Unbelievable Turkey Meatloaf

In trying to implement better eating habits in my family we are trying to eat less red meat. However, meatloaf has always been a family favorite. I have experimented with ground turkey until I have come up with a recipe that is almost as good as beef meatloaf.


Served with mashed potatoes and peas, it makes a healthy meal.




Unbelievable Turkey Meatloaf
--1 lb. ground turkey
--1/2 cup breadcrumbs
--1 large egg, beaten
--1 medium carrot, shredded
--1 medium onion, minced
--1/4 cup ketchup
--1/2 tsp minced garlic
--1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
--1/4 tsp celery seeds
--1 tsp salt
--1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine turkey and bread crumbs in a large bowl. Add shredded carrots and minced onions and fold into turkey mixture. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well with your hands. Form into a loaf and place in lightly greased 9 x 12 pan. Cover with foil and bake for one hour. Remove foil and continue baking for 15 to 30 more minutes or until cooked through. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy

Turkey Hash with Sage Biscuits

Bring Thanksgiving to your home on a weekly basis with this wonderful recipe for Turkey Hash with Sage Biscuits. I use turkey breast that have been roasted or grilled for this recipe.


Turkey Hash with Sage Biscuits
--1/4 cup low fat mayonnaise or salad dressing
--2 TBSP Bisquick
--2 cups cooked turkey, cut into bite-size pieces
--1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
--2 celery stalks, diced (about 1 cup)
--1/2 cup diced onions
--2 1/4 cups Bisquick
--3/4 cup milk
--2 tsp fresh sage leaves, or 1/2 tsp dried sage leaves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix mayonnaise and 2 TBSP Bisquick in medium bowl until well blended. Stir in turkey, cheese, celery and onions; set aside.

Mix remaining Bisquick, the milk and sage just until soft dough forms. Place on surface generously sprinkled with flour or Bisquick. Gently roll dough until covered and then knead gently about 10 to 15 times. Roll dough until 1/2 inch thick. Cut with biscuit cutter dipped in Bisquick. Place biscuits close together around the edges of ungreased baking dish.

Spoon turkey mixture into mound in center of biscuits. Bake uncovered 18 to 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and turkey is hot. Enjoy.

Easy Fish Chowder

I love seafood - any type of seafood - so in order to get more fish into my diet, many days for lunch I fix myself a concoction I've named "Easy Fish Chowder". While, my hubby and daughter aren't too fond of this chowder, I love it and usually eat it 2 to 3 times a week.

EASY FISH CHOWDER
--1 large potato, cut into bite-size chunks
--1/2 an onion, roughly chopped (any sweet onion that is in season)
--1 or 2 stalks celery (depending on your taste)
--1/2 cup chopped carrots
--1 piece of fish (tilipia, flounder, ocean perch, pollock, etc.)
--Season salt to taste
--1/4 cup of milk
--2 tsp grated Parmeasan cheese (optional)

In a large skillet, place potatoes, onion, celery, carrots and Season salt to taste in enough water to cover all veggies. Cook over medium high heat for 10 minutes; most of water will absorb. Then turn heat to medium and stir in milk; add fish to center of skillet and cover with veggies. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, or until fish is flaky.

Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon. Sprinkle Parmeasan cheese over dish and your favorite fresh herbs (I like basil and dill for fish). Enjoy. This makes one large serving.

(PS: I realize all the cooking books say you should not add cheese to fish, but the Parmeasan cheese adds a special flavor that I enjoy!)

White Chocolate Cookies w/ Macadamia Nuts

For Christine's Sweet 16 Birthday, she requested a homemade giant cookie - white chocolate chip with macadamia nuts. The following is the recipe for her favorite cookie - super-sized for her birthday.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES WITH MACADAMIA NUTS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together until smooth:
--1 cup butter, softened
--3/4 cup sugar
--3/4 cup brown sugar
--1 tsp. vanilla

Then, beat and add:
--2 eggs

Mix together and add gradually:
--2 1/4 cups unsifted flour
--1 tsp. baking soda

Stir in:
--1 pkg. (12 oz) white chocolate chips
--1 pkg (6 oz) chopped Macadamia nuts

Spread half of cookie dough onto ungreased round pizza pan. Bake 12 to 20 minutes in 375 degree oven (check every minute after first 12 minutes). Be careful not to over bake! Cool on wire rack. You may eat this plain, or top with your favorite frosting. Makes 2 giant cookies, or left-over dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Birthday Wishes

HAPPY SWEET 16, CHRISTINE!!!!!
We love you bunches,
Mom and Dad

Christine's Enchilada Casserole

Tonight for supper, my 16 year old fixed Enchilada Casserole. It was so yummy, I'm going to pass the recipe on to you.

