Turkey Chili with Cornbread Waffles

Yesterday, the weather dropped a bit here in Florida. The high was just over 80 degrees. I'm sure that is still hot for many of you, but I'll take any taste of fall I can get. As soon as I looked at the forecast for the day, I knew it would be a perfect day for the first crockpot chili of the season. 

Turkey chili is a staple in our house during the fall and winter months. I make it every other week, using pretty much the same recipe. Last night, I decided to use the waffle iron to make cornbread waffles to go with our chili after seeing it on Pinterest. 

I have to say that this is the best way to serve cornbread with chili. There was cornbread in every bite of chili I had and it was absolute perfection. Mom, dad and hubs agreed and said this needs to be our Sunday night football dinner from now on.  Success! 

Turkey Chili 

Ingredients: 

1 pound ground turkey

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes 

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

2 (16 oz) cans pinto beans

1 cup chicken broth

1 packet of chili seasoning

Salt and Pepper
Cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions to garnish 

Directions: 

1. Season your ground turkey with a little salt and pepper.  Brown it over medium heat until its cooked through and no longer pink.  
2. Remove from heat.
3. In the crockpot, add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili mix and chicken broth. Stir to combine. 
4. Add ground turkey to the tomato mixture in the crockpot. Stir to combine. 
5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  

6. When it's time to serve, spoon your chili over waffles (see below for directions) and garnish with your choice of toppings. 


Cornbread Waffles 

I used 1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix and followed the directions on the box to prepare them. The only thing I added was 2 tsp of chili powder to the mix to give the waffles an extra kick. 

Make sure your waffle iron is hot and ready. Pour the cornbread batter onto the waffle iron and close to cook. I used a large cookie scoop for the batter and made 5 medium waffles for this meal. Our waffles took about 4-5 minutes to cook through. 

YOU CAN FIND THE PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

The reason I picked this recipe was because of the onion soup mix.  A few nights before I had just made sticky chicken in the crock pot.  One of the few ingredients in that recipe was dry onion soup mix.  When I bought it, there were two in the pack. So I went in search of a recipe that called for onion soup mix.  If I didn't find one within the week there is a strong change the mix would have gone into the pantry and I would have forgotten about it until I did a pantry clean out. 

Meatloaf is a great family recipe. It only takes a few minutes to prep. While there is a longer cooking time, it's hands off time. Add some veggies and you're good to go. The mini usually will eat meatloaf without an issue. This particular recipe was great. I always rate my recipes on what the husband thought. Mainly because I'm not picky and I think most of the things I make are pretty good. It took a minute for him to realize how much he enjoyed this meal. He didn't say much in the beginning but as he kept eating he started to rave. He even went as far as saying this was one of the best meatloaf recipes I've made. My favorite thing about this particular meal is how moist the meatloaf was. It wasn't too sweet thanks to the onion soup mix, all of the ingredients meshed well together.  

If you're looking for a family friendly recipe, this will surely pass the test! 

Brown Sugar Meatlaof

Adapted from Sweet Pea's Kitchen 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 pound ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup almond milk (or whatever milk you use)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 package of dry onion soup mix
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a loaf pan or casserole dish.
2. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, ketchup and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Divide evenly among three separate bowls; set aside.
3. In a large bowl combine garlic, Worcestershire sauce, milk, eggs, salt, pepper, soup mix, ginger, bread crumbs and one bowl (1/3) of prepared brown sugar/ketchup mixture. Add ground turkey to the mixture and mix to thoroughly combine.
4. Shape into a loaf and spoon one bowl (1/3) of prepared brown sugar/ketchup mixture onto the top of the loaf.
5. Place the meat loaf, brown sugar/ketchup side down, into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining bowl (1/3) of prepared brown sugar/ketchup mixture.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until juices are clear or until thermometer inserted into the loaf reads 160 degrees F. 

7. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Mexican Meatballs

Looking for a twist on traditional meatballs?!?  If so, you've come to the right place.  

Everyone in our house is a fan of Mexican food, even the little one.  

I make it once a week.  Often I find myself looking for recipes beyond the easy tacos.  

These meatballs took no time to make.  I served them over brown rice, corn and black beans.  I topped them off with fresh mango salsa (from the grocery store).  Enjoy!

