Veggie & Ground Turkey Lasagna
I love making this dish. It’s one of those “use-what-you-have-in-the fridge” recipes that make it easy and fun to prepare. Using a few basic items along with fresh veggies, you can make a delicious, healthy lasagna every time. Even better, you may end up with leftovers for a couple more dinners!
The following ingredients are a good guideline, but feel free to substitute other veggies, spices, or sauces. Every time I make this lasagna, it’s an adventure!
Ingredients:
1 lb organic ground turkey
1 large organic sweet potato
½ head organic cauliflower
1 – organic zucchini
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1/2 onion, chopped
½ cup uncooked organic quinoa or chia seed
Coarse ground pepper
EVOO
Dried red chili pepper flakes
Dried basil
Dried oregano
1 tsp ground garlic
Paprika
Cheese (optional – feta, mozzarella, shredded mix)
1 cup light white pasta sauce
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prep the veggies:
Peel and slice sweet potatoes
Cut zucchini into thin slices
Process cauliflower florets in a mini food processor until crumbly
Set veggies aside until ready to assemble.
Add a little EEVO and 1 tsp crushed garlic and onion to a large pan and set to med-high heat. Heat until onion is soft and add ground turkey and spices: pepper, oregano, basil, red chili flakes, and paprika. Cook through and reduce heat to low. Time to put it together!
Sprinkle uncooked quinoa or chia in a large glass oblong baking dish. I use quinoa to absorb moisture from the veggies and create a nice base. Chia seeds will do the same thing. Layer half the sliced sweet potatoes on top of quinoa, followed by half the ground turkey and a bit of cheese. Add zucchini slices and sprinkle with a little more quinoa, pepper, basil, and oregano. Spoon half the white pasta sauce on top.
Layer the rest of the sliced sweet potatoes and ground turkey. Spread cauliflower over meat and top with mushrooms. Sprinkle with cheese, pepper, basil, oregano, and red chili flakes.
Cover the pan tightly with foil and place on a cookie sheet. Slide into the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil, lower heat to 285 and bake another 15-20 minutes. Take lasagna out of the oven and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Serving suggestions:
From pan to plate is simply great! Enjoy this flavorful lasagna in its “natural” state. Top with a little EVOO or light sauce – delicious!
With gluten-free pasta: While the lasagna is baking, make a batch of gluten-free pasta to use as a base. It’s easy to find and keeps this dish on the healthy side. And you can freeze the extra pasta for next time.
With veggies: Steam fresh broccoli and cauliflower florets and spread on a plate. Top with lasagna and enjoy!
