Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

My most recent recipe swap selection came from my good friend Pam (Balancing Exercising with Healthy Eating).  The theme was sandwiches, and she submitted Rachael Ray's Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes.

These were really easy and fast to make, perfect for a quick lunch or weeknight dinner.  I served these on little finger rolls (hey, they were on sale) and I just loved the cheese sauce.  I think I'll add some green pepper next time for a little extra flavor.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

adapted from Rachael Ray

• 1 tablespoon EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  
• 1 pound ground turkey
  
• 1 softball-sized onion, chopped
  
• 1/4 cup steak sauce
  
• 1 cup chicken stock
  
• Salt and ground black pepper
  
• 4 dinner rolls (or 8 finger rolls), toasted if desired
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
  
• 1 tablespoon flour
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1 cup desired cheese, shredded
  

In large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, brown the ground sirloin, about 5-6 minutes. Add the onion and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the onions start to get tender. Stir in the steak sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and cook about 2 minutes.

While the meat is cooking, melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring up to a bubble and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir the cheese in a figure-eight motion until it is all incorporated.

To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls, then top with the cheese sauce and replace the top of the roll.

Thanksgiving Burger

I've made Thanksgiving Burgers before, but when my friend Colleen posted a different variation, I had to try it. I really loved that hers was more of a all-inclusive patty rather than the messier option of having the extras on TOP of the burger.

Colleen mentioned omitting the gravy in favor of cheese; I chose to use both!

I had wanted to serve these with sweet potato fries to be a little more Thanksgiving-y, but the bag I thought I had in my freezer turned out to be regular fries. Oh well.


Thanksgiving Burgers
slightly adapted from Cooking This and That; originally adapted from Taste of Home

• 1 pounds ground turkey
  
• 1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
• 1 cup stuffing mix, dry
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 1/2 cup turkey gravy, warmed
  
• 4 sandwich thins or hamburger buns
  

In large bowl, mix together turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, cheese, and thyme. Form into 4 patties. Grill over medium-high heat, about 6-7 minutes a side or until cooked through. Top with gravy and serve immediately on buns.

Mini Taco Meatloaves

Running Mama Cooks has been my new run-to blog lately.  The lovely Kelly is a busy mom with kids close in age to mine, so we're on the same page when it comes to needing a meal that is EASY to prepare.  She is also a fitness instructor, so I know she's dependable when it comes to looking for meals that are healthy.

Her Taco Meatloaf is a perfect example, and we gobbled these up.  Ryan kept giggling at the idea of meat in the muffin tins, and Danny ate these like it was his last meal.  The individual loaves are great for portion control, and are nice and easy to throw into the freezer for a last-minute lunch.

(I have an embarrassingly low tolerance for heat when it comes to food, so next time I will use a regular can of diced tomatoes.)

Mini Taco Meatloaves

from Running Mama Cooks

• 1 lb ground turkey breast
  
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
  
• 2 tbs olive oil
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1 packet low sodium taco seasoning
  
• 1 10oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies (I used RoTel), drained
  
• 1 cup whole grain tortilla chips, crushed
  
• 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
  
• 2 tbs taco sauce
  
• 1/4 cup salsa con queso

Preheat oven to 400

Heat olive oil over medium heat and saute onions until tender.

Place tortilla chips in a ziplock bag and crush until pieces are very small. I used a rolling pin.

Mix all ingredients except for the taco and queso sauce until well combined. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and add meatloaf mixture.

Brush top of meatloaf with taco sauce

Bake for 35 minutes. In the meantime, place salsa con queso in a microwave bowl and heat until hot. Once meatloaf is sliced, drizzle hot queso over meatloaf.

serve with sour cream, chips, salsa and any other condiments you like with tacos!

Turkey Pesto Paninis

I love how my panini press can take a plain old boring sandwich and turn it into something elegant and exciting. I've always thought that having sandwiches for dinner was kind of a cop-out; it was always an act of desperation when my "real" dinner backfired.

