Category: Working Wednesdays – meals that practically cook themselves!

Chili-Stuffed Poblano Peppers

This is a new recipe that I tried out of the April/May 2017 issue of Taste of Home magazine. I really like it! It is healthy, low carb, and with the addition of chopped tomatoes and green onions, very fresh tasting for summer! I love a Chicago dog with tomatoes and serrano peppers. This almost reminds me of one with the chili in there! ….Almost! I mean nothing can really replace a Chicago dog, but when trying to be healthier and think healthier, it kind of might work. I mean kinda. Sorta. Maybe?? Whatever the thinking, this is worth trying!

1 pound lean ground turkey
1 can (15 oz.) chili without beans, I use Hormel
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
4 green onions, chopped
4 large poblano peppers
1 T. olive oil

Preheat broiler. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground turkey, crumbling the meat, until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes; drain. Add chili and salt; heat through. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese, tomato, and green onions.

Meanwhile, cut peppers lengthwise in half; remove seeds. Place on a foil-lined 15 by 10 by 1 inch baking pan, cut side down; brush with oil. Broil 4 inches from heat until skins blister, about 5 minutes.

With tongs, turn peppers. Fill with turkey mixture; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Broil until cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes longer.

I have found that these really hold up if prepared ahead of time. Just bake in a 350 degree oven until warmed through, and top with the cheese towards the end of reheating. And the microwave always works too!

Serves 4.

Chunky Vegetable Beef Soup

Sometimes, nothing satisfies like a big pot of healthy soup simmering away on the stove! This recipe is delicious and comes together quickly, plus it makes enough for a small army. You can feed the army right away, and then eat on it for a few days, or freeze it up to 3 months. This is a Southern Living recipe from their Make Ahead Meals Special Collector’s Edition magazine. This is a big batch, so grab your biggest pots!

2 lbs. ground chuck
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp. table salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 (14 oz.) cans reduced-sodium beef broth, I just use regular beef broth
3 (29 oz.) cans mixed vegetables with potatoes, drained and rinsed
3 (14 1/2 oz.) cans diced new potatoes, drained and rinsed (from the pic, you can tell I missed the diced part. lol)
1 (15 oz.) can peas
2 (26 oz.) jars tomato, herbs, and spices pasta sauce
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes wit sweet onion

Brown ground chuck and onion, in batches, in a large Dutch oven over medium-high, stirring 5-8 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain well, and return to Dutch oven. Stir in salt, black pepper, and beef broth; bring to a boil.

Stir in mixed vegetables and next 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer at least 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Garnish with a mix of shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses and chopped fresh basil.

Serves 8.

Chicken Quesadillas

Quick and easy, these yummy quesadillas have only five ingredients! I’m not sure about you guys, but this spring seems to be extra busy to me, and I am needing quick supper ideas. By combining the filling for the ingredients in a bowl and keeping it in the fridge at the start of the week, this makes for a quick start to a meal, perfect for an on the run snack or supper! This is a Paula Deen recipe from an issue of her Quick and Easy Meals magazine.

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (8 oz.) package Monterey Jack cheese with peppers, shredded
5 T. black bean and corn salsa
1 (16 oz.) package taco-size flour tortillas
1/2 cup butter, divided

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, cheese, and salsa. Spread 1/2 cup chicken mixture evenly over half of tortillas. Top each with remaining tortillas.

Ina a large skillet, melt 1 T. butter over medium-high heat. Add 1 prepared quesadilla, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until, golden brown. Repeat procedure with remaining butter and remaining prepared quesadillas. Cut into wedges to serve. Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.

Makes about 8 servings.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

This little 5 ingredient number is adapted from Kim Coleman of Columbia, SC. Is that in the US? Well, anyway, her inspiration must have come from Mexico. Ha! Cracking myself up here! Hope you all are doing well! Had a minor setback with an unexpected gallbladder surgery; took that baby out thank goodness! Been a bit on the sleepy side, but am waking back up! I also got false nails in there somewhere. So not sure if that might be more of the culprit as to why I’m not typing as much. Oh, here come the giggles again. So, here’s to a 5 ingredient meal!