Christine's Enchilada Casserole
--1 lb. lean ground beef (may substitute ground chicken or turkey)
--1/2 cup chopped onions
--1 small can of Old El Paso enchilada sauce
--1 pkg. dry taco mix
--1/2 cup water
--1 cup sour cream
--Flour or corn tortilla (we used corn)
--1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
--lettuce and tomatoes for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a skillet, brown beef and onions; drain. Stir in taco mix, water and enchilada sauce and heat to boiling. Lower heat and simmer until mixture cooks down to taco consistency.

Take four tortillas and cut in half. In an ungreased 11 x 7-inch baking dish layer tortillas. Spread with half of the sour cream, 1/2 cups of cheese and then top with half of the beef mixture. Repeat layers. For the top layer, add more tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Serve with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes. Makes 6 servings.

Favorite SITS Recipe To Date

In order to be in the running to win the $50 Williams Sonoma Gift Card from the SITS Girls Recipes, here is the link to my favorite SITS Recipe to date: the Chicken Casserole by Pajama Mama

Welcome SITS Viewers

Hi y'all! I'm sure many of you are visiting today from the SITS recipe site and I'm glad to have y'all over. Aren't those SITS ladies wonderful?!! I was thrilled to be chosen as the SITS "Reciper" of the day. Please feel free to surf around this site.

My recipe blog is a fairly new addition to my blogoverse, but with the economy in the shape it is right now, our family is spending more time at home. While I love spending time with family, cooking is not my favorite thing to do. I have been experimenting with easy recipes and one-dish recipes, things I can do with my 16 year old daughter. She is the one who loves to cook, so I'm finding myself in the kitchen with her more and more these days.

After your finished with my recipes, feel free to hop over to any of my other blogs; I always enjoy company!

Bobbi's Book Nook

Mrs. Greenhands

Rightmyer Rants

And once again, from the bottom of my heart, I thank ya'all for stopping by! Now browse around and make yourself at home!

Baked Tilapia

This quick and easy baked tilapia makes a nutritious and delicious meal. Tilapia is one of my family's favorite types of fish. Serve the tilapia with baked or fried potatoes and homemade hushpuppies.



Baked Tilapia
--4 to 6 tilapia fillets, about 1 1/2 pounds
--Salt and pepper
--1 cup soft fresh bread crumbs
--1 tsp paprika
--3 tablespoons melted butter (I use low-fat margarine)
--lemon or lime juice

Heat oven to 400°.
Lightly grease a large shallow baking dish. Arrange fish fillets on the prepared baking pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir the paprika into the butter, then combine with the bread crumbs and lightly toss. Sprinkle the crumbs over the tilapia fillets.

Bake the fish fillets for 15 to 18 minutes, or until fish is cooked through. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes to brown the topping. Fish will flake easily with a fork when done. Remove the fillets to plates with a spatula. Squeeze a dash of lemon or lime juice over each fillet. Serves 4.

Yummy!! It's what's for dinner tonight.

Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Today I'm sharing another cookie recipe that is a family favorite: Butterscotch Chip Cookies. I also use this recipe to make Christmas gifts for family and friends - by layering the dry ingredients into a quart-size mason jar. I attach a ribbon and a recipe card - listing the wet ingredients to be added and the directions for baking - and the recipient has a wonderful dessert in a jar, ready for baking.


Butterscotch Chip Cookies
--1 cup butterscotch chips
--1/2 cup butter
--1/4 cup sugar
--1/2 cup brown sugar
--1 egg
--1 cup shifted, all purpose flour
--1/2 tsp baking soda
--1/2 tsp salt
--1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
--1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cream the butter in a mixing bowl until soft. Add both sugars gradually and cream until light and fluffy. Sift in flour, soda and salt together and blend into the sugar mixture. Add vanilla and mix in well.

