Category Archives: Turkey Recipes

July 10, 2012 · 7:29 am

Hasty Tasty Meatloaf

Hasty Tasty Meatloaf

Everyone has a meatloaf recipe it seems. It’s a beloved comfort food that also stretches a buck. I vary my meatloaf, depending on my mood and what’s in my refrigerator. This is my favorite, ideal recipe. I use fresh produce, but chopping in the Vitamix makes quick work of the preparaton. I bake it in my Pampered Chef® stoneware loaf pan. If you use a metal pan, lower the oven temperature to 350°.


RECIPE

Hasty Tasty Meatloaf

Ingredients:

  • ½ pound lean ground beef
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • ¼ red bell pepper
  • ¼ green bell pepper
  • ¼ yellow bell pepper
  • 1 cup oatmeal (uncooked)
  • 1 can tomato sauce, divided
  • 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°
  2. In a large bowl, combine the two ground meats with the egg.
  3. Remove the plug on the Vitamix lid, set Vitamix speed to Variable Speed 4, and turn on. Gradually add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper quarters until all are chopped. Add chopped vegetables to the ground meat.
  4. Add all other ingredients except reserve half the tomato sauce. Mix just until blended.
  5. Transfer mixture to a loaf pan and shape into a loaf. Cover with remaining tomato sauce.
  6. Place loaf pan in the center of the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
  7. Remove meatloaf from oven and allow it to cool 15 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6 servings

Start to finish is about an hour. While the meatloaf bakes, you have plenty of time to steam potatoes and vegetables, set the table, and brew the iced tea. Enjoy your comfort food!

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June 23, 2012 · 2:51 pm

Fiesta Salad

This dish has many names from Nacho Salad or Taco Salad to Frito® Pie. I call mine Fiesta Salad and have made it many times. It’s a crowd pleaser, and my version is a bit healthier than the original.

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RECIPE

Fiesta Salad

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs. lean ground turkey
  • 1 Tbsp. chili seasoning or taco seasoning mix
  • 2 cups shredded lettuce
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • (optional) 1 jalepeño pepper, thinly sliced and/or diced
  • 1½ cups skim milk
  • 1 cup shredded Colby cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
  • ½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
  • 1 bag Tostitos baked tortilla corn chips

Directions:

  1. Brown ground turkey in a large skillet over medium heat, separating often to avoid clumping.
  2. While turkey cooks, heat the milk in a second skillet or 2-quart pan over medium-low heat.
  3. Sprinkle chili seasonings over the ground turkey, stir, then cover to keep warm.
  4. In the bottom of each of four large soup bowls, crumble a serving (approx. 24 chips) tortilla chips.
  5. Top each bowl of chips with approximately 1/2 pound (or 1/4) the cooked ground turkey.
  6. Cover the ground turkey with 1/4 the shredded lettuce.
  7. Top lettuce with 1/4 the chopped onions, tomatoes, and sliced (optional) jalapeño pepper.
  8. To the heated milk, stir in each of the shredded cheeses until blended.
  9. Pour a fourth (about 1/2 cup) of the cheese sauce over each fiesta salad.
  10. Serve immediately. Makes four servings

Variation: Make the cheese sauce in the Vitamix. Heat milk and add to the container. Secure lid. Begin on Variable Speed 1 and slowly increase speed to 10 then High. Remove the plug from the Vitamix lid and gradually add the grated cheeses. When cheese sauce is ready, turn off the Vitamix and pour sauce over the Fiesta Salads directly from the container.

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June 11, 2012 · 4:27 am

Thinking Outside the Box

Serving busy families nutritious, healthy meals can be a challenge. Cooking for one is a challenge, too. Often we throw up our hands in defeat then head for the drive-thru. Or we pick up boxes of one-dish “Just add meat” meals, like “helpers” or skillet dinners. Tempting, aren’t they? All the work has been done for you except for browning the meat.

Not so fast.

