Happy Easter Weekend

I pray that you have a worshipful Easter weekend and enjoy the time with your family!
We were in the mood yesterday for meatloaf – he, beef, and me, well you know the story. Mine was out of turkey. But to kick it up a notch, we smoked ours!

This is something you must try. Oh, my. I have a “steel grill meat loaf pan” from Williams Sonoma that I dearly love. It is made specifically for either grilling/smoking your meatloaf. It has a lift out insert with holes on the side of the insert and in the bottom, which allows the grill/smoker to get that flavor throughout the meatloaf. I used this pan for hubby’s and wrapped his loaf in bacon – added flavor! Just make up your favorite recipe and wrap the loaf in bacon, and there you go! I brushed some “jalapeno ketchup” (another layer of flavor) on the top of the bacon covered loaf and let her smoke!

Mine, made out of ground turkey, after making up my favorite recipe, I just placed in a wire grill basket, minus the bacon, of course, and in the smoker it, too, went. Great flavor. We love our masterbilt electric smoker.

Sorry I didn’t take pictures. I am an airhead. I admit.

I wanted to give this pan away on my blog but I can’t seem to find one on the Williams Sonoma site. If I can find one or two I will have it in a future give a way – if not, well, I will just have to get something else to pass along!

Enjoy all your peeps – both family and marshmallow kind! Love all of you followers!

Tailgating at Troy

Go Trojans!  It’s another football weekend – for another grandkiddo – we divide our time between all our grandkids’ activities and this Saturday it is Trojan Time.   Sister is coming in town for some time with me and to see another of her great nephews in their activities.

One of the things we will be serving, is Turkey Burgers….I don’t eat beef.  Oldest daughter found this somewhere out in cyberspace and they look yummy.   That won’t be all we will be serving, but that is my “all” that I am looking forward to.

Here’s the handy dandy recipe – I plan on having hubby make these up quite often on the grill at home.

Turkey Burgers

1 lb. ground turkey meat (preferably thigh meat)

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced (or other fresh herbs if you would rather)

1 Tbsp garlic powder (or less if you wish)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

cheese(optional)

Mix ingredients together and form 4-6 patties.  They should look like this:

Grill on medium heat for 7 minutes a side.  2 minutes before burgers are done, place a slice of cheese (optional) on each patty.  Serve hot.

Any herb or seasoning would be good in this burger.   What about my homemade taco seasoning mix?  Man!   Or a package of ranch dressing mix?   And what about some Italian seasoning herb mix?   There you go!

A very versatile recipe you can change up each time you make these.

Hope your team of your choice wins!   Have a great weekend.

Bacon Jalapeno Turkey Popper Meatballs

How good does that sound?  Man, oh man.  Serve these with sides for dipping, like salsa, or pico de gallo, guacamole, a dab of sour cream.   Yummy!

AND, a great ahead of time prep to take to tailgate, place in the “basket” grilling pan, and grill!  You get the smokey taste in them along with the heat of the jalapenos, and they are healthy!  Make these ahead of time, freeze and take out what you need. A winner all around.

Bacon Jalapeno Turkey Popper Meatballs

1 lb lean ground turkey

1/4 cup of 1/3 less fat cream cheese

2 egg whites

3 slices turkey bacon, cooked and minced (you can use real bacon if you prefer)

3 jalapenos, minced (leave the seeds out if you want less heat – but mine will have seeds left in!)

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced fine (I will use 2 garlic cloves, as we don’t like a strong garlic flavor)

1/2 cup of 2% Mexican Cheese Blend

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp Mexican chili powder (i am adding 1/2 tsp of cumin to mine also for added mexican flavor)

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.  Remember not to over mix or you will have tough meatballs.  Using a 1 tbsp scoop, (or whatever size you want them to be) scoop out meat and place on baking sheet.   After you have scooped all of them, roll into balls, with slightly moistened hands (moistening hands with water will help meatballs form better and crack less).  Bake for 20-22 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through.   (cooking time may change if meatballs are larger)

If you want to freeze, you can then cool completely, place on tray and “quick freeze” for 30 minutes to an hour before bagging and placing in freezer.  By doing this, it will keep them from sticking together in bag and will allow you to take out only what you need.

