Turkey Bolognese over Smoked Gouda Grits. {A Freezer-to-Crockpot Meal}
Simple healthy ingredients for an easy weeknight bolognese, spruced up by serving over delicious cheesy grits for a twist.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey breast meat
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 8 oz sliced mushrooms
- 1 clove minced garlic
- ½ white onion diced
- 1 large carrot shredded
- 1 cup Marinara sauce or spaghetti sauce of choice
- 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes drained (if not available, replace with regular diced tomatoes)
- kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- ½ cup red wine
- garnish: fresh chopped Italian parsley and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
- 3-1/2 cup water
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup shredded Gouda cheese
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large nonstick skillet, brown the turkey in the olive oil. Set aside to cool.
- To a large (gallon) freezer ziploc bag, add the cooled turkey, mushrooms, garlic, onion, carrot, marinara, and tomatoes. Add a couple pinches salt and pepper. Remove as much air as you can from the bag and seal. Freeze laying flat.
- When ready to cook, tranfer the ingredients from the freezer bag to the slow cooker. Add the wine. Cook on low 10-12 hours.
- Taste the bolognese for seasoning. If the sauce is too watery, just ladle some of the liquid off. This will not be a thick sauce anyway.
- To make the grits: bring the water and milk to a simmer. Whisking constantly, slowly add the corn meal in a steady stream. Keep whisking until the corn meal absorbs the liquid and mixture starts to thicken, ~3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheese and salt. Taste for seasoning (needs a good bit of salt). Set aside. As the grits cool, they will thicken further.
- Serve the bolognese over the gouda grits. Top with parsley and a light drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
A true bolognese would have a splash of milk or cream added. I did not bother with that, but a splash of cream is never a bad idea.
Calorie count is purely an estimate calculated using an online application to serve as a guide and not to be taken as accurate nutritional information. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and let me know!