Turkey Quinoa Skillet with Butternut Squash
This Turkey Quinoa Skillet with Butternut Squash is a one pot meal that is protein-packed, colorful, and festive enough for busy weeknights and holiday gatherings.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick cut bacon chopped
- 1 small onion yellow, diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 Tablespoon sage fresh, finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon thyme fresh
- 2 cups butternut squash peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
- 1/2 cup quinoa uncooked, rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups spinach fresh, loosely packed
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds roasted
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds fresh
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pan.
- Add onion to the skillet. Sauté 2–3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in ground turkey, salt, and pepper. Cook until the turkey is browned and no longer pink. Stir in sage and thyme.
- Add butternut squash and quinoa, then pour the broth over everything. Stir to combine, scraping the fond from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 18–20 minutes, until quinoa is fluffy and the squash is tender.
- Stir in spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes until wilted. Mix in the reserved bacon and half of the pumpkin seeds.
- Serve topped with remaining pumpkin seeds and pomegranate.
Notes
- Of course you can use dry sage and thyme for this recipe. Reduce the amounts to 1 teaspoon each.
- Precubed fresh or frozen butternut squash would be a great option if you don’t want the hassle of peeling and cutting a fresh butternut squash. I used a medium-large size squash since that’s what was in store, but I had a lot of leftovers to put into other recipes during the week.
- I think this would be great with shredded leftover Thanksgiving turkey or any ground meat. I like to cook the onions before the meat. I feel like that meat develops better flavor that way.
- Pumpkin seeds can be replaced with toasted pecans.
Nutrition
Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 1222mg | Potassium: 1004mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 8980IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 4mg