Apple Cheddar Turkey Burgers Filed under ( burgers, cheese, main dishes, quick and easy, sandwiches, turkey )

I've had these amazing burgers twice now, and they are definitely going to be added to my regular lineup in the kitchen. I found this on my friend Sara's blog and knew it was only a matter of time before I'd be eating them. What I like about them is that they are unique, impressive, but at the same time only take minutes to prepare. I also love the combination of ingredients. Sara strongly recommends not leaving out the cranberry sauce, which I completely stand behind. In fact, it's the cranberry sauce that makes this burger so wonderful! Give it a try, you won't be disappointed. You can find it here!

Turkey Empanada Filed under ( cheese, main dishes, Mexican food, pie, quick and easy, turkey )

Let's see, leftover turkey, check! Leftover pie crust, check! Leftover room in my belly for something so rich and delicious, double check!

I found this on MmmmmCafe and made it that night, grateful for a way to use up that very last bit of turkey. They were easy and fun to make and a total family pleaser, does it get any better than that?

Turkey Empanadas

Ingredients

3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (or turkey)
1 (8-ounce) package shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend
4 ounces cream cheese, softened (I didn't mind the cream cheese, but I could have done without it)
3 oz. green chilies
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts
Water

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the chicken and next 7 ingredients. Unroll 1 piecrust onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15-inch circle. Lightly brush the edges of crust with water. Place chicken mixture in the center of the round. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. (Up to this point, the recipe can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month). Arrange empanada on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle top with cheese, if desired. Bake for 25 minutes.

Palidor at Crazy Asian Gal was sweet enough to give me the honest scrap award. Thanks Palidor! Go check her out, she's a lot of fun and always posting great things. I'm supposed to list ten things about myself. I think I have done this in the past, so I'll try to think of some different things:

1. Next to cooking, I'd say my favorite thing is reading. I could live right in between a Barnes and Nobles and a Williams Sonoma and live happy!
2. I really hope that by the time I reach the end of my life, I can say that I've visited every continent in the world. I love to travel!
3. I'd love to go to cooking school someday, but the show Hell's Kitchen has me really scared to try it, lol!
4. I come from a family of plate sharers, meaning, when you go out to eat with my family, prepare to have just about everyone's fork in your plate at least once. But in return, they expect you to try their dish too. It's one of the many things I love about my family.
5. I have music constantly playing in my house. I'm especially enjoying all of the Christmas tunes playing right now.
6. This is my absolutely favorite time of year. I usually go nuts in the kitchen baking and cooking. This year I'm being a bit more conservative because I don't want to deal with a bunch of holiday weight when it's over!
7. Farmer's Markets are like playgrounds to me, I could spend hours there and leave a happy girl, even if I don't buy anything!
8. I'd rather deal with cold weather than hot weather. Call me crazy, but I get way too grouchy in the heat.
9. Fuzzy socks, slippers and comfy warm jammies are an absolute necessity in my life.
10. If it wasn't for the food blog, I wouldn't push myself half as much to try new dishes.

So there you have it, how to you like that random smorgasbord of facts! I'm going to go ahead and pass this on to the following:

Shelby at Grumpy's Honeybunch
Kim at Stirring the Pot
Melody at Cheat Day Cafe
Kim at The Ungourmet

Go check these gals out, I know you'll love them as much as I do!

White Chicken (or Turkey) Chili Filed under ( Beans, chicken, main dishes, quick and easy, Soup, turkey )

How was everyone's Thanksgiving? Ours was lovely. There really isn't anything like waking up, putting on the apron, some Christmas tunes, and cooking all day. I know that you can appreciate how fun that really is! And of course sitting down to eat it all is just the cherry on top.

As I'm sure you all do, we have a fridge chuck full of leftovers, and I can't stand to see a shred of it go to waste. Sometimes nothing is more satisfying then turning one delicious food into another, which is why I'm loving all of these great leftover ideas you guys are producing.

Our church put on a chili cook off for Halloween a month ago. My friend Calli had made a white chicken chili which I heard nothing but rave reviews about. Since I never got a chance to try it at the party, I asked her for the recipe, which I promptly made and DEVOURED. I like chili, but I LOVED this white chili, so creamy, so flavorful and I could not wait to eat the leftovers, which isn't typical for me. This would be a great way to use up that huge Tupperware full of turkey, trust me, your whole family is going to love this!



White Chicken or Turkey Chili
Adapted from Calli's fabulous recipe

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into small cubes, cooked chopped turkey would work well too
1 med. onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 TBS vegetable oil
2 cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can 14 oz chicken broth
2 cans 4 oz chopped green chilies
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup whipping cream, I used fat-free half and half
1 cup sour cream

Directions

In large saucepan, saute chicken, onion, and garlic salt in oil until chicken is no longer pink, if using cooked chicken or turkey, just add when onions are soft. Add beans, broth, chilies, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 30 min. Remove from heat, stir in cream and sour cream. Serve immediately!

