open faced chicken meatball sandwich

Chicken meatball open faced sandwich.
We used Chicken meatballs for this recipe. You could also use turkey meatballs or beef if you like.
 These were a bit expensive, but a much better diet choice. :-)

This is a simple recipe, and oh so good!

1 package meatballs.

1 jar marinara sauce.

 2 sub buns, cut in half.

2% shredded mozzarella cheese.

      In a sauce pan, heat sauce and meatballs until hot and bubbly.

Spread some of the  sauce on buns.

Cut meatballs in half, and place along bun.

Top with more sauce.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Place in a pre-heated oven, (350) until cheese is melted.

Serve warm.
We had this with our home made coleslaw.

Southwestern Turkey Casserole

Southwestern Turkey Casserole

10 ounces cooked diced turkey.
16 (6in) corn tortillas, cut into strips.
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup.
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup.
1 can diced green chillies, drained.
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese.
1 cup sour cream.
Preheat oven to 350.
In a mixing bowl, combine chicken soup, mushroom soup, chilies, and sour cream.

Line the bottom of a greased 8x12 baking pan with 1/2 corn tortillas.

follow with 1/2 turkey.
Then 1/2 soup mixture.

Sprinkle with 1/2 cheese.
Repeat layers and top with remaining cheese.

Bake 30-45 minutes until heated through.

Enjoy!

Now we used fat free sour cream and fat free shredded cheese. If you use the fat free cheese. wait until heated through and put cheese on top for the last 10 minutes.

Creamy Hot Italian Turkey Sausage pie

1lb light hot Italian sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 oz package fat free cream cheese
I pkg frozen spinach, thawed and pressed of excess water
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 pkg low fat refrigerated biscuits or pizza dough(the kind in a rolled can)
2 eggs
1 24 oz fat-free cream-style cottage cheese
1/4 cup reduced fat Parmesan cheese
1 tbs corn starch
chopped tomatoes
chopped chives
4 oz. fat free shredded cheddar cheese

Saute onion, drain, set aside.
Brown sausage, drain, add sauteed onion, stir in cream cheese and mushrooms, set aside.

In a 9 x 13 dish, lightly grease and press dough onto bottom and up sides just over top.

Spoon in meat mixture evenly.

In a bowl, combine eggs, cottage cheese,spinach, and corn starch.

Spread mixture over meat mixture

Bake uncovered 25-30 min. at 350

Sprinkle cheese and let melt. Remove from oven and let rest 5-10 min. Garnish with tomato and chives.

Enjoy! makes more than enough for leftovers too!

Turkey Tetrazzini casserole

Turkey Tetrazzini, Craig's way.

We found this recipe on-line and Craig thought it looked good. But as usual, he 'modified' it. So first, the original recipe.

Ingredients
10 ounce uncooked vermicelli
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 pound turkey breast cutlets
3/4 teaspoon onion powder, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 (8-ounce) packages presliced mushrooms
3/4 cup frozen green peas, thawed
3/4 cup fat-free milk
2/3 cup fat-free sour cream
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup (such as Healthy Choice)
Cooking spray
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle turkey with 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add turkey to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove turkey from pan.
Add 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, sherry, and mushrooms to pan. Cover and cook 4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
Combine peas, milk, sour cream, cheese, and soup in a large bowl. Chop turkey. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, pasta, turkey, and mushroom mixture to soup mixture, tossing gently to combine. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Combine breadcrumbs and butter in a small dish, tossing to combine. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over pasta mixture. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes or until bubbly and thoroughly heated.


Now what Craig did different.
He used left-over chopped turkey breast from our turkey last week.
He hates peas, so he put chopped green onions in it's place.
He didn't have any dry sherry, so he used dry vermouth.
Instead of regular mushrooms, he used baby bellas.
And then before serving, he topped with shredded fat free cheddar cheese, and diced tomatoes.
It was delicious!

Ummmmm broth!

Pictured here are 11 pints of wonderful rich turkey broth.

After we cook a turkey, Craig saves all the 'stuff' in the bottom of the roasting pan and puts it in a freezer bag and in the freezer. After we've eaten enough turkey, he salvages the rest of the meat and freezes it for later use. (Craig makes a wonderful turkey rice casserole) Then he freezes the rest of the carcass. This turkey, we didn't have regular stuffing, so he 'stuffed' it with onions, celery, and oranges. They help to keep the turkey moist, and add some nice flavor too. So all this 'stuffing' gets frozen also. Also when ever he trims veggies for meal, he keeps a freezer bag in the freezer he adds the veggie scraps to it. Once he has accumulated enough stuff, he makes a batch of broth.
First in the pan, the frozen liquid from the roaster pan.

once that has thawed, the rest of the stuff.
Add enough water to cover everything, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and let simmer for 6-8 hours. When it's done, it should look like this.

