Spicy Turkey Meatballs

Now, now. Don't start freaking out because I mentioned the word "turkey" right next to meatballs. You have no idea what you're missing. My mom introduced me to these. She said "let's make these turkey meatballs" and I seriously thought...no thanks, but we made them anyway. As we were mixing the meat and spices I was thinking they were going to be bland, dry and gross. Boy was I wrong. These were OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! I LOVED them! They were tender, flavorful and juicy....and healthy. Go figure. We made a double batch and froze half of them for future quick dinners. Genius. Give them a try...especially with the spaghetti and white sauce with smoked Gouda cheese - absolutely delicious!

Meatballs:
2 lbs ground turkey
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
2 eggs (you can just use egg whites here as a healthier option - just add 1 T skim milk with them)
2 t chili powder
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs (you can use ground up garbanzo beans here for a healthier option)
1 T dried parsley
1 t black pepper
1/2 t salt

1 lb spaghetti (use whole wheat pasta here for a healthier option)
1 8oz package low fat cream cheese
2 cups milk
4 oz smoked Gouda cheese, grated

For the meatballs, mix all ingredients together and form into 1-1 1/2 inch balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. In a large skillet or large saucepan, melt cream cheese over low heat. After melted, add milk and whisk until smooth, bubbly and thick. Add half of the cheese to the mixture and stir until melted. Add spaghetti to the sauce. Plate spaghetti topped with meatballs and extra Gouda cheese.

*We also made a marinara sauce (for my dad...the baby) and it was ABSOLUTELY delicious mixing the red sauce with the white!! Try it...you won't be disappointed.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

I saw this one on Our Best Bites and knew I needed to try it right away. It definitely hit the spot! It was simple and delicious. Instead of using ground chicken, I used ground turkey and we loved it! I tell ya...I'm completely converted to ground turkey. I have not been disappointed yet. Try this and you'll love it!

2 t olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (I used about 1 t ground ginger since my fresh ginger was bad)
1 lb ground chicken (I used ground turkey)
3 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped (about 8 small mushrooms)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 C bagged coleslaw mix or thinly shredded cabbage ( I used about 3 cups of shredded cabbage)
1 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained, rinsed, and finely minced
1/2 C thinly sliced green onions
4 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced (about 3-4 Tbs juice)
1/2-1 tsp sriracha or other hot sauce (I omitted this)
1/3 C roughly chopped cilantro (I omitted this)
1-2 heads iceberg lettuce

Dipping/Drizzling Sauce
4 Tbs soy sauce
4 Tbs rice vinegar
3 Tbs water
2 tsp honey
1-2 tsp finely minced fresh ginger (I used a few sprinkles of ground ginger)

Heat a very large skillet to medium-high heat on the stove top. When hot, add vegetable oil and then garlic and ginger. Saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, and then add ground chicken, chopped mushrooms, and salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until chicken is cooked through. (*At this point, sometimes I have some extra liquid in the pan from the chicken. If it’s quite a bit, I tilt the pan and spoon it out so the chicken can cook and not boil.) Add cabbage/coleslaw, water chestnuts, and green onions. Cook for about 2 minutes, until cabbage starts to wilt. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, the zest from the lemon and the lemon juice, and hot sauce to taste. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro (if you are adding.)

To prepare dipping sauce, combine all ingredients and whisk to combine.

To serve, carefully remove the individual leaves from the head of lettuce. (The closer you get to the center, the easier it becomes!) Place chicken mixture in the leaves and serve with sauce.

Yield: about 5 C chicken mixture. Makes 14-16 lettuce wraps.

*From Our Best Bites

Taco Soup

This is the most perfect meal when you have nothing in the cupboards and no time:) The best part is that you don't sacrifice flavor here. It's the perfect medley of flavors and the ultimate comfort food. I like to serve it with a great recipe of cornbread and a bowl full of tortilla chips. In fact...have you had the Roasted Garlic and Black Bean Tortilla Chips from Tostitos? Buy them, eat them and realize all is well in the world. They're delicious. I like to eat this soup with those chips. Perfection. Enjoy!

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (I won't lie...I've converted to ground turkey and I'm not turning back! In my opinion though, the only good ground turkey is Foster Farms. It's the moistest, most flavorful and almost melts in your mouth. If you're not a ground turkey fan, ground beef can definitely be substituted here.)
1/2 onion, diced small
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (11 oz) can Mexicorn
1 (15 oz) can black beans
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans
1 taco packet
1 (1 oz) Ranch dressing packet
2 cups water
Shredded cheese and sour cream to serve

In a large skillet, brown ground turkey with onion. Add half of the taco seasoning packet to the meat. In the meantime, add the diced tomatoes, Mexicorn, black beans, diced green chilies, and kidney beans to a large pot NOT DRAINED. This adds a great flavor when all juices are added together. Add browned meat, the remaining taco seasoning, ranch packet and water. Stir to combine. At this point you're ready to eat if you like. Personally, I like the soup to simmer for a good 20-30 minutes so that it thickens and the flavors meld. Either way you won't be disappointed. Top with cheese and sour cream. Enjoy!

Creamy Taco Mac

This is so easy and delicious. I guess it could be a play on Hamburger Helper - although I don't even know if I've ever had Hamburger Helper:) Either way it's the perfect comfort food for all ages. So easy and so delicious. I opt to make it with ground turkey, but hamburger could easily be substituted. This actually can be an extremely healthy meal if you use whole wheat pasta, ground turkey, fat free cream cheese and light sour cream. But most importantly it doesn't skimp on flavor either way.

1.25 lbs ground turkey (the best I've ever found is the 4 pack from Costco - it has the most flavor without being too dry)
8 oz dry pasta + 1 cup reserve pasta water
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
4 T taco seasoning
4-5 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
cheddar cheese (optional for an extra creaminess)

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to directions. Reserve one cup of pasta water.

Over medium heat, brown ground turkey until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning and diced tomatoes. Allow to simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Add cooked pasta, reserved water, cream cheese, sour cream and cheddar cheese. Give it a good stir until cheeses are melty and incorporated. Simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt & pepper, as desired. Top off with cheddar cheese for extra cheesy goodness.

* From Delish