Cheesy Mexican Turkey and Rice Bake

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• ½ onion, chopped
• ½ bell pepper, chopped
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can Rotel
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (you can certainly use white rice if you prefer)
• ½ cup light sour cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• tortilla chips, salsa and sour cream for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick spray.
2. In a large skillet, brown turkey with onions and peppers. Drain off any excess fat and stir in taco seasoning.
3. Transfer turkey mixture to a large bowl and combine with beans, Rotel, rice and sour cream. Stir in ½ cup of the cheese.
4. Pour casserole into prepared dish and top with remaining cheese.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is gold and bubbly.
6. Serve with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream and salsa, if desired.

My Caprese Panini

Ingredients

• 1 ciabatta roll, split (I used whole wheat ciabatta rolls that I found at WalMart)
• 2 tbsp. pesto
• 2 slices provolone cheese
• 3 slices fresh buffalo mozzarella
• 3 slices Roma tomato
• 4 leaves fresh basil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-high. Spray with cooking spray.
2. Open ciabatta roll and spread one tbsp. of pesto on each halve, and then top with one slice of provolone each.
3. Layer mozzarella, tomato, basil, salt and pepper on one half and top with second slice.
4. Cook on griddle for 3-4 minutes per side, until cheese begins to melt and bread is crispy. You may want to use a heavy lid or second pan to weigh down sandwich.
5. Remove from skillet and cut in two before serving.

Makes 1 sandwich

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 box (13 oz.) whole wheat elbow macaroni
• 2-3 cups shredded chicken
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• ½ cup chopped red onion, optional (I don’t like onions, so I didn’t add, but I think they’d make a nice touch)
• ¾ cup bleu cheese crumbles, divided
• ½ cup mayo*
• ½ cup sour cream*
• ½ cup milk*
• 1 packet ranch dressing/dip mix
• ½ cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce (use a bit less if you can’t take the heat)

Instructions

1. Cook and drain the macaroni according to package instructions.
2. In a large bowl toss together the macaroni, shredded chicken, carrots, celery and onions, if using. Sprinkle with ¼ cup of the bleu cheese crumbles.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, sour cream, milk, ranch mix, hot sauce, and remaining ½ cup of bleu cheese crumbles.
4. Pour buffalo ranch over macaroni mixture. Toss together until all ingredients are well coated with ranch.
5. Transfer to a large serving bowl and dig in!

Serves 10
*I always use low fat (NOT fat free) mayo, sour cream and milk in my recipes, and I think it tastes great, especially when mixed with other flavorful ingredients. Feel free to use regular if you’d like. If I ever use regular, I’ll be sure to let you know.

Mini Chocolate Chip Pecan Pies

Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce package refrigerated pie crusts
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 (10-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Unroll the piecrusts onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into 2 (15-inch) circles. Cut out circles using a 1 3/4-inch round cookie cutter, re-rolling dough as needed (I was able to get 12 large circles (1 ¾ inch) and 9 smaller circles. I used the large circles in a regular muffin tin, and used a mini muffin tin for the smaller circles).
3. Place into greased muffin pans, pressing on the bottoms and up the sides of each of the mini-muffin cups.
4. Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, flour, and eggs in a large bowl, mixing well. Add the vanilla. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips. Spoon the filling evenly into the pie shells.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes for large muffins and about 16-20 for smaller muffins, or until filling is set and crust is lightly browned.
6. Cool in pans on wire racks.