Layered Brussel Sprout & Turkey Mac n Cheese
PIN IT!Today brings you another recipe found in the depths of my Iphoto. Guys, this layered brussel sprout & turkey mac n cheese was made this in the fall. Like, last fall. In 2014. And I TOTALY FORGOT TO SHARE IT.
Can I blame something other than my pure stupidity? Crazy travel schedule? Out of town guests? New job? Okay, great. I’d much rather do that than admit I made an amazing comfort food classic that I just totally spaced on sharing.
However, my mentality is very “better late than never” and with the 8 inches of snow we got yesterday, this dish is still perfectly & very seasonally appropriate. Honestly, I don’t mind the snow. I got a work from home snowday yesterday and it’s really beautiful to look at. I’m sure I’m in the minority here with the rest of DC-MD-VA, but I definitely don’t mind the beautiful, fluffy white stuff. BUT, that doesn’t mean, mother nature, that you can snow anymore this season. I like you now, but I can promise I will not like you if you try to pull this winter stuff in April or something. Crazier things have happened, but I have a zero-tolerance policy for temperatures below 60 degrees in springtime. If I wanted snow in April, I’d much back to northern Indiana.
Now, I should probably get to sharing this recipe since I held off so long on it, right? The main star of the show are the brussel sprouts, obviously, which came in my Farmbox Direct delivery.
If you guys haven’t heard of it, check out Farmbox Direct asap! You get a box of organic, fresh, seasonal veggies delivered right to your door! I love grocery shopping, but you can’t always get some of the best produce where I live. Which is why Farmbox is a dream come true. They provided me with a box to play with in the fall and I was so hooked, I’ve been getting them ever since! Plus, when you get brussel sprouts to your door every few weeks, that’s more of a reason to indulge in this mac n’ cheese more frequently. Huzzah!
Brussel Sprout & Turkey Mac n’ Cheese
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves 6 – 8. Adapted from Betty Crocker.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: About 45 minutes
Total time: 65 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles
For the roasted sprouts:
- 4 cups brussel sprouts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- Salt and pepper
For the turkey layer:
- 1 pound lean ground turkey breast
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups low-fat (1%) milk
- 1/2 cup light cream
- 1 3/4 cups shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded Cabot extra sharp white cheddar
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove stems from brussel sprouts. In a large baking dish, toss the sprouts with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast, whole, for about 30 – 35 minutes, or until slightly crispy and browned. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. While still warm, chop into small pieces and place in a large bowl.
- Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add a dash of salt and the pasta. Cook until al-dente, about 8 minutes. Rinse in cold water and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook, crumbling with a spatula, until golden brown, at least 7 – 8 minutes. Remove from heat and place in another bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the meat juices and add the shallot and garlic cloves. Heat until just fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove and mix with beef.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once fully melted, whisk in the flour. Reduce heat to medium and whisk in the milk and light cream. Continue stirring until mixture thickens (it should coat the back of a spoon). Remove from heat and immediately stir in mozzarella and white cheddar (it’ll melt quickly). Mix in the pasta noodles and evenly coat with cheese sauce.
- Spoon about 1/3 of the macaroni noodles into the bottom of the casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the chopped brussel sprouts and half of the ground turkey mixture. Layer with another 1/3 cup of macaroni mixture, another 1/3 of brussel sprouts and remaining turkey. Top turkey with the rest of the macaroni, the rest of the brussel sprouts, the breadcrumbs and the parmesan.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, uncovered, or until golden and cheesy.
Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 406
Fat: 13.5 grams
Carbohydrates: 32 grams
Fiber: 3.5 grams
Protein: 27.75
Weight Watchers Points: 9
Comments