Southwest Turkey Burgers

Southwest Turkey Burgers

Review: Pretty good.

Changes: I didn't want to splurge on bacon... of course it would have been better with bacon. I used dry herbs, since I used all my parsley last week on the stuffed shells. We served it on wheat buns but also didn't use the special relish.

Served With: Corn on the cob. Pickles, ketchup.

My mom is visiting for a couple days! I don't think she is going to like everything we eat, or the options we have in the house. But she was good with these burgers. They were a bit time consuming chopping things finely. But do a little bit at a time I guess, that's the only way I can get anything done! They were also a bit on the spicy side. I think it would be even better if you sautéed the onion and peppers before adding them to the meat.

Turkey and Spinach Pasta Bake

Well I found some ground turkey on markdown the other day. So I need to use it! So we are taking a break from the scheduled menu to serve up some Turkey and Spinach Stuffed Shells. Although, I'm not going to stuff shells, just use whatever noodles are in the cabinet. Think this should save some time too. I'm also making half for now and freezing the other half for later.

Review: Okay, I'd like a little more sauce and a little less parsley. I never get the parsley cut up fine enough, and I just don't enjoy biting into it.

Changes: Used mini penne pasta. Cooked it and mixed it in with everything else.

Served With: Spinach and arugula salad.

Crock-pot Lasagna

This recipe is based off this Kraft recipe. But I wanted to make it a little healthier.

1 lb. Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
24 oz. spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
15 oz low-fat ricotta cheese
7 oz 2% milk shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup low-fat grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 organic egg
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
12 oz chopped frozen broccoli, thawed
6 lasagna noodles, uncooked

1.  Cook meat in large pot, drain and rinse. Stir in spaghetti sauce and water.
2.  In a separate large bowl mix ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 Tbsp parmesan, egg, parsley, and broccoli.
3.  Spoon 1 cup meat sauce into slow cooker. Top with 3 noodles broken to fit and 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Spoon 2 cups meat sauce on top. Add another layer of noodles and the rest of the cheese mixture. Top with rest of meat sauce. Place lid on slow cooker.
4.  Cook on low 5 hours or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and let stand covered 10 minutes or until melted.

Review: Pretty tasty, good way to hide some more veggies. I think I would like to get a little more flavor.

Changes: Maybe add a little oregano to the cheese mixture. I would like to find an organic lower sodium spaghetti sauce. I would like to have a healthier noodle, but haven't found them at the store.

Served With: Salad and garlic toast. Served to my in-laws. I think I would normally not have the garlic toast, there are enough carbs in the noodles.