Turkey Tortilla Casserole

A family favorite since the 1980’s, when my Mom made it. She passed the recipe on to me and we enjoy it to this day.

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This has been a family favorite since the 1980’s. I remember when Mom would make it and we got all excited when we found out.

One of the great features is that you can select the level of heat you want simply by the salsa you use. Personally, I like to make a simple pico de gallo (the usual tomatoes, onions, cilantro plus spices) and then throw it in the blender for several seconds.

For the protein selection, the best option is your own home-cooked meat. For years, I would use leftovers from roasted chickens and turkeys. But now I’ve discovered Costco rotisserie chicken! Did you know that Costco removes the meat from their unsold rotisserie chickens at the end of each day? And that they package it up in 2.5+ pound containers for sale the next day? It’s perfect for this recipe and one package will cover two full casseroles.

Turkey Tortilla Casserole

Course:
Cuisine:
Difficulty:
Servings
8
servings
Prep time
10
minutes
Cook time
40
minutes
Total time
50
minutes

Ingredients

  • 1.25
    lbs
    shredded turkey
    or other protein
  • 1
    tbsp
    olive oil
  • 0.5
    tsp
    garlic powder
  • 1
    tsp
    chili powder
  • 0.5
    tsp
    ground cumin
  • 1
    can
    cream of mushroom soup
  • 1
    cup
    salsa
  • 1
    can
    diced green chiles
    4 oz
  • 1
    can
    sliced black olives
    4 oz
  • 1
    med
    onion
    diced
  • 10
    8″
    corn tortillas
  • 1.5
    cups
    cheddar cheese
    shredded
  • 1.5
    cups
    Monterey jack cheese
    shredded
  • 1
    tsp
    smoked paprika

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the corn tortillas into 1-inch strips.

  • Grease a large casserole dish. Set aside a small portion of the onions and olives to be used as a topping later. In a large skillet, brown meat in olive oil with the garlic powder and chili powder. Turn off heat and mix in remaining ingredients except for tortillas, cheese and reserved ingredients.

  • Create layers (much like a lasagna): Start with equal parts of tortilla strips on the bottom, meat mixture on top of that, followed by shredded cheeses on top. Repeat. The number of layers you have will depend on the size of your casserole dish and how many tortilla strips you can fit per layer. Sprinkle with reserved olives, onions and smoked paprika.

  • Place in oven and bake for 30 to 45 minutes — If you prefer crunchy edges, you may want to bake for the full time.