This recipe is very versatile.  You can add or alter the spices to your liking!   Have fun wit this one!

Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes….incredible!

These Turkey Sloppy Joes were so good.  They had such depth of flavor, and were so easy.   You can make them with or without a crock pot, so it depends on the amount of time you have or don’t have.   Serve them as a lettuce wrap and forego the bread/bun and save on carbs!  Just as good!  Just make them….and soon.

 

Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes (can use Slow Cooker to make)

1 lb ground turkey (could use ground beef if you rather)

1 onion, diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (if you like a little more heat, leave in some seeds to taste)

2 stalks celery, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 8-oz tomato sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

2 Tbsp mustard

1 Tbsp Splenda brown sugar (I love this stuff – it rocks!)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp. Smoked paprika – (can I say if you have never tried the “smoked paprika,” get some and try it – it will become your best friend)

 

Directions:  

In a large skillet, add turkey, onion, celery, and green pepper, along with jalapeno and cook until turkey is no longer pink.  (if you are using the crock pot, add it to the slow cooker sprayed with non-stick cooking spray at this point) 

Add tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar along with seasonings to ingredients in skillet (or slow cooker) and stir together.

Simmer on low for 30 minutes in skillet stirring occasionally (may need to add a little water if it looks like it is getting too thick but only do this to your liking) – if you are using the slow cooker, cook on low for 4 hours and keep on warm until serving.   Serving on buns, bread, toast, or as I like, as lettuce wraps.   

This stuff is addictive, the flavors are just right.   Next time I plan on keeping more of the heat from the jalapeno.   I like to spice things up a bit!.

Enjoy!  And Happy Football Friday!

 

Marinated Turkey…Gobble Gobble

I found this recipe in one of my many cookbooks and made this a while back.  I love this recipe and so did the family.  I will be making it next week for us to nibble on while I am working a meeting.  It is easy, and it is one of those you just let it cook and “do it’s stuff”.  And, boy, does it.  Cook, shred, drizzle reserved marinade back over and serve either “as is” or on some rolls for a sandwich – doesn’t get much better than that!  Give it a try and you just might put it in to your rotation of favorites!  Don’t let the amount of pepper and salt scare you – it doesn’t taste overly salty and peppery – it just tastes plain good.

Marinated Turkey

Marinade:

1 cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/8 cup vegetable or canola oil

1/8 cup freshly ground black pepper

1/8 cup kosher salt

 

1 (5-6 pound) turkey breast, thawed

 

1 turkey-roasting oven bag

 

1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Combine vinegar, parsley, oil, pepper, and salt in a small bowl.  Place turkey in oven bag and set in a shallow roasting pan.  Pour marinade over turkey in bag, seal, and bake 4 hours for a 5-pound breast or 5 hours for a 6 pound breast.  It should be “fall off the bone” done.
2. Remove pan from the oven and let turkey cool in the bag for a short while.  Remove turkey, pour juices into a large measuring cup and refrigerate.  Using hands, shred turkey meat and discard bones. 
3. Once reserved marinade has cooled, skim fat from top, drizzle over turkey, and serve.

 

The marinade has a tangy, vinegar-based barbecue sauce flavor, and makes the meat so tender and flavorful. See you in July for “Christmas in July” give-a-ways and some good recipes!  Thanks for reading!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

We had this for supper last night….

It was so good!  My pepper was red – hubby’s was yellow and I liked these better than stuffing the green ones – these were sweeter and more flavorful to me.  The following recipe comes with a disclaimer…….these were “thrown together” ingredients that came out delicious.   Mine (ground turkey) had taco seasoning mix…homemade, of course, (will post the recipe later this weekend)  in my meat.  Hubby seasoned his (ground beef of course) with salt, pepper, and sauteed onions in his concoction.  We both loved it and threw in some cooked rice along with some medium heat enchilada sauce… and there you have it!  Here’s the handy dandy somewhat of a thrown together recipe for one or two – if you need to make more for a family, just don’t save the rest of the meat  for salads like we did.