But now, I plan for paninis often, and I love experimenting. This might be my new favorite - I never really liked pesto, but it totally rocks in this sandwich. And the melty cheese and the crispy roll... Mmmm. Now if only I could get away with bringing this handy appliance into work so I can have the leftovers for lunch...


Turkey Pesto Paninis
Adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients

• 4 sandwich rolls
• 8 slices of turkey deli meat
• 8 slices of mozzarella cheese
• 3 tbsp. pesto
• 3 tbsp. mayonnaise

Preheat panini press.

In a small bowl, combine the pesto and mayonnaise in a small bowl and mix until blended.

Split the buns and layer each sandwich with 2 slices of turkey and 2 slices of cheese. Spread a thin layer of the pesto mayonnaise on the inner side of the top half of each bun. Replace the top bun over the cheese to assemble the sandwiches.

Grill each panini for about 4-5 minutes, until desired crispiness.

Cheeseburger Pasta

I love trying new pasta dishes, especially ones that incorporate meat; it makes the dish that much more filling.  And throw some cheese in there, and you've got yourself a winner as far as my belly is concerned.

This was so delicious that I immediately regretted not doubling it and having leftovers.  And the fact that you don't even have to cook the pasta?  Score!  Another great dinner from my friend Kelly, and so perfect for those cool autumn nights that NJ seems to be missing right now.

Cheeseburger Pasta

very slightly adapted from Running Mama Cooks

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey breast
  
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 3/4 cups water
  
• 1/3 cup ketchup
  
• 1T mustard
• 2 cups elbow mac, uncooked
  
• 4 oz reduced fat velveeta, cubed

Brown meat in a large skillet, drain.

Add water, ketchup, onion, and mix well.

Bring to a boil and add mac. Simmer on med-low heat, covered, for 8-10 minutes (until pasta tender).

Stir in velveeta and cook until melted, stirring occasionally.

Asian Turkey Meatballs With Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce

I love meatballs, and I love trying new ways to make them.  This recipe is fast, easy, and healthy - perfect for a quick weeknight meal.  The flavor of the meatballs coupled with the dipping sauce is reminiscent of take-out, only much better for your budget and waistline.

Asian Turkey Meatballs With Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce
from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Size: 3 meatballs • Calories: 229 • Points: 4.75 pts

• 1/4 cup panko crumbs
• 1-1/4 lbs 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil

Dipping Sauce

• 4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 chopped fresh scallion

Preheat oven to 500°F.

Mix ground turkey, panko, egg, salt, scallions, cilantro, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tsp oil and mix with your hands until combined well. Shape 1/4 cup meat mixture into a ball and transfer to a baking dish. Repeat with remaining mixture. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

For the dipping sauce mix together lime juice, water, soy sauce, and remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in a bowl. Add scallions.

Transfer meatballs to a serving dish. Stir sauce, then drizzle meatballs with 1 tablespoon sauce.

Serve meatballs with remaining sauce. Chances are you won't use all the dipping sauce.

BBQ Turkey Meatloaf

I love Pioneer Woman's BBQ meatballs and a few weeks ago I tried to turn it into a meatloaf recipe.

It did not go well.


Then I suddenly remembered that Brooke made an awesome BBQ meatloaf (thanks to the Neelys!) for us a couple of years go and I went right to her blog to find the recipe.

This meatloaf was really full of flavor and satisfying. While the photos leave much to be desired, rest assured that this was a dinner of comfort.


Ingredients

• Pinch paprika
• Pinch sugar
• Pinch onion powder
• 1 teaspoon crab boil seasoning, (recommended: Old Bay)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce, reserving 1/2 cup for the top
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 pounds lean ground turkey
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix BBQ seasoning, crab boil seasoning, soy sauce, beaten egg, 1 cup of the BBQ sauce and Worcestershire sauce.

In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add onion, bell pepper, salt and pepper and garlic. Saute until tender. Remove from heat and add to wet mix.

Pour mixture into bowl with the ground turkey. Add bread crumbs and mix all together with your hands.

