Hot turkey: quick weeknight way to spice up lean ground turkey - Food: Low-Fat

* Ground turkey is almost a cliche of low-fat cooking--for good reason: It's a great way to serve a meaty dish with a lot of protein but little saturated fat. It's also inexpensive and widely available. Best of all, though, turkey does a great job of absorbing and carrying seasonings, making it a natural for spicy preparations where you want the flavor--not the fat--to be the star.

Turkey Enchilada Casserole

PREP AND COOK TIME: AboUt 45 minutes

NOTES: If desired, serve with reduced-fat sour cream.

MAKES: 8 to 10 servings

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
  1/2 cup chopped onion
    1 tablespoon minced garlic
    2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
      leaves or 1 tablespoon dried
  1/2 teaspoon ground crumin
    1 teaspoon salad oil
    1 can (29 oz.) red enchilada sauce
      Salt
   12 corn tortillas (6 in. wide)
    2 cups shredded reduced-fat jack
      cheese (8 oz.)
      Chopped fresh cilantro

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, stir turkey onion, garlic, oregano, and cumin in oil until turkey is crumbly and no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in 1 cup enchilada sauce. Add salt to taste.

2. Meanwhile, cut tortillas in half. Arrange a fourth of the halves evenly over the bottom of a shallow 3-quart casserole, overlapping to fit. Sprinkle a fourth of the cheese evenly over the tortillas, then top with a third of the turkey mixture and a fourth of the remaining enchilada sauce, spreading each level. Repeat to make two more layers of tortillas, cheese, turkey mixture, and sauce; top with another layer of tortillas and sauce, then cheese.

3. Bake in a 425[degrees] regular or convection oven until cheese is melted and casserole is hot in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Per serving: 249 cal., 20% (51 cal.) from fat; 27 g protein; 5.7 g fat (3.1 g sat.); 23 g carbo (1.7 g fiber); 1,048 mg sodium; 58 mg chol.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Sunset Publishing Corp.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group