Dinner – Page 2

The Best Turkey Meatloaf Ever

January 4, 2013 by Danielle 44 Comments

The Best Turkey Meatloaf Ever

When I first started Weight Watchers before my son was born I fell in love with making meatloaf from ground turkey. While I heard complaints about ground turkey being too dry and not as good as ground beef I was determined to make a tasty and healthy version of one of my favorites.

With a few additional ingredients to my original meatloaf recipe I created a delicious meal that I make over and over again. It truly is the best turkey meatloaf ever! I cheat a little and use the Trader Joe’s frozen fire roasted onions and peppers. Then I chop them up into smaller pieces. I think that the juices from the cooked veggies really add more flavor to the whole meal.

The best part is how versatile it is. While I always include the ingredients below I sometimes add extra veggies or different cheese to the mix to change it up. Well… and to clean out the fridge. Grated zucchini is probably the best addition to this recipe. But make sure to squeeze out all of the excess liquid first before adding it.

If you’re looking for a great way to incorporate veggies into you meal without having to pile on an extra serving, this is a great way to do it! Now I just wish my kids would start to gobble it up as much as my husband and I do. We think they might be warming up to it though.

The Best Turkey Meatloaf Ever

Ingredients

1 1/4 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 cup onions and peppers, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup swiss cheese (any type would work)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Saute onions and peppers in a nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Set aside to cool slightly.
Grab a small cup or bowl and mix together ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar. Set aside to top meatloaf later.
Place ground turkey in a large bowl, add sauteed veggies, egg, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, panko, swiss cheese, salt and pepper. Mix together well until everything is incorporated.
Grab a loaf pan and add meat mixture to the pan forming a round dome on top. Cook for 40-45 minutes.
Take meatloaf out of the oven and top with a thin layer of the ketchup mixture. Place back in the oven and cook for another 15 minutes or until fully cooked and the inside reads 160 degrees.
Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Serves 5, 2 slices = 1 serving at 6 WW points

Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes, Uncategorized, Weight Watchers Tagged With: Dinner, ground turkey, healthy recipes, meatloaf, Weight Watchers

Chicken Korma with Saffron Rice and Peas Recipe

December 17, 2012 by Danielle 3 Comments

Indian food is one of my favorites. Second only to Mexican food. The only problem is… my husband doesn’t care for it. So the only time I get it is when I go out with friends or I make it myself when he isn’t around.

Lucky for me I had the opportunity to create a Life of Pi inspired Indian dish from ingredients found at World Market. I made this delicious Chicken Korma and paired it with some saffron basmati rice with peas and Channa Masala.

Not only is this meal tasty, it’s easy to make and includes5 ingredients in the main dish. If it weren’t for the rice I would have been able to make this meal in less than 30 minutes.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: basmati rice, chicken, cooking, Dinner, Indian food, korma, peas, Recipe

Baby Back Ribs with Homemade BBQ Sauce

November 7, 2012 by Danielle 9 Comments

There’s one meal that I wish I could cook better. And that’s baby back ribs with bbq sauce. I absolutely love ribs. Love the taste, the mess, and the pile of bones left over at the end. I know, I know… I’m weird. But a good plate of ribs just hits the spot.

And they’re the perfect dish to make for tailgating! So when I was planning my menu for my tailgating party I knew we had to serve ribs. Not only can they be made at home, but they can also be made on the grill and in the crock pot. So many different ways to make one delicious dish!

These ribs are even tastier because of the homemade barbecue sauce I made to go with them. And I have two surprises… my secret ingredient! Total Iron Chef moment here.

We headed out to Smart & Final for our ingredients and I knew I wanted to pick up some flavored preserves. As soon as I saw the First Street apricot pineapple preserves I knew I needed them for my sauce. And it was the best choice I made! While you can use peach, apricot, or even raspberry preserves in this recipe, the combination of the apricot and pineapple gave this sauce an amazing flavor.

You can check out my whole shopping experience by checking out my Smart & Final Tailgating Google + Album.

Low-Fat Turkey Chili with Beans {4 WW pp+}

September 16, 2012 by Danielle 11 Comments

One thing that has become very apparent these past two weeks is that it is, in fact, football season again. My tv is once again taken over and Sunday afternoons and Monday nights are filled with the sound of yelling and cheering.