Mexican Meatballs

Adapted from Mix and Match Mama

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey (or beef)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup breadcrumbs 

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 package of taco seasoning 

2 eggs, beaten

2 splashes milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In a medium bowl, combine ground turkey, garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese, taco seasoning, eggs and milk.   Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and placed on a lightly greased baking pan (I usually use a broiling pan). Roast in the oven about 20 minutes or until brown. 

Clean Eating Stuffed Peppers

Lately, the husband and I have been eating much healthier.  We've been cutting carbs as much as possible and making healthy substitutions to some of our favorite meals.  

Every other week our outdoor mall has a farmer's market.  I always go and stock up on produce.  Peppers are the number one thing I go to get.  They are 2 for $1.50.  You can't beat that price!

I usually plan my menu before I go so that I know what to buy.  

Since I knew I was going to stock up on peppers, I searched for recipes using them.  

I've made stuffed peppers before, but they had rice and cheese on them 

They were delicious but not the healthy, dairy free recipes I was looking for.  

So, I went to one of my favorite places to find clean eating recipes, The Gracious Pantry.  

We made this one tonight and loved it. 

I didn't miss the rice or cheese and was full afterwards.  

We will definitely be adding this to the menu rotation.  

Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers
Courtesy of The Gracious Pantry

Ingredients:

• 6 bell peppers – any color. I just happened to have green peppers.
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey meat
• 3 (15 ounce) cans of low sodium tomato sauce, no sugar added
• 1/2 large red onion
• 1/2 pound crimini mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup veggie or chicken broth

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Slice the tops off your peppers and remove the cores. Reserve the tops.
3. Place your peppers in a baking dish (preferably one with a lid – but don’t panic if you don’t have one). Make sure the dish is small enough to fit the peppers snugly so that they can stand upright.
4. Pour 2 of the 3 cans of tomato sauce into the bottom of the pot so your peppers have a nice little pool to swim in during baking.
5. Pop out the middles of your pepper tops and chop them, as well as the onion and mushrooms.
6. Put your veggies in a pan with the olive oil and sauté until they are nice and soft.
7. Put your cooked veggies into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
8. Using the same pan you cooked your veggies in, cook your turkey in the 1/2 cup of broth.
9. Add your spices.
10. In the last 3-5 minutes of cooking, return your veggies to the pan. Mix well.
11. Return the entire mixture to the mixing bowl. Add your tomato sauce. Stir well.
12. Fill your peppers with the meat mixture.
13. Cover with a lid. If you don’t have one, cover tightly with aluminum foil.
14. Bake for approximately one hour, or until the peppers are very soft.
15. Cool and serve with a little sauce poured over the top.

Taco Bowl with Guac-a-salsa Salad

I love mexican food.  Hubs and I have it a few times a week.  I could honestly eat guacamole every single night.  Love it.  I made this recipe last week when hubs was working late.  A friend came over for dinner and I didn't want to spend a lot of time cooking. I also wanted to use the ground turkey I already had bought.  I've made taco bowls many times before, but enjoyed the smashed chips at the bottom of this one.  There were a few ingredients I omitted because I didn't have them at home and others because of my no dairy diet. I'm sure this would have been even better with some sour cream and cheese on the top, but it was a great (and healthy) dinner just the way it was.  Enjoy!

Taco Bowls with Guac-a-Salsa Salad

Courtesy of Rachel Ray

Ingredients

1 sack corn tortilla chips, any brand or color (yellow, blue, red, white) will do

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

Coarse salt and black pepper

1 cup water

2 firm Haas avocados

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Handful cilantro leaves, chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

2 sacks, 10 ounces, 2 cups each shredded Monterey Jack or sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions

Lightly crush the chips by popping open the bag and giving the chips a few light whacks with a frying pan – careful that they don't fly out of the sack! Hold the bag loosely at the top with 1 hand while you crush the chips with the other.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil – 2 turns of the pan. Add the beef to the skillet, brown and crumble it, 5 minutes. To the browned meat, add half the jalapeno peppers, 3/4 of the chopped onions and all of the garlic. Season the meat with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook together 5 minutes more, then add the water and reduce heat to low. Adjust salt, to taste.

