Savory Turkey Sweet Potato Bake (Printable)
Hearty ground turkey and sweet potato casserole with vegetables and golden cheese topping. Perfect easy weeknight dinner.
# 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 It:
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, cooking 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 completely browned and no pink remains.
05 - Sprinkle smoked paprika, dried thyme, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes over the turkey. Stir thoroughly to combine.
06 - Add chopped spinach to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring until just wilted. Remove from heat.
07 - Place sweet potato cubes in a large bowl and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly, then spread in the prepared baking dish.
08 - Spoon the turkey and vegetable mixture evenly over the sweet potato layer in the baking dish.
09 - Drizzle milk over the entire casserole, then sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese evenly across the top.
10 - Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes to steam the sweet potatoes.
11 - Remove the foil and return to the oven for an additional 15 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork and cheese is golden and bubbly.
12 - Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the layers to set. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Everything cooks in one pan while you prep the layers
- The sweet potatoes get impossibly tender without any par-cooking
- This reheats beautifully for lunch the next day
02 -
- Cutting sweet potatoes into truly uniform cubes prevents some from being undercooked while others turn to mush
- The milk might look strange when you pour it over, but trust the process, it creates steam that cooks the potatoes through
03 -
- Use the largest skillet you own so the turkey browns properly instead of steaming
- If your sweet potatoes are on the larger side, cut them closer to 1/3 inch instead of 1/2 inch