Sweet Potato & Ground Turkey Enchilada Casserole
A satisfying dish made with layers of sliced sweet potatoes, ground turkey, enchilada sauce and goat cheese.
We woke up the other morning thinking, “we need enchiladas…”. True story. So we went on a mission to create an enchilada inspired Paleo dish that we could eat that day. The result was this Sweet Potato and Ground Turkey Enchilada Casserole. And all we can say is, mission accomplished!
Try our dairy-free taco dip or our taco zoodles for other satisfying taco Tuesday lighter dinner ideas.
Please note, this is one of our early blogging recipes, with amateur photos, and in our “primal” or Paleo eating days. It was a big hit at the time which is why we have left it on our blog.
Why this recipe is great
- It is naturally gluten-free and grain-free.
- You can omit the goat cheese to make it Paleo and Whole30.
- It is a great way to get enchilada flavor, but with less carbs.
Recipe ingredients
- chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, cumin
- chicken stock
- coconut flour
- red pepper
- onion
- ground turkey
- sweet potato
- goat cheese
- chopped tomatoes
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Make the enchilada sauce.
Step 2: Brown the ground turkey with onion and pepper.
Step 3: Layer the casserole with sweet potato, enchilada sauce, ground turkey, and goat cheese.
Expert tips
- To make sure the sweet potatoes are cooked, you have to make sure that a knife can easily go through the whole casserole.
- When serving, scoop the enchilada sauce leftover on the bottom of the casserole and pour it on top of the slice.
- For leftovers, store this dish in the fridge.
- Omit the goat cheese for strict Paleo or Whole30.
Cook 1 hour 5 minutesTotal 1 hour 5 minutesMakes 6
Ingredients
Sauce ingredients:
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- 1 Tbs + 2 tsp coconut flour, ( we like Nutiva for quality and price)
- 4 Tbs chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 2 cups organic chicken stock
Ground Turkey Ingredients:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 red pepper,, diced
- 1/2 yellow onion,, diced
- 2 lbs ground turkey
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Layering Ingredients:
- 1 sweet potato,, sliced thin
- 1 cup (8 ounces) crumbled goat cheese (Note: omit for strict Paleo and Whole30)
- 2 cup chopped tomatoes, ( we always use Pomi)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
To start, make the enchilada sauce:
- Heat the 1 Tbs olive oil over medium-high heat in a sauce pan. Add 1 Tbs of the coconut flour into the oil and mix it into the oil. Let it cook for 30 seconds. (You’ll notice that it starts turning brown).
- Stir in the 4 Tbs of chili powder.
- Gradually add the chicken stock and whisk ( add 1/3 cup at a time, until a full 2 cups has been put into the pan).
- Then add the garlic powder, salt, cumin, and oregano to the mixture and stir.
- Reduce the heat to medium and let the sauce cook for 15 minutes.
- Then add 2 tsp of coconut flour to the sauce, whisk, and turn the heat off.
Next, cook the ground turkey:
- Put 2 tsp of olive oil into a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced onion and red pepper to the pan and cook for 4 minutes.
- Add the ground turkey, salt and pepper to the pan and cook until the ground turkey is browned.
- Strain any excess fat from the ground meat and then pour the enchilada sauce on top of it. Mix well.
Lastly, layer the casserole:
- Grease a cast iron casserole. We used a 3 quart cast iron casserole pot.
- Put one layer of sweet potatoes on the bottom of the pan (this was 1/2 of a large sweet potato for us). Top with 1/2 of the ground turkey mixture. Put 1 cup of chopped tomatoes on top of the ground turkey mixture and then put 1/2 cup of crumbled goat cheese on top of that.
- Repeat with another layer of sweet potatoes, the other 1/2 of the ground turkey mixture, 1 cup of chopped tomatoes, and 1/2 cup of crumbled goat cheese.
- Sprinkle with some oregano and put the casserole into the oven for 45 minutes.
- Cut the first slice of casserole with a metal spatula. Scoop up the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the casserole and top the slice and the whole casserole with it.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- To make sure the sweet potatoes are cooked, you have to make sure that a knife can easily go through the whole casserole.
- When serving, scoop the enchilada sauce leftover on the bottom of the casserole and pour it on top of the slice.
- For leftovers, store this dish in the fridge.
- Omit the goat cheese for strict Paleo or Whole30.