Alton Brown's Roast Turkey Filed under ( main dishes, thanksgiving, turkey )

A few weeks ago, Kim from Stirring the Pot asked if anyone had ever tried Alton Brown's Roast Turkey. Apparently it had received five stars from over 2000 people. Being curious I had to go check it out, and then I became curious, and then I became obsessed! I had to try that turkey! So my family enjoyed a mini Thanksgiving meal before the actual holiday to satiate my curiosity. We'll call it a warmup meal.

This recipe calls for a brine. I had never brined meat before, in fact, I didn't even know that people brined meat until I had the food network channel! The brine was fairly simple, although we did have to go to a few different stores to find the stuff. We had our turkey in the brine the night before cooking it, and in the oven the next day at three o'clock. We brined our turkey in a medium sized, scrubbed out cooler. It sat out on our patio overnight. Luckily the weather is cool, so the ice was still frozen by the time I pulled it out to roast it.

So, here's my review. I LOOOOOOVED how moist the brine made my turkey. There was very little juice in the pan when I pulled it out of the oven, but when I cut into the turkey breast, juice just spilled out of it. I also really liked the slightly salty flavor the brine gave the turkey, but it also gave a flavor that took away from the traditional turkey flavor. It almost tasted like it had been smoked. I didn't mind it, but it didn't taste quite like Thanksgiving to me. (I know I'm probably being really nit-picky, but hey, these things are important to me!). I also didn't see any purpose to the aromatics that I stuffed in the turkey, couldn't smell it, couldn't taste it. I probably wouldn't do that again, or I would try a different combo of aromatics. So, in a nutshell, I give this four out of five stars. I'm completely sold on the brining technique, but I would probably try a different, maybe simpler brine next time, and I'll skip the aromatics. I'm so glad I tried this recipe though, it opened my eyes to an entirely different way to roast turkey, and hopefully I'll never have a dry turkey again!

Alton Brown's Roast Turkey

Ingredients

1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger (if you live in the east, i found this at acme)
1 gallon heavily iced water
For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

Directions

2 to 3 days before roasting:

Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:

Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

Black Bean Salsa Chili Filed under ( Beans, light recipes, main dishes, turkey )

We are a chili loving family, but I'm also a bit particular about how it's made and tastes. I usually make my chili the same way and never have to worry about not liking it. So, trying a new recipe was a bit of a scary experience for me, but luckily it turned out fantastic.

The main source of flavor for this chili is salsa, which is another staple we love. It's so hearty, delicious and is packed with flavor. It's also a bit hot and sweet, which comes from the brown sugar and red pepper flakes, so if you're sensitive to either one, you can dial it up or down however you like. I didn't do the lime, cilantro cream to top it, instead I just added sour cream with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime, and they were the perfect compliments to this dish. Mmmmmm, I love chili time!

Black Bean Salsa Chili
By Cooking Light October 2009

Ingredients

2 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2/3 cups water
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
3 sweet hickory smoked bacon slices, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups mild salsa
3 tablespoon tomato paste
1 14 oz can beef broth
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Directions

1. Combine 1 1/2 cup beans, 2/3 cup water, and sugar in a food processor; process until smooth. Combine bean puree and remaining beans in a bowl.

2Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add turkey; cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove turkey from pan.

3. Add onion, bell peppers, and bacon to pan; cook 5 minutes or until bacon and onion are lightly browned. Return turkey to pan. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, and crushed red pepper to pan; stir well to coat. Stir in bean mixture, salsa, tomato paste, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Combine sour cream, cilantro, and juice in a small bowl. Serve chili with sour cream mixture.

Serves 6: 1 cup chili with 4 teaspoon sour cream mixture

Per Serving: 199cal, 6.2g fat, 14.8g prot, 22g carb, 5.9g fiber

Point per Serving: 4!!!

Celebrating my 300th post with the Best Turkey Burgers Ever Filed under ( burgers, cheese, grill, main dishes, quick and easy, sandwiches, turkey )

300th post?! It's hard to believe that I've been at it that long. It's been a lot of fun scrolling through the old blog from the last two years and seeing how my tastes, and (ahem) photo skills have changed. I still have a long way to go, and a lot of things to try, so here's to hoping for another 300 posts. In the meantime, thanks so much to all of you for making it so enjoyable and encouraging me to keep going. As Biz says, I consider you all my friends!