Transfer the meat mixture to a cookie sheet or baking pan. Using your hands, shape the meat into an oblong or rectangular shape. *Cook's Note: Alternately, you can pat the meat into a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan and pour 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce on the top of the loaf.

Bake for 35 minutes. Remove and add the reserved 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce to the top and continue to bake for 20 more minutes.

Superbowl Snack Throwdown: Crockpot Sloppy "Joeys"

Before I talk about this yummy little sandwich, I want to take a minute and thank each of you. Over the past few months, you have voted for my recipe and helped me throughout HighLowAha's competition. You have passed along voting information to your friends and family through email, Facebook, message boards, etc... and I cannot come close to properly expressing my gratitude.

You can now, however, rest your fingers, as voting is over for the season. For the next three weeks, Kate and I will be judged by Beantown Baker and Struble Suds as always, along with a new guest judge who will actually recreate and sample our recipes.

Now... onto the food!


You all know that I love my crockpot, and I really enjoy using it for entertaining. There's just something so wonderful about throwing things into the pot and actually being able to mingle with your guests.

For that reason, I think that these little Sloppy Joeys (I call them "Joeys" since they are smaller than your regular Joe) are perfect for your football get together. Casual and informal, your guests can even, dare I say, serve themselves quickly in between plays.


Not only are they delicious and full of flavor, but the use of turkey instead of beef makes them slightly better for you, and they are actually really filling. And the ease of preparation? Unbelievable. Brown the turkey, throw it in, and voila. Yumminess.


Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon hamburger seasoning
• 1/4-1/2 cup tomato sauce (optional)
• 12-16 slider rolls

Cook the turkey in a skillet over medium heat until browned, about 8-10 minutes. Drain, and add to crockpot.

Combine the remaining ingredients (except for sauce and rolls) and cook, covered, on low for 3-5 hours.

Check on it about a half hour before the end cooking time. If the mixture appears a little dried out, add some sauce to achieve desired consistency and flavor.

Serve on slider rolls.

(Inspired by Betty Crocker.)

Thanksgiving Burgers

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday; as long as you avoid the Black Friday madness, it's one of the few holidays that are really centered around family and NOT consumerism. The huge meal full of comfort food doesn't hurt either.

This year, I have much to be thankful for, and I have to add Rachael Ray's Thanksgiving Turkey Meatloaf Burger to that list (and Juliann, from whom I got this recipe!). When it's April and you're craving a Thanksgiving meal but don't want to do the work, this is a pretty great alternative!

This burgers were perhaps the most delicious and flavorful patties I've had in a really long time. I had one leftover, and it was so good that I didn't even eat it on any bread. I just warmed it up and ate it. Heavenly!

I served them with sweet potato fries in an effort to be as Thanksgiving-y as possible.


(I probably should have remembered to take a photo BEFORE putting the top bun on the burger, huh...)

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 small mcintosh apple, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small rib celery, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1 pound ground dark-meat turkey
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning (about 2/3 palmful)
• Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
• Sliced sharp white cheddar, for topping
• 1/3 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 4 large sandwich-size sourdough English muffins, split and toasted
• 4 thin slices red onion
• 4 leaves red-leaf or red romaine lettuce

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter to melt, then add the apple, onion and celery; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the breadcrumbs, then transfer to a bowl to cool; reserve the skillet. Mix in the turkey, egg, parsley, mustard and poultry seasoning; season with salt and pepper. Form into four 4-inch patties.

Wipe out the reserved skillet and add a liberal drizzle of EVOO. Warm over medium-high heat, add the patties and cook, turning once, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Top with the cheddar during the last minute.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the cranberry sauce, sour cream and chives.

Serve the patties on the English muffins with the onion, lettuce and cranberry-sour cream sauce.

Zippy Turkey Bake

With a name like that, who cares what's in it? It just sounds so fun and delicious, and this dinner from Colleen absolutely lived up to its name.

