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–+ servings
Healthy Hamburger Casserole
4.66 from 23 votes

Hamburger Casserole with Sweet Potato Cheese Sauce

This homemade hamburger casserole is made with real, wholesome ingredients including ground turkey and a sweet potato cheese sauce. It's a simple weeknight meal that's loaded with protein and comforting flavors.
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Total 35 minutes
Fat 9
Carbs 46
Protein 23
Yield 8

Ingredients

Turkey

  • 1 lb. ground turkey
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion minced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon powdered mustard
  • 3 tablespoons tomato purée

Sweet Potato Cheese Sauce

Other

  • 16 oz. shells or any kind of noodle
  • optional: more shredded cheese for topping
  • optional: fresh parsley for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400ºF. Cook and prepare your sweet potato purée by following our how to make sweet potato purée post for details. You'll need about 1 cup. Set aside.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 16 ounces of shell pasta to boiling water. Cook pasta until it is almost cooked. You want the pasta to still have a bite to it (harder than al dente) as it will continue to cook in the oven.
  • Strain pasta, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
  • Next, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil. When olive oil is fragrant, add ground turkey. Break the turkey up into small pieces. Add in the rest of the ingredients for the ground turkey mixture, mix, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
  • Lower oven temperature to 375ºF. Place your sweet potato purée into a blender or food processor with all the ingredients for the sweet potato cheese sauce. Blend until all ingredients are combined and the sauce is nice and smooth.
  • Spray a large 9x13-inch casserole dish with olive oil cooking spray. Place noodles, ground turkey, and sweet potato sauce into the casserole dish and mix until everything is coated in the sweet potato cheese sauce. Sprinkle with shredded cheese (optional), place into the oven, and bake for 15 minutes.
    A person holding a hamburger casserole dish with the ingredients before they're mixed together.
  • Remove, let cool for 10 minutes, and sprinkle on fresh parsley.
    A person scooping hamburger pasta out of a casserole dish.

Tips & Notes

  • Storage: When completely cool, transfer leftover casserole to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. 

Watch it

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 9g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g