Light Turkey Noodle Casserole is a hearty and healthy dinner idea the whole family will love! All of the traditional flavors of noodle casserole are lightened up with whole wheat spaghetti, zucchini noodles and Jennie-O lean ground turkey.

I am excited to be teaming up with Jennie-O to bring you today’s healthy recipe!

Light Turkey Noodle Casserole

Growing up my mom was the casserole queen. From pizza noodle bake, to hamburger & corn casserole to tuna hotdish and one of my family’s favorite’s of course, lasagna. They tend to be a comforting and easy dishes that satisfy the masses. I have put my own spin on casseroles over the years including this Light Taco Rice Bake and Pizza Stuffed Chicken Quinoa Bake.  For this particular dish, I took all of my favorite parts from my mom’s great casseroles and combined it into this delicious Light Turkey Noodle Casserole.

Light Turkey Noodle Casesrole is full of whole wheat spaghetti, zucchini, a creamy cottage cheese and Parmesan layer and turkey marinara all topped with cheese.

From reducing the amount of noodles and swapping in some zucchini noodles, to using Jennie-O’s lean ground turkey, I made healthy swaps for a lighter but equally tasty dinner. I kept my favorite part of lasagna, the cottage cheese and Parmesan, for some added protein and extra richness. I used to sneak this stuff from the bowl when my mom was making lasagna as a child and to this day the sweet and salty combo is one of my favorites. You can feed this Light Turkey Noodle Casserole to all those hearty meat eating men at the table and they will demolish it with a smile on their face!

Swapping fatty hamburger out for lean ground turkey is one of the easiest ways to lighten up any dish. My go-to for all my turkey is Jennie-O, a local Minnesota company. From their lean 93% ground turkey to their extra-lean 99% ground turkey or their pre-made seasoned turkey burgers for throwing on the grill, they have so many options for healthy and delicious dinner ideas!

Zucchini noodles, otherwise known as zoodles, are also a fun and healthy swap. They are simply made by spiralizing fresh zucchini with a spiralizer of your choice. Personally I have a handy dandy one that attaches to my KitchenAid mixer and it cranks out zucchini noodles like nobody’s business!

Zoodles have a similar bite to pasta when slightly sauteed but have a fraction of the carbs and calories. While some people are happy to forgo all the carbs from pasta and only use zoodles, I still like to add some spaghetti for more of a rich and classic flavor. Feel free to swap all the pasta for veggies or if you aren’t a big zucchini fan, you can certainly leave them out and just double the whole wheat pasta.

Grab a pack of some Jennie-O lean ground turkey and transform your childhood favorites or family regulars into a lighter and healthier meal! Healthy meals don’t have to mean you are sacrificing flavor and with turkey you can season and flavor it to suite whatever dish you are making. From Light Turkey V8 Chili to Breakfast Burritos, put a spin on your next meal with turkey!

Print Recipe

4.84 from 6 votes

Light Turkey Noodle Casserole

Light Turkey Noodle Casserole is a hearty and healthy dinner idea the whole family will love! All of the traditional flavors of noodle casserole are lightened up with whole wheat spaghetti, zucchini noodles and Jennie-O lean ground turkey.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Casserole

Servings: 8

Author: Danielle Green

Ingredients

• 2 large zucchinis
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil divided
• 4 oz. dry whole wheat spaghetti
• 22 oz. container 2% cottage cheese
• 2/3 c. grated Parmesan
• 1 c. yellow onion chopped
• 1 large carrot grated
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 lb. Jennie-O 93% lean ground turkey
• 24 oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce
• 1 c. shredded mozzarella
• fresh basil for garnish optional

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350°.
• Using a spiralizer, spiralize the two zucchinis into noodles. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the zucchini noodles and garlic in 1 Tbsp. olive oil for 2 minutes. Remove from the stove and add to a sprayed 9x13 pan.
• Meanwhile, prepare the pasta to al dente and toss with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Top the zucchini noodles with the spaghetti.
• In a medium bowl, combine the cottage cheese and Parmesan. Layer the cheese mixture over the spaghetti.
• While the pasta is cooking, saute the onions and carrots in a large non-stick skillet over high heat for 3 minutes until soft and tender. Add the turkey and salt to the pan and saute for an additional 4-5 minutes, crumbling the turkey as it cooks. Add the jar of marinara and stir until well combined. Pour the mixture over the cheese layer in your pan.
• Sprinkle with mozzarella and bake at 350° for 30 min. Serve topped with fresh basil.

Nutrition

Serving: 1grams

More hearty casseroles!

Asparagus, Chicken & Quinoa Bake

Jalapeno Cornbread & Chicken Verde Bake