Fold in butterscotch chips and gently mix together. Using an ice cream scoop, drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Store in air-tight container. Makes approximately 3 dozens

Bobbi's Chicken Pot Pie

My family loves chicken pot pies, especially my homemade variety. I have individual baking crocks, so all 3 of us get our own pie. This makes it easy to adjust ingredients according to what everyone likes. For example, my husband isn't crazy about peas but he loves the chicken, so I put in less peas and more chicken. I like the veggies more than the chicken, so I put in more veggies and less chicken. There's nothing like making individual recipes that are quick and easy.

Bobbi's Chicken Pot Pie

--1 cup frozen peas, thawed
--1/2 cup frozen carrots, thawed (optional)
--1 cup potatoes, cut into cubes and parboiled for 10 minutes (I don't like frozen potatoes)
--1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cut up
--1 can cream of chicken soup (I use low-fat, low-sodium)


Pie Crust
--1 cup flour
--3/4 teaspoon baking powder
--1/2 teaspoon salt
--1/3 cup shortening
--3 tablespoons ice water
--1 egg yolk, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. This recipe can be made in one 9" pie plate, or individual baking dishes. In your baking dish, combine veggies, chicken and soup.

To make the pie crust, mix flour, baking powder, salt, shortening and water in a bowl. On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/4" thickness. Layer over top of baking dish and brush with egg yolk. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes; top should be golden brown and bubbly near edges.

Tip: The pot pies may bubble over, so place baking dish on a lined baking sheet for easier clean-up

Yummy Mummy: Prelaunch Giveaway

Check this out!!!!










Yummy Mummy is having a give-away!

Yummy Mummy was started by Melissa Roiter ... after years of baking the brownies herself, Melissa knew that the delicious treats that she learned to bake from her Gran-Mummy were destined to be shared and opened up her site to bless us with her talent. And oh, what a talent it is! At first glance, the brownies will make your mouth water right through the computer screen.

Check out this website - it's yumolicious.

Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

My family loves cookies and one of their favorites is Peanut Butter Chip Cookies. I basically took a chocolate chip cookie recipe and made it new by adding Reese's Peanut Butter Chips.


PEANUT BUTTER CHIPS COOKIES
--2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
--1 teaspoon baking soda
--1 teaspoon salt
--2 sticks butter, softened
--3/4 cup granulated sugar
--3/4 cup packed brown sugar
--1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
--2 eggs; you can substitute with EggBeaters
--2 cups (12-ounce package) Reese's Peanut Butter Chips
--1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Shift flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly beat in flour mixture. With a spoon, stir in morsels and nuts, if using. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. I use the Martha Stewart trick of dropping dough with an ice cream scoop.

Bake in preheated oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes approximately 4 dozen.

Bobbi's Kentucky Fried Chicken

I have lived in Kentucky most of my life, and like many Kentuckians, I have my own version of fried chicken. Although most of the meats I cook are either grilled or baked, fried chicken is the one exception for pulling out the old frying pan.


Bobbi's Kentucky Fried Chicken

--Chicken of choice; my family likes breast meat, so I always use boneless chicken breasts.
--1 cup milk
--2 cups all-purpose flour
--1/2 cups of yellow cornmeal
--2 tsp season salt
--2 tsp fresh ground pepper
--2 tsp paprika
--1 egg, beaten
--frying oil of choice; I use canola oil
--1 brown paper sack; or large baggie

Several hours before cooking, I soak the chicken pieces in the milk. This helps to tenderize the chicken.

When ready to start frying, put flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper and paprika into brown paper sack and shake to combine. Then dip chicken pieces into the beaten egg; make sure you have egg on all sides of chicken. Then drop chicken into sack, one piece at a time. Fold down the top of the bag and shake well to coat all pieces of chicken.

Add oil to frying pan to a deep of approximately one inch and heat over medium high heat. Oil is ready when a drop of water sizzles in the pan. Slowly add chicken pieces to hot oil. Fry until first side is golden brown, then turn pieces over. When second side of chicken is the same golden brown color, reduce the heat to medium and cover the skillet. You want to continue cooking the chicken slowly until the temperature reaches 150 degrees when a meat thermometer is inserted.

