Happy New Year! I hope you all are well and warm!  We've had a fabulously uneventful first few days of 2015.  I am sad that the girls go back to school on Monday...our break flew by!

Right now that winter is in full force here in Michigan, I'm dreaming of a tropical vacation.  In December I got a tweet to enter a video for a site called Dream Jobbing. For this opportunity, the winner is sent to HAWAII for 7 days to take a culinary tour and create three inspired recipes for King's Hawaiian bread.  UM, yes please!  My video is officially up and you can vote DAILY (pretty please!!).   

About the video: do you know how hard it is to keep kids and dogs quiet for even 10 minutes? Impossible.  This was my first video with my new camera...get excited for more this year! 

We absolutely love King's Hawaiian bread.  The mini buns are a staple in our house for my pulled pork.  Since we all love pineapple, I thought it was high time I created a Hawaiian burger!  Don't be scared of the sweet chili sauce, it's very mild and simply adds a kick of flavor.  The girls gobbled these up without complaints!  

It's time to dust off your Foreman grill (or go outside if you're one of those lucky folks without seasons...) and get grillin!

Sweet Chili Hawaiian Turkey Burgers

What you need:

• 1 package LEAN Jennie-O ground turkey
• 4 King's Hawaiian burger buns
• 2 tablespoons Maggi Sweet Chili sauce 
• Also amazing in stir fry! 
• 3 pineapple spears
• 1 teaspoon honey (to glaze pineapple)
• 1 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 2 teaspoons Montreal Chicken seasoning, low-sodium
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Mayo
• Swiss cheese slices
• 4 slices honey ham  (or Spam!)
• Optional: fried egg 

1. Preheat oven to 375 to toast buns later.  Plug in Foreman grill. 
2. In a large bowl, add coconut oil, chili sauce, Montreal chicken and garlic powder. Whisk until combined. (This is the BEST way to fully combine seasonings for burgers, FYI!)
3. Add ground turkey and kneed with hands until combined.  Form into 4 large patties. 
4. Add pineapple to grill and brush with honey.  Grill until browned, set aside on cutting board to chop later.
5. On the buns, spread a light layer of mayo. Toast buns 5-6 minutes in oven.  
6. Add burgers to grill and cook through. 
7. To assemble burger: add chopped pineapple, slice of ham, slice of Swiss cheese.  Use a foil tent to melt cheese.
8. Once buns are toasted, add mayo on bottom and place cooked burger on top. 
9. To take it to the NEXT level, throw a fried egg on it.  Ricky adds eggs to everything!
10. Pretend you're in paradise and enjoy your burger!  Aloha!

Pretty please take a moment to VOTE and I'll love you forever.  

Simple Suppers: Turkey Cheeseburger Casserole

Don't get me wrong, I love cooking.  But I've been SO uninspired in the kitchen for dinners lately. Maybe it's because we have had quite a few bouts of flu going around our house.  Or because I spend most of my days creating fun recipes for my job.  Some nights, by the time 5:00 hits, I'm just staring at the fridge, hoping for a cooked meal to pop out at me.  I wish! Can't I have a magical twitch to my nose like Samantha on Bewitched?!

Last night, I had ground turkey but no ideas what to do with it.  I wanted a burger, but it was still partially frozen.  I remembered seeing something on Rachael Ray once about a cheeseburger casserole and I just went with it.  

The verdict? EVERYONE loved it.  It tastes just like McDonald's double cheeseburgers. We don't do much McD's, but those double cheeseburgers are hard to resist...especially after a nasty post-wedding hangover! (We had quite a few weddings this summer...I learned the hard way)

Served with some of our favorite tots and green beans, this was a tasty meal that hit the table in about 30 minutes! 

Turkey Cheeseburger Casserole

Here's what you need:

• 1 package of Jennie-O lean ground turkey (about 1.25 lbs)
• 2 cups of elbow noodles, cooked al dente (about 5-6 minutes)
• 2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup relish
• 2 pickle spears, chopped (more or less to taste)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
• 1/4 teaspoon each- onion & garlic powder
• 2 cups cheddar cheese 
• Optional: chopped bacon (I put it on half of ours)

1. Preheat oven to 400. 
2. In a large pan, brown ground turkey for 4-5 minutes.  Add onions, mustard, Worcestershire, onion and garlic powder.  Brown until turkey is completely cooked. Do not drain.
3. Add pickles, relish, tomatoes, tomato paste. Once thoroughly heated, slowly pour in noodles. Stir.
4. Pour into casserole dish and top with cheese (and optional bacon).  Bake 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and drool-worthy.
   
