Hearty Crockpot Sweet Potato Chili

This chili is a breeze to put together, especially with pre-cooked ground turkey.  I love this kitchen cheat – browning meat when I buy it and keeping it pre-cooked in the freezer.  It makes all the difference in meal prep on a busy morning or night. 

In addition to the ease of prep, I love all the veggies in this chili and how the creamy goodness of the sweet potato puree cuts the acidity of the tomatoes.  It’s a delightful combination and we really enjoyed it. 

Hearty Crockpot Sweet Potato Chili – Adapted from Tator Tots & Jello

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. ground turkey Italian sausage (we made our own), browned
• 2 medium red bell peppers, diced into 1-inch cubes
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced into 1-inch cubes
• 2 cans (14 oz) diced tomatoes
• 2 cans (14 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 T dried minced onion
• 1/4 tsp. dried minced garlic
• 1 can great white northern beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1/2 C sweet potato puree
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 T chili powder (more or less to taste)
• Extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded for garnish
• Dried parsley, shredded for garnish
• Plain Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream

Directions

Add the browned ground turkey sausage, diced bell peppers, 2 cans each of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, 1 T minced onion, 1/4 tsp. minced garlic and 1/2 C sweet potato puree to a large (6 qt) crockpot.  Stir well. 

Add in the white and black beans, along with 1 T chili powder and salt and pepper.  Stir well. 

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. 

Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese, plain Greek yogurt (for sour cream) and dried parsley. 

Enjoy!

Turkey Meatball Sub Casserole

With our leftover meatballs from our crockpot turkey meatloaf dinner, I opted to try something that looked extremely delicious from the Country Cook.

The recipe relies on French bread, meatballs, spaghetti sauce, and a creamy mixture originally made out of cream cheese and mayo.  We opted to combine Greek Yogurt and cream cheese for a lighter center, and it worked out great. 

This was a great leftover meal, changing plain old spaghetti and meatballs into something fresh the next day.  Kind of like another one of our favorite spaghetti leftovers – spaghetti braid. 

Meatball Sub Casserole – Adapted from The Country Cook

Ingredients

• 2 C spaghetti sauce (leftover preferred)
• French Bread
• 4 oz. cream cheese, slightly softened
• 1/3 C plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 tsp. basil
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 C mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese for garnish, if desired

Directions

Begin by slicing up your French Bread into 1-1/2 inch slices.  Arrange the slices in the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish and lightly spritz the top and bottom with olive oil.  Place the pan in the oven and broil for 1-2 minutes on each size, watching carefully so they do not burn.  You want to get the bread toasty so it doesn’t get soggy. 

Meanwhile, warm the spaghetti sauce and meatballs for about 2 minutes in the microwave.  Set aside. 

Prepare the spread by whipping the 4 oz. of slightly softened cream cheese (we used Neufchatel) and adding in 1/3 C Greek Yogurt along with the 1/2 tsp. basil and 1/2 tsp. oregano, pepper and minced garlic.  Stir well.

Using caution because the bread and 9x13 baking dish will be hot, spread with cream cheese mixture over the top of the bread slices. Sprinkle with a little cheese, if desired. 

Top each with a meatball and marinara sauce.

Sprinkle shredded Mozzarella and/or Parmesan cheese over the top. 

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. 

Serve warm. 

What are your favorite ways to use leftovers? 

Recipe Make Over: Christmas Eggs Lightened Up

To kick off the new year, I wanted to share one of our favorite recipes lightened up.  This recipe comes from my husband’s family: Christmas Eggs.  Cheesy, bacon goodness made extra creamy with sour cream. 

This year for Christmas, I tried tweaking the recipe a bit (you always hate to do that with a family favorite) to see if I could make it a little better for you. 

We swapped Greek yogurt for sour cream, Canadian bacon for some of bacon, and used less but more flavorful cheese. 

