Turkey Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes, drained and seeded
• 2 large onions, roughly chopped
• 8 dried ancho chiles,* seeds removed
• 20 dried arbol chiles, seeds removed
• 4 heads garlic, cloves separated and peeled
• 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• 2 large carrots, roughly chopped
• 4 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons whole dill seeds
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Your favorite roast turkey or 2 roast chickens
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the baking dish
• About 4 cups pulled cooked turkey (from roast turkey) or chicken (from 2 roast chickens)
• 8 (12-inch) flour tortillas
• 3 cups grated queso fresco**
• 3 cups shredded queso Chihuahua***
• Sour cream
• Limes, cut into wedges
• *Dried chiles are often quite spicy and can leave their heat on your hands so some cooks like to wear rubber gloves when working with them. Be careful not to touch your eyes.
• **Queso fresco is a mild, grainy Mexican cheese available at many supermarkets. Cotija and feta are good substitutes.
• ***Queso Chihuahua is a stringy, melting Mexican cheese. If unavailable, use mozzarella.
• Equipment: 1 large roasting pan; food processor or blender; 2 (9- by 13-inch) baking dishes

Steps

While preparing Thanksgiving dinner, make the enchilada sauce:

1. Mix the tomatoes, onions, ancho chiles, arbol chiles, garlic, celery, carrots, coriander, cumin and dill together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and move the mixture to the roasting pan to be used for the turkey.
2. Roast the turkey using your recipe, allowing its drippings and fat to cook the sauce ingredients underneath. If the turkey is basted with its own juices, those juices will carry the sauce flavors. To avoid that flavoring, baste with melted butter, turkey or chicken stock, low-sodium chicken broth, or a combination of these instead.
3. When taking the turkey out to rest, check that the vegetables are tender. Put the vegetables back in the oven to finish cooking if necessary.
4. Puree the sauce mixture in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth. If needed, loosen it with a few splashes of water to form a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper. The sauce may be made ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Assemble the enchiladas:

1. Set the oven to preheat at 350°F. Prepare 2 (9- by 13-inch) baking dishes by coating them with butter, then spread about 1 cup enchilada sauce across the bottom of each.
2. Pull the meat from the leftover turkey carcass and put it in a large bowl; about 4 cups are needed. Mix with half the remaining sauce, half the queso fresco and half the queso Chihuahua.
3. At a work surface, spread about 1 cup turkey filling over the bottom half of 1 tortilla. Roll it up burrito-style, folding the sides in to seal, and repeat with the rest of the tortillas and filling. Fit the enchiladas snugly into the 2 prepared baking dishes. Cover with the remaining sauce first, then the remaining queso fresco and queso Chihuahua. The assembled dishes can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours or frozen for up to 3 months.
4. Cover with foil and bake for about 1 hour, until the cheese melts and the sauce is thickened and dark. Serve at once with sour cream and limes.