Turkey Skillet Casserole

Don’t worry about overcooking your pasta with this delicious Turkey Skillet Casserole by food author Linda Gassenheimer. In this hearty dish, the pasta cooks to perfection right in the sauce. The addition of turkey, mushrooms, and spinach give the meal a healthy, light touch. For one pot fanatics, you can even serve it right from the skillet.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons canola oil
3/4 pound boneless turkey breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup frozen chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup reduced-sodium, no-sugar-added pasta sauce
1/2 cup water
2 cups sliced baby bella mushrooms
3 ounces fresh whole-wheat linguine, broken into 4–5-inch pieces
2 packed cups washed, ready-to-eat spinach
1/2 cup fresh basil, torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

Helpful Hints:
It’s important to use fresh pasta from the supermarket for this recipe. Fettuccini can be used instead of linguine. Any type of reduced-fat cheese can be used. Minced garlic can be found in the produce section of the market.

Method:
1. Heat oil in a medium-size nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey, onion, and garlic. Sauté 3 minutes, turning turkey pieces to brown all sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Add the pasta sauce, water, mushrooms, and linguine. Stir to mix well. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, cover with a lid, and cook 3 minutes. The linguine should be cooked through. Add a little water if sauce is dry before pasta is cooked.

3. Add spinach and basil, stirring until spinach wilts. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the cheese on top. Spoon sour cream over cheese. Serve on 2 dinner plates.

Countdown: Prepare first 8 ingredients. While turkey and pasta cook, prepare remaining ingredients.

“Reprinted with permission of the American Diabetes Association (2015)”. 

This recipe comes from Linda Gassenheimer’s ”Delicious One-Pot Dishes: Quick, Healthy, Diabetes-Friendly Recipes.” This cookbook provides the easiest and quickest ways to create healthy one-pot meals that are packed with flavor. There’s also additional sections on shopping smart and stocking the pantry. Get the book at Amazon or ShopDiabetes.org.