As is usual for a casserole dish, the photo doesn't do the dinner justice. But this blend of cheese, rice, and summer veggies was perfect, and I know I'll make it again.

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 pound package lean ground turkey
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 3 medium zucchini or yellow squash, halved vertically and sliced
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 cups rice, cooked (I used a boil-in-the-bag rice which yielded 3 cups of cooked rice)
• 2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chilies
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9 or two 8 x 8 baking dishes.

Cook turkey over medium heat in large skillet, drain. Add butter, zucchini, mushrooms, and green onions; cook and stir until vegetables are tender. Drain if necessary. Stir in chili powder, salt, and garlic powder. Remove from heat.

If the skillet is big enough, add rice, green chilies, sour cream, and 1 cup shredded cheese to turkey mixture and stir to combine. If not, add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix.Turn mixture into baking dishes. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until heated through and slightly bubbly.

French Onion Burgers

I loooooove things that are French Onion. My blog contains FO risotto, chicken casserole, pork chops, mac and cheese... it's just yum.

So of course, when The Rookie Chef posted this recipe for FO Burgers, I was all about it.


The recipe did not disappoint at all. I used a whole packet of FO mix even though I only used a pound of turkey. I also didn't mix the dip in with the meat; I spread it on the bun instead of ketchup. I would for sure make these again!


Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef (I used just 1 lb of ground turkey)
  
• 1 envelope (about 1 1/2 ounces) onion soup mix
• 8 ounces French onion dip (1 cup)
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/8teaspoon pepper
• Buns and the other fixings you desire

Fire up your grill!

Mix all ingredients (minus buns and additional toppings) and shape into 8 patties

Grill patties to the degree of wellness that you prefer

Throw on a bun and top with lettuce, tomato, or whatever you choose!

Cheeseburger and Fries Casserole

When Brooke first posted this recipe for a Cheeseburger and Fries Casserole, I was instantly intrigued. Anything that is described as "white trash" has to be good, no?


It was actually even better than I expected! While it's not the classiest dinner I've made, and while I wouldn't use it for company, it was a pretty delicious and easy weeknight meal.


Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
• salt and pepper to taste
• garlic powder to taste
• burger seasoning to taste
• a few shakes of Worchestire sauce
• 1/2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
• 3/4 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 (16 ounce) package frozen French fries
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Bake french fries on baking sheet for 10 minutes while preparing beef.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the beef. Cook, stirring occasionally until beef is no longer pink. Drain off excess grease, and add seasonings and Worchestire sauce.

Return to the heat, and stir in the mushroom and cheese soups until well blended. Heat through, and remove from stove. Transfer the mixture to a 8x8 inch baking dish. Cover the ground beef mixture with a layer of partially cooked French fries.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven (mine took much less - maybe only 15 minutes?). When the fries are golden brown, remove the casserole from the oven, and sprinkle cheese over the top. Return to the oven, and bake just until cheese has melted.

Crockpot Turkey

Whenever someone on my cooking message board updates their food blog, they post what's known as a "BU" - a blog update. This way, others can ogle new dishes and recipes when they are "fresh."


Because I subscribe to about eleventy billion food blogs, I don't always read these BU posts; chances are, I'll see it in my google reader. For some reason, however, I clicked on this one particular post (I don't even remember what it was for!) and saw a blog whose name, Erica's Kitchen Adventures, I didn't recognize. So I added it to my Google Reader and... lo and behold, it was new to me! I immediately went through her list and starred a whole bunch of recipes, including this one for Crockpot Turkey.


Ingredients

• 2.5-3 lb turkey breast
• About 32 ou turkey or veggie broth (I used vegetable)
• 1/2 c white wine
• About 4 carrots, sliced
• 4-5 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 leek, sliced
• 1/2 onion, sliced into half moons
• Sage
• Rosemary
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Flour (optional - I used about 1/2 cup and could have used a little more)
• Egg noodles

Directions:
Place all ingredients except for the flour and noodles in the crockpot and cook on low for 7-9 hours.

