Leftover Turkey Enchiladas

Happy Thanksgiving!  Oh, sorry, what was that?  The holidays are over and you don't want to think about them ever again?  Ok, I get that, makes sense.   It is a new year, after all.  How are we all doing with our resolutions?  (Don't throw things at me for bringing this up.)  So far I'm doing ok... I've flossed my teeth (three times), I've meditated (once) and I drank some tea last night instead of wine!  I'm okay with that progress for Day 10.  Baby steps.  

I brought up Thanksgiving because these yummy enchiladas are made with leftover turkey breast... do you get it now?  But if you don't have any of that succulent white meat in your fridge, you can still make this dinner with shredded chicken.  I followed the recipe pretty closely, only substituting Greek yogurt for sour cream.  It's full of flavor, perfectly spicy and a great way to shake up your Taco Tuesday routine.  (For kids who might not like spice, I would omit the chipotle peppers.)  

Recipe HERE.

Cheddar Cheese Turkey Meatloaf Bites

In my never-ending quest to try and sneak vegetables into my children, I recently tried these bite-sized, delicious, flavorful, cheesy, tiny meatloafs that are prepared in a mini muffin tin.  They are so good that we (Carson and I) ate half of them, and I froze the rest.  The 7 year-old shrugged and said, "yeah, they're ok" and the 19 month-old liked them (but she only eats if she's running in circles these days, forget about a chair!).  The 3 year-old is trying to send me to the looney bin, but that's a story for another day (someone remind me she won't be wearing diapers when she's 10).  Ok but honestly, these are so good and they are packed with vegetables that you pulse into teeny, tiny pieces (see below) so if you also have picky eaters, try them!  If they won't eat them, you will.

Recipe here.  

Tune into the Today Show tomorrow to watch me make something much, less, healthier :)

Ina's Italian Wedding Soup

I did it!  I made it through the week without eating a cheeseburger!  Or a bagel every morning!  There was some cookie dough last night... but remember how we talked about balance?  Also, you guys, I have had this blog for a very long time.  That was a weird transition, but just hear me out.  Carson and I were watching the Food Network the other night - "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" if you must know (cause it's either that or HGTV in this house) - and he saw some soup and said, you should make that.  And I was all, I have made that, don't you remember?  And he's like, nope.  And I was like, ugh, what is WRONG with you (we're in the honeymoon phase).  Then I searched my blog and realized I made it SIX YEARS AGO.  Check it out here, along with my teeny, tiny photos.

So I made it again!  The dish is Italian Wedding Soup, and it's delicious.  A healthy blend of veggies, greens (I used escarole) and turkey meatballs (I skipped the sausage as well as the pasta in Ina's recipe).  We ate it along with grilled cheeses (balance) and it was a wonderful dinner!        

Butternut Squash Meatloaf

I've made many a meatloaf in my day, but I had never thought of putting squash in it before.  However I swear, you can google any two ingredients and a recipe will pop up, which is exactly what I did last night.  By adding butternut squash (cooked in bacon, onion and sage) to this meatloaf, the flavors are off the chart.  And now I talk like Guy Fieri from Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  

I used this recipe and made some minor changes.  Instead of pork, I used ground turkey, I skipped the red pepper flakes (in case my kids wanted to try it, hahahaha, they did not), I didn't use an egg because I didn't have one (it turned out just fine), and before cooking it I topped it with a balsamic/ketchup combo (which I highly recommend doing).  By the way, I like to use my hands to form the loaf and cook it on a baking sheet vs. a bread pan.  I think it makes the exterior nice and crispy, which I love.  I plan on turning it into a sandwich for lunch.  Is it lunchtime yet??  

Taco Pie with Winter Squash

After making this insanely delicious Spaghetti Pie the other day (as seen on my Instagram page), I started imagining what other dinners I could make in a pie pan, and because it was Tuesday my mind instantly went to tacos!  Taco Pie!  But not just any taco pie, no, no... this particular dish is only disguising as comfort food (which is what it tasted like, oh man).  This hearty but healthy casserole has lean meat, the protein and fiber from beans and the nutrients from a whole lot of squash you won't even know you're eating.  By the way do beans have fiber?  I don't know, it just sounded right to say.

At the last minute I decided to add a frozen package of cooked squash into the meat (the pureed kind).  It melted beautifully, and balanced out the spice of the meat in a sweet and subtle way.  My kids loved it (well, two of them did, not the middle one who would live off of Skittles if she could), and had NO idea I had tricked them into eating something healthy.  And by the way, I ate two slices topped with avocado.  IT WAS SO GOOD.  