When I was a college student, I often had Betty Crocker’s Noodles Almandine for dinner. I added some water, cooked the contents of the box for about 15 minutes, melted a pat of butter with the noodles, then sprinkled the few packaged almonds that were included as a garnish. I loved that dinner! It was cheap and easy. One night I was hungry and hadn’t had time to grocery shop, so I decided to create the dish on my own. I had noodles and slivered almonds, and there was butter in the refrigerator. How difficult could it be?

Even as an inexperienced, young cook, I quickly figured out the answer. Not difficult at all. I dissolved a chicken bouillon cube in the boiled noodles. Then I melted a pat of butter, tossed the noodles, then sprinkled with the almonds. I had noodles almandine! It tasted just like Betty Crocker’s. As I ate my dinner, I came to two realizations: A chicken bouillon cube, some noodles, and a few almonds cost a lot less than my box; it took no longer to make the dish on my own than with the boxed ingredients. From then on (sorry, Betty Crocker) I made my own noodles almandine. These days I make it with whole wheat pasta to bump up the nutrition.

Noodles Almandine

Whole Wheat Rotini Almandine

Save your money and your health by making your own skillet dinners or casseroles. They’re easy, less expensive, and tastier. Here’s my healthier version of a family favorite.

RECIPE

Turk-a-Roni
Ingredients:
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 10 oz. package frozen seasoning blend*
• 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• ½ cup water
• 1 cup dry whole-wheat elbow macaroni
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. pepper
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Spray the inside of a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Over medium heat, brown the ground turkey. Break meat apart using a fork or potato masher.
3. Add the frozen seasoning blend. Cook for two minutes with the meat.
4. When meat is fully cooked, add the remaining ingredients except the cheese. Be sure all the macaroni pieces are covered in liquid.
5. Cover the skillet and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Check macaroni for doneness (do not overcook) and add cooking time as needed.
6. Remove skillet from heat. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese and cover to melt the cheese.
7. Serve turk-a-roni from the skillet.

*Frozen seasoning blend is a convenience item containing chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, and parsley. If you don’t have seasoning blend, use 1 cup chopped onion.

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May 5, 2012 · 12:02 pm

Cinco de Mayo Casserole

Today is Cinco de Mayo and also Kentucky Derby day. I created a special recipe honoring both events. I hope you’ll try it at your next fiesta.

RECIPE

Cinco de Mayo Casserole

Ingredients:

  • 1 beer (any kind, including non-alcoholic)
  • 1.3 pounds lean ground turkey
  • 1 package Bloemer’s* chili seasoning
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1 15½ oz. can chili beans
  • nonstick cooking spray
  • 6 8″ diameter whole-wheat tortillas
  • 8 slices Boar’s Head 3-Pepper Jack cheese
  • 8 oz. shredded Monterrey jack cheese
  • 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Coat the inside of a 9″ X 13″ casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
  3. Place a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add beer, ground turkey, and chili seasoning mix. Stir.
  4. Cover and cook the turkey, lifting lid occasionally to break apart the meat. The turkey should poach in the beer and become fine.
  5. Cook turkey mixture for ten minutes, covered, then simmer uncovered for five minutes.
  6. Add chopped onion, canned tomato sauce, and canned chili beans. Stir to combine.
  7. Cover and remove from heat.
  8. In the casserole dish, place 2 tortillas in the bottom. They will overlap some, and that’s all right.
  9. Spoon half the turkey chili (about 4 cups) over the tortillas.
  10. Cover the chili with the 8 slices of cheese.
  11. Place 2 tortillas over the cheese.
  12. Spoon remaining turkey chili over the tortillas.
  13. Cover turkey chili with 2 more tortillas.
  14. Spread tortillas with 8 ounces shredded Monterrey Jack cheese until completely covered.
  15. Place aluminum foil over the casserole dish.
  16. Bake casserole covered for 30 minutes, then remove the foil for 5 minutes.
  17. Garnish with the chopped cilantro.
  18. Allow casserole to cool about 10 minutes before serving.

This casserole can be assembled a day ahead then baked the day you want to serve it.

Yields: 6–8 servings

*Bloemer Food Products are available in Louisville and online at http://www.bloemerfoods.com/

Cinco de Mayo casserole

Cinco de Mayo Casserole

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