Mexican Skillet Dinner

My sister gave me this awesome cookbook that is all low fat cooking and we tried this one out on company and it was soooo good! It was really fast and hit the spot. We added tortilla chips to finish it off and we will definitely be making it again!



Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey
2 cans Mexican style diced tomatoes or regular diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
8 ounces macaroni
1 1/3 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
tomatoes
lettuce
cheese
tortillas or tortilla chips

1. Place the ground turkey in a large deep soup pot and cook over medium heat stirring to crumble until the meat is no longer oink. Add all the remaining ingredients and stir to mix well.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer stirring occasionally for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is tender and the liquid ans been absorbed. *If there is still a bit of liquid left over, remove the cover and simmer for a few more minutes.
3.To plate: put mixture on plate or bowl top with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream and crumbled chips. YUM!

* Use chips to scoop too! Warm tortillas on the side would be yummy and you can add any of your favorite taco toppings!

Cheesy Fan Potatoes

Here is an easy and delicious side dish! We loved it and I can't believe I have never eaten potatoes this way before. My littlest even loved these and they have tons of great flavor! Great with any meal!



Ingredients:

4 medium baking potatoes
3 tablespoons tub butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives

1. Scrub all the potatoes clean and pat dry. Cut potatoes crosswise into thin slices, but DO NOT cut all the way through. Go slow so you don't chop right through it. Line an 8x8 baking dish with foil and spray with non stick spray. Place potatoes in dish. Gently press down on potatoes to fan slightly.
2. Combine melted butter and garlic salt. Drizzle over potatoes. Bake, covered, in a 350 oven for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 more minutes or until tender.
3. Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven. Broil for just a minute or two. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn. Removed and transfer to plates and sprinkle with chives! YUM!!

* We had these with ham and cranberries. But these would be great with any dish! Grilled chicken or steak with steamed broccoli or salad. Or pork chops and homemade chunky applesauce. Just throw them in where you would have a baked potato.

Pumpkin Ring Cake

This is a great and different way to use pumpkin so everyone isn't sick of it by the end of the holidays. Super moist and really great! I made a glaze topping for ours but I bet a cream cheese frosting would be wonderful! It's a no-fail Betty Crocker recipe that I fixed a bit.... Perfect for fall!



Ingredients:

3 cups Heart Smart Bisquick® mix
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup fat free milk
2 eggs and 2 egg whites
1 can (16 ounces) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1.Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube cake pan. Ok, I greased and floured it and it still stuck a little bit. I ALWAYS just spray my pans really well with non -stick spray and they turn out great, so I am going to try that next time.
2.Beat Bisquick, granulated sugar, brown sugar, applesauce, oil, pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 cup milk, eggs/egg whites and pumpkin in large bowl on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes. Spread in pan.
3.Bake about 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; turn upside down onto heatproof plate or wire cooling rack. Remove pan and cool cake completely.
4.Stir glaze ingredients together until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over cake. Enjoy!

Tortellini Soup

This is so good and one of my favorite soups!! It is perfect for a fall day or a chilly night. I got this recipe from Adrienne and Taste the Joy and it is always a hit and super easy! Pair it up with some rolls or muffins and you can't go wrong!!



Ingredients:

1 lb. ground spicy turkey sausage (or regular turkey sausage is great too)
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 cup beef broth
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
8-16 oz. package cheese tortellini (I recommend and use the fresh pasta from the refrigerated section, it is the best!!)
1 16 oz. can chopped tomatoes, drained
1 zucchini, peeled and grated
1 carrot, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano

1. Ok ready, super easy!! Brown the sausage in a large soup pot. When cooked add the onion, garlic, carrot, green pepper and saute. Add all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the tortellini and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir every so often.
2. Add the tortellini and cook 7-9 minutes until done. (If you add it with everything else they will over cook and they can be mussy or fall apart, not good :) When the pasta is done, dish up and dig in!

* Rolls are super good with this, perfect for dunking and sopping up soup. Make up a batch earlier in the day so when the soup is ready, so is everything else!
* Muffins are really great too! Cranberry or apple would be delicious and they have fat free mixes in the baking isle that are really good and I use them finish off a dinner.

