Turkey | Pantry To Table https://pantrytotable.com Food Recipe Blog for Flavorful Dishes with Flair Wed, 30 Apr 2025 01:14:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://i0.wp.com/pantrytotable.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/cropped-PantryToTable-Logo2-BlkPan-FinalF.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Turkey | Pantry To Table https://pantrytotable.com 32 32 232215985 Protein-loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes https://pantrytotable.com/protein-loaded-baked-sweet-potatoes/ https://pantrytotable.com/protein-loaded-baked-sweet-potatoes/#respond Tue, 29 Apr 2025 23:55:20 +0000 https://pantrytotable.com/?p=17288

Protein-loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour | Total Time:  1 hour, 25 minutes | Serves: 6

Ground turkey, black beans, and more create a delicious filling for baked sweet potatoes, plus a specialty Honey Truffle Sea Salt by Spice and Tea Exchange complement the sweet potatoes natural flavors.

If you have been following my website for a bit, you know I love to purchase an intriguing ingredient and create a recipe that highlights it. A year or so ago my husband and I walked into Spice and Tea Exchange in Blowing Rock, NC. We walked out with so many little packets of salts and spice blends that it has been loads of fun to cook with, whether it turned into an actual recipe posted on my website or a dinner just for my husband and me to enjoy.

Ground turkey, black beans, and more create a delicious filling for baked sweet potatoes, plus a specialty Honey Truffle Sea Salt by Spice and Tea Exchange complement the sweet potatoes natural flavors.

You are welcome to taste and smell the spices, and they have a tea bar in the back of the store where you can try their flavors of loose tea. Oh, my. It’s so fun and so delicious! I’d love to meet the brains behind their flavor profiles. Some are uniquely brilliant.

Ground turkey, black beans, and more create a delicious filling for baked sweet potatoes, plus a specialty Honey Truffle Sea Salt by Spice and Tea Exchange complement the sweet potatoes natural flavors.

Here I have highlighted the “Honey Truffle Sea Salt.” The package describes the flavor as “…sweet, salty, and savory all at once… our Black Truffle Sea salt is mixed with granulated honey…” Even with that description, the flavor is 100 times more amazing than you’re probably imagining. This salty-honeyness is the best complement to the natural flavor of sweet potatoes. Trust me! This recipe hits every note for a “loaded sweet potato.”

Ground turkey, black beans, and more create a delicious filling for baked sweet potatoes, plus a specialty Honey Truffle Sea Salt by Spice and Tea Exchange complement the sweet potatoes natural flavors.

The recipe is written to yield 6 servings, which results in 32 grams of protein per serving! Plus, high in Vitamin A, and 8 grams of fiber contribute toward the good nutrition of this recipe! No, it’s not “keto happy,” but if you can do some carbs, it’s full of nutrients.

The filling is enough for 6 regular-sized sweet potatoes, or 4 generous portions, mounding beautifully with cheeses atop sweet potatoes. (Have I convinced you yet to make this recipe?) Halve the recipe if needed. If you have leftover turkey mixture, it’s delicious served on its own with a spoon!

Enjoy!

Ground turkey, black beans, and more create a delicious filling for baked sweet potatoes, plus a specialty Honey Truffle Sea Salt by Spice and Tea Exchange complement the sweet potatoes natural flavors.
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Protein-packed Baked Sweet Potatoes

Ground turkey, black beans, and more create a delicious filling for baked sweet potatoes, plus a specialty Honey Truffle Sea Salt by Spice and Tea Exchange complements the sweet potato's natural flavors.
Course dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword baked sweet potatoes, high-protein recipe, ground turkey recipe, specialty salt, Spice and Tea Exchange, healthy dinners, loaded sweet potato
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 554.49kcal
Author Pantry To Table

