I think casseroles are just wonderful. They are simple to prepare and usually serve a large family. This Cheesy Italian Turkey & Spinach Bake turned out to be a hit with my family. Everyone just loved this cheesy pasta! Last week seemed to be a little busier than usual around my house, so I wanted to make something each night that didn’t take a lot of time to prepare. I looked through my refrigerator and pantry and came up with this cheesy bake. Sometimes when you think you have nothing in house to make for dinner, you just have to be creative. Chances are you probably can come up with a great meal if you go through your pantry and give it a little thought. Just because a meal is quick, doesn’t mean it can’t be homemade and taste great. This casserole is filling on it’s own, but is wonderful with fresh rolls and a salad.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Italian Seasoned Jennie O Lean ground turkey
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2-3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 (10 oz. ) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 (15 oz. ) container ricotta cheese
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1 lb. rigatoni pasta
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Drizzle the olive oil in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Brown and cook the turkey in a skillet with the onion and garlic.
- Drain excess fat-but there shouldn't be that much.
- Cook the pasta according to box directions, drain.
- Pour the pasta into the baking dish and toss to coat with olive oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the squeezed spinach, ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese, 1/2 of the Mozzarella cheese, the ground turkey, egg, salt and pepper.
- Mix together well.
- Pour this mixture over pasta and toss together to combine.
- Sprinkle the top with remaining Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses.
- Bake until bubbly and lightly browned about 20 mins.
- Enjoy!