Taco Pie with Winter Squash

(Serves 8)

Printable Recipe

1 T olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 lb. ground turkey

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1/2 cup water

1 12 oz. pkg cooked squash, thawed

1 8oz. bottle taco sauce

3 flour tortillas

1 can refried beans (you probably won't use it all)

2-3 cups Mexican blend grated cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions and sauté for a few minutes, until onions begin to soften.  Add ground turkey and sauté until no longer pink.  Add taco seasoning and water and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, and then lower heat and simmer until sauce begins to thicken.  Add thawed squash, and stir to make sure everything is well incorporated.  Remove from heat.  Spray a 10-inch cake or pie pan with cooking spray.  Add a small amount of the taco sauce and spread with a spatula.  Place a tortilla in the pan, and then spread a layer of refried beans on top with a spatula.  Top with a third of the meat, then a third of the cheese and finally a third of the taco sauce.  Place another tortilla down, and repeat with the beans, meat, cheese and sauce.  Place your last tortilla down, top with beans, the rest of the meat, the rest of the sauce and ending with the rest of your cheese.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and golden.    

The squash disappears!

Turkey, Cheese & Cauliflower Meatballs

I make a lot with cauliflower, because it's a vegetable that my children will actually eat, but chopping it up is one of my least favorite things to do.  It's messy, tedious and time consuming.  But yesterday I was at Target, and I came across these Cauliflower Crumbles (did you know if you're a mom and you find yourself with a few free hours you car will actually DRIVE YOU TO TARGET all by itself??? so weird).  Yes, these crumbles are a major short cut BUT WHO CARES!?  Short cuts at dinnertime make for a happy household.  So last night, I made a version of these meatballs with cauliflower crumbles instead of the other vegetables it called for.  They were so yummy!!  They even went to the party, the party in our tummies, because sometimes we have to sing that song while we eat...

Thank you for the recipe, Audra!

Also, a Cauliflower Quesadilla and a Cauliflower Rice Bowl.

Cheesy Turkey Cauliflower Quesadilla

You guys, I've decided to go on a massive diet.  I'm going to omit food for 16 days, and only drink beet juice with kale and cayenne and maybe the occasional jar of baby food and... OKAY I CAN'T, April Fools!  It's still April 1st, right?  Food, you're my favorite and I'll never quit you.

Ok, moving on from my lame prank... while I don't really believe in "diets" I DO believe in tricking your kids to eat vegetables.  I wish it didn't have to come to that in my household, but alas, it does.  So I introduce to you... the Cauliflower Quesadilla!  To be honest, my kids eat cauliflower on their own, but I'll gladly shove it in other foods if it means they're getting an extra oomf of vegetables.  Oomf?  Who am I what am I saying??  Anyway, it's white, it can be pulverized into a rice-like constancy, it's basically the perfect April Fool's Day vegetable.  Last night, I made cauliflower rice and added it to our quesadillas with ground turkey and Mexican cheese.  Delicious, for kids and grown ups alike!  It just added a little something extra, and I promise I won't say "oomf" again, ever.      

Etta loved it, in between nose pickings.

Greek Turkey Burgers

Trying to concentrate as I write this, which is difficult because I'm waiting to hear any second now that my baby nephew has been born!!  I feel giddy!  I feel like Mini Me from Austin Powers and I just want to yell, eeeeeeeeeeeee!!!  Babies are born every second of every day, all across the world, but when it goes down in your own family, doesn't it feel like it's never happened to anyone, ever?  It's so ridiculously special, each experience so unique, that it's hard to imagine other people going through the same thing!  At least that's how I feel, and I've had 3 babies + 12 cups of coffee already.  I'm good at math, and those numbers add up to me being an emotional crazy person right now.    

Anyway, let's talk about something else, like these healthy turkey burgers I found on Joy Bauer's website.  I forget how simple it is to make burgers on the stove, and how easily they can be transformed by adding whatever ingredients you have at home.  These Greek flavors - feta, roasted peppers and oregano - made these burgers delicious, and I added some chopped spinach to make them even brighter and healthier.  We topped them with store-bought tzatziki sauce (have fun getting that word in a spelling bee), served them alongside a salad and baked sweet potato and then ran a marathon after dinner.  Or we ate frozen cookie dough, I can't remember. 

Recipe here.

