Raise your hand if you need another healthy dinner recipe idea – especially one with make-ahead tips included! This baked turkey casserole with cauliflower and mushrooms is a great option. 270 calories and 5 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
Today was the first day of school and the morning kicked off bright and early. With a 7:30am start time, there was plenty of moaning and groaning when the boys’ alarm clocks went off! First year of high school for one and grade 11 for the other.
Cue Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time”!
It wouldn’t be the first day of school without morning pictures, accompanying shenanigans included. As you can see in the pictures below, things started out friendly (the perfect little school boys) and quickly fell apart into typical sibling antics.😂
Now that the boys are back to school, I’m pulling out my best easy dinner recipes, and this ground turkey casserole falls into that category, particularly with the make-ahead tips I included in the next section.
Make ahead casserole steps:
- All of the components of this recipe can be made ahead. About half an hour before dinnertime, combine the cooked turkey, mushrooms and cauliflower in the baking dish, cover with the tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese, and bake.
- Since the ingredients will be cold from the fridge, it will take longer than 15 minutes to heat up the casserole in the oven. Plan for 25 to 30 minutes.
- To eliminate one step, use your favorite jarred tomato sauce rather than making a homemade sauce.
- Double up on the ground turkey and save the second half for another recipe, such as my favorite ground turkey stir-fry.
What to serve with this ground turkey casserole:
- Looking to lower your carbs? Spoon this turkey casserole over sauteed zucchini or yellow squash noodles. My favorite lower carb option is spaghetti squash!
- Alternatively, serve the casserole over spaghetti, brown rice or quinoa. If you freeze your quinoa into dinner-sized servings ahead of time, you can save even more time!
Other ground turkey casserole recipes:
Greek Turkey, Rice & Feta Casserole {Cookin’ Canuck}
Southwestern Turkey Rice Casserole {Cookin’ Canuck}
Easy Stuffed Cabbage Casserole {Wonky Wonderful}
Chili Cornbread Bake {Valerie’s Kitchen}
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I’ll be sure to find it.
Baked Turkey Casserole with Cauliflower & Mushrooms
Ingredients
The cauliflower
- 5 cups cauliflower florets
- 4 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
The sauce
- 1 ½ tsp olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup minced flat-leaf parsley
The casserole
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 6 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper, divided
- 1 lb. lean ground turkey
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
The cauliflower:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- On a baking sheet, combine the cauliflower florets, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Toss to coat the cauliflower.
- Roast until the cauliflower is just tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.
The sauce:
- Heat the olive oil in the middle of a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add the garlic to the oil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Stir in the salt and parsley.
The casserole:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 7- by 11-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and starting to brown. Season with ¼ teaspoon and ¼ teaspoon ground pepper. Transfer to a bowl.
- In the same skillet, cook the ground turkey. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Crumble with a wooden spoon until cooked through. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the mushrooms and roasted cauliflower to the cooked turkey, and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly.
- Pour the tomato sauce over top of the turkey mixture, spreading evenly. Top with the Parmesan cheese.
- Bake until the casserole is heated through, about 15 minutes. Serve.
Recipe Notes
Weight Watchers Points: 5 (Freestyle SmartPoints), 7 (Points+)
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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