About
The Healthy Lunch Casserole is ready to make something delicious, filling, and nourishing all at the same time! It's loaded with nutty brown rice, beefy mushrooms, juicy zucchini, and savory ground turkey! It's all so tasty and low fat, too! Spicy red pepper flakes and sharp parmesan add flavor to bring Healthy Lunch Casserole to a new level without creating any guilt! Mmmm!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound extra-lean ground turkey
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, divided
- 2 portobello mushrooms, stems removed and gills scraped, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 1/4 cups zucchini, chopped to a 3/4-inch dice
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 3/4 cups brown rice, cooked
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated and packed, divided
- 3 teaspoons flat-leaf parsley, minced, plus more, to taste, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 -Lightly coat an 8x12-inch or 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
Step 3 -In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil.
Step 4 -Add the turkey, the onions, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the ground pepper and cook, while crumbling the meat, until the turkey is browned, about 6-8 minutes.
Step 5 -Add the mushrooms, the zucchini, the garlic, the oregano, and the red pepper flakes, and cook until the vegetables are starting to soften, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 6 -Add the crushed tomatoes and their juices, the remaining salt, and the remaining pepper and stir to combine.
Step 7 -Bring the turkey mixture to a boil.
Step 8 -Reduce the heat to low and simmer, while stirring occasionally, until the flavors begin to meld together, about 10 minutes.
Step 9 -Add the rice, 1/4 cup of the parmesan, and 3 teaspoons of the parsley and stir to combine.
Step 10 -Transfer the turkey mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Step 11 -Sprinkle the top of the turkey mixture with the remaining parmesan.
Step 12 -Bake until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese is melted and starts to brown, about 20 minutes.
Step 13 -Serve garnished with the extra parsley.