1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 envelope (5.4 oz.) Mexican-style rice and pasta mix
1 1/2 cups water
8 medium bell peppers
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, cook and crumble beef over medium heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes; drain. (You know how I like to add olive oil, Montreal Steak seasoning, and kosher salt while cooking ground beef. Or now you do.) Stir in tomatoes, rice mix and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed, 6-8 minutes.

Cut and discard tops from peppers; remove seeds. Put the peppers in a greased 13 by 9 inch baking dish. Place 1/3 cup of the beef mixture in each pepper; sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons cheese. Top with the remaining rice mixture. Bake, covered, 25 minutes.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and peppers are crisp-tender, 5-10 minutes.

COOKING THE BOOKS, YA’LL!

Spinach and Tortellini Soup

This quick and healthy recipe, adapted from Debbie Wilson in North Carolina, is a great one to have for a speedy supper or a light lunch! Fallon and I love it and Creed eats the pasta, so we are all happy with this one. 😉 This can easily be made vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of the chicken broth.

1 tsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can Italian style diced tomatoes
3 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 pkg. (9 oz.) refrigerated cheese tortellini
4 cups fresh baby spinach
Shredded Parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, broth and Italian seasoning; bring to a boil. Add the tortellini; bring to a gentle boil. Add a little salt and cook, uncovered, 7-9 minutes or just until the pasta is tender.

Stir in the spinach and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle servings with cheese and pepper.

*I always think, I might course chop the spinach before throwing it in, but for time’s sake usually don’t. But if you want smaller bites of the spinach, that might be a good idea! And the addition of cooked Italian sausage would be delicious too, I think!
Makes 4-6 servings

COOKING THE BOOKS, YA’LL!

Mexican Lasagna

Chock full of corn, black beans, chicken and cheese, this Mexican Lasagne is sure to be one your friends and family will enjoy! This casserole is a Rachael Ray recipe off of Food Network’s website and I have always enjoyed it as well as those that I have served it to. I love the spinach tortillas, but my two littles prefer just regular flour tortillas. Either way, it’s quick and delicious!

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs. ground chicken breast
2 T. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
1 cup medium heat taco sauce or 1 (14 oz.) can stewed or fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn kernels
Salt
8 (8 inch) spinach flour tortillas
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or shredded pepper jack
2 scallions, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil. Add chicken and season with chili powder, cumin, and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes.

Add taco sauce or stewed or fired roasted tomatoes. Add black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2 to 3 minutes then season with salt, to taste.

Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining extra-virgin olive oil, about 1 T. oil. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat and beans, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortillas, then cheese again.

Bake the lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Top with the scallions and serve.

Turkey-White Bean Chili

It has been really cold and windy here the past couple of days and this turkey chili has been just what we’ve needed to warm up from the frost! My kiddos love this and it is a healthy recipe too that is thrown together easily in the crock pot. Serve with tortilla chips for dipping. This recipe is adapted from Amy C.’s out of Phyllis Good’s Stock the Crock cookbook.

2 lbs. ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 3 teaspoons chili powder, depending on how much heat you like
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground oregano
2 (15 oz.) cans great Northern beans, drained and rinsed (I skip this step.)
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
2 cups chicken broth or turkey broth
salt and black pepper, to taste
Garnish: 1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, sour cream, black pepper, lime wedges, shredded mozzarella cheese
Tortilla chips, for dipping

Grease the interior of the slow cooker crock with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

Brown the turkey in 1 to 2 T. vegetable oil in a skillet over medium, breaking up with a wooden spoon. I always think it is best to season the meat with a little salt and pepper before browning, to really make sure it has good flavor from the start. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the turkey to the prepared crock.

Add the remaining ingredients, excluding the garnishes, and stir well.

Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours.

Remove the bay leaves and discard. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Top individual servings with cilantro, sour cream, black pepper, cheese, and lime wedges. And don’t forget the chips!

COOKING THE BOOKS, YA’LL!