    

What's your go-to meal when you're in a cooking rut?

#SlowCookerMeals: Turkey Swedish Meatballs {Plus a Giveaway!}

Woohoo! It's October! You know what that means? We can start decorating for Halloween! Also, it means fall weather better start showing up. This is my favorite time of year.

To celebrate fall, I'm going to do some easy, budget friendly slow cooker meals throughout the month of October!  We all tend to turn to our slow cookers in cooler weather for our favorite comfort food.  I'm sure you all have a bunch of recipes you normally use, so I'm going to try to step out of the box for different ideas! Also: I'm giving away one of these AMAZING Hamilton Beach Set & Forget Slow Cookers. 

Why is this slow cooker amazing? It has 3 different settings: automatic, manual and probe setting.  The probe is a meat thermometer which keeps track of the temperature of the meat while cooking.  Once it reaches it's ideal temperature, it will turn the slow cooker to warm to prevent overcooking! How cool is that?  This is great for pot roast or slow cooked chicken. If you frequently travel with your slow cooker for pot lucks, this lid locks in place!

Now time for my first recipe: Turkey Swedish Meatballs.  These came in at $8.25 for the ENTIRE MEAL and couldn't be easier!  I used frozen meatballs to keep it simple, but you can totally make your own if you want!

This week (through 10/4), Meijer has every single one of these items on sale, which makes this meal even cheaper!

Here's What You Need:

• 1 bag of turkey meatballs (1.5 lbs) ~25 large meatballs
• I used Cooked Perfect Turkey Meatballs (NOT Italian style)

• 1 can Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 Packet Brown Gravy Mix
• 1 cup of onions, chopped
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 bag whole wheat egg noodles
• Garnish: parsley 

1.  Set your slow cooker to LOW for 6-7 hours (HIGH 4). Spray cooker with PAM.
2. Add onions and mushrooms in cooker. Pour brown gravy mix over and water.  Mix.
3. Open can of soup and add on top of veggies.  Fill the can halfway full with milk and pour into slow cooker.
4. Finally, add meatballs.  Stir and cover.  LOW 6-7 hours, HIGH 3-4
5. Before serving, boil water and prepare noodles.  Cook al dente (about 4 minutes). Toss with butter and parsley.  While water is boiling, stir in sour cream to meatballs.  Season with salt & pepper, to taste.
6. Serve meatballs over noodles!

Super simple and healthy(ish) comfort food dish!  The girls gobbled this up--one bag of meatballs almost wasn't enough for our family of 5.  For a party, you can make these and serve with toothpicks instead of noodles!  The sauce has a gravy consistency, so if you like it thicker, add some corn starch.  Once mixed with noodles, it's perfect though!

Want to win the amazing slow cooker? Enter below!  Stay tuned for more tasty #SlowCookerMeals throughout October!!

Hamilton Beach Set & Forget Slow Cooker

Simple Soups: Pasta Fagioli + Cheesy Garlic Bread Dippers!

Let's just face it: fall is here.  Once Starbucks starts serving Pumpkin Spiced Lattes, you might as well bust out your scarves and boots.  I'm really not against cooler weather.  Since I love to cook, this whole summer thing is really putting a damper on my style.  Even with the air on, I have to try to limit the oven time or else we will be sweating all night.

This soup is comforting, yet super healthy too.  If you love the Olive Garden version, this will be your BFF.  It freezes well, too!  While this soup is amazing, the dippers are one of the best ideas I've ever had.  Ricky has literally asked for these 5 times since I've first made the soup.  I didn't want to turn on the oven to toast my bread, but the girls were tired of plain grilled cheese.  Enter: cheesy garlic bread dippers.  If you went to college in a place with a Toppers, these taste EXACTLY like Toppers sticks.  (I can thank those Toppers Tuesdays for my Freshman 15...).

Here's what you'll need:

For the Soup: 

• 1 package Jennie-O lean ground turkey (93%)
• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz)- I like the basil/Italian style
• 1 can tomato sauce (16 oz) OR 2 cups jarred marinara
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon each: Italian seasoning, Dried Basil, Oregano
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme OR 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• Salt & Pepper to taste
•  1.5 cups ditalini pasta
• Extras: Parmesan cheese & pesto for toppers 

For the Cheesy Garlic Bread Dippers:

• 6-8" flour tortillas
• Mozzarella Cheese- 2 cups
• Garlic Powder
• Italian Seasoning 

Let's COOK! 