Stuffed Bell Pepper

 (increase if you are making more)

1 Bell Pepper, color of your choice

Ground Turkey (or beef) , browned and seasoned with homemade Taco Seasoning Mix (add onions if you want)  or seasoned with just salt and pepper and onions like hubby

2-4 Tbsps Medium heat (or mild if you prefer) Enchilada Sauce

Cooked Rice

Salt, pepper to taste

 

After browning 1 lb ground turkey seasoned with taco seasoning mix and adding 2 Tbsp medium heat (or mild if you prefer) Enchilada Sauce, take out about 1/3 cup (save the rest for a taco salad the next night) and add about the same amount of cooked rice to the mix.   Stuff the bell pepper (we used a red and a yellow instead of the green ones – I liked these better – they are sweeter- we did the same with ground beef as hubby likes beef and I like ground turkey-he added onions to his)

Place stuffed bell peppers (you can certainly make more than 2 by using more meat and more rice if you want leftovers for the next day for lunch or supper) in a small pan lined with foil and drizzle more enchilada sauce over the tops of the peppers.   Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees (or until the peppers are soft).  Enjoy!

Healthy….And good! Turkey Meatloaf – Mexican Style

Remember me saying that the seasoning for the Mexican Pulled Pork has become one of my favorite all-time season mixes?  I have found yet another use for this wonderful mixture!  Hubby wanted meatloaf for Sunday dinner, and since I do not eat beef, I decided to make mine out of ground turkey and jazz it up a bit and make it a “Mexican Meatloaf”.  This turned out fantastic, tasty, and the flavors could not have been better.  Put this one in your rotation to make.  You won’t be disappointed.

Mexican Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients: (can double or triple ingredients if more than one or two are eating)

 

1 lb ground turkey

2 Tbsp chopped onion

2 Tbsp chopped bell pepper

1-2 Tbsp chopped jalapeno pepper (leave seeds in or out – your choice)

Mexican seasoning (Mix spices from the Mexican Pulled Pork and save leftover spice mixture  for other recipes like soups, seasoning grilled veggies, etc)

4 saltine crackers , crushed(because I didn’t have any bread)

Enough milk to soak the crackers and soften them up (keeps moisture in the turkey meat)

1 egg

 

Combine Turkey, chopped onion, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, softened cracker mix, egg, and 2-4 Tbsp of the Mexican seasoning mix I never measure but I think I used around 3 Tbsp) until well mixed.   Place in greased loaf pan.

  Sprinkle top with more seasoning mix.   Bake at 375 degrees until done, around 40-50 minutes, depending on your oven. 

 

 

This was so good!   And I served it with steamed Broccoli and Cauliflower mix and a Carrot Souffle.  The recipe for the Carrot Souffle will be posted later.  It, too, was divine.  I ate it last – it was like a dessert and I used Splenda in it so that hubby could have it.  Let me know if you try this.  Happy April!

Thanksgiving in March???!!!

I have this in my crock pot simmering away……….

 

And my kitchen smells amazing!  I came across this recipe and knew it was one I wanted to try!  I will be baking a couple of sweet potatoes to go with it and topping them with Splenda brown sugar and cinnamon!  Yummy!  A feast to behold!  Who says it has to be Thanksgiving to have turkey!  I can’t wait to take this lusciousness out of the crock pot (another easy recipe you don’t have to watch!) and enjoy this evening. 

Crock Pot Turkey Breast of Wonder

1 (5-6 lb) turkey breast

½ cup orange juice (squeeze your own or pour it out of a carton)

1 (14-0z) can whole berry cranberry sauce

1 (1-0z) package Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Salt and Pepper

 

1.  Remove completely thawed turkey breast (and remove the gravy packet if yours has one) from wrapping.  (I usually rinse mine off also-but that’s just me!)  Place in the crock pot.
2. Pour the ½ cup of orange juice, the can of whole berry cranberry sauce and the one package of Lipton Onion Soup mix in a small bowl and mix (I used the juice of two fresh oranges and also zested the oranges before cutting in half and added the zest to add more flavor).
3. Mix the ingredients together and pour over the top of the turkey breast.
4. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper over the top.  Cover the crock pot and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until a meat thermometer stuck into the center of the breast reads 170-175 degrees.
5. Remove the breast to a plate and cover with foil; let it rest for 5-10 minutes.  Carve or shred.  Enjoy!