This healthy Greek Turkey, Rice and Feta Casserole is one of the easiest weeknight dinners I've made in a long time. 270 calories and 6 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
Greek Turkey, Rice & Feta Casserole
What do you do when you have leftover brown rice and ground turkey in the fridge, and two boys who are incessantly asking, "What's for dinner?" In lieu of completely losing it and passive aggressively retorting, "I don't know. What are you making us?!" (parent of the year behavior, for sure), I whipped up a 15 minute tomato sauce and mixed it all together into a casserole. Ba-da-bing...dinner!
"So, what's for dinner, Mum?"
"Oh, you're going to love it." Not having made this casserole before or actually it yet, it was a questionable response, at best.
"It's an awesome, Greek-inspired casserole. Lots of flavor and really healthy!" The "healthy" part is seen as a positive in my boys' minds, so it was a no-brainer to throw that in.
And I knew I couldn't go wrong. Anything with ground turkey, such as turkey meatballs or an enchilada skillet meal are always sure-fire hits around here.
Could you use white rice instead of brown rice in this recipe? Absolutely. However, you will be giving up some fiber benefits. One cup of cooked white rice contains just 0.6 grams of fiber, whereas the same amount of brown rice boasts 3.5 grams. That being said, if the choice is between making this casserole with white rice and pulling your hair out because you can't think what to make for dinner, then white rice it is!
This recipe would also work with a store-bought tomato sauce, but the flavor from a 15 minute tomato sauce really is worth the effort. You won't be sorry!
Serve this up alongside steamed veggies or a salad and be prepared for your kids to ask, "Can we have that Greek rice and turkey things again tonight?"
Other healthy ground turkey recipes:
Cookin' Canuck's Healthy Lasagne with Turkey, Pesto & Peppers
Cookin' Canuck's Mini Hoisin Turkey & Zucchini Meatloaf Muffins
Mountain Mama Cooks' Cilantro Lime Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps
Lauren's Latest's Turkey Salisbury Steak
The Messy Baker's Ground Turkey & Vegetable Soup
Greek Turkey, Rice & Feta Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 pound lean 93% ground turkey
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ¾ teaspoon ground oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cup cooked brown rice
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese divided
- ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and ground turkey. Cook, breaking up the turkey with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the cooked rice, ¼ cup of the feta cheese and the parsley. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining feta cheese.
- Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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Sherry Rice
Hi Dara, I’ve been making this recipe for years and have shared it widely with friends and family. Thank you so much. I was wondering if you could provide freezer instructions? Would love to make double batches of this if possible.