Club Sandwich

I was raised on Sunday night bacon and tomato sandwiches. Nothing beats fresh bread, good mayonnaise, salty bacon, and fresh sliced tomatoes with a nice sprinkling of salt and pepper in my mind! And I’m very much picky about it. But somehow this is one of my favorite sandwiches, toasted bread, deli meat and all! I’m thinking the secret’s in the sauce.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp. Italian flat leaf parsley minced, or dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. green onion, minced or onion powder
1 tsp. sweet pickle, minced (I use dill relish.)
2 tsp. vinegar
3 slices bread, toasted
4 thin slices cooked chicken (I use chicken sandwich meat.)
3 slices tomato
3 slices cooked bacon
salt and pepper to taste

Blend together mayonnaise, parsley, green onion, sweet pickle and vinegar until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate until chilled. When ready to prepare sandwich, spread mayonnaise mixture to taste on one side of each slice of toast. Refrigerate remaining spread for additional sandwiches. Layer on chicken, a toasted bread slice, tomato slices and bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with last toast slice, cut into quarters diagonally to serve. Makes 1 sandwich. Serve with chips, pickles, and fresh lemonade.

I have found that the sauce makes enough for 4 sandwiches.

COOKING THE BOOKS, YA’LL!

One-Pot Spaghetti

One of my very favorite things to do is to go camping. We have a 5th wheel travel trailer and take it to Colorado mostly, and besides decorating my camper, cooking in my camper is the highlight of the trip for me! Others are dreaming of fly fishing, hiking, and white water rafting, while I’m deciding what flowers for the picnic table and what’s for supper! I always seem to be on the opposite end of the spectrum as compared to most. Ha! This One-Pot Spaghetti is sure to please the fishermen in your life, when they come home to gather round the picnic table! It is super easy and only requires one pot! Can’t beat that while you’re out in the wilderness and needing to just poke the fire instead of wash dishes! I bet, even if you are not a camper type person, this meal will come in handy on busy days. It is delicious!

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth
6 oz. can tomato paste
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
8 oz. spaghetti, uncooked (Yay!)
Garnish: grated Parmesan cheese
Recommended side idea: Italian Garlic Salad, below

Brown ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. (I like to season my meat with olive oil, kosher salt, and Montreal Steak Seasoning as it browns. To me, this is the best time to get flavor into your meat no matter what you are cooking.) Drain on a paper plate lined with several paper towels. Return meat and onions to the skillet.

Stir in broth, tomato paste and seasonings; bring to a boil. Break spaghetti into short lengths and add to skillet.

Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, for 15 minutes, adding more broth or water as necessary, or until spaghetti is tender. (If you are cooking in higher altitudes, you may need to add more liquid as it cooks, because more than likely, it will take longer than 15 minutes to cook your noodles.)

Sprinkle with cheese. Serve this with Italian Garlic Salad and crusty bread.
Makes 4 servings.

ITALIAN GARLIC SALAD
Tear ice berg lettuce into pieces and mix with shredded mozzarella. Dress with olive oil that has been seasoned with garlic powder, seasoned salt, and fresh pepper.

COOKING THE BOOKS, YA’LL!

Laurel’s Chicken Spaghetti

This is one of my favorite chicken spaghetti recipes! It is a real crowd pleaser!….and Creed, yes, I know that you’re glad, that you are at baseball practice right now, because of the black olives. I really do hope that we can come to some sort of agreement on this. Like, if you would just eat them, you would love them!…. What’s that??…. we all have our own taste buds??…..head shaking from the mother. Smiles and big hits from the son.

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of regular Rotel tomatoes
1 (12oz.) canned chicken, drained
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped – if it is small, use it all
1 small can chopped ripe black olives
1 pkg. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 (8 oz.) Velveeta, cubed
1 1/2 pkg. Pizza cheese or half shredded provolone and half shredded cheddar cheese
1 (12 oz.) pkg. noodles
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions, bell pepper, and mushrooms together in a small amount of butter. (I’m thinking half a stick here. Yaasss!)

Prepare noodles.

Add soup, Rotel, chicken, olives, and Velveeta to onions, peppers, and mushrooms. Cook until melted and bubbly. Drain noodles and place in bottom of a 9 by 13 cooking dish. Add chicken mixture and sprinkle pizza cheese on top. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
This is so yummy! Eat the olives!