The other night for dinner I was at a loss at what to make.  I wasn’t in the mood to make anything gourmet and I was tired and didn’t want to be in the kitchen all night.  So, I went through my “recipes to try” file and came across this recipe.  I had all the ingredients, looked like it would come together in a snap, and I was SUPER curious to know if it really would taste like a cheeseburger.  Thus, this was the winning recipe for the night.

Sure enough; it came together in a snap and was super easy.  And, even more amazing was the fact that it truly did taste like a cheeseburger.  I mean, it has all the elements (burger, cheese, tomato, onion, mustard, and pickle) so I guess I shouldn’t be all that surprised.  I was a bit weary of putting chopped pickles on the casserole after it had baked, but it was seriously awesome.  I was definitely a fan.

This will definitely go in my file of recipes to make when I want something fast and delicious.  Enjoy!

Turkey Cheeseburger Casserole
Adapted from SkinnyTaste.com

6 ounce whole wheat rotini pasta (dry)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
28 ounces diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/4 cups reduced fat shredded cheese (I used Mexican blend)
1/4 cup dill pickles, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 2-quart casserole dish (or a 9×13 baking dish) with cooking spray.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente and drain well.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat.  Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Stir in the ground turkey, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned.  Stir in the tomato paste, then add the tomatoes and mustard.  Let the mixture bubble gently until it is slightly thickened, about 2-5 minutes.

Toss the meat mixture with the pasta and spread it into the prepared baking dish. Top with the cheese and bake until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.  Sprinkle the chopped pickles over the top and serve.

Serves 6.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = Approximately 1 1/2 Cups)
Calories:  334
Protein:  26.9g
Carbs:  33g
Fat:  12.4g (4.4g = Sat.)
Fiber:  6.2g
Sugars:  6.6g

If desired, you can go with a smaller serving size of 1 cup.  That would mean the casserole would feed approximately 9 people.  The nutritional information would then calculate as follows:

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = Approximately 1 Cup)
Calories:  222.8
Protein:  17.9g
Carbs:  22g
Fat:  8.3g (2.9g = Sat.)
Fiber:  4.1g
Sugars:  4.4g