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Creamy Salsa Verde Turkey Pasta Bake

October 21, 2015 by Jaida Leave a Comment

I am so glad it’s Wednesday. I can barely walk, sit down, cough, or move my arms without wanting to die, thanks to boot camp on Monday, but it’s a good kind of pain. Right? That’s what I keep telling myself, anyway. No pain, no gain! But man, trying to sit down is the. worst.

Creamy Salsa Verde Turkey Pasta Bake
The soreness always starts to set in the afternoon following a good work out, but the second day is usually hell. Walking around the kitchen last night trying to cook dinner, I could feel it. I could tell what was coming. J found it quite amusing to grab my leg, just above my knees, and squeeze. Apparently blood-curdling screams coming from your wife are hilarious. Me, not so amused. But, I’m guilty of poking on him when he’s sore from the gym, so I can’t complain too much. Paybacks and all that good stuff.
All that rambling and whining about being sore just to say I was thankful that dinner last night was an easy one, and didn’t require too much from me physically. Stand, stir, scoop, put in the oven, take it out. That was the basic gist of it.

Creamy Southwest Turkey Pasta Bake

J suggested I make some sort of casserole with ground turkey and the remainder of a box of fusilli we had in the pantry, so my brain started mentally scanning the fridge for other ingredients I could incorporate into this yet-to-be-determined casserole. It didn’t take long until it all came together in my head and then I just had to put it all together in a pan. And serve it with a southwestern-y salad. You know, tortilla strips and cilantro lime dressing = southwestern-y. Right?? And I added some multi-colored cherry tomatoes, because pretty and delicious.
I loved the salad as much as I did the turkey pasta bake. I went back for seconds, y’all. I never go back for seconds. Of course, when all of the food caught up to my stomach, I regretted that second helping a bit. But I just had to. It was too good. And I get to have it for lunch today as well! With more of that salad. Is it lunchtime yet??
Oh! And I used the remaining leftover sauce I had from the tacos posted yesterday in place of half the salsa verde and OMG. Just OMG. That sauce is amazing. I wanted to drink it. But I put it in this dish instead. You’re welcome.

Creamy Salsa Verde Turkey Pasta Bake and Salad

Cream cheese, southwestern-y seasonings, salsa verde, Greek yogurt, whole wheat pasta, and ground turkey. All combined in one dish. One heavenly dish.

Creamy Salsa Verde Turkey Pasta Bake
A Sweet Beginnings Original

Ingredients

  • 4 oz whole wheat fusilli pasta (or other short pasta)
  • 1 lb lean ground turkey
  • 2 Tbsp diced onion (or 1 Tbsp dried, minced onion)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsp cumin
  • 1 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro (plus additional for topping, if you’d like)
  • 4 oz cream cheese (low-fat or light for a healthier version)
  • 1/2 cup salsa verde (I used a combo of salsa verde and leftover sauce from these tacos – OMG.)
  • 1/4 cup of plain, Greek yogurt
  • 2/3 cup shredded cheese (I used pepper jack)

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9×9 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. Bring a 2 quart pot of salted water to boil over high heat, add the pasta and cook until al dente (8-10 minutes.) Drain and rinse pasta.
  3. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the turkey and cook, stirring and breaking up until browned. Add the onion, garlic, cilantro and spices, stir to combine, and cook for an additional minute.
  4. Now add in the salsa verde and cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese has melted and the simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the Greek yogurt and then add the pasta. Stir until it is all well-combined.
  5. Add half of the mixture to the baking dish, sprinkle half of the shredded cheese on top, then add the remaining turkey pasta mixture and top with the remaining cheese.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
  7. Serve with extra cilantro on top, if you like, and a nice side salad.

Filed Under: Pasta, Turkey Tagged With: Pasta Bake, Salsa Verde, Turkey

Previous Post: « Taco Tuesday: Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Garlic Cilantro Lime Slaw
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Welcome!

As a busy wife and mom who also works a full time job, I try to have dinner done in 30 minutes or less so I can spend more of my evenings with my hubby and baby girl, so what you will find here are recipes that are mostly-healthy, quick and easy. Of course I have desserts, less healthy and more time-intensive meals as well (everything in moderation!), but all-in-all, you can count on weeknight friendly options, all made with love and dished up with a side of life, love, and family! Read More…

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