Halve and separate the avocados. Remove pit with a spoon. With the skin in tact, using a small knife, dice the avocado while still in the skin. Scoop out the diced flesh and place in a bowl. Combine tomatoes, remaining onions, jalapenos, and cilantro gently with avocado and dress the salad with the juice of 1 lemon, extra-virgin olive oil, and salt, to your taste.

Layer a 1 or 2 handfuls of chips in soup or chili bowls and top with a handful of cheese. Fill bowls with taco meat and top with more cheese, then mound up some salad on top and serve.

Clean Eating Curry Pineapple Turkey Rice Bowl

Hubs and I have been trying hard to eat healthy dinners recently.  The problem we've both run into is that a lot of the healthier meals we've tried aren't filling. It defeats the purpose of eating healthy if you're going to go to the pantry an hour later looking for more to eat. 

When I came across this recipe, it not only looked delicious but it looked filling. 
And it was.  

Results: I will be making this meal once a week and having it for lunch.  I love the sweetness that the cinnamon and pineapple juice brought to the dish.  The only change I made was not adding all of the {chunk} pineapple from the can.  I added about 1/2 of the pineapple chunks and felt it was the perfect amount of pineapple.  This meal was not only filling for the stomach but it was filled with flavor.  You must try this healthy meal.  

Clean Eating Curry Pineapple Turkey Rice Bowl
Courtesy of The Gracious Pantry

(Makes 8 servings)

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 (20 oz.) can pineapple and juice, no sugar added
3 cups cooked rice brown rice (best if cooked in chicken broth)
1 cup shredded raw carrots
1 cup shredded raw zucchini
Salt to taste (optional)

Directions

Step 1 – Place the turkey in a large skillet with olive oil and cook with spices and pineapple juice.

Step 2 – While the meat cooks, mix the cooked rice, carrots and zucchini in a large mixing bowl. When the meat is done mix that in along with the pineapple and serve.

Eat and Enjoy!

Parmesan Meatloaf

Meatloaf is always an easy weeknight meal.  It doesn't take a long time to prepare and always provided us with leftovers for lunch.  I've tried a lot of meatloaf recipes and decided on this one because of the pasta sauce.  I've made it with ketchup before and BBQ but never pasta sauce.  The original recipe (posted below) is gluten free.  Mine wasn't gluten free because I used italian breadcrumbs, I also didn't have any italian cheese so I used cheddar instead.  Nonetheless, it was one of the best meatloaf recipes I've tried.  Enjoy!

Parmesan Meatloaf {Gluten Free}

1 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground beef
2 eggs
1/4 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small onion, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup marinara pasta sauce 
1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
minced parsley for garnish

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey and beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Try not over handle the mixture otherwise it will get tough. Place the mixture in the greased loaf pan and form into a loaf. Top the meatloaf with pasta sauce.

Place filled loaf pan on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes - 1 hour. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted.
Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving/slicing. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Beef & Cheese Foldover

I am in love with this recipe. It's been in my dinner folder for way too long and I finally made it tonight. The only changes I made were using ground turkey instead of beef and using a can of refrigerated crescent rolls instead of making a biscuit batter. Everything else was followed completely. My dough fell apart a little in the oven, but it didn't take away from the deliciousness of the recipe. I also didn't read the directions the whole way through and added the cheese too soon. THANKFULLY-the cheese was perfectly bubbling when it came out. I give this recipe a 10 out of 10 and can't wait to make it again next week. This recipe would even be great rolled up in crescent rolls to make individual empanadas.

Beef & Cheese Foldover
what you need
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. A.1. Original Steak Sauce
1/2 cup hot water
2 cups all-purpose baking mix
1 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese
1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
make it
HEAT oven to 375ºF.

BROWN meat with onions in large skillet; drain. Return to skillet. Stir in corn, ketchup and steak sauce; set aside.

ADD water to baking mix; stir until mixture forms dough. Shape into ball. Place on lightly floured surface; knead 5 times or until smooth and no longer sticky. Roll into 12-inch circle; transfer to baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.

SPOON meat mixture onto center of dough; spread to within 2 inches of edge. Fold edge of dough over meat, leaving center uncovered.

BAKE 20 min. Top filling with cheese; bake 5 min. or until melted. Sprinkle with parsley.

