Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Bake (Printable version)

Hearty casserole with ground turkey, sweet potatoes, and vegetables baked with herbs and cheese.

# What you need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 ½ lbs lean ground turkey

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
03 - 1 large onion, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 2 cups baby spinach, chopped

→ Dairy

07 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
08 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Liquids

09 - ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 2 tbsp olive oil

→ Spices & Seasonings

11 - 1 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
14 - ½ tsp ground black pepper
15 - 1 tsp salt

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or a light coating of oil.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened and translucent.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
04 - Add ground turkey to the skillet, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5–6 minutes until browned completely and no longer pink.
05 - Mix in red bell pepper, diced sweet potatoes, thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to coat evenly.
06 - Pour in chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 8–10 minutes until sweet potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork.
07 - Remove skillet from heat. Fold in chopped spinach and stir until wilted from the residual heat.
08 - Spoon the turkey and vegetable mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly.
09 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese evenly over the top of the casserole.
10 - Bake for 18–20 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown, and the casserole is bubbling around the edges.
11 - Allow the casserole to rest for 5 minutes before serving to let the flavors settle and make serving easier.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • The sweet potatoes become perfectly tender while absorbing all the savory herbs and spices
  • Its one of those rare meals that tastes even better as leftovers the next day
  • Everything cooks in one pan on the stove first, then transfers to the oven for hands off finishing
02 -
  • Sweet potatoes vary wildly in how quickly they cook, so taste test several pieces during the simmer step to avoid undercooked chunks
  • The mixture will look soupy before baking, but the sweet potatoes release starch that thickens everything beautifully in the oven
  • Cheese can go from perfectly melted to burnt quickly, so set a timer for the lower end of the baking range and check at 15 minutes
03 -
  • Dice your sweet potatoes while the onion is cooking to save time without anything burning
  • Use a box grater to shred your own cheese instead of buying pre shredded for better melting

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