Meatloaf Muffins with Barbecue Sauce

Remember to tune into the Rachael Ray Show today!  The above photo is a sneak peak of me, pretending to be calm and cool, pretending to sip coffee, actually baking up something that involves those mason jars... by the way, did you know I'm a Lifestyle Pro?  Yup, according to Rach and her website, that's what I am.  I call her "Rach" now.

And in honor of RR (another nickname) and her amazing show, I made one of her recipes last night.  Not even on purpose.  I had zero clue what to make for dinner, and with only one ingredient on my mind (ground turkey) I found these Meatloaf Muffins with Barbecue Sauce by Rachael Ray!  They were SO delicious... extremely moist with a crusty exterior, sweet and spicy... small enough for you to eat three or four or six or seven JUST KIDDING.  

I hope you like the show today!   

Turkey Spinach Quinoa Meatballs

Hello!  The following post was written by a loyal reader and blogger herself, Christen.  This recipe sounds ridiculous and I will be making it ASAP.  Especially because I've been searching for ways to sneak ANYTHING GREEN into my children's diets.  This might be the answer...  

Hey there, Siriously Delicious readers!  I'm Christen.  I'm a mom, wife and general crazy person living in upstate New York.  I work full time in higher education, but in my free time (ha) I love to cook and bake.  That's why I started my blog, Christen in the Kitchen.  I'm obsessed with checking out what other people are cooking on their blogs, and that's how I found Siri's.  I've been a big fan of hers for awhile, and I also love to bake any kind of cookies and bring myself to the brink of insanity trying to make my children's birthday cakes (so we have that in common). 

I, like a lot of moms, am always trying to answer the eternal question, "What's for dinner?"  The pre-parenting days of eating cheese and drinking wine for dinner are long gone, and it can be hard putting a balanced meal together in about 20 minutes a night.  

That's where these Turkey Spinach Quinoa Meatballs come in.  I literally made a quadruple batch of these and froze them into family-sized portions for later use.  The best part is, my ridiculously picky eater of a 3-year-old will actually eat them since they're in ball form and she can dip them in ketchup!  I typically serve these with a side of French fries, but you can also do a big pile of veggies or serve them on top of a salad.

Click here for the recipe!  Also, if you like this recipe, check out my blog Christen in the Kitchen, or like my Facebook page where I post updates.   

*Thank you, Christen!  

Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Butternut Squash

Thank you for your recipe suggestions the other day.  You all gave excellent ones (except for whoever suggested Pumpkin Pie, no no no no NO).  But the winner, or I should say the one that sent me running to the market for ingredients, was this recipe for a Skillet Chicken Pot Pie.  It sounded simple, and relatively healthy (no cream, no butter).  It also sounded unique, as kale and butternut squash are not classic pot pie ingredients.  This is comfort food at it's finest, people... a hearty meal that doesn't leave you feeling ridiculously full and fat.  I swapped chicken for turkey, because I found a roasted breast where I usually find rotisserie chickens and, 'tis the season after all.  If you're looking for a crowd pleaser this weekend - make this!  Later gators.     

*Photos by Katy at Chasing You Photo

Turkey Meatloaf with Chipotle Glaze

Sorry for the delay in posting.  Our internet was down, and I also had a million things on my to-do list to tend to.  I accomplished one of them, in case you were wondering, which was showering this morning.  Anyway,  I digress...

Another reason to purchase this book is for this recipe: Mini Turkey Meatloaf with Chipotle Glaze.  I've made many a meatloaf before, but none with such unique ingredients as this one.  Grated sweet potato and zucchini, sauteed with onions, add flavor, richness and nutrition!  Listen to me, I'm like a pocket of health.  Also, instead of the traditional addition of bread crumbs: oats.  Oats!  It made for one delicious meatloaf.  And I will eat any chipotle anything.  Anything.  I didn't take many pictures because I was eating too much.  Also not on my to-do list.  Oops.    

Baked Tostada

We partake in Taco Tuesday pretty much every week, either at our local Mexican restaurant or at home.  Last night we stayed in, but to shake things up a bit I decided to turn my taco into a baked tostada.  That's the beauty of tacos, they're sort of made to order.  Carson often turns his into a taco salad, Jack prefers a quesadilla, and after last night, I think frequent the tostada route.
I just said "frequent the tostada route."  

I followed Martha's easy directions here.  A corn tortilla, drizzled with olive oil, topped with your favorite stuff (here: ground turkey and cotija cheese) and then baked.  After the cheese melted and the tortilla got crispy, I removed it from the oven and added avocado, cilantro, sea salt and hot sauce.     