Kim, my fellow burger admirer, this is for you! Turkey burgers aren't always what I crave, let's face it, I like my red meat! But, don't make these because they are a lighter substitute, make them because they are so juicy and delicious that you won't, for a second, wish that you were eating a beefy hamburger. I topped mine with sauteed mushrooms and blue cheese, I suggest you do the same!


Favorite Turkey Burger
From Great Food Fast, by Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds light ground turkey
1/2 cup finely grated Gruyere
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
course salt and fresh ground pepper
4 hamburger buns

Directions

1. Heat grill (I used my Foreman grill) to high. In a medium bowl, use a fork to gently combine the turkey with the Gruyere, scallions, breadcrumbs, Dijon mustard and garlic; season generously with salt and pepper. Dividing the mixture evenly, gently form the mixture into four 1-inch thick patties.

2. Lightly oil the grill. Place the patties on the hottest part of the grill; sear until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Move the patties to the cooler part of the grill; continue grilling until cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes per side.

3. Split the hamburger buns and toast if desired. Top with preferred toppings and place burger on buns. Get ready to say MMMmmmmmm with every bite!

Turkey and Gorgonzola Gnocchi Filed under ( cheese, main dishes, pasta, turkey )

Please forgive the completely underwhelming picture of this dish. I contemplated whether or not to even share it since the picture is so lame, but it tasted so good that I just had to!

I love gnocchi, so does every else in my family, my kids call them pillows! I found this recipe in a Racheal Ray cookbook, and it actually calls for ground beef, but regardless of the fact that turkey is less fattening, I think the tenderness of the turkey paired better with the soft pillows! I also didn't have fresh sage, so I just used ground and it was delicious.

Definitely try this, it's a family pleaser!

Turkey and Gorgonzola Gnocchi
Adapted from Racheal Ray's Big Orange Book

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
salt and pepper
1 large onion chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
10 fresh sage leaves, chopped or 1 teaspoon ground sage
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
1 (12-16 oz) package gnocchi, fresh or frozen
a handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat for the pasta.

2. While the water is coming to a boil, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, season with salt and pepper, and cook until it is very well browned, about 5 minutes, breaking it up into bite-sized crumbles with a wooden spoon.

3. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and soften for 5 minutes; adjust the salt and pepper, add the wine to the pan, and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the stock and sage, then add the Gorgonzola. Reduce the heat to low.

4. Salt the boiling water well and add the gnocchi. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until they float, then drain well and add to the skillet with the beef and cheese. Toss to combine. Top with the chopped parsley.

We're getting ready to take off to spend Halloween with my best friend from HS and her family for Halloween. I'm very excited! I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Halloween weekend!!

Cheeseburger Pasta Filed under ( cheese, light recipes, main dishes, pasta, presto pasta nights, turkey )

I do have to hand it to my family, they are good sports when it comes to dinnertime. Seeing as I love to experiment with new dishes often, they get to be my guinea pigs. Sometimes my experiments turn out great, and sometimes they are epic failures, but either way my sweet family will eat it and smile.

So, to thank them I like to find recipes like this that I know everyone will like. This was a really fun dish, to eat and to make. It's pasta with all the classic flavor of cheeseburgers. Instead of beef though, I used ground turkey to lighten it up a bit. I think what really made this dish stand out what the use of relish. I LOVE pickles on my burgers, so the relish really did make it taste like I was eating a cheeseburger. If only I wasn't watching my calories, I would throw in some bacon for a Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta, now that's what I'm talking about!

Cheeseburger Pasta
Adapted From Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Aug-Sept 2009

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta
3/4 lb lean ground turkey
2 TB finely chopped onion
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes
2-3 TB dill pickle relish
2 TB prepared mustard
2 TB ketchup
1 tsp steak seasoning
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
chopped green onions, optional

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to directions on the box. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook turkey and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Drain pasta, add to meat mixture.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, relish, mustard, ketchup, steak seasoning and seasoned salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

3. Sprinkle with cheese. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand until cheese is melted. Garnish with green onions if desired.

I will be submitting this to Girlichef for Presto Pasta Nights.

Cheesy Stuffed Shells Filed under ( cheese, light recipes, main dishes, meat, onions, pasta, spinach, turkey )

Since we are (hopefully) moving in a year, I've been trying to get rid of as much stuff as possible lately. And as painful as it's been, I've even been getting rid of some of my books, including my cookbooks. Let's face it, as much as I love cookbooks, there's no point in holding on to a book that hasn't been used in years.

I feel like I gained way more then I lost by getting rid of a few cookbooks though. Since I was forced to leaf through all of my cooking books and magazines, I was able to rediscover a TON of recipes that I haven't tried yet. I almost felt like I had just gotten a whole new stack of books and magazines, just by going through them.

