Sweet Potato & Ground Turkey Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 tsp Olive or Avocado oil
• 1 large onion (diced)
• 1 cup uncooked carrots (chopped)
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1- 1/2 Tbsp Fresh chopped sage
• 1 pound ground turkey ( I used lean ground turkey)
• 1- 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1/4 cup Red wine
• 14-1/2 oz Canned diced tomatoes (undrained)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Crushed red pepper (optional)
• 1/2 cup Part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg (beaten)
• 1-1/2 pound uncooked sweet potatoes (peeled)
• 8 oz Fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Kitchen items you’ll need:

• Mandolin or sharp knife
• 9-inch square (2-quart) baking dish
• Non-stick foil
• Baking sheet

Instructions

1. To make the casserole filling, heat oil . Add onion and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5–6 minutes. Stir in garlic and 1 tablespoon sage; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in turkey, breaking it up with wooden spoon. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until turkey is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add wine and simmer until almost evaporated, 1–2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and crushed peppers. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes, adding water if needed.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F.
3. Stir together ricotta, egg, 1 1/2 teaspoons sage, pinch of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in small bowl; set aside. Using mandoline, or very sharp knife, cut potatoes into very thin lengthwise slices (about 1/10-inch thick).
4. Put spinach in large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 1 minute; drain and let cool. Squeeze dry and roughly chop.
5. Spread thin layer of casserole filling over bottom of 9-inch square (2-quart) baking dish. Cover with one third of potato slices, overlapping slightly. Spread half of remaining filling over potatoes. Cover with another third of potato slices and top with spinach. Spoon ricotta mixture on top and spread evenly. Top with remaining potato slices, remaining filling, and mozzarella. Cover loosely with sheet of nonstick foil.
6. Place casserole on baking sheet; bake until potatoes in the center are very tender when pierced with tip of paring knife, about 1 hour. Remove foil and bake until cheese is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and cut into 8 portions.
7. Serving size: 1/8 of casserole

Enjoy!