Savory Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Bake (Printable)
Hearty casserole with seasoned turkey, sweet potatoes, vegetables, and golden melted cheese.
# What You'll Need:
→ Proteins
01 - 1 lb ground turkey
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
→ Vegetables
03 - 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
07 - 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
→ Dairy
08 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
09 - 1/4 cup milk
→ Pantry & Spices
10 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
13 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
14 - 1/2 tsp salt
15 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
16 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
→ Toppings
17 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or a small amount of oil.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and red bell pepper, sautéing for 3-4 minutes until softened and translucent.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
04 - Add ground turkey to the skillet, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5-6 minutes until fully browned and no longer pink.
05 - Sprinkle in smoked paprika, dried thyme, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir thoroughly to distribute spices evenly.
06 - Add chopped baby spinach to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring until just wilted. Remove skillet from heat.
07 - Place sweet potato cubes in a large bowl and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Arrange them in an even layer at the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
08 - Spoon the seasoned turkey and vegetable mixture evenly over the sweet potato layer, spreading it out to cover completely.
09 - Drizzle milk over the casserole, then sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese evenly across the entire surface.
10 - Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes to allow sweet potatoes to steam and soften.
11 - Remove the foil and continue baking for 15 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork and the cheese is golden and bubbly.
12 - Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired. Serve warm.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sweet potatoes become candy tender while soaking up all those spiced meat juices
- Everything cooks in one dish so cleanup is almost non existent
02 -
- Sweet potatoes cut too large will still be crunchy when the cheese burns
- Letting the turkey get some color in the pan adds way more flavor than just cooking it through
03 -
- Cut your sweet potatoes as evenly as possible so they finish cooking at the same time
- Let the foil tent slightly rather than sealing tight if you want a more browned top