Description
Hearty Mediterranean-inspired ground turkey sweet potato bake delivers rich, comforting flavors in one delightful casserole. Mediterranean herbs and spices elevate this simple dish, letting you savor a wholesome meal that satisfies both hunger and culinary curiosity.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1 pound (454 grams) ground turkey
Vegetables:
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 small zucchini
Seasonings and Cheese:
- 2/3 cup (160 milliliters) shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 5 tablespoons (75 milliliters) olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C), allowing sufficient time for thorough heating before cooking.
- Prepare sweet potatoes by peeling and cutting into uniform bite-sized cubes, then toss with olive oil, garlic powder, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a large baking dish, ensuring even coating.
- Roast sweet potatoes in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until they become tender and develop a golden exterior.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and cook ground turkey, seasoning with garlic powder, rosemary, salt, and pepper, stirring occasionally until completely cooked through.
- While turkey cooks, slice zucchini into rounds and then quarter each round to create smaller, evenly distributed pieces.
- Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and mix in the cooked ground turkey and prepared zucchini, stirring to distribute ingredients uniformly across the baking dish.
- Return the dish to the oven for an additional 10 minutes, allowing flavors to meld and zucchini to soften slightly.
- Drizzle an extra layer of olive oil over the mixture, gently stirring to ensure even coverage.
- Sprinkle shredded parmesan cheese generously across the top of the dish.
- Bake for a final 10 minutes until cheese melts and becomes golden and bubbly.
- Remove from oven, let cool briefly, and serve warm, enjoying the harmonious blend of flavors and textures.
Notes
- Swap ground turkey for plant-based alternatives like crumbled tofu or lentils to create a vegetarian version that maintains the protein-packed essence of the dish.
- Cut sweet potatoes into uniform sizes to guarantee even roasting and prevent some pieces from burning while others remain undercooked.
- Use fresh herbs like thyme or oregano instead of dried rosemary to elevate the flavor profile and add a brighter, more vibrant taste to the bake.
- Consider adding red pepper flakes or smoked paprika for an extra kick of heat and depth, transforming the dish from simple to spectacularly seasoned.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 90mg