Hungry Girl's Crazy Good Taco Meatloaf

If you haven't met Hungry Girl, you need to meet her! She's become a friend of mine (in the kitchen) over the past few years. I've tried a few of her recipes, and they never disappoint. She takes the meals we know and love and provides low fat and healthy recipe substitutions. I signed up for her daily emails and receive recipes to my inbox each morning. I enjoyed this meatloaf recipe, it was very filling and healthy! The only changes I made was adding green chili and increasing the corn to 1 cup. Enjoy!

Crazy Good Taco Meatloaf
Ingredients

1 pound raw extra-lean ground turkey
2 slices of fat-free cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1/2 cup canned sweet corn kernels
1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix, dry


Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cook peppers and onions for three minutes over medium heat in a pan sprayed with non-stick spray

In a large bowl, combine onions and peppers with turkey, corn and seasoning mix. Spread half of the mixture evenly into the bottom of the loaf pan (about 9"x5") sprayed with nonstick spray.

Layer the two slices of fat-free cheese on top of the mixture (try to keep slices away from the pan's edges). Evenly top with the remaining meat mixture.

Pour the salsa over the top of the loaf. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.

Top loaf with shredded cheese. Return loaf to the oven and cook for another 15 minutes.

Number of Servings: 6

Feta & Spinach Turkey Burgers

We had ground turkey meat and didn't want chili, meatloaf or a casserole....so turkey burgers it was!! I wanted a different recipe, not just plain old turkey burgers. After a little searching, I found a tasty recipe with great reviews. I made a few changes to make it work for Derek and I. First, I cut the recipe in half because I only had one pound of turkey meat. Next, I added a few dashes of worcestershire and instead of eggs, I used egg beater egg whites. Then I mixed everything together and shaped the burgers. Next, I put the meat in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Since the weather was nasty, the burgers were cooked on a griddle. I was worried that the meat wouldn't stay together, but they cooked well. It took about 15 minutes on the griddle. I added sauteed mushrooms to the top of the burger and served on a toasted whole wheat bun. Sweet potato fries went well with these burgers. The only thing that I would change from next time is adding more feta cheese to the meat mixture. Enjoy!
Here is the recipe from AllRecipes.com:
Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces feta cheese
1 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 pounds ground turkey

Directions:
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil grate.
While the grill is preheating, mix together eggs, garlic, feta cheese, spinach, and turkey in a large bowl until well combined; form into 8 patties.
Cook on preheated grill until no longer pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes.

Taco Turkey Meatloaf

I love Mexican food and was in the mood for black beans and rice on the night I made this recipe. I had ground turkey, but not everything I needed to make tacos. So, I decided to create this recipe using the ingredients I had for tacos and a basic meatloaf recipe. I used Sadie's Salsa and El Pinto Green Chili to add to spice things up, which worked perfectly. This recipe took only 30 minutes to make and ended up being a great pairing with black beans and rice. The only changed I would make for the next time is increasing the salsa to 2 tablespoons. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 1/4lb. Ground Turkey
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
1/2 cup egg beaters (2 eggs)
1 package of Taco Seasoning
1 tbs. Green Chili Sauce
1 tbs. Salsa

1/2 cup shredded cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Mix above ingredients (except cheese) in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Place mixture into a loaf pan.
4. Bake for 35 minutes.
5. Take out and add cheese to the top of the loaf. Bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
6. Enjoy

Turkey Chili

I love using my crock pot, and I love meals with not too many ingredients. This turkey chili is simple to make but we love it and make almost once a week in the winter. Derek doesn't like onions and I don't like kidney beans, which is why they aren't included in the recipe.

Serves: 4
Ingredients:
28 oz can of diced tomatoes
27 oz can of pinto beans
8z can of tomato sauce
1.25lb ground turkey
packet of McCormick Chili seasoning
cup of shredded cheddar cheese
tsp salt and pepper to season meat

Directions:
1. Cook and season the turkey meat in a skillet.
2. Add the beans, tomatoes, and tomato sauce to the crock pot and stir.
3. Add the cooked chili to the crock pot.
4. Mix in the chili seasoning.
5. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

**Serve with sprinkled cheddar cheese on top and cornbread!