Ingredients

  • 6 medium sweet potatoes
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • kosher salt
  • freshly-cracked black pepper
  • 1 pound ground turkey, or ground chicken, beef, or pork
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1/2 cup zucchini, diced
  • 1/2 cup carrot, diced
  • 1/2 cup shallot, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup cooked black beans, or chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 3 ounces fresh baby spinach, chopped
  • 3 - 4 teaspoons Spice and Tea Exchange Honey Truffle Sea Salt, or to taste, LINK HERE, see Notes,
  • 1 cup low sodium vegetable stock, or chicken stock, cold or room temperature
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Fontina, sharp white cheddar, Monterey Jack, etc.)
  • 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Scrub the sweet potatoes and prick with a fork on all sides, about 9 to 12 times.
  • Rub the potatoes with the oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.
  • Bake the sweet potatoes until a fork can easily pierce the center, about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of your sweet potato. Alternatively, you can bake them in an air fryer at 400 degrees F. for 35 to 50 minutes, depending on the size of the potato and the air fryer’s heating.
  • While the sweet potatoes are cooking, heat a shallow skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the ground turkey, breaking it apart with a spoon. Cook the turkey until cooked through, about 7 to 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  • In the same skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the butter. Once melted, add the zucchini and carrots. Cook until the vegetables are beginning to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Add the shallots, and cook for another 2 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
  • Add the beans and spinach, stirring to wilt the spinach. Add the cooked turkey and 2 teaspoons of the Honey Truffle Sea Salt to the pan, stirring to heat through.
  • While everything is warming through, dissolve the vegetable stock with the cornstarch in a small bowl or measuring cup. Add to the turkey filling. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil to thicken the sauce. Taste and adjust any seasonings (Honey Truffle Sea Salt and black pepper) as desired.
  • If the potatoes are still baking, turn the heat down to low and keep the filling warm.
  • Once the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven and place them individually on plates, or line them up on a serving platter.
  • Using a sharp knife, make a deep slit, longways down the center of each sweet potato. Using 2 forks, pull the slit opening to expose the flesh. Using a fork, “fluff” the flesh inside. Add about ½ tablespoon of butter (or as much as preferred) to each potato.
  • Evenly divide the turkey filling onto each sweet potato. Top evenly with cheese and parsley.
  • Serve warm.

Notes

You have the option to not add the slurry. The turkey mixture will be a bit dry and “crumbly,” but still good. The sauce adds creaminess, holds all the ingredients together, and it adds flavor as well. But, you can do without it.
You can start out with a couple of teaspoons of the Honey Truffle Sea Salt, taste and add more as you like. I personally love strong flavors, so I used a little more than the listed amounts. Adjust to your preference and nutritional needs.
You may want to (safely) put a sheet pan or piece of foil on the bottom rack or the bottom of your oven IF your oven manual allows. Sweet potatoes can "weep" leave burned pieces on your oven floor.
The nutrition chart, as usual, is a guesstimate. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 554.49kcal | Carbohydrates: 46.74g | Protein: 32.15g | Fat: 27.41g | Saturated Fat: 12.46g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.43g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.8g | Cholesterol: 125.43mg | Sodium: 1312.37mg | Potassium: 1105.83mg | Fiber: 8.02g | Sugar: 9.61g | Vitamin A: 29586IU | Vitamin C: 13.93mg | Calcium: 313.18mg | Iron: 3.37mg

]]> 17288 Thanksgiving Stuffed Peppers https://pantrytotable.com/thanksgiving-stuffed-peppers/ Tue, 26 Nov 2024 16:10:35 +0000 https://pantrytotable.com/?p=15313

Thanksgiving Stuffed Peppers

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes | Serves: 4 – 8

Peppers stuffed with Thanksgiving flavors of turkey, cranberries, and pecans.

While I was drafting my Hearty Stuffed Peppers with ground turkey, and Thanksgiving coming quickly upon us, I considered a stuffed pepper recipe with Thanksgiving table flavors… sweet potato, cranberry, pecan, etc.

Poultry Seasoning is an essential flavor in traditional dressing/stuffing recipes. Adjust the amounts to your preference. It is delicious in these stuffed peppers.

If you don’t pre-soften the peppers, they will not be tender by the end of your oven cooking time. Popping them into the microwave to steam for a few minutes helps get your peppers ready for their final baking. I would not skip this step.

You can certainly use leftover, shredded or chopped Thanksgiving turkey! Use about the same amount as called for in the recipe.

This recipe lists dried cranberries, a.k.a. Craisins. I chopped mine, but you can leave them whole. I also added mine to the rice mixture so they plump up in the vegetable stock. If you would like more “chew” to your cranberries, just add them to the bowl when you add the seasonings and pecans.

