Butternut Squash & Ground Turkey Tacos

Happy Thursday everyone! Hope you all are having a fantastic week so far, I received my second Covid shot on Sunday & it took me out for a couple of days with a terrible headache, fatigue, & body aches. I slept all day Monday and Tuesday morning and finally started to feel some relief late in the afternoon. The amount of water I drank really helped over those two days, I felt like a camel because I was drinking more than I was using the restroom so I must have needed the additional fluid (baby's placenta needs a lot).  Wednesday morning it was truly bizarre because I felt absolutely fine and like nothing even happened. With having completed the vaccination process, I can fully say how glad I am to have received it and ready to have more assurance in traveling & seeing family and friends this summer! It isn't a pass to not wear a mask and be carefree, but it does make me feel safer. 

On to this yummy looking recipe, am I right?? This past year Chris' garden runneth over with butternut squash, so I was eating 1-2 every week almost. This was our last one that we stored away in the basement and I wanted to try it in a different way than I normally do. It turned out amazing and I loved the sweetness and oomph that it added to these tacos! This recipe is just a nice way to get in some added veggies and some bulk to your tacos. I also don't mind the addition of color too. The combination of the butternut squash and the salsa and seasoned ground turkey is fantastic. I love how there was a bit of sweetness and caramelization on the squash bringing a different flavor but also a heartier texture. I love finding new ways to add more fruits and veggies to peoples plates and this is definitely a winner in my eyes. Give them this week and let me know what you think! 

Ingredients: 

1 med-large butternut squash cubed in small bite sized pieces

3 Tbsp olive oil- divided 

3 tsp cumin

salt & pepper to taste 

1 lb ground turkey

1 package low-sodium taco seasoning

White corn tortillas

*your preferred taco fixin's: we went with lettuce, cilantro, avocado spread, salsa, and shredded monterey jack cheese

How to: 

Preheat oven to 420 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper

Place bite sized pieces of butternut squash on the lined sheet in a mound and drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil and toss to coat evenly. Then sprinkle with cumin and salt & pepper. Space squash in an even layer to ensure even roasting. 

Place in oven and roast for 20-25 mins until edges are crisped up on sides tossing half way through. 

While cooking, in a frying pan drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil and brown ground turkey. Once browned completely, drain any excess fat, and return to pan. Follow instructions on taco seasoning pack to prepare and continue to warm until butternut squash has roasted. 

In the last 2-3 mins of roasting time I threw the corn tortillas on a the open grate in the oven to heat, remove carefully from oven and top with all the ingredients you desire.