TURKEY APPLE CINNAMON BUTTERNUT BREAKFAST SKILLET

Don't you just love breakfast? Or even better, eating breakfast for dinner? Sweet, savory, delicious!

These are the kind of meals that bring back childhood memories and remind of home. Chock full of cozy goodness, like roasted butternut squash with calming ginger and just enough sweetness from the apple and cinnamon. And the leek. If you haven't gotten acquainted with the lovely leek, get to know it as it adds the most delightful oniony flavor to any dish. And these days just about every grocery store sells them, just make sure to only use the white and very light green area and not the tough leaves.

And speaking of leaves. The leaves are quickly coming back on our trees now, and I'm reminded once again why I love living here in the mountains. Every year, through the cold of winter I ask my husband if we should move, because it sure isn't beautiful here during that stretch of the year.

But then the blooms come, and I have, once again, that overwhelming feeling of gratefulness to live in this part of the country. And besides, when we had perfect weather every day in California for the first 28 years of my life, it became somewhat of a bore. The seasons are what keep life interesting, as well as the excitement of putting away our winter jackets and scarves and scrolling through Pinterest garden photos trying to decide what the best blooms would be to plant this year... once we have our last frost, that is.

Thankfully, as you've seen in my last few posts, the local flower stand has kept our vases filled with flowers, including a new batch of yellow, orange and purple ranunculus, hence these yellow petals fancying up my breakfast skillet. And yes, I know I've posted two turkey dishes in a row, but the grocery store had them BOGO (buy one, get one free), and well, these days, we've become more conscious of how to stretch our dollars.

I used to make this dish by baking the uncooked squash and apples with the seasoned, cooked meat. And while it was good, it had somewhat of a mushy texture. These days, I roast the apples and squash before I add them to the skillet with the cooked meat to give a firmer feel plus a new level of flavor, as pretty much all fruits and vegetables taste better when they are roasted.

Just make sure to spread the cut up fruit and veggies out in the pan and leave space in between, or you will steam them instead of roasting them and miss out on the caramelized flavor that roasting provides. If you have a convection oven, even better. I've recently re-discovered that of my two ovens, one has a convection roast setting and the difference is dramatic. More on that another time...

Turkey Apple Cinnamon Butternut Breakfast Skillet

Serves 4
1 lb. lean ground turkey (I like 93% lean so there is no grease to drain)

2 medium-sized leeks, white and light green parts only, cut into circles, then 1/2 moons

1 package (13 oz.) cubed fresh butternut squash, uncooked

1 large gala apple, chopped

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ginger

Oil for browning turkey

Parsley for serving (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In an 8x8 pan add the chopped apples and a drizzle with a bit of olive oil. To a 9x13 pan add the chopped butternut squash and also drizzle with olive oil. Roast both pans until soft and slightly browned. The apples will take about 20 minutes and the butternut squash will take about 30-40 minutes, depending on their size. Once done, remove from oven and set aside.
In a large skillet, saute the leeks in a bit of olive oil until softened and lightly browned, about four minutes. Add in the ground turkey and continue to cook all until the turkey is cooked through and browned. Add in the cinnamon, salt and ginger and stir to combine about 30 seconds until the spices are fragrant.
Add in the roasted apples and squash and fold together gently. Continue to cook on medium-low in the skillet until all is warmed through.
Serve immediately, or it is great for leftovers. It also freezes nicely for easy future meals. I've often thought this would also be good with some crumbled bacon and goat cheese on top. Because everything is better with bacon and goat cheese on top.