Remove the turkey (leave broth and veggies in the pot) and shred or slice.

If you would like - add some flour to the broth to make a thicker sauce.

Cook your egg noodles according to package directions.

Serve the turkey and sauce over the noodles. Enjoy!! This would probably be great with some good bread!

Turkey Parm Burgers

I don't even remember how I stumbled upon these Chicken Parm Burgers from Elly Says Opa, but I'm glad I did - they were SO GOOD!

As my title indicates, I used turkey instead of chicken, but I bet chicken would have rocked. The flavors are just so good and it was a great way to put a spin on an old favorite.


Just like Elly said in her original blog post, many people don't use their broiler often; I am for sure among them. I can probably count on one hand (maaaaaybe two) the number of times I've used mine. But really, she's so right - it's so fast and easy, like an upside-down grill! I definitely want to try to use it more often.


Ingredients

Burgers:

• 1 lb. ground chicken (I used breast meat)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
• 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup chopped flatleaf parsley
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• salt and pepper

• 1/2 cup pasta sauce
• 4 slices mozzarella or provolone (or 1/2 cup shredded)
• sauteed mushrooms (optional)
• 4 buns (brushed with a little garlic butter, they are even better)

Lightly mix together all the ingredients for the burgers. Form into 4 patties. I like to make them about 30-40 minutes ahead of time, to let the flavors meld a little bit.

Preheat & spray the broiler with a little oil (or use the grill, or a pan). Broil the burgers for about 4 minutes on the first side, then flip and broil for 3 minutes. Top each chicken burger with 2 Tbsp. pasta sauce and a slice (or about 2T) of cheese. Place back under the broiler for 30-60 seconds, until cheese in melted and burger is cooked through. Top with mushrooms, if desired. Place the buns in the broiler for about 10 seconds, just until toasted.

Pasta Almost alla Marlboro Man

As I've probably said a billion times so far during this pregnancy, I could eat pasta every single night. As it is, I try to "limit" to no more than 3 or 4 times a week.

When I saw this recipe for Pasta alla Marlboro Man on The Pioneer Woman Cooks (anyone else dying to know what his name is?), I thought it had to be better. Sure, it was pasta, but the dude's a cowboy. A ranch guy. An outdoors, rugged manly man. So a skimpy pasta dish wouldn't do crap for him. There had to be tons of meat. And meat should be good for me and at least kinda sorta balance out the 3lbs of pasta I can pack away in a week.


I did make a couple of minor changes, so check in with Ree at the link above for the official version.


Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 generous teaspoon ground thyme
• 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
• 1 14-oz can crushed tomatoes
  
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 pound rigatoni

Heat olive oil in large skillet or pot over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook a couple of minutes, until starting to turn translucent. Add garlic and stir, cooking 1 minute, making sure not to brown the garlic.

Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain most of excess fat.

Add salt, pepper, and ground thyme. Stir to combine.

Dump in canned tomatoes with their juice. Stir, reduce heat to low, and cover pot. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring a couple of times.

Uncover the pot and cook an additional 30 minutes.

Cook rigatoni according to package directions—don’t overcook! Drain and place individual portions into bowls.

Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan into the sauce. Check and adjust seasonings. Ladle sauce over cooked pasta, sprinkle with more Parmesan, and serve.

Layered Taco Casserole

This Taco Casserole dinner from Adventures in Marriage was really delicious! It was a little too dip-like for me, though, and I felt like I was cheating by eating chips instead of a real dinner, hee hee!

I also chose to bake my meat instead of microwaving it; I put it in for about 15 minutes on 350.


Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 package taco seasoning mix
• 1 can refried beans
• 1 can cheddar cheese soup
• 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• tortilla chips

Brown meat, adding taco seasoning according to package directions.
Spread beans in bottom of casserole dish, cover with cooked and seasoned meat.
Pour soup over meat, and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Cook in microwave on high for 15 minutes on until cheese melts and mixture is bubbly.
Place sour cream over cheese, top with green onions and tomatoes.

