Ground Turkey Quinoa Casserole with Spinach
Try this Ground Turkey Quinoa Casserole with Spinach recipe
Try this Ground Turkey Quinoa Casserole with Spinach recipe
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp thyme dried
- cooking spray (i use misto)
- 2 cups uncooked quinoa
- 2 lbs ground turkey
- 4 large garlic cloves grated
- 11 oz package baby spinach
- 14 oz can tomato sauce (i used low sodium)
- 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
- 3 cups cheddar or mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 tsp basil dried
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or coconut oil
- green onions and diced tomatoes for garnish (optional)
- Carbohydrate 46.5548652173651 g
- Cholesterol 73.708760125 mg
- Fat 7.39422169459682 g
- Fiber 4.59269823428933 g
- Protein 34.5708131070116 g
- Saturated Fat 1.6429087930684 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (224g)
- Sodium 184.946908156792 mg
- Sugar 41.9621669830758 g
- Trans Fat 0.934784322081406 g
- Calories 399 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook quinoa as per package instructions undercooking by 4 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Preheat oven to 375 F degrees and spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Preheat large non-stick skillet on medium heat and add ground turkey. Saute for 5 minutes, breaking into pieces with spatula while stirring. Transfer to the bowl with quinoa.
- Return skillet to medium heat and swirl 1 tbsp of oil to coat. Add dried basil and thyme, saute for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add garlic and onion, saute until golden brown. Add spinach in batches while stirring, and cook until it's wilted. Transfer to a bowl with quinoa and turkey, along with tomato sauce, bread crumbs, 2 cups of cheese, salt and ground pepper. Stir just enough to combine.
- Transfer mixture into a baking dish, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese and bake uncovered for 25 minutes.
- Serve immediately garnished with tomatoes and green onions, no need to let casserole cool down.
Why does the quinoa need to be undercooked by four minutes before baking in a casserole? Grains absorb ambient moisture as they bake in a tomato sauce matrix, meaning fully hydrated grains will rupture and turn pasty inside a 375-degree oven. Casseroles built on a base of grains and ground meat trace their lineage back to traditional mid-century American bakes, substituting nutrient-dense pseudo-cereal for standard macaroni while retaining the comforting cheese-topped architecture.
Managing Moisture in Grain Bakes
Ground turkey releases a significant amount of water during its initial five-minute sauté, which must be fully evaporated to prevent a soggy final dish. Fresh spinach contains upward of ninety percent water, whereas preserved or canned greens have already surrendered their cellular liquid; consequently, when using fresh baby spinach, cooking it down completely in the skillet before mixing prevents unwanted pooling in the baking dish. Blooming the dried basil and thyme directly in the avocado oil for thirty seconds unlocks fat-soluble aromatics that water-based simmering misses entirely.
- Undercook quinoa by exactly four minutes to prevent mushy grains after the twenty-five minute bake.
- Drain excess liquid from the skillet if the turkey releases pooling water during the browning phase.
- Shred low-moisture mozzarella rather than fresh mozzarella to avoid excess surface water accumulation.