Mac and Cheese

I LOVE this recipe! I have been making this since Rex and I were first married and we still love it to this day! Perfect for fall or a chilly day, warms you right up and you can't go wrong with mac and cheese :)



Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups uncooked short pasta
3 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups low-fat or fat free milk
1 teaspoon spicy mustard (I usually add a bit more because I love it)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or colby
1 cup cut up ham or hot dogs (my kids like hot dogs:)

1. Heat oven to 400. Cook and drain pasta.
2. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet over low heat. Cook the garlic in the butter for about 30 seconds (don't let it burn it will be bitter) stirring frequently. Next stir in the flour and salt. When it is mixed together, it might be a bit lumpy, gradually add in the milk.
3. Using a whisk, stir in the milk. Continue stirring and turn the heat to boiling. Boil and stir about 1 minute until it has thickened up a bit.
4. Stir in the mustard and cheese. Cook and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.
5. Now your pasta should be done so drain it and return to pot. Add the sauce and ham/hot dogs it and stir. Pour into a greased 2 qt. casserole dish and bake for about 5-10 minutes until golden and browned on top.

* Serve this with a side salad or steamed green beans or broccoli. You are set!

Pork Taco Stackers

I copied this recipe from a cook book at my sisters house one visit and I finally made it. Thanks goodness because it was so good! Ok, taco fixings on corn bread is genius and I know this because it is all gone..... yum!!



Ingredients:

2 lb. pork roast
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 cup 7-up or sprite
1 can pinto beans
chopped tomatoes
1 corn bread mix (with water, eggs, applesauce)
shredded lettuce
grated cheese
sour cream

1. Let get the pork going first. Now you can do two things with your slow cooker. Roast for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. I didn't start this until about 1 pm, so I chose the lesser of the two :) Now, put your roast in the slow cooker and turn to your desired setting. Sprinkle with taco seasoning, turn it over and sprinkle again. Pour your 7-up in there, put a lid on it and walk away.
2. Now when you only have about 1 hour left until your roast should be done, take it out and shred it with two forks. Put it all back in and let is soak up all the juices. Pork is done. Let is just hang out until you assemble your stackers.
3. After you shred the pork go ahead and prepare the rest of your dinner. Get your corn bread cooking in a 8x8 or make them into muffins. While those are cooking, cut tomatoes, shred lettuce, grate cheese and heat up the beans (I put mine on the stove on low). When your corn bread is done it's time to eat!
4. To assemble: Cut your cornbread into squares. Then cut them open to make two little halves. Place on plate and top with beans, cheese, pork, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream! Dig in!

* These have veggies on top but you could have a side salad or cut up cucumbers on the side.
* Leave out the pork and make it vegetarian!

Italian Shepherd's Pie

I am really ready to make fall food! Can you tell? Well, this was so good, warm, and fast! I tested it out by making it on a Sunday afternoon when everyone is hungary and ready to eat! It came together in no time and hit the spot! YUM!



Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup sliced onion
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 teaspoon season salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional, my hubby doesn't like mushrooms so I left them out)
1 14oz. jar of pasta sauce, your favorite
6 potatoes, peeled, cubed, cooked and mashed (add your salt, butter and milk)OR 1 pouch of Betty Crocker roasted garlic mashed potatoes (made with water, milk and butter)
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
chopped fresh parsley

1.Heat oven to 375. Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium/high heat. Add beef, onion, and carrot to skillet. Sprinkle with season salt and pepper. Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is brown.
2. Stir in mushrooms and pasta sauce. Heat to boiling. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread into casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese.
3.Ok, this is where you have two options. You can make mashed potatoes from scratch or instant potatoes. I prefer the flavor of fresh so while the meat and veggies were browning I boiled my potatoes and mashed them. You could definitely use instant and follow the instructions on the back. Either way you will have yummy potatoes. Now when your potatoes are ready spoon 6-8 mounds of potato on top of the hot beef mixture.
4. Bake 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and potatoes are a light golden brown. Top with parsley!

* I mixed up a quick fat free muffin mix and cooked the muffins and the same time as the casserole was browning. There are lots of veggies in this dish but a crisp green salad would be great too!