Thanksgiving Enchiladas

Election Day was Tuesday. I'm not going to talk about politics — this is a food blog and I coach high school football and the last time I expressed a political opinion at a booster dinner Lisa kicked me under the table so hard I limped for two days — but I will say this: I voted early in the morning, took the kids to school, and was at the facility watching film by eight AM. Whatever happens in Washington, my job is the same. Forty-seven boys on a roster, a season on the line, and a game Friday night against Grandview that will determine our playoff seeding. Democracy is important. So is the number one seed.

Friday was Veterans Day, and we did a pregame ceremony — color guard, national anthem sung by the choir, a moment of silence. My brother Ruben is on his third tour right now, somewhere I can't name, doing things I try not to think about, and I stood on the sideline during that moment of silence and said his name to myself the way you do when someone you love is far away and all you have is the sound of their name in your own mouth. Then the whistle blew and I coached a football game, because that's what you do. You hold the fear in one hand and the playsheet in the other.

We beat Grandview 35-14. It wasn't close after the first quarter. Marcus threw three touchdowns, Darnell had two sacks, and the offensive line — those beautiful, enormous, underappreciated boys — gave Marcus all day to throw. 8-0. First time in school history. The principal shook my hand after the game and said, "This is special." I said, "Yes sir." I did not say that I've been telling him this since August. Coaches remember everything. We just don't always say it out loud.

Saturday I made green chile stew. Not Gloria's recipe — I don't make Gloria's recipe because Gloria is alive and well and would consider it an act of territorial aggression — but my version, which is close enough to taste like home and different enough to maintain plausible deniability. Pork shoulder, cubed and browned hard. Onion, garlic, potatoes. A full pound of chopped roasted Hatch green chile. Chicken broth. Cumin and oregano. Simmer for two hours until the pork surrenders. The twins ate the potatoes out of it and ignored the rest, which is fine. Diego had two bowls. Sofia had one bowl and a book. Lisa came home from her shift, sat at the table, and said, "I can smell this from the driveway." Good. That's the point. The smell should meet you before the food does.

Feed your people. The game is won at the table.

The green chile stew carried us through Saturday, but by Sunday the pot was empty and the week wasn’t done asking things of us — Ruben still far away, the playoffs still ahead, the boys still needing to eat. Thanksgiving was coming and I had turkey on my mind, so I made these enchiladas: a dish that takes leftover bird and wraps it in something that tastes like it was planned all along. Green chile, cheese, a good sauce, and a hot oven. Some weeks you need the stew. Some weeks you need what comes after.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 cups cooked turkey, shredded (leftover roasted or smoked turkey works best)
10 corn tortillas (6-inch)
2 cups green chile enchilada sauce, divided
1 can (7 oz) roasted diced green chiles, drained
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/4 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
Salt and black pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro and sliced scallions, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Heat your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread 1/2 cup of the green chile enchilada sauce across the bottom to prevent sticking.
Build the filling. Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 4–5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, cumin, and oregano and stir for 1 minute. Add the shredded turkey and diced green chiles. Stir to combine, season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat. Fold in the sour cream and 3/4 cup of the Monterey Jack.
Warm the tortillas. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30–45 seconds, or warm them one at a time in a dry skillet, until pliable. This prevents cracking when you roll them.
Roll the enchiladas. Lay a tortilla flat and spoon about 1/3 cup of filling down the center. Roll it snugly and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling, nestling the rolls tightly together.
Sauce and cheese. Pour the remaining 1 1/2 cups of enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled enchiladas, making sure the ends are covered. Sprinkle the remaining Monterey Jack and all of the cheddar over the top.
Bake. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 12–15 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbling at the edges, and lightly golden in spots.
Rest and serve. Let the enchiladas rest 5 minutes before serving — they’ll hold together better. Garnish with fresh cilantro and scallions. Serve with extra sour cream alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Thanksgiving Enchiladas — The Table Feeds Everyone Who Made It Through the Week