This recipe is great year-round when you’re feeling nostalgic, but aren’t up to cooking a whole turkey. The stuffed peppers are quite filling, hearty, and a great family dinner.

Enjoy!

Peppers stuffed with Thanksgiving flavors of turkey, cranberries, and pecans.
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Thanksgiving Stuffed Peppers

Peppers stuffed with Thanksgiving flavors of turkey, cranberries, and pecans.
Course Brunch, dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword easy dinner, stuffed peppers, Thanksgiving recipes, fall flavors, fall recipes, holiday flavors, holiday recipes, comfort food, leftover turkey, ground turkey recipes, cranberries, Craisins
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 450.57kcal
Author Pantry To Table

Ingredients

  • 1 cup wild rice blend
  • 2 cups vegetable stock, or chicken stock, divided
  • 1 cup Craisins/dried cranberries, roughly chopped, see Notes
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • Freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
  • 4 bell peppers, any colors
  • 1 pound ground turkey, or leftover Thanksgiving turkey, shredded or chopped
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, more if needed while sautéing
  • 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4" pieces (approximately 1 cup)
  • 1 leek, chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery, small-dice
  • 1 shallot, small-dice
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
  • 4 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (Fontina, Havarti, Muenster, etc.)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Bring the stock up to a boil. Add the rice, Craisins and any salt and pepper as needed, especially if using unsalted stock.
  • Place the lid on the pot and turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Scrape the rice into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
  • While the rice is cooking, cut the peppers in half from the top to the bottom. Remove any membranes, seeds, and the thick, white part of the core and discard.
  • Place the peppers in a bowl with about an inch of water, layering them on top of each other is fine. Microwave them for about 8 minutes on high, or until just softened. (If your microwave is large enough to hold your 9x13” dish, you can place the peppers cut-side up in the dish with about a cup of water and microwave them to soften. Pour out the water before filling; you may have to remove the peppers to drain, then return them to the dish.) If you microwaved the peppers in a bowl, once softened, place them cut-side up in the baking dish. Set aside.
  • While the rice is cooking, brown the ground turkey in a medium skillet (nonstick works well) until cooked completely through. Drain and set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
  • In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes, leeks, and celery. Cook, stirring often, until the sweet potato is just tender, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. (Some caramelization is fine and good.)
  • Add the shallot and stir often until just softening, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for about 20 seconds. Turn the heat off and add the Worcestershire sauce, poultry seasoning, garlic and onion powders, thyme, pecans, 2 tablespoons parsley, and the drained turkey.
  • Toss all the ingredients together. If you’d like more moisture in the filling, add ¼ cup of the stock. Stir, and add more stock if preferred. Since the turkey has been fully cooked, it is safe to taste the mixture for seasoning and adjust as desired.
  • Place the peppers, cut-side up in the baking dish. Evenly divide and mound the turkey-rice mixture into the peppers. Top each pepper with cheese.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the filling is lightly bubbling and the cheese has melted.
  • Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley before serving.
  • Serve very warm.

Notes

If you want a little more “chew” to the cranberries, don’t add them to the rice, but add them to the bowl when you add the turkey and seasonings. I add the Craisins to the rice so they hydrate/plump up a little, but you don’t have to.
The mixture and/or the stuffed peppers can be made up to 2 days in advance.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 450.57kcal | Carbohydrates: 43.47g | Protein: 26.01g | Fat: 21.09g | Saturated Fat: 6.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.21g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.47g | Cholesterol: 84.5mg | Sodium: 836.21mg | Potassium: 578.37mg | Fiber: 5.11g | Sugar: 19.75g | Vitamin C: 67.63mg | Calcium: 190.88mg | Iron: 2.97mg

]]> 15313 Hearty Stuffed Peppers https://pantrytotable.com/hearty-stuffed-peppers/ Fri, 15 Nov 2024 20:20:09 +0000 https://pantrytotable.com/?p=15178

Hearty Stuffed Peppers

Prep Time: 35 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes | Serves: 4

Full of ground turkey, wild rice blend, sweet potato and more. Delicious!
Stuffed peppers tend to have a healthy or “healthy-ish” reputation, even if you put tons of yummy goodness (i.e. carbs) into them. These Hearty Stuffed Peppers’ filling is mounded into tender bell peppers, then topped with creamy, delicious Fontina cheese.
Full of ground turkey, wild rice blend, sweet potato and more. Delicious!
Small spoon by Inox Artisans, Celia collection.