Lasagna Casserole

I originally found this yummy dish on Brooke's blog but decided to change its name. I, too, subbed in mozzarella instead of cheddar, and that plus the ricotta, sauce, etc... it just seemed much less cheeseburger-ish and much more lasagna-ish.


This dinner was absolutely delish... although with all of that pasta goodness, I really wasn't expecting anything less.


Ingredients

• 5 cups uncooked egg noodles
• 1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce - I used about 3 cups of homemade sauce
  
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced, divided
• 2/3 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook beef and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato sauce, sugar, salt and pepper; heat through. Drain noodles; stir into beef mixture. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, ricotta cheese and sour cream until blended. Stir in half of the onions. Spoon half of the noodle mixture into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with cheese mixture and remaining noodle mixture. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with remaining onions.

Fiesta Cornbread Casserole

Another tasty dish from Brooke!

Please pay NO attention to the ugliness of these pictures. The lighting was awful and I was in a rush to eat this yummy dish.


I promise you, this dinner was way way way better than the bowl of mush it looks like.


Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 2 Tbl EVOO
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 2 cans black beans drained & rinsed
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 small cans corn drained
• 1 package corn bread with ingredients to make it
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees spray 3 quart dish with cooking spray.Heat EVOO in large skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken until the middle is no longer pink. Make cornbread according to instructions, then stir in cheese and bell pepper. Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken. Add black beans, Rotel and corn. Mix together then pour into prepared dish. Pour cornbread over the top. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cornbread is golden.

Turkey-Spinach Lasagna

I loooooove lasagna. LOOOOOOOVE IT. I think I get it from my dad - he loves it too. :)



While nothing really beats a good ol' plain lasagna, sometimes I like playing around with it just for something different. I found this Cooking Light version in Brooke's blog and really couldn't wait to make it. I'm glad I did, because it was amazing - definitely a keeper. I can't wait to make this again! I love having spinach in it, because it makes me feel like my bowl full of noodles and cheese is a healthy dinner. ;)



Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 pound ground turkey breast
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 (26-ounce) jars low-fat marinara sauce (or equivalent homemade)
• 1 (16-ounce) carton fat-free ricotta
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) preshredded fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 8 cooked lasagna noodles or no-boil
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray, and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add turkey, onion,red pepper flakes and garlic; cook until meat is browned, stirring to crumble. Add 5 3/4 cups marinara sauce; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Combine ricotta cheese, egg substitute, Parmesan, parsley, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and spinach; stir well. Spread remaining marinara sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over marinara; top with cottage cheese mixture and half of the mozzarella.

Spoon half of the turkey mixture over the mozzarella. Arrange the remaining noodles over turkey mixture. Top with remaining turkey mixture and mozzarella.Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until cheese melts and sauce is bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Pasta e Fagioli

I've tried to make Pasta e Fagioli a few times, but never really found one I was in love with.

Until now.


Thanks to Brooke for posting this copycat from the Olive Garden - I will never, ever try another recipe.

This makes a TON - be prepared to either have a lot of company or to freeze a good amount.

I can't wait to make this again - so freaken fabulous.

Cooking spray
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1/2 of a small 1 lb. bag of baby carrots, chopped
5 stalks of celery, diced
2 (14.5 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (32 oz.) carton + 1 (14.5 oz.) can of beef broth (I also used an additional can of beef broth)
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped (I used dry)
3/4 tsp tabasco sauce
1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 cup dry small pasta (such as ditalini or elbow macaroni)
salt to taste

Brown ground beef in oil. Drain if necessary.
Add onion, carrot, celery and diced tomatoes. Simmer 10 minutes.
Add beans, beef broth, oregano, pepper, parsley, tabasco sauce and spaghetti sauce.
Simmer soup on low for about 30-45 minutes until carrots are almost tender.
Add pasta to pot and simmer on low for about 15-30 minutes until pasta is just shy of al dente. As the soup cools, the pasta will absorb the broth. You can cook the pasta separate and add it to the soup after the soup has cooled.