1.  Cook pasta, set aside.
2. In a large soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add ground turkey and brown for 4-5 minutes.  Add Italian seasoning, dried basil, oregano and thyme.  Cook for 1-2 more minutes.
3. Add all veggies and garlic. Cook until soft, 3-4 minutes.  Add extra EVOO if needed.
4. Toss in beans, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.  Turn to low heat and bubble for 20 minutes.  Add more seasoning, as needed.  I like to add a dollop of pesto and cheese before serving.
5. Heat a frying pan over medium heat.  Spray with Pam and add one tortilla.  Drizzle lightly with EVOO. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.  
6. After browning for 1-2 minutes, fold in half and continue to brown until all cheese is melted.  Warning: these are addicting--make extras!
7. Ladle soup into bowls and top with pasta.  I like to keep it separate so the noodles don't get soggy for leftovers later. 

Craving more soup to use those garlic bread dippers in?  Here's more Simple Soups!

• Italian Sausage + Lentil Soup
• Roasted Tomato + Red Pepper 
• Chicken & Dumpling Soup  
• Broccoli Cheddar  
• Loaded Baked Potato

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Simple Soups: Italian Sausage + Lentil

I know, you're probably sick of soup recipes by now.  Sorry!  It's beyond freezing here and all I seem to be craving is soup.  Our freezer is stocked with 5 different types now!  I like to keep half of the batch in the fridge for lunches and stick the rest in freezer bags.  I have found that laying them on a cookie sheet to freeze flat is the best route!

Before last year, we never really ate lentils.  It wasn't until I got so many tasty recipes at BlogHer Food that I started cooking with them.  I've added them to bread (great way to sneek in some protein) and rice dishes, but I always forget to add them to soups! 

Lentils are an inexpensive way to add protein and fiber to your diet. This recipe uses red lentils, which I find break down more than your typical green lentil.  Use whatever you want!  You can find these in your grocery store right below the canned beans in a bag.  You don't need to soak them, just simply rinse them.

Here's what you need:

• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into moon shapes
• 1/2 cup onion
• 3 Jennie-O turkey sausage links (mild or spicy)
• 2 cups of Bob's Red Mill Lentils (I used the red variety)
• 1 can of Cannellini Beans
• 1- 6 oz can of tomato paste
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bunch of kale, washed and chopped
• 8 cups chicken stock (2 boxes)
• 4 bullion cubes (not necessary, but I like to add them!)
• Optional: toasted bread for dipping

Let's Cook!

1. In a large soup pot, add EVOO and heat over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic and carrots.  Cook 3-4 minutes and add turkey sausage, squeezing out of casings.  Cook until no longer pink.
2. Add lentils and tomato paste and stir continuously for 1 minute.  Slowly pour in stock and toss in bullion cubes.  Bring to a bubble over medium low heat.  Cook, stirring frequently for 20 minutes.
3. Add beans and kale.  Bubble for 10 more minutes.
4. Optional: Put your bread in a 400* oven to toast for 5-7 minutes
5. Finish soup with salt and pepper to taste.  A dollop of pesto is great too!
6. Serve with crusty bread and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

 

Other soups you will want to try!

• ABC Chicken Soup
• Healthified Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Copycat
• Turkey Meatball Minestrone

Disclaimer: Bob's Red Mill provided me with some lentils to cook with, but I was not compensated in any other way.  This tasty recipe and opinions are all mine! 

Mmmm Monday: turkey chili mac

I wish I had a decent camera...you know what chili looks like though!

Can you believe it's November?  Sunday is football day in our house: Go Bears!  I really don't enjoy watching football, but I do enjoy the food!  I also like to catch up on my magazines while the games are on.

I love to make turkey chili because I know it is at least somewhat healthy.  We have a big debate in our house: with or without macaroni.  Ricky thinks chili mac is weird...I think he's weird for putting hotdogs with his.  I totally win, right?

Turkey Chili Mac

Ingredients

• 1 package of lean ground turkey (usually 1.25 lbs)
• I really love Butterball brand, it crumbles so well!
• 2 cans of reduced sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cans of chili ready diced tomatoes (14 oz cans)
• 1/2 of a beer (any light variety works)
• 1 small can of tomato paste 
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can diced green chili peppers (4-6 oz)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1.5 packets of chili seasoning
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 box elbow macaroni
• Toppings: cheese, jalapenos, hot sauce, avocado, green onions, sour cream, Fritos...whatever you like!

