Recipes: ENCHILADA SAUCE and ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

As often ends up being the case I started off with a couple of recipes, tweaked them to use up what I had on hand instead of what they called for, and made them my own variation. Both turned out really good...very spicy...full of Mexican flavor!

ENCHILADA SAUCE

(This will be used in the following recipe.)

1/4 canola oil
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup chili powder
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
salt to taste

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and chili powder; reduce heat to medium, and cook until lightly browned, stirring constantly to prevent burning; reduce heat. Mix the tomato sauce, water, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt, and gradually add to the chili powder, flour, and oil mixture. Continue cooking and stirring over medium heat until sauce begins to bubble and is slightly thickened.

ENCHILADA CASSEROLE


1 cup onion, chopped
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. Jenni-O's ground turkey, crumbled and browned

16 oz. black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
corn cut from 3 large cobs of corn or 1 (11 oz.) can Mexican style corn, drained
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 recipe of enchilada sauce above or 2 (10 oz.) cans enchilada sauce
6 (6-inch) low-carb, wheat tortillas
3 cups shredded, fat-free cheddar cheese

Saute onion in hot oil in skillet until tender. Add the cooked, browned turkey, black beans, Rotel tomatoes, corn, chili powder, and cumin. Stir and heat through. Tear tortillas in half. Spoon 1/3 of the enchilada sauce into bottom of a 9x13-inch dish that has been sprayed with pan spray. Layer half of the tortilla halves on the bottom, half of the meat, bean, corn, and tomato mixture, and one cup of the cheese. Repeat. Top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes until golden and bubbly.