Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Turkey Burgers

As the 4th of July weekend approaches, we’re thinking about firing up our grill to make some of these delicious burgers. 

Stuffed with spinach and cheese, these turkey burgers will make an excellent addition to any grill out. 

Pair these burgers with our 40-minute whole wheat buns, a tangy tomato cucumber pasta salad, and a our favorite 4th of July Cherry Berry Dessert and you have an excellent dinner. 

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Turkey Burgers

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 tsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning (by McCormicks)
• 1 T minced onion
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1 C fresh spinach leaves (or 1/2 C frozen spinach)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 C diced cubes of Monterrey Jack cheese

Directions

Begin by placing the ground turkey and diced cubed cheese into a large bowl. 

Add in 1 tsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning, 1 T minced onion., 1/2 tsp. paprika and 1/2 C frozen spinach.  Add in the egg and mix well. 

Shape into 6 burgers.  We love using our Tupperware burger shaper to do that!  It’s an oldie, so be on the lookout at garage sales for this one. 

Place the burgers on the grill, and grill 7 minutes per side, checking that the internal temperature has reached 180 degrees. 

Serve warm, topped with additional cheese, if desired. 

Enjoy!

Skillet Chili Cheese Shells

We’re in a season of quick meals, and this one was a real winner. 

Filling and tasty, plus easy to make!  Oh, and the leftovers are great too.  I hope you enjoy it. 

Skillet Chili Cheese Shells – Adapted from Six Sister’s Stuff

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. ground turkey
• 1 T minced onion
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• salt & pepper, as needed
• 2 C diced tomatoes (or 1 can diced)
• 1 C tomato sauce
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp – 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 C uncooked small or medium pasta shells
• 1/3 C chicken stock
• 1 T chopped green chilies
• 1 T ketchup
• 2-4 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• Parsley, garnish

Directions

Begin by browning the ground turkey in a large skillet.  Season the meat well with 1 T minced onion, 1/4 tsp. minced garlic and salt and pepper to your liking.  

Add in 2 C diced tomatoes, 1 C tomato sauce and 1 can pinto beans.

Top with 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, up to 1 tsp. chili powder (depending on your spice preference), 1 T chopped green chilies and 1 T ketchup.  Stir well. 

Stir in 1 C uncooked pasta and 1/3 C chicken broth. 

Cover (but prop the lid up so as to vent some of the moisture) and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the pasta is done.  Stir occasionally during this cooking process. 

Top with cheese, and garnish with parsley if desired. 

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Week: The Turkey

A few years ago we tried our turkey a new way, wrapped in bacon.  I don’t think we’ll go back. The bacon cooks on the turkey and self bastes it.  Yum-o. 

You can find the recipe here {or by clicking on the photo below}.

The gravy that also goes along with the turkey is outstanding.  Gravy is super easy to make; here’s the recipe for bacon-infused gravy.

How do you cook your turkey? 

Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Casserole

Our garden was fruitful this year when it came to butternut squash!  One plant produced three giant butternut squash fruits, so we have been looking for creative ways to enjoy them.

This dish brings together all the flavors of fall, and quickly became a family favorite.  Trust me when I say, don’t skimp on the 1 tsp. cinnamon.  I did when I first saw the recipe, and I took one bite and thought – this is kind of bland!  So, I added the rest of the cinnamon and wow, it took the dish to a whole different level.  So, don’t skimp on the cinnamon.  Lesson learned. 

Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Casserole – Adapted from Simply Healthy Family

Ingredients

• 1 C cooked wild rice
• 1/2 lb. ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, chopped (or 1 T minced onion)
• 1 medium butternut squash, cubed
• 1 C frozen spinach (or 2 C fresh)
• 1 C apple juice
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch of thyme (up to 1/2 tsp)
• 1 tsp. parsley
• 1/2 C shredded Monterrey jack or mozzarella cheese

Directions

Place the cubed butternut squash into a large glass baking dish.  Pour in 1 C apple juice, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and cook at 400 for about 20 minutes, until cubes are slightly soft.

 

Meanwhile, brown the ground turkey and season it with salt, pepper, and a pinch of thyme.  Add in the 1 T minced onion, if you are using that instead of diced.   

When the meat is browned, drain any excess grease.  Add in the onion and spinach, cooking until the spinach is wilted and all the water has evaporated and the onions are translucent. 

Stir in the cooked wild rice and remaining 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.  Don’t skimp, really.  Add the cubed butternut squash and 1/4 C shredded cheese.  Stir well. 

Transfer the mixture into a large, lightly greased 2-3 quart casserole dish.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 C cheese over the top and garnish with parsley. 

Bake, covered, at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes. 

Serve warm.  

Deep Dish Sloppy Joe Casserole

The Sloppy Joe tradition in our family goes back a long way.  Frog Prince’s grandmother has a killer recipe that we love.  We took that recipe and added a whole bunch of veggies to it, and adapted it for the crockpot.  It has become one of our family favorites. 

When I saw the recipe from Emily – this delicious filling for a deep dish pizza, I knew we couldn’t go wrong.  Yum-o, I say! 

Deep Dish Sloppy Joe Casserole – Adapted from Emily Bites

Ingredients

• 1 recipe whole wheat pizza dough
• 1/2 lb. lean ground turkey
• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef or turkey sausage
• 1 T minced onion
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. Montreal Steak seasoning
• 2 medium carrots, grated
• 4 oz. mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 medium bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. dried mustard
• 2 T ketchup
• 1 T apple cider vinegar
• 1 T brown sugar
• salt & pepper
• 4 oz. shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

Begin by preparing the whole wheat pizza crust according to directions found here.  Set aside, covered, until ready to use. 