I have to be honest though, I’m not really that into football. But I am into football food! The excuse to invite people over to sit around and eat appetizers and yummy bbq is just too enticing. And one of my favorite go to recipes to make is a delicious turkey chili with beans.

Not only is it quick and easy, it can simmer in the slow cooker all day and be used as needed for munching. Plus it’s versatile. We put chili on just about everything. Hot dogs, nachos, fries, etc. It makes just about anything better. And it’s low fat! That’s right. This recipe is filled with low fat turkey chili, tons of veggies, and spices and seasonings to create a flavor you will love. [Read more…]

Filed Under: In the Kitchen, Recipes, Soups & Salads, Uncategorized, Weight Watchers Tagged With: 4 WW pp+, appetizers, Dinner, dinner recipe, Football, Football Favorites, healthy recipes, Recipe, Smart & Final, Smart and Final, Social Fabric, Turkey, Weight Watchers, Weight Watchers recipes

Crockpot Salsa Chicken {Dinner Recipe}

July 16, 2012 by Danielle 8 Comments

I absolutely LOVE easy crock pot recipes that can be turn into multiple meals throughout the week. And this crock pot salsa chicken is just that.

Simple ingredients, simple instructions, simple meals… but you don’t have to keep the meals simple. Shred this chicken and use it in multiple dishes: enchilada casserole, chicken (tortilla) soup, quesadillas, rolled tacos, chicken ropa vieja (my favorite) and more!

And with a fridge full of yumy salsa from Wholly salsa how could I not make this? I used their mild salsa for this dish but am excited to try changing up the flavors with the pineapple or red pepper mango flavors too. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Dinner, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: chicken, Dinner, healthy recipes, mexican food, Precise Portions, Slow Cooker, Slow Cooker Chicken

Chicken with Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Sauce {Dinner Recipe}

June 26, 2012 by Danielle 5 Comments

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When I can prepare a meal that is both delicious and quick to make then not only have I found a winner but I’ve found a winner that deserves a spot on our monthly line up!

This dish not only creates an all in one meal (where each component is layered together… grains, veggies, meat, etc) it’s a meal that you can drink wine while cooking. And any meal that includes wine both before and during dinner is a good one.

If you enjoy goat cheese you can totally sub it for the cream cheese we used. We just don’t like it in our home.

Inspiration: Annie’s Eats

Chicken with Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Sauce

2 chicken breasts, pounded thin & cut in half
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (and drained, if packed in oil)
4 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
1 cup frozen peas
noodles

Boil some water and add pasta.

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. When oil is hot, add chicken breasts. Cook through, about 6-8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Set aside and keep warm.

Add frozen peas to pasta for last 1-2 minutes of cooking.

In the same skillet the chicken was browned in, add the wine. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced by half, being sure to scrape up the browned bits from the chicken. Add the chicken broth and reduce that by about half too. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and heat through.

Remove skillet from heat and stir in the cream cheese. Drain the pasta and peas. Put a piece of chicken breast over pasta and peas and top with sauce. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: chicken, Dinner

Citrus Beef with Broccoli {Dinner Recipe}

May 10, 2012 by Danielle 3 Comments

My husband’s known to pick up random cuts of beef from the store because he sees them in the clearance bin. He’s great at spotting the great deals as soon as we walk into the store and sometimes I have to get a bit creative when it comes to cooking up what he brings home. Especially when it’s something that is going to expire tomorrow.

So when he grabbed some chuck steak the other night at Target I decided to get creative with what I made out of it and combined two of my favorite asian flavors, orange chicken and beef with broccoli. I mixed the citrus glaze of the orange chicken with beef and broccoli and was pleasantly surprised with the results.

If you want more of an orange flavor, use orange marmalade in place of the lemon curd. I had lemon curd in the cupboard for some reason so I just used that. I didn’t use a lot so it wasn’t overly sweet in the dish.

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Citrus Beef with Broccoli

2 cups brown rice
1 1/4 pounds beef chuck steak
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup lemon curd (or orange marmalade)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon peeled and chopped ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 head broccoli, cut into florets, stems sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

Cook the brown rice according to package directions.

Thinly slice the chuck steak, about 1/4-inch thick, across the grain. Cut the slices into 3-inch long strips.

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Toss the beef in the cornstarch and shake off excess. Fry the beef in 2 batches in the hot oil, turning once, until crispy and golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside on paper towel lined plate. Carefully drain the oil from the wok or skillet.