Remove from skillet and drain chicken on several layers of paper toweling. Serve with your favorite side dishes - in our case that would be mashed potatoes and peas or corn.

Parmesan Potatoes

Of all the root crops, potatoes are my family's favorite. Next time you are looking for an easy potato side dish, consider making my Parmesan Potatoes.

Parmesan Potatoes
--1 medium-sized baking potato for each family member
--2 TBSP butter (or low-fat margarine)
--1/4 tsp dried oregano or thyme
--1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
--sprinkling of paprika

Scrub potatoes clean and cut in half lengthwise. In a microwave-safe pie plate, melt butter (about 30 seconds on high). Dip cut-side of potatoes in butter and then arrange in the pie plate with the cut-side up. Sprinkle with oregano, Parmesan cheese and paprika. Microwave on high for 10 to 13 minutes, depending on size of potatoes. Rotate pie plate once or twice during cooking time. When potatoes are done, you should be able to easily pierce them with a fork. Enjoy!

Chicken Scampi

In an effort to wean my family off Chicken Helper and Hamburger Helper, I have been trying new recipes. Because chicken is the main meat we serve, I've been concentrating on easy, tasty chicken recipes. The following is my recipe for Chicken Scampi; my family gave it a "thumbs up".

Chicken Scampi
--1 1/2 lbs. skinless boneless chicken, cut into bite-size pieces (I use breast meat because my family prefers white meat)
--1 can cream of chicken soup
--1/4 cup water
--2 TBSP butter (can be low-fat margarine)
--2 cloves minced garlic
--2 tsp lemon juice
--your favorite cooked pasta (my family likes whole-wheat rotini pasta or spaghetti)

In a skillet over medium heat, brown chicken pieces in butter (approximately 10 minutes). After chicken is browned, remove from skillet and set aside - do not rinse out skillet, you want the juicy bits. Stir in the soup, water, lemon juice and garlic and heat mixture to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for ten minutes. While scampi is simmering, cook pasta. Serve chicken scampi over pasta and enjoy.

Oriental Chicken Salad

I borrowed this recipe from:

Sunshine and Lemonade


Oriental Chicken Salad
--2 (10 oz) packages of broccoli slaw
--2 pkgs Ramen noodles (I use roasted chicken flavor - it really doesn't matter what kind)
--1 cup sunflower seeds
--1/2 cup slivered almonds
--Bag of tyson grilled chicken strips - marinated in teriyaki (I used fresh chicken I grilled myself)


Dressing:
--3/4 cup oil
--1/3 cup vinegar (I used Apple Cider vinegar
--1/2 cup sugar
--1 tsp sesame oil
--both seasoning packets from the Ramen noodles


Break up noodles and toss with almonds. Toast at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.
Mix dressing. Combine all ingredients. Chill before serving.

This makes a quick and simple meal that my family enjoyed. I substitued cabbage slaw for the broccoli slaw because my family doesn't like broccoli. I also substitued olive oil for the sesame oil (because I didn't have sesame oil).

Thanks, Kat, for a wonderful recipe!

Fruit Pizza Dessert

After reading all the fruit dessert recipes from In The Spotlight on Bluegrass Moms, I thought I would share one of my favorite desserts for taking to a summer potluck.

Fruit Pizza
1 (20-ounce) package refrigerated cookie dough (or I have mixed up cookie dough from scratch)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature (the low-fat works just as well
1/3 cup sugar (a little more or less, depending on the sweetness of the fruit
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fresh blackberries, blueberries, banana slices, raspberries,
seedless grapes, strawberry halves, kiwi fruit slices, (or any other fruit you want), well drained
1/2 cup peach preserves (or any other you may have on hand)
1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line an ungreased 14-inch pizza pan with cookie dough (if using refrigerator dough, slice about 1/2 inches thick and overlap as needed). Bake 12 minutes or until light brown; remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract; spread over cookie crust. Arrange fruit over cream cheese layer.