 Let's get cookin'!

1. Cook macaroni as listed on package.
2. In a big soup pot, heat a bit of oil over medium high heat.  Add turkey and start to brown, crumbling with a spoon.  Add green chili, onion and garlic.  
3. Once browned, add cumin, chili powder and chili seasoning.  Put entire can of tomato paste and mix up and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add half of a beer.  You might as well drink the other half!  
• The alcohol will cook off, but if you are concerned about serving to kids, just use 1 cup of chicken stock.
4. Add packets of chili seasoning, tomatoes and beans.
5. Simmer on low until ready to serve.
6. I like to put the macaroni in a bowl, top with chili and my favorite toppings.

Enjoy!

I hope you are enjoying this dreary Monday...what a perfect day for chili!

Mmmm Monday: Cajun bowls

There is nothing better than some spicy Cajun food!  Yes, the real deal is the best...but sometimes there isn't enough time for that! This recipe is quick and easy and it will fulfill any Cajun food craving.  We like to call this Jambo, a combo of jambalaya and gumbo.  If you don't like shrimp, add chicken.  Serve these with some corn bread waffle dippers and you are set to go in under 30 minutes!

Ever since I was pregnant with the twins, I cannot get enough spicy food.  We go through Sriracha (spicy chili sauce) and Cholula (Mexican hot sauce...the best!) so much that we have to get the big bottles now.  When I make spicy food, I tone it down for the girls.  Surprisingly, Maddie loves the spice, but Olivia hates it...Gabby will eat anything!

Here's what you need: 

• 1 package of turkey smoked sausage (Butterball is great) halved and chopped
• 10-15 shrimp, shelled
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1/2 large onion (1 small)
• 2 celery stalks
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 can diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz
• Beer (any light beer)- 1/4 cup. 
• Sub chicken stock
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 green onions, sliced
• Seasonings:
• 1/2 teaspoon Thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon Oregano
• 1 tablespoon Cajun spice

1.  Cook brown rice, as instructed on package. Once finished, add a dab of butter and some green onions.
2. In a chopper, dice up the onion, celery and green pepper.  I like to do them all separately and add them to a bowl for later.  Mince garlic cloves.
3. Heat canola oil medium-high in large pan (I like to use a wok).  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes.
4. Add chopped veggies and cook 6-7 minutes until soft.  Season with thyme, oregano and cajun spice. 
5. Make a hole in the middle and melt butter.  Add flour and let cook for 1 minute.  Mix veggies in together with roux.
6. Add beer and mix together.  Slowly add chicken stock and cook to a bubble.  If super thick sauce still, add a bit more stock. 
7. Pour in tomatoes, with sauce to wok.  Stir.
8. Add in smoked sausage and cook for 5-6 more minutes.  Shrimp should be added near the end so it doesn't over cook.
9. Season with more Cajun seasoning, to taste.  Sprinkle 1/2 of green onions (save the rest for garnish). Sauce should be slightly thin, perfect to pour over rice.

To serve: scoop up some rice, top with Jambo.  Garnish with hot sauce and green onions.

Enjoy y'all!

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Mmmm Mondays: mexican lasagna

I love Mexican food.  If I was just cooking for myself, I would probably eat it every day!  I have found ways to make it much healthier, thankfully.  This is one of my favorite recipes.  It's a great freezer one too!

Once again, my photo skills aren't perfect.  Our camera broke once again...so we are stuck with phone pics.

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb ground turkey
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 (15.5 oz) can of kidney beans (I have also used black beans), drained and rinsed
• 1 (4 oz) can of green chiles
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (16 oz) bottle of salsa (use up all of the cheap Chi-Chi's salsa!)
• 6 corn tortillas (I like Mission Extra Thin)
• 1 cup light sour cream
• 1 package of Mexican or Co-Jack shredded cheese (2 cups)
• Garnish: olives, picked jalapenos, cilantro or tomatoes...whatever you like!

Let's make some lasagna!

1. Toast tortillas in the oven at 350 for 5-8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, brown turkey with onion. Drain. Add beans, chilies, chili powder, salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
3. Time to assemble! In a 9 x 13" pan, add 1/4 cup salsa. Spread sour cream over tortilla and layer two over the salsa. Next comes 1/3 turkey mixture and top with 1/3 cheese. Repeat layers twice.
4. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
5. Top with desired garnishes.

