Turkey Taco Casserole on the Grill – No Heating up that Kitchen!!!

Tags

bbq, grill, Grilling, ground turkey, healthy, one pot meal, outdoor cooking, summer, taco casserole

Here in inland Northern California, our summers are pretty warm. We’ve had a series of days over 100 degrees, so I’ve been experimenting with more and more cooking on the grill. I’m trying to do anything I can to not heat up my house! This dish did the trick!!!

My experience cooking over an open fire when camping had scared me off from using my pans on the BBQ. BUT the gas grill does not cake your pans with soot the way an open fire does, so I’ve been using my cast iron skills on the grill more. I do have to admit, I’m not ready to put my Le Creuset pans on the grill!

So this casserole was cooked from beginning to end on our gas grill. The other great part about this dish is that most of the prep can be done ahead of time and stuck in the fridge for when you’re ready to cook. I love me some early dinner prep!!! Not to mention, it’s one of those all in one dishes! I didn’t make any other sides to go with it. It stood alone!

Turkey Taco Casserole

Makes 4-6 servings

1 pound ground turkey

2 tbsp oil (avocado or vegetable)

1 – 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup diced green onions

1/2 cup diced cilantro

1 small can sliced black olives

1 diced fresh jalapeño (if you want less spice, remove the seeds and ribs)

1 small can diced green chiles

1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (I used fresh, but you could use canned)

1/2 cup salsa

1 tbsp Tapatio hot sauce (optional)

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika (I used hot, smoked paprika. We love our spice!)

1/2 tsp chili powder

Salt and pepper

1 cup crushed tortilla chips

1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese (cheddar or plain jack would be good too.)

Our gas grill has 3 burner strips. I started by putting the 2 tbsp oil in my large cast iron skillet and then the ground turkey. I browned this over two of the burner strips. While that was cooking or even before, I mixed the next 12 ingredients (everything except tortilla chips and cheese) in a bowl and set aside or stick in the fridge if prepping ahead.

Once turkey is lightly browned, add the bowl of other ingredients and stir well until mixed. Sprinkle crushed tortilla chips over the entire top of casserole and then sprinkle grated cheese over that.

I turned all but one burner off and moved the skillet to the cooler side of the grill away from the burner that was on. I closed the grill and tried to maintain a temp of about 350 in the grill. I cooked for 40 minutes, turning it about 1/2 way through, so both sides of the skillet would cook evenly. You can check with a spoon to see that the center of the skillet is nice and hot.

I hope you enjoy and stay cool!!!

Turkey Chili in the Pressure Cooker – A Revelation for me!!!

Tags

chili, ground turkey, low sodium, low-fat, Pressure Cooker

I’m one of those weird foodie women that loves getting kitchen equipment as gifts. My wonderful hubby bought me this 8 quart pressure cooker for Christmas this year. My son-in-law has been singing the praises of these things and I’ve been wanting one, so my wish has been granted! Last night I used it to make Turkey Chili and wow, just wow!!! My recipe wasn’t really any different that what I’ve used in my slow cooker or dutch oven on the stove, but the flavor was so much better! Every bite was full of flavor! The meat and beans were infused with the wonderful flavors of the tomato, garlic, onion and spices. It was just so delectable! That being said, I was also able to still keep the fat and salt levels to a minimum. Win! Win!

So if you’re like me an new to the pressure cooker scene, here is a great starter recipe for you! My friend, Lisa, also received one and requested some tips, so here you go my friend!

I’ve also given some choices i this recipe, so if you’re missing some ingredients you don’t have to buy new things and you can play with the spice level. While I added quit a few spicy ingredients, I found this recipe to still be on the mild to medium side.

Turkey Chili in the Pressure Cooker

Makes 4-5 servings

1 pound Extra Lean or Lean Ground Turkey

1/2 large or 1 small red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground chipotle chili pepper or more chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (Leave out to reduce heat)

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

14 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup beef broth

14 oz can dark kidney beans, rinsed and drained

14 oz can black beans or more kidney beans, rinsed and drained

4 oz can diced green chilies

8 oz can tomato sauce

2 tbsp tomato paste (Tip: I find most recipes call for these smaller amounts, so I buy the tube of paste, not so many of the cans)

2 tbsp Frank’s Red Hot Sauce or a hot sauce of your choice (You can leave this out to reduce heat)

Optional, but yummy toppings: sour cream, diced green onions, shredded cheese

My pressure cooker has a non-stick pot, so I just sprayed it with some cooking spray to start. If your’s doesn’t have a non-stick pot you will want to coat well with oil. I then used the meat (or saute) function to cook the meat, onion and garlic until the meat was lightly browned and onion was tender. Next add all the remaining ingredients and give a stir. Close and lock your pressure cooker. Set to high and let it get fully pressurized then lower heat to low pressure and cook for 15 minutes. I then let the pressure escape naturally and then opened and served.

The whole thing took about 30 minutes and tasted better than slow cooked chili of the same recipe.

Enjoy!

Shepard’s Pie – A Healthier Version of a Warming Classic!

Tags

ground turkey, low-fat, Mashed potatoes, Shepard's Pie, vegetables

It’s officially fall and getting to be the time of year where we crave warm, comforting food. I was trying to think of something I hadn’t made in a while and Shepard’s Pie came to mind. This is one of those wonderful dishes that provides everything in one dish; meat, potatoes and vegetables. I used low-fat ingredients to make a lighter version and I was very happy with how it turned out! It had all the delicious flavor and hearty textures you would expect of Shepard’s Pie, without being loaded with fat.

