Gluten Free Red Chile Turkey Sausage Enchilada Casserole
Corn tortillas are the unsung hero of this layered casserole, making it naturally free of wheat flour without any specialty swaps or compromise on texture. The real star, though, is the from-scratch red chile sauce — ancho chile powder, crushed tomatoes, cumin, and oregano simmered together into something deeply smoky and rich that store-bought sauce simply can't touch. Ground turkey sausage gets browned with diced green bell pepper and black beans, then the whole thing is stacked in three hearty layers with that sauce and a generous blanket of melted Mexican cheese blend. It bakes up bubbly and golden, filling your kitchen with the kind of smell that brings everyone to the table before you've even called them. A short rest after it comes out of the oven is all it takes before it slices cleanly into six satisfying portions. Finish with a dollop of sour cream and a handful of fresh cilantro, and you've got a weeknight dinner that feels like a serious occasion.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the red chile sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tbsp ancho chile powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
- ½ tsp salt
For the filling
- 1 ½ lb ground turkey sausage
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the casserole
- 12 corn tortillas (6-inch)
- 2 cups shredded mexican cheese blend
For serving
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)
- ¼ cup sour cream (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with a little olive oil and set aside.
- 2
Make the red chile sauce: Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute until it darkens slightly. Add the ancho chile powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth and crushed tomatoes, add the salt, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.
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