Stay tuned either later today or this week for a GIGANTIC ANNOUNCEMENT.

Drama...

Chicken and Seafood Paella

My friends recently took a cooking class at Leti's Catering in NYC.  They raved and raved about it (if you live in NY, check it out), and then they made us homemade Gazpacho and Paella as they learned to make them in class.  Both were delicious, so naturally I stole the recipes from them and planned to make them myself.  What I needed, however, was a giant paella pan and then voila!  Carson bought me one for my birthday.  (I'm really sorry I said "voila" like that.)  Carson sure knows the way to this lady's heart.  Any sort of giant or miniature kitchen equipment??  Swoon.  

Anyway, I tackled the paella this past weekend for some friends.  I was nervous.  Like, "don't look at me while I cook dinner guests I mean just kidding help me HELP" nervous.  But it worked!  I did it!  It was delicious!  I made a combo of seafood (with shrimp, calamari and clams) and chicken (which I cooked earlier and added at the end).  Now, I feel guilty posting the recipe because Leti charges money for her classes in which you get to take the recipe home (also I lost it), but if you're interested in making paella yourself, and you have a pan the size of small UFO, email me and we'll discuss.  

(all photos by Chasing You Photo)      

Patsy's Turkey Burgers with Garlic Mayo Dip

Guess what?  If you send me recipes, I will make them.  Most of the time.  If they sound deliciously irresistible, that is.  No pressure.  A friend/reader constantly sends me recipes and I have them all bookmarked.  I finally got around to these turkey burgers, named after one of her relatives.  Ground turkey mixed with all sorts of vibrant, somewhat southwestern ingredients, fried up as sliders and dipped in a tangy garlic mayo.  She recommended topping them with avocado, which I did, and I also added mushrooms and served them over sourdough toast.  They were superb.  Patsy probably doesn't follow a recipe, since she invented these, but I tried to throw one together for you.  Send me more recipes!  Send me more recipes!  But only if they're irresistibly delicious.      

Patsy's Turkey Burgers with Garlic Mayo Dip
(Makes approx. 15 sliders)
Printable Recipe

Burgers:
1 lb. ground turkey
1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro (I used cilantro)
5 or 6 chopped green onions (tops and bottoms)
Poblano pepper, finely chopped
Anaheim pepper, finely chopped
1 large egg
1 T mayo
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used panko)
1/2 tsp salt

Mayo:
1/4 cup mayo
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced

Throw all burger ingredients in a bowl and mix with a spoon or your hands.  Form them into slider size (or regular burger size if you wish).  Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and saute the burgers until cooked through (roughly 5 minutes a side if you're making sliders).  Whisk mayo ingredients together and serve.

Quick Chicken Corn Chowder

LA can be such a tease.  This past weekend we experienced 80 degree temps, cloudless skies, and populated beaches.  And now it's cold, gray and raining.  I know "cold" is relative, and it might be much colder where you are (trust me, I lived in the Midwest for 13 years).  But I say anything below 60 degrees calls for Chowder, that's right, I say it.  

I love finding Cooking Light recipes that sound good, because most of the time they really are.  This did not taste like a diet version of chowder, and yet it was made with low-fat milk and only two tablespoons of butter (recipe here).  If you have leftover chicken, make this, it will take you no time at all and it will be delicious.  In any kind of weather. 

Roasted Chicken Tacos

I'm going to tell you something about myself, are you ready?  I make this meal probably once a week.  Oh, you think that was a really boring piece of information?  Fine, I will tell you something else about myself.  The other day I ordered two "sodos" at Subway and found that accidental made-up word so funny and embarrassing that I proceeded to laugh hysterically at myself and could barely pay the guy.  Now THAT was some information. 

As I was saying, I make this once a week.  Because it combines two of my favorite things: the absurdly easy and tasty Susie's French Chicken with tacos.  And I don't like to brag (or I do), but I make a mean taco.  It's all about the proper toppings.  Try the following out the next time you make a taco and tell me it isn't magic in your mouth: tomatoes, avocados, roasted garlic, lettuce, queso fresco and a drizzle of Chipotle Cholula.  And don't forget to lightly grill your tortillas (I flip mine using tongs over the gas stove until grill marks form) because it makes a WORLD of difference.   

As for the poultry, follow the recipe for Susie's French Chicken and once it's done and has rested for 15 minutes, shred and toss in the bubbling juice at the bottom of the pot.