Strain in a colander, pour into containers, cool, and freeze for future use.

This would make a wonderful soup base, but we're not much soup people. So Craig uses it for making mashed potatoes, boiling rice or noodles, anything where he can substitute for water. Makes things taste richer. And if you want clearer broth, use a finer screen colander.

Turkey with White Castle stuffing

For Christmas Craig cooks a turkey with White Castle stuffing.

That's right, he uses White Castle hamburgers. You can find them in the freezer section in the store. Let them thaw completely and tear them into small bits.

Here's a pic of them all torn up.
The recipe........
1 box (six) of frozen White castle hamburgers. (you can use fresh, but take out the pickle)
1 1/2 cups diced celery.
2 cups diced onion,
1/2 bag stuffing mix. (any seasoned type you want)
1/2 teaspoon thyme.
1/2 teaspoon sage.
1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper.

Mix all the ingredients together.
Use a stuffing bag to make it easier to get the stuffing back out. Stuff the turkey with as much as will fit. Tie off the end of the bag.

For the extra stuffing I make a foil pouch to hold the rest so it will fit in the corner of the oven with the turkey. Make sure to add about 1/2 cup of chicken broth to the stuffing in the pouch to help moisten while cooking. Add the pouch to the oven for the last hour of cooking.
Here's a pic of the turkey, stuffed, seasoned and ready to cook.

If using a roaster pan cover and cook at 325 for recommended time. if using a foil roasting pan, make a tent out of foil and cover, not letting the foil touch the turkey, and cook.

Make whatever side dishes you want. We had scalloped corn and scalloped potatoes.

Enjoy a delicious turkey dinner!

Turkey dinner

Ummmm! Turkey dinner!
Craig is a traditionalist when it comes to holiday meals, and Thanksgiving is one of them.
Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and scalloped corn.


His turkey is always moist and tasty. He does stuff the turkey, and makes extra stuffing on the side. Then mixes them together before serving. He then puts the turkey into a roasting pan and seasons the outside with a rub. What ever seasonings you like. Add some water in the bottom, and make a tent out of foil and completely seal the pan. But not touching the skin, this allows the turkey to steam as it cooks, making it extremely moist. Cook at 325. The time depends on the weight. Craig will cook a 13 lb turkey for 6-7 hours. Uncover the turkey the last 30 minutes so it'll brown nicely.
Scalloped corn and home made mashed potatoes finish the meal.

And we always eat too much! It took 2 plate to hold the food!

And there you have it. A delicious turkey dinner!

Creamy Turkey Pie

Here's another recipe to warm you on a cold day. Creamy Turkey Pie!


Creamy Turkey Pie


1lb ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 oz package fat free cream cheese
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 pkg low fat refrigerated biscuits or bread
(the kind in a rolled can)
1 egg
1 cup fat-free cream-style cottage cheese
1/4 cup reduced fat Parmesan cheese
1 tbs flour
chopped tomatoes
chopped onions
4 oz. fat free shredded cheddar cheese

Brown turkey with salt and pepper, and saute onions. Drain.
Stir in cream cheese til combined, add mushrooms, set aside.
In a lightly greased 9 inch pie plate, spread bread dough, pressing onto bottom and up the sides to about 1/2 inch over edges.
Spoon in turkey mixture, spreading evenly.
In a bowl, combine egg(remove the shell), cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, and flour. Mix till smooth. Spoon over turkey mixture.
Bake uncovered 25-30 min at 350.
Remove from oven(careful, hot!). Let stand 10 min.
Garnish with tomatoes and onions, and cheese.
Enjoy!

Turkey Rice Casserole

Turkey Rice Casserole.

This is a great recipe for using leftover Turkey!

Pre-cook long grain rice. Craig added chopped green onions and carrots while cooking the rice for a color and nutritional boost.

Put half the rice in a greased baking dish. Top with turkey, chopped onions, sliced mushrooms, and fat free shredded cheese. Top with rest of the rice mixture and top with remaining gravy. Cook at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Yummy!