Turkey & Spinach Quinoa

I made this DELICIOUS dinner the other night -  Turkey & Spinach Quinoa Casserole. Uhhhh---make this! It was SO good and the quinoa makes it no carb essentially! Some edits - I did NOT have any tomatoes so I subsituted with a chopped red pepper and a zuccini. Also, didn't add the thyme or basil just some salt & pepper. So good. It made leftovers which is even better!!

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry quinoa
• 2 lbs extra lean ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 medium garlic cloves, crushed
• 4-5 large handfuls spinach, chopped
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 3 cups light cheddar or mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/4 tsp thyme, dry
• 2 tsp basil, dry
• Salt & ground black pepper to taste
• Cooking spray
• Green onions and diced tomatoes for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Cook quinoa as per package instructions and undercook by 4 minutes. Add to a large mixing bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees and spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
3. Preheat skillet on medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add turkey and sautee for 5 minutes breaking into pieces with the spatula. Drain the excess liquid and add to the bowl with quinoa.
4. Return skillet to the heat and spray with cooking spray again. Add garlic and onions, and fry until golden brown. Add spinach and sauté until it's wilted. Transfer to a bowl with quinoa and turkey.
5. Into the same bowl, add tomato sauce, bread crumbs, 2 cups of cheese, thyme, basil, salt and ground pepper to taste. Mix enough to combine.
6. Transfer the mixture in a baking dish, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese and bake for 25 minutes. Serve immediately, no need to let the casserole cool down.
7. Optional: sprinkle with diced tomatoes, green onions, a dollop of Greek yogurt or salsa.
Storing Instructions: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freeze divided into individual portions, in an air tight container for up to 1 month.

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 12

Amount Per Serving = 2 cups:
Calories: 294.4
Total Fat: 5.4 g
Cholesterol: 35.9 mg
Sodium: 607.9 mg
Total Carbs: 30.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.9 g
Protein: 30.4 g
WW Points+: 7

In other recipe news, I haven't been making too many recipes lately. We have been using our grill and making basic dinners like grilled chicken and veggies. We loving grilling out, especially with the warm weather!

So our TV is still messed up. This is how I watched Drop Dead Diva while playing with Evie on Monday night. Pretty funny. We are checking to see if our TV has a warranty on it since we only got it in 2009. 

Since I could barely see my show, I took a punch of pictures of Evie playing because I thought she looked super cute. She is also doing MUCH better in the bathroom department. She is back on regular food but I am talking to the Vet this week to determine what food we should switch her to, to avoid this from happening again.