Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet (Italian American)

italianamerican-turkeysweetpotatoskillet Italian Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet is a flavourful, family-friendly, one-pan meal easy enough to make any night of the week. It's a healthy dinner recipe made with ground turkey, sweet potatoes, vegetables, and seasonings.

4 cups sweet potatoes, diced in ½" cubes
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tsp. sea salt, divided
¾ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup sweet onion, finely diced
3 sweet peppers, diced (I use red, orange, and yellow)
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
2 lbs lean ground turkey
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Garnish:
sliced green onions or parsley

Heat 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil in a large, deep, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the sweet potatoes and season with ½ tsp. of salt and ¼ tsp. of ground black pepper. Cover and let the sweet potatoes cook, stirring occasionally, until just fork tender, about 7-10 minutes.

Once the sweet potatoes are fork-tender, toss in the garlic, onion, and peppers. Season with ½ tsp. of the salt, ¼ tsp. of ground black pepper, and the Italian seasoning.

Cook an additional 3-4 minutes until the onions and peppers are just soft, then transfer the vegetables to a plate or bowl.

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Add the remaining Tbsp. of olive oil and the ground turkey to the skillet over medium heat. Season with the remaining tsp. of salt and ¼ tsp. of pepper.

Cook, breaking up with a spoon or spatula, until no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes.

Add the vegetables back to the skillet and toss to mix.

Top with the shredded mozzarella cheese.

Place the skillet in the oven for about 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

Remove the skillet from the oven and top with fresh sliced green onions or parsley, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Cook's Notes:

To save time, you can prep the garlic, onion, and peppers while the sweet potatoes cook.
If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, you can melt the cheese right in the skillet on the stove top. Spread the cheese on top of the turkey mixture, place the lid on the skillet, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
To change up the flavour of the recipe a bit, you can try using ground beef and/or white potatoes.
Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Use within 3-4 days.