I found some ground turkey at Bruno's last week on sale B1G1. I came across this recipe last week and though it sounded different and yummy. I was a little skeptical though. I love all of the main flavors, but combined I wasn't so sure. I tweaked the original recipe a bit and added my own little twist and was very happy with the end result! The cumin really gave it a nice smokey flavor. Clay said, "What's in here that tastes like chili?" After I got finished laughing I told him it was cumin. He said he liked it, he just wanted to know what it was :) The cumin could definitely be left out and the burgers would still be tasty. They were moist and so flavorful. I'm glad I stocked up on the ground turkey because I'm going to have to throw this in the rotation again. Maybe for company next time. A healthy burger? Yes, there is such a thing!
Makes 3 burgers:
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 cup coarsely chopped black olives
1/4 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (can be adjusted down to your taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
olive oil
6 slices turkey bacon, crisped
3 sandwich thins
condiments
Combine the turkey, olives, onion, parsley, cumin, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce in a mixing bowl and mix until well incorporated. Shape into 3 burgers.
Heat the grill over low heat. Drizzle the patties with olive oil before placing them on the grill. This was supposed to prevent them from sticking, but mine still stuck pretty bad :) Grill for about 7-8 minutes on the first side. Flip, and grill another 4-5 minutes on the second side, or until cooked through.
Serve on whole grain sandwich thins with mayo, mustard, 2 slices of turkey bacon, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. Yummy-yum-yum!
Enjoy!
(adapted from Ellie Krieger)
This is an ode to those good 'ole childhood days of Hamburger Helper. Or maybe I should say good 'ole college days of Hamburger Helper, being that I never ate it until then! I will admit that I have a couple of boxes in the pantry for emergency dinner nights when I'm good with a bowl of cereal, but Clay must have meat. It does come in handy. I must say, though, that this tastes much butter and is not any more difficult to fix. All of the ingredients are sale staples and you should have most of everything in your pantry. I know I did. This is great for busy weeknight meals because its something the whole family can enjoy.
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
8-oz. short pasta (I used macaroni)
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 packet taco seasoning (check out this recipe!)
3-oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper
shredded cheddar cheese (optional...I ran out)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside. *I forgot to reserve the pasta water, so I just substituted 1/2 cup chicken broth when it is needed later*
Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saute pan, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat. Add the chopped onion and garlic to the skillet and cook 5 minutes until the onion begins to soften. Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water (chicken broth in my case). Continue to stir until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit. Remove from heat and top with shredded cheese if desired.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Annie's Eats)
BI must admit that Sloppy Joes are usually made with Manwich at my house! This is almost as easy, and much more tasty! I used ground turkey instead of beef and added a bunch of fresh veggies. The bacon gives it great flavor. I did use the bacon drippings to cook the veggies, but you could certainly cook the bacon in the microwave and saute the veggies in olive oil. Its a little healthier that way! Publix had Smithfield Bacon B1G1 this week ($.55/1 coupon). This is a great way to sneak veggies in for your kids too. Husband in my case! Add some carrots and green peppers if that's what you have in the fridge. This was really good and I will be making this one again!
4 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1-1/2 lbs. ground turkey (mine was 1.3 lbs)
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 hamburger buns, toasted
In a large skillet cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy, about 7 minutes. Take out to drain on a paper towel. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of drippings. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic to the 1 tablespoon bacon drippings and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes. Push to the side of the skillet. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the ground turkey and cook, breaking up larger pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook until no longer pink, about another 7 minutes. Drain off any excess juice or fat with a baster bulb. Stir in ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and serve on the toasted buns (I like to add yellow mustard and sliced cheese).
Enjoy!
(adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine)
Ground turkey has slowly started to make its way into my house. I started using it mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with ground beef in spaghetti and taco salads. You really couldn't even tell the difference. Leave it to my niece Hannah to ask why some of the meat wasn't turning brown! The turkey does look a little different. It doesn't brown like beef does. But, it is better for you and is a lot more readily available than it used to be. And when you can catch it on sale, like this week at Publix, its even cheaper than the ground beef. I was definitely pleasantly surprised with how well this turned out. My husband really enjoyed it as well. If you haven't tried ground turkey yet, this is one way to start. The meat stays moist with the egg, breadcrumbs, and ketchup mixed in. And the Worcestershire sauce gives it a slightly beef-y flavor. And of course, nothing is complete in my house without a little cheese. I used a 50% reduced fat white cheddar and it was delish! I rounded out the fast, easy meal with boxed mashed potatoes and canned green beans...a real rarity in my house! I made homemade mashed potatoes last night...why, oh why, did I throw them out?!
