This Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet will be ready to eat in under thirty minutes, and its flavor will astound you. It’s a perfect ONE-PAN meal for your family to enjoy!.
When I first made this recipe in November 2014, it was a chilly Sunday and I was in the mood for something cozy and warm. I was thinking of making my low-carb and gluten-free zucchini lasagna or my eggplant lasagna.
But since I loved the flavor of sweet potatoes and had a ton of them in my kitchen, I decided to use them. I thought about making my favorite sweet potato soup, but my husband said he wanted something meatier.
I made this one-pan, gluten-free ground turkey with sweet potato skillet to help us warm up a little.
This sweet potato skillet meal is so easy and quick to make and the best part: it’s healthy. This dish will be ready to eat in thirty minutes, and you’ll be blown away by its flavor. It is definitely a delicious comfort food to share the joy.
I seriously love my cast iron and one-pan meals, like this one or this Shrimp Vegetable Skillet. You can’t go wrong with one-pan meals when it comes to effortless clean up and cooking convenience!.
This Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Bake is a flavorful and nutritious dish that is easy to make and nutritious enough to make for a busy weeknight. If you’re looking for a quick and easy dinner option, look no further!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 small zucchini
- 2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Place them in a large baking dish and toss with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp rosemary, salt, and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.
- While the sweet potatoes are baking, brown the ground turkey in a pan with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp rosemary, salt, and pepper.
- Chop the zucchini into slices and then quarter the slices.
- Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven. Add in the cooked ground turkey and chopped zucchini. Combine and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Add in an additional 2 tbsp olive oil, combine evenly, and top with the shredded parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Enjoy!
Tips:
- For a spicier dish, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the ground turkey mixture.
- You can also add other vegetables to this dish, such as broccoli, bell peppers, or onions.
- This dish can be served with a side of your favorite salad or bread.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Additional Resources:
- For more information on ground turkey, please visit the USDA website: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat/ground-turkey
- For more information on sweet potatoes, please visit the National Sweet Potato Council website: https://www.ncsweetpotato.org/
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Can I use ground beef or chicken instead of ground turkey?
Yes, you can use ground beef or chicken in this recipe. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly. Ground beef will need to cook for longer than ground turkey, while ground chicken will need to cook for less time.
- Can I use frozen sweet potatoes instead of fresh?
Yes, you can use frozen sweet potatoes in this recipe. Just make sure that before placing them in the baking dish, they are fully thawed.
- Can I make this dish ahead of time?
Yes, you can make this dish ahead of time. Just assemble it and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it. When you are ready to bake it, just add an additional 5-10 minutes to the cooking time.
- Can I freeze this dish?
Yes, you can freeze this dish. Just assemble it and store it in a freezer-safe container. When you’re ready to reheat it, thaw it overnight in the fridge and bake it for 20 to 25 minutes, or until heated through, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Reasons why I love Cast Iron Skillet:
If you’ve been reading Primavera Kitchen for a while, you probably already know how much I love to make recipes with cast iron skillets, which are staples in my kitchen. I even have a round-up of 50 Healthy Cast Iron Skillet Recipes and . But you probably are wondering why I love them so much. Here are the reasons:
- These cast iron skillets, with their naturally nonstick surface and well-seasoned interiors, are invaluable when cooking nutritious meals. They are free of dangerous chemicals and, as an added bonus, give you a little extra iron. As is well known, iron is a vital mineral that keeps cells, skin, hair, and nails healthy and helps prevent anemia.
- They can also be used safely on any kind of cooking surface, such as broilers, stovetops, ovens, and barbecues.
- For the best cooking results, cast iron skillets also do a fantastic job of evenly dispersing and holding heat.
- Numerous cooking techniques, such as baking, broiling, roasting, pan-frying, searing, and sautéing, can be employed with them.
- And last but not least, they are easy to clean. In this post, I go into greater detail on how to clean your cast-iron skillet without damaging it.
Cast iron skillets are the best cookware to have in your kitchen, and I truly could not enjoy cooking with cast iron any more. Please, give it a try and once you do, you won’t regret it. I promise! You can find lots of good options at Amazon.
- Since sweet potatoes take a while to cook, try not to put too many in your skillet to avoid burning them. Use two to three cups of diced sweet potato for a 9–10-inch cast iron skillet.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cover the skillet to hasten the sweet potato’s cooking process.
- An alternative would be to cook the sweet potato separately and then combine it with the cooked ground turkey in the pan.
- You can also add another spice that you already have in your kitchen to give this recipe even more flavor. Reader reviews suggest that this recipe also works well with hot sauce, cumin, curry, paprika, sage, chili powder, onion powder, thyme, and rosemary.
- Some readers also added spinach, kale, and mushrooms, which improves the dish’s flavor and nutritional content. When I tried this recipe earlier with broccoli and green beans, it worked out really well. So, be open to adding more veggies if you wish.
How to make Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet
Saute the Ingredients
- In a large pot or cast-iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground turkey and garlic. Using a wooden spoon, shred the turkey as it cooks. Stir occasionally, and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the yellow peppers and onions once the onions are tender, and cook further.
- Next, add the sweet potato, salt, pepper, and red chili flakes.
Cover and Cook
- With the lid on, cook the sweet potatoes in the large cast-iron skillet until they are tender, stirring occasionally. If necessary, add a little water or more olive oil to help the sweet potatoes cook more quickly.
Add the Cheese and Melt It
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- When the sweet potatoes are tender, add the shredded mozzarella cheese and pop the skillet into the oven to melt the cheese. Once the cheese has melted, remove the skillet from the oven and top with parsley. Using a cast iron skillet is essential because we will be moving from the stovetop to the oven!