This was a recipe that I couldn't wait to try. I have never made stuffed shells before, but when I saw that they were full about about five different kinds of cheese, there was no hesitation. These are hearty, meaty, gooey and very family friendly. They're also made over to be lighter, so pretty much everyone wins with this one. Enjoy!


Cheesy Stuffed Shells
Adapted from Taste of Home Healthy Cooking, April/May 2008

This recipe serves 12! It makes a ton, so you may consider halving if you aren't feeding a crowd.

Ingredients

3/4 pound ground beef (I used turkey)
1 Italian turkey sausage link, casings removed
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 large onion
1 package (10 oz) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup reduced fat ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella, divided
1 1/2 cups 1% cottage cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese
1-2 teaspoons Italian seasonings (I always like extra seasoning, so go by taste)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-2 teaspoons garlic salt (optional)
24-32 pasta shells, cooked and drained

SAUCE:

3 8-oz cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
salt to taste (lighter recipes always omit salt, I know it's better for you, but I just can't stand it, so salt according to taste)

Directions

1. Crumble turkey or beef and sausage into a large nonstick skillet, add fennel seeds and onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until meat is cooked through. Drain if needed.

2. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in spinach, ricotta and egg. Add 1 cup mozzarella, cottage cheese, Parmesan, cheddar, Italian seasoning, garlic salt and pepper. Mix well.

3. Stuff pasta shells with meat mixture. Arrange in two 11x7 baking dishes, coated with cooking spray (I filled one 9x13 and one 8x8 for later). Combine sauce ingredients; spoon over shells. Cover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Skillet Penne and Sausage Dinner Filed under ( main dishes, pasta, quick and easy, sausage, spinach, turkey )

This is the type of dish that only needs a few words to get it's point across...

Thirty Minutes

One Skillet

Knock-Your-Socks-Off Delicious!

Skillet Penne and Sausage Dinner
America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, minced
salt
pound hot or sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped fine
8 ounces penne
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used fat free half and half)
1 (5 oz) bag spinach
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
pepper

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

3. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Sprinkle the tomatoes and penne evenly over the sausage. Pour the broth and cream over the pasta. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the spinach a handful at a time and cook until wilted, about two minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Blogtastic Eats Filed under ( blog finds, bread, coconut, fruit, meat, meatballs, nuts, turkey )

I've said it once and I'll say it again, the best things I've made have come from other people's food blogs. I mean, you guys really know your food! The tragedy is that there are SO many great bloggy dishes, and only three meals in a day, I never feel like I'll be able to try them all. But even if I don't, rest assured, your pictures and descriptions always leave me drooling, and hungry! Here are two great finds that I recently tried, and must be shared.

I found these fantastic meatballs over at Gina's Weight Watchers blog. And while I'm not quite as strict on the diet as I should be (ahem), I still really try to eat delicious but healthy foods like this. Have you ever tried the potstickers from Costco. No, not the ones in the freezer, the fresh one, made with chicken, yeah, those! Aren't they awesome? These meatballs taste A LOT like them. They even come with a similar tasting sauce. They are juicy and full of flavor and were a hit with the whole family. You can find the recipe here.

Thanks Gina!


The second thing we made was Coleen's Pineapple Banana Bread. This was a bread that I just couldn't get out of my head, and I'm so glad I didn't! It's like summer in bread form. With the combination of banana, pineapple and coconut, it's the closest you'll come to eating a Pina Colada. Definitely try this, especially if you are buried in three feet of snow and need some sunshine in your house! The recipe can be found here. Thanks Coleen! And here's a picture of my daughter when I told her we were going to make banana bread.


She gets excited.

Is anyone else out there having a snow day? Not only is my girl home from school, but my husband is as well! I have to tell you, waking up to a lazy weekday morning, and having aebelskivers with my husband is not a bad way to start the day, although I'm not quite sure about having the deal with the snow everytime. Stay warm my friends, and keep cooking up those wonderful dishes!

Easy Crockpot Turkey Breast Filed under ( holiday, Slow cooker, turkey )

When my in laws were here over Thanksgiving, my mother in law mentioned a crockpot turkey recipe she had seen at All Recipes. We made it and loved it. I read many of the reviews (there are like 660 of them) and comments where everyone added veggies or water, etc but I made it with just the turkey breast and the Lipton Onion Soup Mix and it was so moist and tender. The top was yummy and brown with the soup mix. Allrecipes uses a 6 lb bone in turkey breast-I used a boneless turkey breast. I think this would be nice turkey just to keep around the house for sandwiches. Very yummy!

Easy Crockpot Turkey Breast (adapted from All Recipes)

1 6 lb or so turkey breast
1 pkg dry Lipton onion soup mix

Spray slow cooker with a cooking spray. Place turkey breast in cooker and top with soup mix. Cook first hour on high and approximately 7 more hours on low. Slice and serve.