The seasoning in the stuffed peppers is an all-purpose seasoning that I love. RELOAD Rub and Seasoning is a Tennessee business, and supporting locals builds community and strengthens the economy. If you have your own favorite all-purpose seasoning, feel free to use it. Adjust amounts as preferred to your taste. Other seasonings that I personally like are Puckett’s All-Purpose Seasoning and Mrs. Dash Table Blend, which of course will require additional salt since Mrs. Dash seasonings are generally salt-free. And, of course, simple salt and pepper will do just fine.

Full of ground turkey, wild rice blend, sweet potato and more. Delicious!

The filling can be made up to 2 days in advance. The entire dish can be made up to 2 days in advance also, just bring to room temperature before baking.

Enjoy!

 

Full of ground turkey, wild rice blend, sweet potato and more. Delicious!
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Hearty Stuffed Peppers

Bell peppers stuffed to overflowing with rice, turkey, sweet potato and more.
Course Brunch, dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword stuffed peppers, hearty dinner recipes, wild rice blend recipes, ground turkey recipes
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 3
Calories 672.83kcal
Author Pantry To Table

Equipment

  • 1 small or medium saucepan with a lid

Ingredients

  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock, or chicken stock, divided
  • 1 cup wild rice blend
  • Sea salt or kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
  • 4 bell peppers, any colors
  • 1 pound ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into ¼” pieces (approximately 1 cup)
  • 1 leek, chopped
  • 1 shallot small-dice
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose seasoning, my favorite brand here, see Notes
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, (Fontina, Havarti, Muenster, etc.)
  • 1/2 cup green onions, green and white parts, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons Italian parsley leaves, chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a small or medium saucepan with a lid, bring 1 1/2 cups stock to a boil. Add a pinch of salt if you've used low-sodium or unsalted stock. Add a pinch of black pepper. Add the rice and stir. Place the lid on the saucepan. Lower the heat to low/gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Scrape the rice into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
  • While the rice is cooking, cut the peppers in half from the top to the bottom. Remove any membranes, seeds, and the thick, white part of the core and discard.
  • Place the peppers in a bowl with about an inch of water, layering them on top of each other is fine. Microwave them for about 8 minutes on high, or until just softened. (If your microwave is large enough to hold your 9x13” dish, you can place the peppers cut-side up in the dish with about a cup of water and microwave them to soften. Pour out the water before filling; you may have to remove the peppers to drain, then return them to the dish.) If you microwaved the peppers in a bowl, once softened, place them cut-side up in the baking dish. Set aside.
  • Brown the ground turkey in a medium skillet (nonstick works well) until cooked completely through. Drain and set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
  • In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potato and leeks. Cook, stirring often, until the sweet potato is just tender, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Some caramelization is fine and good.
  • Add the shallot and stir often until just softening, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for about 20 seconds. Turn the heat off and add the Worcestershire sauce, all-purpose seasoning, and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the stock to moisten the mixture. You should have cooked the ground turkey completely, so the mixture should be safe to taste for seasoning. Adjust seasonings as needed.
  • Scoop and mound the mixture evenly into the 8 pepper halves. Top with the cheese.
  • Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the cheese is melted.
  • Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the green onions and parsley.
  • Serve very warm.

Notes

You can use your favorite all-purpose seasoning, or just salt and pepper.
The mixture and/or the stuffed peppers can be made up to 2 days in advance. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 672.83kcal | Carbohydrates: 50.25g | Protein: 50.18g | Fat: 31.47g | Saturated Fat: 12.61g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.52g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10.85g | Cholesterol: 169mg | Sodium: 2790.9mg | Potassium: 1028mg | Fiber: 6.52g | Sugar: 10.05g | Vitamin C: 134.58mg | Calcium: 343.46mg | Iron: 4.45mg

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