In a medium bowl add the lemon curd, garlic, vinegar, ginger, soy sauce and orange juice and whisk until well combined. Add to the wok, over high heat, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the broccoli. Cook the broccoli until slightly tender and the sauce is thick, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the beef, then transfer to a serving platter.

Serve immediately with the rice.

Serves 4

Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: beef, Dinner

Italian Sausages and Rice {Dinner Recipe}

May 1, 2012 by Danielle 7 Comments

Last weekend we hit Costco for our weekly run. We go at least once a week to pick up the staples; milk, eggs, meat, veggies, fruit, juice, and snacks for the kids and my husband. But we also like to peruse their samples of the day in case anything catches our eye.

There has been many an item I’ve sampled at Costco and than later have become hooked to the product. First time I tried Fage? I was given a sample of a whole yogurt cup! I never looked back at the other greek yogurt brands I used to love.

Well that day we were able to sample two awesome products. The Spaghetti Factory Italian sausage and Seeds of Change Quinoa and Rice blend. These two were no where near each other when we sampled them but as soon as I tasted both I knew they belonged together.

Pair that with the fact that I am buried over my head with fresh swiss chard in the garden and you have this delicious dish. Seriously… one of the best dishes I’ve made in a long time. You definitely don’t have to use the exact brands I used but if you don’t have access to the Seeds of Change rice I recommend adding a clove of garlic in with the mix. You can never go wrong with garlic!

Italian Sausages & Rice

3 Italian sausage links
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cups swiss chard, stems removed and chopped
1 cup carrots, cut into coins
1 pouch Seeds of Change Uyuni Quinoa and Whole Grain Brown Rice
Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add italian sausage and sear on all sides.

While sausage is searing, cook rice in microwave (you can also use 2 cups of leftover rice). Set sausage aside to rest and add onion and carrots to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes.

Cut sausages diagonally and add back to the pan to cook fully. Add swiss chard and chicken broth. Cover and cook for another 3 minutes. Add rice to the vegetables and cook another minute or two until everything is incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a great glass of red wine and enjoy! (try not to finish the bottle or else you might start blogging about feelings you never thought you’d share publicly)

Serves 4 | 10 WW+ Points

Do you have any favorite go-to items from Costco?

Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: Dinner, Weight Watchers

Tuna Noodle Casserole {Dinner Recipe}

March 27, 2012 by Danielle 6 Comments

I’ve been pretty bad about keeping the cupboards stocked lately. I started to get lazy when it came to dinner planning and have been making sandwiches or eating what’s in the freezer to make up for it. So when Lent came around I was not prepared for a non-meat dish for dinner. But I didn’t have to worry… we always have the ingredients on hand for tuna noodle casserole. It’s a family favorite.

Only we were out of cream of mushroom AND cream of celery condensed soup.

So I went in search for an alternative. It was about time. I mean… really… I, er, we don’t need all of that extra sodium and additives. Plus I’m sure I read somewhere about canned stuff being bad. Or was that just for veggies?

Anyway… I only had 30 minutes until everyone under the roof starved and was already starting to get complaints about hunger pains so I searched the web until I found a recipe that sounded tasty and didn’t include canned soup.

This recipe is a winner! And I love how versatile I can be with the veggies. Next time I’m going to try some spinach. Delicious, nutritious, and the kids liked it. Added bonus.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: 30 Minute Meals, Dinner, fish, Pasta, Tuna

Meatballs and Polenta {Dinner Recipe}

March 19, 2012 by Danielle 5 Comments

When I’m in need of a comfort meal the first dish that comes to mind is my Meatballs & Polenta. I’ve been making this dish for almost a year now after seeing it on my friend CB’s blog, Two Pink Hippos, and trying it out with a few changes. Now I make it at least once a month and love how versatile it is.

Plus I can never get over how easy it is to make polenta!

When I’m rushing to put dinner together 4 times out of 5 I always forget to start the grain or starch. So I’ve been saved quite a few times by quick cooking dried polenta. And the frozen brown rice from Trader Joe’s.

This is one of those meals that you can make ahead, freeze, and pull out when you want them too. So it’s the perfect dish to make for expecting mamas, friends in need, and any other meal in between. Plus you can turn left over meatballs into a meatball sandwich for the next day’s lunch. Mmmm…