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb. ground turkey (or ground turkey breast)
1 large egg, whisk slightly
4 tablespoons ketchup (plus more for topping)
Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or reduced-fat cheddar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and onion and saute 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
Combine onion and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Spray 12 muffin cups or 6 mini loaves (I have an 8-loaf mini loaf pan that looks like a muffin pan) and divide the mixture evenly. Brush tops with extra ketchup. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30-35 minutes (depending on which pan you use) or until thermometer registers 165 degrees. Top with the shredded cheese the last 5 minutes of baking.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Cooking Light- April 2007)
I was going to make this last night because I saw in the ad that Publix was going to have "young turkey breast" $1.59 a pound. I got to the store and it was frozen. I don't buy turkey...ever...so I didn't expect it to be frozen like a Thanksgiving turkey. And besides being frozen, it was also bone-in. The boneless turkey breast was $7.99 (for about 3 lbs.), but it was also frozen. So, needless to say I didn't make it. I made the hashbrown casserole and scrambled eggs! This recipe looked so good, though, so I wanted to post it anyway. This would be great for a meal any time of year, but especially around the Holidays. Be sure to leave a comment if you do try this one. Check out the link a the bottom because the reviews sound fantastic!
1 3-lb. turkey breast
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 10-oz. can chicken broth
1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Place turkey breast in a roasting pan. You can use a foil-lined 13 X 9 inch pan. Combine melted butter and chicken broth. Pour over turkey. Rub mayo all over turkey's exterior. You can add optional seasonings at this point. The mayo will help the seasoning stick to the turkey.
Roast at 300-325 degrees until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. Raise the temperature to 350 for the last 45 to crisp the skin. (I was going to cook at 300 for one hour, then raise the temp to 350 for the last hour. Fingers crossed the bird is done by then!)
Remove from oven and let sit for 30 minutes before slicing.
Note: Because the butter and broth are for making gravy, if you need to make a lot of gravy, double the amount of broth.
This looks so yummy! Please remember to comment if you try this!
Check out the Reviews on the original recipe HERE)
(adapted from RecipeZaar)
Thanksgiving was always the time when my Mamaw would make her Chicken Spectacular. She would even omit the onions because she knew I didn't like them in it. This will be our first Thanksgiving without her, and she will truly be missed. To pay tribute to Mamaw, I am going to turn turkey leftovers into "Turkey" Spectacular. This dish couldn't be easier and it uses a lot of the ingredients that have been on sale this week at the grocery stores.
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
3 cups turkey, diced (or chicken)
2 (14.5 oz) cans french style green beans, drained
1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 (10 3/4 oz) can Cream of Celery soup (or whatever kind you have on hand)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (6 oz.) box Long Grain Wild Rice, cooked according to package directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.
Add all remaining ingredients to bowl and mix together until thoroughly combined.
Pour into a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand a few minutes before serving.
Thanks Mamaw!
I don't know about you, but we always have TONS of turkey leftover. This year, I am trying to come up with new ways to re-invent our turkey leftovers. My Mother-in-law suggested a Turkey Salad. This recipe combines classic Thanksgiving flavors that you can squish between two slices of bread. Or, if you're on carb- overload from Thursday, then serve yours on a bed of greens! If you don't have dried cranberries on hand, you could put a slice or a dollop of your cranberry dish from Thanksgiving dinner on the sandwich. Anything for that little bit of tart-sweetness.
6 cups cooked turkey meat, chopped
3 eggs, boiled and chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped pecans
3 ribs celery, diced
3 green onions, thinly sliced (I omit these)
1 cup mayo (adjust to the consistency you like)
Stir together chopped cooked turkey, eggs, cranberries, pecans, celery, and onions. Add mayo and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill up to 3 days.
**When I make this Friday morning, I'll post a picture!
(adapted from Southern Living)
