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A Cheesy Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet mixes together ground turkey with red onion and rich spices, along with sweet potato chunks, diced tomatoes, red bell pepper, corn, black beans, diced green chilis and is topped with cheese. The turkey skillet is baked until the cheese is warm and bubbly, and topped with green onion, fresh cilantro and avocado.
In my house we are always looking for easy meals that are also filling and packed with protein.
The American Dairy Association Mideast and I are partnering today to bring you this Cheesy Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet that checks all of those boxes and more! It is a Southwest inspired turkey skillet that mixes together ground turkey, red onion and red bell pepper, corn, black beans, sweet potato and diced chilis, then is topped with a blend of sharp cheddar, pepper jack and mozzarella cheese.
The turkey sweet potato skillet is cooked on the stove but then finished off in the oven to get that warm, bubbly cheese on top that we all love. This dish can be served on its own or you can serve it with brown rice, quinoa or with chips to scoop up that delicious cheesy turkey mixture.
If you are looking for other cheesy dishes that make perfect weeknight meals, try this Baked Mac and Cheese with Bread Crumbs, Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup, Three Cheese Beef Enchiladas, or this Instant Pot Vegetable Mac and Cheese.
Recipe Ingredients You’ll Need
See full list of ingredients below in recipe card with exact measurements.
- Ground Turkey: I used ground turkey in this skillet. I like how light and lean the turkey is mixed with the other ingredients.
- Vegetables: This southwest skillet is loaded with vegetables. I added in sweet potato, red bell pepper, red onion, corn and diced tomatoes.
- Beans: I like using black beans in this dish. I always drain my beans before adding them into the skillet, so there isn’t too much extra liquid.
- Spices: The spices added in are a mixture of chili powder, paprika and cumin. These work nicely together and create a warm, rich flavor.
- Cheese: A mixture of shredded cheese is added to the turkey skillet and then baked until warm and bubbly. I used a blend of sharp cheddar, pepper jack and mozzarella cheese.
Recipe Variations
- Beans: There are a lot of beans that work well in this dish. Try white beans, red beans, kidney beans or pinto beans.
- Cheese: Almost any cheese works well in this recipe. You can find a Mexican blend of cheese at the store and use that, or try cotija cheese.
- Vegetables: Vegetables make such a nice addition to this skillet. Try zucchini, spinach, squash or carrots.
- Spices: Other spices that would be nice would be coriander, a touch of cinnamon, smoked paprika or chipotle chili powder.
- Meat: You could swap the ground turkey for ground beef {make sure to drain the fat after cooking}, ground chicken or sausage.
- Sauce: Swap out the enchilada sauce for red or green salsa, or you can just replace the enchilada sauce with chicken or vegetable broth.
How to Make a Ground Turkey Skillet
Step 1: Cook the Ground Turkey: Heat olive oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the red onion and continue to sauté. Add in the ground turkey and continue to cook until the turkey is browned. Add in the chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper and stir well.
Step 2: Simmer the Skillet: Add in the green chilis, black beans, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, sweet potato and enchilada sauce. Mix well, cover and simmer on medium-low for 15- 20 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender stirring 2 or 3 times throughout cooking.
Step 3: Bake in the Oven: Once the sweet potato is tender, remove from the heat. Sprinkle cheese over the ground turkey mixture and bake in the oven for about 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Step 4: Garnish the Skillet: Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh cilantro, red onion, green onion and avocado. Serve on its own, over brown rice or with chips.
Storage Tips
Store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat you can heat in a skillet or on the stove.
More Turkey Recipes
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Cheesy Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 – 4 ounces can of diced green chilis
- 1 – 15 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 – 15 ounce can of corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup of diced tomatoes, drained
- 1/2 of a red bell pepper, seeds removed, diced
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into small chunks
- 1/2 cup enchilada sauce {or you can use chicken or vegetable broth}
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat olive oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the red onion and continue to sauté.
- Add in the ground turkey and continue to cook until the turkey is browned. Add in the chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper and stir well.
- Add in the green chilis, black beans, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, sweet potato and enchilada sauce. Mix well, cover and simmer on medium-low for 15- 20 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender stirring 2 or 3 times throughout cooking.
- Once the sweet potato is tender remove from the heat. Sprinkle cheese over the ground turkey mixture and bake in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh cilantro, red onion, green onion and avocado. Serve on its own, over brown rice or with chips.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- To reheat: You can reheat in the oven at 300 for about 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. You can also heat in the microwave for about 3 minutes, stirring a couple of times throughout cooking.
- If you find the turkey becomes a bit dry after being in the fridge add some salsa to help give it some flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Today’s post is sponsored by ADA Mideast. As always all opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that allow me to create new and exciting recipes.
OH WOW! I can’t wait to try this! This looks AMAZING (and there are so many variations I already have in mind! LOL — I live on soups and stews). I don’t eat turkey, so the first time I try this recipe, I’ll use chicken, but that’s the only change I’ll make. Thank you so much for this. Cedar Spoon is rapidly becoming one of my top five go-to websites for recipes!
I am happy to hear that you are excited about this one. I love the idea of using chicken. Let me know how it turns out!