Turkey and Butternut Squash Wild Rice Casserole

This is a healthy and delicious casserole for a cold Fall/Winter day! You can substitute the ground turkey for chicken instead, but I absolutely love the pairing of ground turkey and butternut squash together!

Yield: 8 servings

Prep time: 20 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup | uncooked wild rice

1 lb | ground turkey

~1.5 lb | butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 cup | chicken broth or water

2 tbsp | fresh thyme

1/2 tbsp | dried rosemary, crushed

2 tsp | dried oregano

1 tsp | dried basil

2 tbsp | extra virgin olive oil

5 oz | Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 tbsp | salt

Directions

1. Cook the rice according to the package and set aside.
2. In a large skillet or a dutch oven over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and the ground turkey. Now add 1/4 tbsp of the rosemary, 1/2 tbsp of thyme, 1 tsp of oregano and 1/2 tsp of basil. Cook until turkey is cooked through, stirring occasionally to get all sides cooked, about 8 minutes.
3. Now preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly coat a 9×13 inch casserole dish using extra virgin olive oil.
4. Remove the turkey and juices from the skillet or dutch oven and set aside for now (you’ll want the juices later). Using the same pan add the butternut squash, 1 tbsp of olive oil, the rest of the thyme, rosemary, oregano and basil along with the broth or water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until squash is tender, about 8-10 minutes.
5. Once squash is cooked add in the rice, ground turkey and juices, salt and half of the Parmesan. Stir together and spoon into the casserole dish, and then put it in the oven.
6. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then add the rest of the Parmesan cheese. Bake for about another 5 minutes until the cheese is nice and melty. Serve hot!