Turkey, Quinoa & Sweet Potato Bowls

These dinner bowls have it all, they are packed with flavor, texture and fresh ingredients!  Each component of this recipe was carefully chosen to create a colorful, balanced meal that will satisfy your hunger as well as your taste buds.

What’s in it?

This bowl has sweet potato, Brussels sprouts, turkey meatballs, and a rice-quinoa pilaf.  For texture and crunch, I added bacon, nuts and seeds.  Finished with a drizzle of gravy to bring it all together.  Let’s take it one step at a time.

Make the Meatballs

I like this one!

 

 

 

 

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands or a potato masher.  Line a sheet pan with foil and mist with cooking spray.  Form 16 small meatballs and arrange in the pan with space in between.  Broil 4-5 minutes per side.

Roast the veggies

  • 16 oz. sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 12 oz. Brussels sprouts, halved
  • 2 tbsp. light oil (light olive oil or canola)
  • 2 strips bacon
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tbsp. chopped nuts (almonds/pecans)
  • 1 tbsp. seeds (pumpkin/sunflower)

On a second sheet pan, spread the potatoes and Brussels sprouts in an even layer.  Toss with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Top the Brussels sprouts with bacon cut into 1″ pieces, 1 tbsp. nuts and 1 tbsp. seeds.  Roast at 425º for 25 minutes.

Cook the rice/quinoa

  • 1/3 cup rainbow quinoa
  • 1/3 cup white rice
  • 2/3 cup chicken broth
  • 2/3 cup beef broth
  • 2 tsp. butter
  • 1/2 tsp. salt

Melt butter in a small saucepan.  Add the rice and quinoa, stirring to coat.  Add the broth and salt, bringing to a boil.  Cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes.

Make the gravy

  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp. butter, softened
  • 1 tbsp. arrowroot
  • 1/4 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Stir the arrowroot and softened butter together to form a paste.  In a small saucepan, combine the broth, onion powder and garlic powder.  Bring to a boil then whisk in the butter mixture.  Simmer 5 minutes to thicken.

Arrange your serving platter.

I set up my platter like this, to show off the different colors and textures.  The gravy was served in a small gravy boat.

This took a little time to put together but it was definitely a hit.  Leftovers were just as good the next day.

Notes ♪♫ Many supermarkets offer fresh veggies that have been prepped for cooking.  I got sweet potato peeled and diced, and Brussels sprouts that were pre-washed and halved.  Such a convenience, I just had to spread them out on a baking sheet and add my toppings!

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Gluten Free Pipe Rigate with Brussels Sprouts

This simple side dish has it all, veggies, carbs, and a little protein happily blended together in every bite.  It’s a savory side, with an unexpected hint of sweetness from a drizzle of maple syrup at the end.

The pasta I used in this dish is called Pipe Rigate, an Italian pasta shape that translates to “ridged pipes”.  The short, curved shape with ridges resembles a smoking pipe or snail shell.  I found Gluten Free Pipe Rigate available locally, but you can also get it on Amazon from Le Veneziane.  It was the perfect size pasta to complement the Brussels sprouts in this recipe and I also like adding it to soups.

2 Servings, recipe can be doubled for larger families.

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Ingredients:

  • 1/2 bag (about a dozen) Brussels sprouts, cleaned and halved
  • 1 strip of bacon, diced
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • salt and fresh ground pepper
  • 1 cup (2 oz.) Gluten Free Pipe Rigate or other small gluten free pasta
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 1 tbsp. maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp. shaved parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation:

Rinse the Brussels sprouts and slice in half lengthwise.  Dice the bacon into 1/2″ pieces.  Arrange in an 8″ baking dish and toss with 1 tbsp. olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bake at 375º for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

While the Brussels are baking, cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside until veggies are done.

Remove baking dish from the oven and stir in the cooked pasta.  Finish with 1 tbsp. butter, 1 tbsp. maple syrup and shaved parmesan.  Return to the oven and bake for 5 minutes longer.

Give it a good stir, a few more grinds of black pepper and serve right from the baking dish for easy cleanup.

Just add a protein of your choice and you’ll have dinner on the table in no time!

Notes ♪♫ This recipe was inspired by Savory and adapted to be gluten free by subbing gluten free pasta.

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Roasted Sweet Potato and Brussels Sprouts

Eat your vegetables!  They are healthy, delicious and naturally gluten free.  Roasting is my favorite way to cook veggies, and a little bacon adds a pop of flavor to well, anything. 🙂  The nuts and seeds give it great texture and crunch.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 large, sweet potato, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 bag frozen halved Brussels sprouts
  • 1/2 small red onion, peeled and diced
  • 3 tbsp. olive or canola oil (or oil of your choice)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 strip hickory smoked bacon, diced
  • 3 tbsp. chopped almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 425º.

Peel and dice the sweet potato, place in a microwave safe bowl with 1 tbsp. water and microwave for 10 minutes.  Carefully remove the bowl (it will be hot) and set aside to cool.

Combine the brussels sprouts, red onion, and bacon in a 9″ nonstick baking pan or parchment lined sheet pan.

Stir in the cooled potatoes and toss with oil, salt and pepper.  Top with the nuts and seeds and make sure everything is spread in an even layer.

Roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.  Finish under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to get a little color on the Brussels sprouts.

Notes ♪♫ For convenience and speed, I precooked the sweet potato in the microwave and used frozen brussels sprouts.  If using raw potato and fresh Brussels sprouts, allow 45 minutes for baking.

Originally published 09/28/2018            Updated 08/26/2023

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