Veggie-Loaded Turkey Lasagna
This veggie-loaded turkey lasagna is delicious, lighter on the cheese, and loaded with all kinds of vegetables. Loaded with that cozy, comforting flavors that you expect from a traditional lasagna, this healthy casserole recipe is the perfect healthy dinner to feed your family!
This recipe has been requested time and time and time again by you all.
A veggie-loaded, healthier lasagna recipe that you can curl up with at the end of the day. And I totally get why, because cheesy traditional lasagna is like a hug in casserole form, a staple of so many American households and filled so many dinnertime childhoods memories.
So here it is! You beat me down and now the recipe is your’s. A lasagna recipe loaded with veggies, protein and lightened up on the cheese (while still having enough to make it seriously delicious). It is so easily adaptable to fit your personal lifestyle and dietary needs (be sure to check out the suggested adaptations sections) …and I can’t even take credit for it.
Say wha?
Yep, while I love a lasagna recipe as much as the next and I literally make my living off of creating veggie-loaded recipes for your families, this recipe is not my brainchild. But rather came from the kitchen of the amazing Heather Staller, a recipe developer, busy mama, my veggie-loading soul sister and the lady behind Happy Kids Kitchen.
This is not Heather’s first rodeo on The Natural Nurturer. She has shared several other amazing veggie-loaded recipes that will dazzle your family, such as….
And now we can add this Veggie-Loaded Turkey Lasagna recipe to the Heather Hall of Delicious Fame.
Wondering how to store your carrots so they stay fresh as long as possible? Check out my post on How to Keep Cut Carrots Fresh and get the most out of your produce buck!
Time saving hacks
Let’s be honest here, lasagnas are not a quick thing to cook up. But frankly, no casserole recipes are. This recipe takes about 50 minutes from start to finish to make (depending on how long prep takes you), so if you don’t have that kind of time for a weeknight dinner, here are some time saving hacks to make this lasagna come together a bit faster.
- Use a food processor to finely chop the veggies. This is a favorite hack of mine and is awesome for those of you with little kids who are still getting used to veggies. I find the smaller they are cut, the more kids are open to trying them in a recipe. Plus, it saves tons of time during prep! Just throw the veggies in with your “S” blade and chop ’em up. They’ll be done in 5 seconds…literally.
- Prep this veggie-loaded turkey lasagna ahead of time. If you are a night owl or a early bird who is also a planner, this could be super helpful! Prep this lasagna in the baking dish ahead of time so you (or whoever is on dinner duty that night) can just pop it into a preheated oven and dinner can cook while the evening routine.
- Bake the whole thing ahead of time! Lasagnas make for great leftovers and reheat like a dream. Bake it up when you have time and reheat it in portions when you are hungry. This also makes for a great freezer meal!
Do you have some leftover spinach after whipping up this Veggie-Loaded Turkey Lasagna? Don’t let it go to waste! Check out my tips & tricks for keeping spinach fresh all week!
Suggested adaptions when making veggie-loaded turkey lasagna
- Use whatever ground meat you prefer. This recipe works great with ground chicken, beef or whatever you like.
- Make it vegetarian. Sub the meat in this recipe with 16 ounces of finely chopped mushrooms or just add more vegetables of any kind to bulk up the sauce.
- Make it Gluten-free. Use a bean or lentil based noodle or remove the pasta entirely and use grilled or roasted slices of zucchini or eggplant.
- Make it dairy-free. Sub the mozzarella cheese in this recipe with your favorite vegan cheese that melts well.
- Bulk up the veggies! Want even more veggie-loading action? Add chopped zucchini, summer squash or whatever you have on hand into the mix. Really veggie-load it and use this easy veggie-loaded tomato sauce in this recipe!
Other veggie-loaded dinner recipes you are going to need to add to your meal plan…
- Roasted Garlic & Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
- Veggie-Loaded Baked Spaghetti Cups
- Veggie-Loaded Chicken Bites
- Slow Cooker Creamy Vegetable Chicken Stew
- Healthy Ranch Spinach Turkey Meatballs
Veggie-Loaded Turkey Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan
- 1 cup finely chopped onion, about ½ large onion
- 1 cup finely chopped carrot, about 1 large carrot
- 3-4 cups finely chopped spinach, or kale
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground turkey, or chicken or beef
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 14 ounces crushed tomatoes, about 2 cups
- 24 ounces pasta sauce, or 3 cups
- 8 ounces no-boil lasagna noodles or regular lasagna noodles cooked according to directions and drained*, see notes below
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, or non-dairy-alternative or to taste
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉ degrees. Grease a 9-by-13 inch baking dish with oil.
- Add olive oil to a large saute pan set over medium heat. Add onion and carrot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add spinach/kale, garlic, and a large pinch of salt. Cook until greens are wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add ground turkey to the pan and use the back of a spoon or spatula to break up the meat and combine the veggies and meat really well. Continue to stir and break up the meat until it is fully cooked. Add vinegar and tomatoes and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste sauce and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Spread 1 ½ cups of marinara sauce in the bottom of the greased baking dish. Add a layer of lasagna noodles. Scoop half of the turkey-veggie sauce on top of the noodles and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle ½ cup cheese on top of the sauce. Make a second layer with the noodles, turkey-veggie sauce, and ½ cup cheese.
- Place a final layer of lasagna noodles on top then spread the remaining 1 ½ cups marinara sauce over the noodles. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheese over the top evenly.
- Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and broil the top of the lasagna until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Allow to cool for 20 minutes then slice into portions and serve.
Notes
This was a hit with the whole family. I thought I’d miss the creaminess from the ricotta but this totally worked and was so satisfying! My husband agreed and my kids keeps asking for more! Thanks for veggie-loading another classic that will now be a family staple!
I want to make this for the first time this week was wondering if I should add ricotta for the same reason you state! I am glad you wrote that. Do you think you will add ricotta in the future?
Delicious and healthy! Doubled up on veggies, added zucchinis and lactose free b̩chamel in couple of layers Рeveryone loved it, will definitely keep the recipe and make this again!
I’m used to cottage cheese in my lasagna as that’s how my mom made it. Some find Ricotta to dry and pasty(like my boyfriend) but I don’t mind it. I actually double the cheese by mixing the cottage and ricotta together to get the both of best worlds and mix fresh oregano in it with the other mentioned ingredients(except salt). I also double the sauce as well because the cheese and meat kinda soaks it up. Added some tomato paste and extra sugar into the sauce to take away the tang (taste it before putting it on the lasagna!).
Make it today, added cottage cheese, just because old habits die hard. It was very good, I will make again!
Like!! I blog frequently and I really thank you for your content. The article has truly peaked my interest.
I love lasagna but dread making it, it’s kind of a pain. Tried this version the other day and I don’t think I will ever make another. It’s so much lighter but still very satisfying! I also thought I would miss the ricotta but didn’t miss it a bit. Thanks!
I am so glad you enjoyed it Melanie! I feel the exact same way. Easy, simple and hearty!
I have not seen such a post in my life till today, you get inspiration from people like you so that we too can share good posts like you. I hope that you keep inspiring such people in your life.
If I use zucchini noodles (I would actually use zucchini that I cut with a vegetable sheet cutter, which makes thin slices of zuuchini)in place of the Lasagna noodles would you change anything else in the recipe at all?
Love the idea of using zucchini noodles instead. I haven’t tried it with this particular recipe, but I know the zucchini will add moisture to the lasagna. Perhaps pat the noodles as dry as possible after slicing to remove as much add water as possible. And maybe drain the some of the liquid off of the crush tomatoes….Let me know how it turns out!
Thank you, very good
To prepare in advance and freeze the entire pan, would you bake first then freeze or assemble, freeze, then bake?
Hi Carol! I’d bake before freezing!
My whole family loves this lasagna, including my 4 year old and 1.5 year old; so much that I double the recipe and make two, freezing one for later.
I usually add a little ricotta and more mozzarella cheese than the recipe. I always use zucchini too. This is a favorite for sure. Thank you for this one!!
I’m so glad you all enjoy it so much, Jessica. It’s our favorite lasagna recipe too. All the flavor, but just feels a little lighter and fulfilling.
Made this Saturday night and it was really yummy!
So glad you enjoyed it as much as we do, Erin!
This is so delicious! It’s cozy, warming, and filling without making you feel like you just ate a pound of noodles. My five year old loved it too.
So delighted it was a hit in your house, Devan! We love it for all the same reasons you mentioned. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Meal prepping today and want to make this lasagna. Can I make ahead of time? Assemble today and cook on Monday or Tuesday? Or is it best to cook dsy of assemble? Thank you b
Hi Kristine! I feel like as long as the meat is cooked, it should be fine to assemble today and bake tomorrow! Just be sure to cover it up well in your fridge so it doesn’t dry out before baking
Thank you for replying so quickly. So excited to enjoy this deliciousness. I’ll let you know how it comes out. I will be using gluten free noodles. Any advice I should know?
No suggestions! I’ve made this with GF noodles before for a family member with celiacs and it comes out delicious!
I batch made this so I could provide some food for friends. We mixed ricotta cheese into the meat layer and added more mozzarella on top for extra cheesiness!
I would recommend adding additional garlic and possibly even garlic powder or other spices as the flavour was more plain that I’d like. It is the PERFECT lasagna though with excellent nutritional value!
Thank you.
I am always up for more garlic! It is one of those seasonings that if you love it, you want a lot of it! So glad you enjoyed the lasagna, BT. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Delicious. Not having all that ricotta and extra cheese really makes this lasagna a bit lighter. Comes together really quick considering it’s lasagna! So tasty and plenty of leftovers which will
Probably be even better.
So glad you enjoy this dish as much as we do, Beckie! I love that is is as hearty and satisfying as traditional lasagna, but lightened up! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Delicious and healthy! Doubled up on veggies, added zucchinis and lactose free béchamel in couple of layers – everyone loved it, will definitely keep the recipe and make this again!
So glad you enjoyed!