Description
Hearty Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Bake delivers comforting midwestern flavors in one satisfying dish. Home cooks can prepare this nutritious meal with simple ingredients and minimal kitchen effort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lbs (454 g) ground turkey
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (with juice)
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsps olive oil (divided)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese (optional)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp chili powder (optional)
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsps fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
- Turkey Base: In a large skillet, brown ground turkey over medium-high heat, crumbling until fully cooked. Add onions and garlic, sautéing until vegetables become translucent and aromatic.
- Seasoning Blend: Integrate dried herbs, salt, and pepper into the meat mixture, ensuring even distribution of flavors.
- Layer Construction: Spread diced sweet potatoes across the baking dish bottom, then evenly distribute the seasoned turkey and onion mixture over the potatoes.
- Moisture and Topping: Pour tomato sauce or diced tomatoes across the layers, then generously sprinkle shredded cheese over the entire casserole.
- Baking Process: Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for an additional 10-15 minutes until cheese turns golden and bubbling.
- Serving Preparation: Allow casserole to rest for 5-10 minutes after removing from oven, enabling layers to set and flavors to meld before serving.
Notes
- Control Meat Moisture: Pat ground turkey dry before browning to ensure proper caramelization and prevent excess water release during cooking.
- Enhance Flavor Depth: Toast dried herbs briefly in the skillet before adding to meat mixture to intensify their aromatic qualities and release deeper flavor profiles.
- Optimize Sweet Potato Texture: Cut sweet potatoes into uniform, bite-sized pieces to guarantee even cooking and prevent undercooked or mushy sections.
- Make It Dietary Friendly: Substitute dairy cheese with nutritional yeast or plant-based cheese alternatives for vegan versions, and use lean ground turkey for lower-fat meal options.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg