and light sour cream, but they are just divine with my fresh Pico de Gallo Salsa!~ The side dishes I like to serve with them are Skinny Coleslaw, Easy Cucumber Kimchi, or Strawberry Spinach Pecan Salad (shown).

👪 SERVING SIZE

This recipe makes 12 enchiladas. I do them in 2 pans, as that seems to work best (you don't want to stack them). You can also cut this recipe in half by adjusting the serving size on the recipe card. Just click on the serving size and select the number of servings you’d like, and the ingredient amounts will adjust accordingly.

🔢WW POINTS

They are also Weight Watchers friendly @ only 4 WW points. After overindulging on a holiday dinner, you need healthy leftover turkey recipes in your pocket! And that's why these Thanksgiving enchiladas are ideal for those following a low-calorie diet - each enchilada is only 4 WW points. You can lower the points further by using Joseph's tortillas.

And be sure to check out my Weight Watchers Turkey Reuben Panini is another great use for leftover turkey that's WW friendly at 6 WW points.

🌡️STORAGE

These enchiladas can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. If you are only storing it overnight, you can simply cover it with plastic wrap.

This recipe freezes well for up to 3 months (in a sealed container).

❔ Recipe FAQs