You can get creative with the vegetables in this dish. My recipe includes what I had on hand, but you could substitute a variety of things. You could also completely replace the potatoes with sweet potatoes or do a half & half version. Get creative with it!!!!

Shepard’s Pie

5 russet potatoes, peeled and halved

1/2 cup non-fat milk

1/2 cup fat free sour cream

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed or 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper
2 carrots, peeled and diced

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1/2 cup mushrooms, diced

1 pound extra lean ground turkey

2 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup fat free chicken broth

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup reduced fat shredded cheese (optional)

Mashed potato topping: Boil potatoes in salted water until soft. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Mash potatoes. Add milk, sour cream, garlic and salt & pepper to taste. Mix well until smooth.

Make your pie filling while potatoes are cooking. I used an oven safe deep frying pan, so I could use it for my final product and not dirty another pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Pie filling: Spray frying pan with canola oil spray. Over medium high heat, saute carrots and onion until tender. Add garlic and mushrooms and saute another couple of minutes. Add turkey and cook until browned. Add the flour, salt and pepper and stir well. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until sauce thickens.

Remove filling from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes or so. Spoon mashed potatoes over filling in frying pan and spread to cover evenly. Bake uncovered in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese, if you wish and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. 

Serve and enjoy!!!

Healthy Hash – Spicy, Hearty and Healthy!

Tags

Carrots, Cooking, ground turkey, Hash, healthy, potatoes, ranch dressing, recipe, spicy

  

It was one of those nights, where I didn’t have a specific plan for dinner other than using stuff I had on hand that needed to be eaten! I hate wasting food, so this used some fresh veggies I had on hand and the ground turkey that needed to be used. It turned out to be a delicious, hearty dinner that had a nice amount of spice to it. It would be a great meal for a chilly evening. As tasty as it is, the ingredients are pretty basic, so chances are you’ll have them on hand and most people will enjoy this dish. You can always dial the spice up or down depending on your tastes.

Hearty Hash

4 russet potatoes, diced

2 carrots, peeled & diced

1/2 medium white onion, diced

1 pound ground turkey

1 packet ranch dressing mix

1 – 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 – 6 oz can tomato sauce

Salt and pepper

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (These could be left out to dial back the spice quite a bit.)

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking pan with non-stick spray. Pour diced potatoes into pan and spread In single layer. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.

Spray a frying pan with non-stick spray, brown ground turkey with onions and carrots. One the meat is cooked through, add ranch dressing mix, tomatoes, tomato sauce, peppers, paprika, parsley and potatoes. Stir and cook until veggies are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Enchilada Casserole – An Easy to Make Family Favorite

Tags

Chicken, Cooking, Easy, enchilada casserole, enchiladas, Food, ground turkey, healthy, lowfat, Mexican, recipe

  
One of our family’s favorite dishes is luckily incredibly easy to make! Our California family loves Mexican inspired food. I love enchiladas, but let’s be honest, they can be a bit of work to assemble. I wanted the flavors of enchiladas with out the work. Call me lazy, but I’m a working mom and rolling enchiladas on a week night just doesn’t appeal to me, so my enchilada casserole was born! If you use the right ingredients, this recipe is also pretty lowfat.

As I always do, I play with my food and mix it up once in a while. On this particular occasion, you can see from the picture that I included some corn in my casserole. I don’t always do that. I also switch up the meat that I use. On this night, I simmered boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the enchilada sauce and then shredded it before assembling my casserole. I have also used ground turkey. I have also made it using either green or red enchilada sauce. The casserole is great any way you make it!

Give this casserole a try! I guarantee your family will love eating it and you’ll love how easy it is to make!

Kel’s Enchilada Casserole

1 pound ground turkey or boneless, skinless chicken

2-16 oz cans fat free refried beans 

8-12 tortillas (You can use either corn or flour. I like to use La Tortila Factory’s Smart & Delicious Light Flour Tortillas to keep the fat and calories down.)

1-28 oz can of red or green enchilada sauce (or family prefers the green, but you can use either)

1-4 oz can diced green chilies (optional, but when using the green enchilada sauce this is a nice add)

1/2 onion diced

3/4 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese (I often use the fat free Kraft shredded cheddar)

1-4 oz can sliced black olives

1 cup frozen or canned corn (optional)

Brown ground turkey in a skillet on the stove top. Once browned add enchilada sauce to meat. Or you can simmer or slow cook chicken in the enchilada sauce and then shred the chicken once cooked through. Add your onions to the browning or simmering meat. If adding corn, you can stir it in with your cooked meat and sauce prior to assembling casserole.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray. Spread refried beans in bottom of casserole dish. Cover beans with 1/2 of your tortillas. I try to make sure I have 1 good layer of tortillas over the beans, sometimes I tear the tortillas in half to do this. It depends on the size of the tortillas you use. It’s OK if they overlap some. Next you will scoop your meat with some of the enchilada sauce and spread on top of the tortilla layer. You want to try and leave some of the sauce in the pan to top your casserole. It’s alright if here is a little bit of meat left too. On top of the meat you will layer the other 1/2 of your tortillas. Next spread the remaining enchilada sauce and any remaining meat. Then spread your shredded cheese over your casserole and top with black olives.

Bake for about 30 minutes until hot, bubbly and cheese is well melted.

Enjoy!