We loved the result.  Still creamy and cheesy – a hearty and filling way to start the day.  You can easily double this recipe to feed 5+ people; this recipe feeds 4. 

Lightened Up Christmas Eggs – Adapted from FJiMK 

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 1/4 C milk
• pinch of salt
• dash of pepper
• 1/8 tsp. parsley
• 1/4 C plain non-fat Greek yogurt (we used Fage)
• 2 strips of bacon
• 3-4 pieces of Canadian bacon
• 1/4 C extra sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

Lightly grease an 8x8 baking dish and a large skillet.  Whisk together 6 eggs and 1/4 C milk.  Mix in salt, pepper and parsley.  Cook eggs over medium heat until they are nicely scrambled and just about set.  You don’t want to overcook them and dry them out since this dish will later be baked. 

Stir in 1/4 C Greek yogurt, and then place the eggs in the bottom of the 8x8 prepared pan. 

Dice up the bacon and Canadian bacon into small bits.  Cook the bacon over medium-low heat until crunchy.  Drain and discard bacon grease.  Then, in the same skillet, fry up the Canadian bacon pieces. 

Top the eggs with the bacon and Canadian bacon crumbles. 

Cool to room temperature and cover; refrigerate overnight if you plan to  make the eggs in the morning.  If not, continue on in the instructions. 

Top the eggs with shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese. 

Then, bake at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes until warmed and cheese is melted.  If you are baking the dish in the morning, place the dish in an non-preheated oven and bake following the above directions. 

Serve warm. 

Fruit & Yogurt Wraps

A tasty and refreshing breakfast or after school treat. 

Tortillas stuffed with yogurt, honey and fruit.  Rolled in cinnamon and sugar. 

Yum!

Fruit & Yogurt Wraps – Adapted from Tidy Mom

Ingredients

• 4 fajita-sized tortillas
• 1/2 T butter, melted
• 3 T sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 C plain Greek Yogurt (or your favorite yogurt variety)
• 4 tsp. honey
• 1 C frozen fruit or 1/4 C your favorite fruit preserve

Directions

Begin by melting 1/2 T butter and using a pastry brush to coat one side of each fajita.  Place the fajitas butter-side down one at a time onto a plate where 3 T sugar have been mixed with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. 

Top each tortilla with 1/4 C yogurt, spreading it in the center, leaving about a 1-inch margin around the edge. 

Drizzle approximately 1 tsp. honey over the yogurt. 

Layer fruit or fruit preserve over the top. 

We enjoyed blueberry, raspberry frozen fruit tucked inside these, as well as a raspberry rhubarb preserve option.  Yum! 

Note: if you use a preserve, like the raspberry rhubarb pictured above, be sure to leave at least 1 inch along the margin and spread your filling thing; otherwise it will ooze out when you roll it up. 

Roll up the tortilla and place them onto a cookie sheet. 

Freeze for 20-30 minutes. 

Slice in half. 

Place into a freezer-friendly bag or container. 

To serve, thaw at room temperature for 25-30 minutes before enjoying.  Don’t let them sit out too long or they will get soggy.  We found about 25 minutes was perfect.  These can easily be taken out of the freezer when you get up in the morning and they’ll be ready by the time you make your way to the kitchen for breakfast! 

They also make a great afternoon snack. 

Enjoy!

Creamy Spinach Pesto

For a girl with allergies, pesto is typically on my “avoid” list – loaded with pine nuts or walnuts and fresh basil, means this amazing culinary creation is out. 

Enter, spinach pesto. 

It’s absolutely delicious, although I can make no claims about the comparison of this pesto to the “original” basil pesto. 

Great on sandwiches (speaking, of I have an amazing recipe coming later this week using said pesto), in wraps, on pizza or heck, even as a dip. 

And, it’s so easy to make.  You likely even have all the ingredients on hand. 

