This is a healthier version of lasagna. I used sweet potatoes instead of pasta, and ground turkey instead of ground beef. You can make this meal as healthy as you want and use whatever veggies you like or have on hand. This was my second time making this and it was great the first time but even better this time!!
This is a more time consuming recipe, a lot of this can be done in advance (chopping veggies, prepping sweet potatoes, or even make the meat mixture in advance)
*Remember, every ingredient can be switched out for what ever you like, this is just what I had on hand*
Ingredients:
*1 pound ground turkey
*1 small green pepper
*1 medium yellow onion
*1 tsp minced garlic
*1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
*A couple handfuls of spinach, about a quarter of a bag
*1 jar red sauce (24oz) *I used Prego Italian sauce flavored with bacon & provolone...absolutely amazing in this lasagna!!!
*2 medium sweet potatoes
*1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese (I ended up using a little less)
*A handful of mozzarella cheese (optional)
-Spices-
salt, pepper, ground cumin, chili powder, paprika (Just a pinch of each)
-Clean and poke fork holes into the sweet potatoes. Put them (separately) in the microwave for 1 minute. Meanwhile, start chopping up your veggies. You want about equal parts of all the veggies, minus the garlic. Next, slice up the sweet potatoes, you want to make really thin slices since this is the "pasta".
-Now you have 2 choices. You can either put the sweet potatoes back in the microwave for another minute, or you can roast them in the oven. It all depends on how much time you have. The first time I made the mistake of doing neither and the sweet potatoes ended up being a little hard. This time I put them in the oven and by the time I was done cooking everything else and was ready to actually use the sweet potatoes, they were already baked and cooled.
Roasting Option:
preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place sweet potato slices on a baking sheet with foil. Drizzle slices with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Put in oven for 10 min. flip, 8 min.)
OR you can just put them back in the microwave for a minute or 2 (you want them to be soft, but not falling apart) and season them with salt and pepper!
-While the sweet potatoes are going, heat up a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil. Start cooking the onion, green pepper, and garlic until the onion becomes transparent looking.
Once the onions are cooked add in the ground turkey. Once the turkey is completely cooked drain out the pan. I just crumpled up a paper towel and used my spoon to stir it around the skillet to get rid of all the extra liquid.
-While that is cooking, start chopping up the mushrooms. I personally don't like mushrooms but Michael does so I chopped mine up into very small pieces. This way it just gives the lasagna flavor without having a mouthful of mushrooms.
-Stir the mushrooms into the skillet, and add in the spinach. Put a lid on the skillet for a few minutes so the spinach can cook.
-Next, you want to put a sprinkle of all your spices; salt, pepper, ground cumin, chili powder, and paprika. -Also, you want to add a little bit of your sauce, just enough so that everything is lightly coated with the sauce.
-Now it is finally time to start making your layers!!!
**Preheat oven to 350 degrees**
-Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Lightly coat the bottom of the dish with your sauce.
-Add on the sweet potatoes. Put them as close together as you can. Its like a puzzle, you can cut some pieces in half if you need to.
-Add the meat mixture next. Use about half of it.
-Next, (my fave part) add some of the ricotta cheese. You can add as much or as little as you want, or none at all if you are being good (I figure if Im using sweet potatoes and turkey and can pile on the ricotta!).
-Then just repeat the steps one more time; sauce, sweet potatoes, meat, ricotta.
-I top mine off with the rest of the sauce and a light sprinkling of mozzarella cheese.
-Put it in the oven for 35-40 minutes and you are done!!!
ENJOY!!!
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