Like Mexican food?  Try some of my other favorites:

• Make your own tortilla chips
• Turkey enchiladas
• Easy pea-sy Guacamole
• Watermelon Margarita (SO tasty!)

What is your go-to Mexican meal?

Mmmm Mondays: Turkey pesto meatballs

Although I have made a few variations of pesto, I prefer to just buy it!  Pine nuts are expensive and why go through all of the hassle!?  I love the big jars of pesto at Costco or the Progresso brand at the grocery stores.  Note: it freezes SO well, so if you do make a batch, freeze in ice cube trays for later.

I accidentally came up with this recipe last week when I was craving my Turkey Meatball Minestrone.  The store was out of basil (so annoying...), so I was about to give up until I thought of the pesto I have in the fridge.  This makes a big batch, perfect for 2-3 meals.  Stick them in the freezer and you will be set for a month or two!

The cookie sheet cooks them so perfectly!  A definite must!

Ingredients:

• 1 package of lean ground turkey (usually runs 1.25 lbs)
• 1 package of turkey Italian sausage (mild or hot)
• 1/2- 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons pesto
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• Italian seasoning (I love the grinder by McCormicks) and S&P to taste

Lets make some meatballs!

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. In a food processor, add onion and pesto.  Blend.  Although this is not necessary, I like to finely chop the onion this way, rather than with a knife.  If you want, add an extra tablespoon of pesto.
3. In a large bowl, add ground turkey and remove the sausages from the cases.  Mix them together.
4. Add onion mixture, breadcrumbs (start with 1/2 cup), egg and Parmesan.  Mix with your hands.  If the combination seems a bit wet still, add more breadcrumbs.  
5. Season.
6. Roll into meatballs and place on a cookie sheet with a cooling rack on top.  This will make sure they cook all the way around.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until brown.

Enjoy with some pasta, in soups or just alone.  They will make your kitchen smell amazing.

Recipe: Turkey chili

I love winter because of all of the warm comfort food.   Chili is my favorite because you can freeze it or eat leftovers for a week.  Since we rarely eat beef, I always use turkey for my chili.  It's super simple and great paired with cornbread (Jiffy!) and a cold beer.  If you want to step it up a notch, make these amazing corn fritters.

Photo Credit (I do have a new camera now, so look forward to more quality pics soon!)

Ingredients:

• 1 package of ground turkey
• 2 cans of chili beans (mild or hot)
• 2 cans of chili ready tomatoes (Red Gold are the best!  Especially since they are Michigan tomatoes!)
• 1 small can (5 oz) of tomato paste- not necessary if you like a thinner chili 
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno (or half green pepper) chopped
• 2 packets of Chili seasoning (I usually use 1.5 packs)
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin & 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Macaroni noodles to serve over
• Toppings (all optional): cheese, sour cream, Fritos or crackers

I am horrible about writing my recipes down, so I am going by memory here!

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil (medium heat).  Add onion and jalapeno and cook for 2-3 minutes.  You just want to soften the onion.  Add turkey and brown.  I spice with cumin &chili powder here.  
2. Once browned, add tomatoes and beans.  Stir and bring to a simmer.  Next add one packet of chili seasoning.  Cook for 15-20 minutes and check flavor.  If you need more seasoning, add here.  
3. Start macaroni noodles now.
4. Add tomato paste and cook as long as you like.  This can simmer all day or be eaten now!

I top mine with everything: jalapenos, sour cream, chives/red onions and cheese.  I think the chili mac style is a Michigan thing, people in Wisconsin thought I was crazy!

This is just a base.  You can mix it up as you like.  Here are some variations I make:

• Add one can of chili beans and one black beans.  Add a small can of green chiles and 1 cup frozen corn.  Perfect tex-mex style chili.  To make it really hot, add a chipolte in adobo sauce.
• Instead of macaroni noodles, make it with spaghetti.  Or you can bake it with cheese in the oven like a casserole, topping with cheese and fritos. 
• Substitute turkey for beef.  After browned, add half of a beer and simmer.  Only add one can of beans and tomatoes.  The beer will cook out, but add some flavor.
• To make vegetarian: add corn, zuchini, carrots, green pepper and a jalapeno.  If you want the meaty flavor added still, use veggie crumbles.  You really can't tell its missing anything!

How do you make chili?  I find every family makes it different!