Mexican Lasagna with Turkey

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SERVES 6 TO 8 • TO PREP 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES • STORE UP TO 24 HOURS • TO FINISH 1 HOUR 10 MINUTES

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: For a comfort food classic that married the best qualities of two international favorites, we set out to create a hearty, make-ahead Mexican lasagna. Mild-flavored and convenient ground turkey made a good base for our filling; it paired well with all the ingredients and flavors of the dish and provided a meaty backbone for the green enchilada sauce and the smoky chipotles. Plus, it could be cooked in minutes along with the aromatics, keeping things easy. We added corn and pinto beans to make this dish feel satisfying. For the layers of cheese, we used Monterey Jack, which melted beautifully. To form the layers, we used corn tortillas; brushing them with oil and heating them briefly in the microwave kept them from turning to mush as the lasagna cooked. We added a bit of flour to thicken the sauce, which made it harder for the tortillas to soak up liquid overnight. Be sure to use ground turkey, not ground turkey breast (also labeled 99 percent fat-free), in this recipe. Serve with salsa, diced avocado, sour cream, scallions, and/or lime wedges.

¼	cup vegetable oil
4	scallions, sliced thin
4	garlic cloves, minced
4	teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
½	teaspoon salt
¼	teaspoon pepper
1½	pounds ground turkey
3	tablespoons all-purpose flour
2	cups chicken broth
1	(10-ounce) can green enchilada sauce
1	(15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed
2	cups frozen corn, thawed
⅓	cup minced fresh cilantro
18	(6-inch) corn tortillas
12	ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (3 cups)

TO FINISH AND SERVE
2	tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

TO PREP

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add scallions, garlic, chipotle, salt, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add turkey and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.

2. Stir in broth, enchilada sauce, and beans. Bring to simmer and cook until mixture is slightly thickened and flavors blend, about 10 minutes. Stir in corn and cilantro and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

3. Brush both sides of tortillas with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Stack tortillas, wrap in damp dish towel, and place on plate; microwave until warm and pliable, about 1 minute.

4. Spread one-third of cooled turkey mixture on bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 tortillas on top of filling, overlapping as needed, and sprinkle with 1 cup Monterey Jack. Repeat layering of filling, tortillas, and Monterey Jack once more. Spread remaining filling in dish. Cut remaining 6 tortillas into quarters and scatter over filling. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup Monterey Jack.

TO STORE

5. Wrap dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

TO FINISH AND SERVE

6. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Unwrap dish and cover tightly with greased aluminum foil. Bake casserole until hot throughout and bubbling around edges, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until topping is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.