Creamy Spinach Pesto – Finding Joy in My Kitchen

Ingredients

• 3 C fresh spinach
• splash of lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 T Parmesan cheese
• 1/2-1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 heaping T Greek Yogurt

Directions

In a food processor or blender, combine 3 C fresh spinach with a splash of lemon juice, 1/8 tsp. minced garlic, 1 T Parmesan cheese (grated works best), 1 T of plain Greek Yogurt and 1/2 tsp. dried basil.  Whirl away until smooth. 

**Note: If you have oral allergy syndrome like me, just wilt the spinach before you make the pesto. 

Taste, and if needed season with more basil to your liking.  Add salt and pepper if you would like. 

Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Makes about 1/2 C of pesto. 

Raspberry Rhubarb Frozen Yogurt

Tangy.  Creamy.  Refreshing. 

These are all adjectives to describe this bowl full of raspberry rhubarb frozen yogurt.  Although it’s not nearly warm enough for frozen treats here in the frozen tundra, I can’t ever pass up a good rhubarb splurge. 

This frozen yogurt is sure to be a summer staple for us!  There is something amazing about the combination of Greek Yogurt (we used Fage), honey and raspberry rhubarb.  Trust me on this one. 

Up next, I’ll try the blueberry rhubarb jam mixed into this frozen yogurt base. 

Raspberry Rhubarb Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients

• 2 C plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/4 – 1/2 C honey (depending on your preferred level of tartness)
• 3/4 C raspberry rhubarb preserve

Directions

Combine 2 C plain Greek Yogurt with 1/4 to 1/2 C honey.  Use more or less honey to your taste preferences. 

Stir until smooth. 

Then, stir in 1/2 C raspberry rhubarb preserve. 

Sample to make sure the sweet/tart ratio is just right for your family. 

Pour into your ice cream maker and make according to manufacturers directions. 

After about 15 minutes, your frozen yogurt should be ready.  Stir in the remaining 1/4 C rhubarb raspberry preserve so that you swirl the frozen yogurt. 

Serve right away or, freeze until ready to serve. 

Enjoy!

Parmesan Chicken Bake

This chicken has been flying all over Pinterest in recent months – something called “melt in your mouth chicken” or “the best chicken I’ve ever had”! 

I try not to make broad claims like this when I post my recipes because, well, everyone’s tastes are different. 

I guess that’s the scientist in me.  Don’t put forth a claim if you can’t back it up with evidence. 

So, I’m not going to tell you this is the best chicken recipe ever. 

I will tell you that our family really enjoyed it.  We found the taste to be tangy and yet savory at the same time. 

I will also tell you that the original recipes range between 40-50 grams of fat per serving.  This recipe clocks in at 8 grams of fat.  That works for our family. 

Finally, I will say that I really liked that it was easy to put together, baked up nicely and made great leftovers. 

I’ll leave you to decide if you think it’s the “best recipe” or if it “melts in your mouth”. 

Parmesan Chicken Bake – Adapted from Food.com

Ingredients

• 4-5 chicken breasts
• 1 C plain, Greek Yogurt (we used Fage)
• 2 T dried minced onion
• 1 tsp. dried minced garlic
• pinch of turmeric
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 C Parmesan cheese

Directions

Begin by preheating your oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9x13 or 2-quart casserole baking dish. 

Arrange chicken breasts in the pan so they are not overlapping. 

Mix together 1 C plain Greek Yogurt with 2 T dried minced onion, 1 tsp. dried minced garlic, 1/4 tsp. paprika, 1/4 tsp. pepper and a pinch of salt.  Stir well. 

Then, mix in 2 T Parmesan cheese.  We used shredded, but I could imagine grated would work well mixed in as well. 

Spread the yogurt mixture over the chicken breasts. 

Sprinkle remaining cheese over the chicken breasts. 

Bake for 45-50 minutes, uncovered. 

When chicken is browned and internal temperature reaches 180 degrees, the chicken is done. 

Remove from the oven and serve with rice and vegetables.