Meanwhile, brown 1/2 lb. each lean ground turkey and ground beef or Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add in Montreal Steak seasoning, onion and garlic, along with salt and pepper, as needed.  Drain grease. 

Mix in finely chopped carrot, bell pepper (we used green), and mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes until veggies are tender. 

Stir in 1 can tomato sauce, 1 tsp. dried mustard, 1 T brown sugar, 2 T ketchup, 1 T apple cider vinegar and 1 T brown sugar.  Simmer for 5-7 minutes. 

Lightly grease a 9x13 glass baking dish.  Stretch the pizza dough into a rectangle and press it in the bottom and slightly up the sides of the prepared pan.

Pour the filling into the pan, spreading it evenly over the dough. 

Sprinkle with cheese. 

Bake at 420 degrees for 17-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the tops of the crust are slightly browned. 

While you have the oven hot, toss some veggies (frozen or fresh  -- e.g. broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, etc.) with olive oil, salt and pepper, and basil.  Arrange on a tinfoil-covered cookie sheet and roast them, stirring once.  Serve these alongside your casserole. 

Serve warm.  

Note: To re-heat, feel free to use the microwave, but don’t over heat (45-60 seconds is ideal) or the crust will become tough. 

Turkey Meatball Sub Casserole

With our leftover meatballs from our crockpot turkey meatloaf dinner, I opted to try something that looked extremely delicious from the Country Cook.

The recipe relies on French bread, meatballs, spaghetti sauce, and a creamy mixture originally made out of cream cheese and mayo.  We opted to combine Greek Yogurt and cream cheese for a lighter center, and it worked out great. 

This was a great leftover meal, changing plain old spaghetti and meatballs into something fresh the next day.  Kind of like another one of our favorite spaghetti leftovers – spaghetti braid. 

Meatball Sub Casserole – Adapted from The Country Cook

Ingredients

• 2 C spaghetti sauce (leftover preferred)
• French Bread
• 4 oz. cream cheese, slightly softened
• 1/3 C plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 tsp. basil
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 C mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese for garnish, if desired

Directions

Begin by slicing up your French Bread into 1-1/2 inch slices.  Arrange the slices in the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish and lightly spritz the top and bottom with olive oil.  Place the pan in the oven and broil for 1-2 minutes on each size, watching carefully so they do not burn.  You want to get the bread toasty so it doesn’t get soggy. 

Meanwhile, warm the spaghetti sauce and meatballs for about 2 minutes in the microwave.  Set aside. 

Prepare the spread by whipping the 4 oz. of slightly softened cream cheese (we used Neufchatel) and adding in 1/3 C Greek Yogurt along with the 1/2 tsp. basil and 1/2 tsp. oregano, pepper and minced garlic.  Stir well.

Using caution because the bread and 9x13 baking dish will be hot, spread with cream cheese mixture over the top of the bread slices. Sprinkle with a little cheese, if desired. 

Top each with a meatball and marinara sauce.

Sprinkle shredded Mozzarella and/or Parmesan cheese over the top. 

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. 

Serve warm. 

What are your favorite ways to use leftovers? 

Turkey Meatballs in the Crockpot

If you have 15 minutes in the morning, you can have a filling dinner when you get home from work, allowing your crockpot to do all the work. 

We made these turkey meatballs last week and enjoyed them so very much.  Meatballs around here are a treat – heck, meat is a treat around here, especially in spaghetti.  Typically, we load our marinara sauce with veggies and if we do want meat, we toss it in as a garnish.  But, these meatballs – wow.  Definitely stole the show. 

We reserved the leftovers for a meatball sub casserole.  I can’t wait to share that recipe with you. 

Turkey Meatballs in the Crockpot

Ingredients

• 1 recipe quick spaghetti sauce (skip the meat)
• Whole wheat spaghetti noodles (we love Healthy Harvest)
• 1 medium zucchini (or summer squash), shredded
• 1/2  tsp. minced garlic, divided
• 1 C spinach (fresh or frozen, torn)
• 1/3 C Panko bread crumbs
• 1/3 C shredded Parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 lb. extra lean ground turkey

Directions

Get your crockpot all set up and ready to go. Lightly grease the bottom and sides with olive oil.  

In a large bowl, combine together 1 lb. ground turkey with shredded zucchini, 1/2 tsp. minced garlic, 1 C spinach, 1/3 C Panko bread crumbs and 1/3 C Parmesan cheese.  Mix together well. 

Add in 1 egg and salt and pepper and continue mixing.  I recommend using your hands here. 

Then, using a T cookie scoop or your hands, shape the meat mixture into fairly tightly packed meatballs about 1 T in size.  Place each in the bottom of the crockpot.  If you’d like, you can make the meatballs as large as 2 T in size. 

Arrange the meatballs carefully in the crockpot. {Note – I tried the meatballs with tomato sauce on the bottom of the crockpot and I wouldn’t recommend it.  So, just skip it, even though you can see it in the photo.} 

Place the lid on the top and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meatballs have reached 180 degrees. 

In the last 20 minutes, prepare a batch of quick marinara sauce and boil up your pasta. 

Serve warm, topped with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. 

Enjoy!