In a small saucepan over very low heat, make a glaze by heating preserves and water. Brush glaze over fruit, making sure to cover the fruit that will turn dark (especially bananas and apples). Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

4th of July Flag Cake

Okay, this isn't an original recipe - I stole this out of a magazine a few years ago, but it's one my family loves and I make it on the 4th because it's so pretty. The strawberries and blueberries are currently available at local Farmer's Markets.



Flag Cake
2 pints of strawberries
1 recipe of your favorite white or yellow cake (or mix)
1 1/3 C of blueberries
1 tub of whipped topping

Mix up and bake (I use a throw-away pan if I'm taking this cake to a picnic) your favorite cake mix or recipe. (I use white because it makes the cake prettier; I also use a box mix to make the process easier.) Let cool. Cut one cup of strawberries into slices and set aside. With the remaining strawberries, cut them in half and set aside. Top cake (in pan) with 1 cup sliced strawberries, 1 cup blueberries and all of the whipped topping. Arrange remaining strawberry halves and blueberries on whipped topping to create a flag design. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serves 12.

Easy Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

Boil chicken on stove until tender. I usually add bay leaves and salt to the boiling water (this gives the chicken a good flavor). Then in a large mixing bowl, I mix one can of cream of chicken soup and one cup of the water I cooked the chicken in and mix until smooth. I then add one box of stuffing (I use the generic StoveTop stuffing) to the mixture and stir until stuffing is all moist. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the mixture. Transfer to a baking dish and top with Mozzerella or cheddar cheese (although sometimes I substituted Swiss cheese and it is just as good). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and presto - a supper in which everyone comes back for seconds.

This is quick and easy and my whole family loves it!

Blackberry Jam (without pectin)

2 quarts fresh blackberries
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup orange juice
3 TBSP lemon juice
6 cups sugar
1 TBSP grated orange peel

Cook the berries with water until heated. Strain to remove most of the seeds. (Note: thornless blackberries have more seeds than regular blackberries.) Add the orange juice, lemon juice, sugar and orange peel. Cook rapidly to the jellying point - when it reaches 220 degress on a candy thermometer. As the mixture thicken, stir to keep from scorching.

Pour boiling hot jam into hot jars; adjust the lids. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath. Start the counting time when the water returns to a boil. Remove the jars from the water bath and cool on a rack.

The recipe should make 4 pint jars.

Chicken Quesadilla

2 chicken breasts, boiled or grilled, cut into pieces
1 can cream of chicken soup (I used low sodium, low fat)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 small onion, cut into pieces (I microwaved 2 minutes to
soften)
1 tsp chili powder
Flour or corn tortillas (I used corn)

In a bowl mix together chicken, soup, cheese, onion and chili powder. Line baking sheet with tortillas; spread chicken mixture over tortillas, leaving 1/2 inch on all sides. Cover with another tortilla. If using larger tortillas, then cover half of tortilla with mixture and fold tortilla over. Bake in 450 degree oven for 10 minutes.

We topped ours with sour cream (low-fat), lettuce and tomatoes. My daughter wants these to be added to our weekly menu. They were great and super easy to make!

Tomatoes Stuffed with Corn

6 lg. firm tomatoes (I like beef-steak tomatoes)
sugar and salt to taste
1 cup minced onion
1 cup minced green pepper (can subsitute hot pepper)
6 tbsp. butter
1 cup minced, cooked ham (or any other leftover meat)
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin seed
3 cups scraped fresh corn
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
freshly ground pepper to taste
6 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
6 tsp. butter, softened (can also be butter subsitute)

Cut off and discard top half of tomatoes and remove seeds. Scoop out the pulp, chop it and put in a sieve to drain. Sprinkle the pulp and the insides of the shells lightly with sugar and salt, and invert the shells on paper towels to drain for at least 30 minutes.
In large skillet, saute onion and green pepper in butter until softened. Add ham and cumin seed and stir the mixture over high heat for 1 minute. Add tomato pulp and cook mixture over moderate heat for 4 minutes. Stir in corn, cream, salt, sugar and pepper. Cook mixture, covered, for 3 minutes.

Remove cover and stir mixture over high heat for 1 minute. Sprinkle the inside of each tomato shell with 1 tablespoon of parsley. Fill shells with corn mixture, dot each with 1 teaspoon butter and place in a lightly buttered baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 to 15 minutes or until tomatoes are soft.