Sour Cream & Cheese Noodle Bake

If the Pioneer Woman makes it, it is bound to be absolutely delicious! I was skimming her website for new dinner ideas and came across this recipe. It caught my eye because I love casserole-type dinners and the fact that it is made with cottage cheese just makes my protein loving husband happy! I have to say that the leftovers were even better then the first day we ate it and I was sad when I ate the last serving!
Ingredients 1lb ground beef or turkey 1 15oz can tomato sauce 1/2 tsp salt Black pepper 10 oz noodles of your choice (I chose Rotini) 1/2 cup sour cream 1 1/5 cup small curd cotttage chese 1/4-1/2 cup sliced green onions 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1. Brown meat in a large pan. Drain excess fat and stir in the tomato sauce. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. 2. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package. 3. In a medium bowl, mix together the sour cream, cottage cheese, and plenty of black pepper. Add in noodles and green onions. 4. Cover the bottom of a full sized baking dish with tomato sauce juice (not meat) or spray with cooking spray to prevent sticking. 5. Pour half of the noodle mixture into the pan. Top with half of the meat mixture and 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Repeat with second half of ingredients. 6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 7. Enjoy!

Turkey vegetable meatloaf

Call me old fashion but I love a good meatloaf. I think it gets a bad rep in today's time but it makes a regular appearance in our household. My sister Cori made a double batch of this turkey veggie meatloaf when she stayed with us after Ford was born and I can't even explain how stinkin' good it is. It's not your traditional ketchup covered meatloaf but a leaner version with a touch of veggies. Dare I say Ford even ate some of this! Make a double portion and pop one in the freezer or bring to a new mama. You all will love this meatloaf!
Ingredients 1.25lb ground turkey  1 whole egg 1 egg white 1 chopped onion 10-15 mini carrots, diced 1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp salt 1/3 cup milk 1/4 cup ketchup 1 cup bread crumbs 1/3 cup parsley 1 tbsp minced garlic 1 1/2 tsp Worchestershire 1 tsp pepper
1. Soak bread crumbs in milk 2. Saute olive oil, garlic, onion, and carrot over medium heat for 10-15min 3. Combine ALL ingredients in large bowl and mix well.  4. Form into a greased loaf pan. 5. Bake at 400 degrees for 50-55 min

Italian Turkey Soup

This recipe was the perfect mix of protein, veggies and pasta for carbs. I loved bringing leftovers to work and it would be perfect to take to a family or friend who just had a baby/surgery/etc. 

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb ground turkey

1 small onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 (15 oz) can Italian style tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained

3 (14 oz) cans beef broth

1 tsp oregano

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 cup cooked pasta (rotini, corkscrew, shells)

1 cup diced carrots

1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1. Heat oil in a large pot. Add onions, garlic, ground turkey, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook until turkey is completely cooked

2. Add canned tomatoes (including juice), beans, carrots, zucchini, broth, parsley and oregano. Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes until zucchini and carrots are tender

3. Add spinach and stir until wilted

4. Add additional salt and pepper to taste

5. Serve warm topped with Parmesan cheese 

Inside Out Pizza Pie

The original recipe called this dish Zesty Italian Crescent Casserole but I wanted to give it a more fitting name. This is a yummy and EASY Italian meal I will definitely be making again.

Ingredients

1 lb  ground beef/turkey

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper

1 cup spaghetti sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1  can crescent rolls (I used crescent rounds, new from Pillsbury, and they were easier)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Cook the meat and onions with seasonings and salt/pepper until cooked through (about 8-10 minutes)

2. Drain and stir in 1 cup spaghetti sauce 

3. Meanwhile, mix together the sour cream and mozzarella cheese in a separate bowl

4. Pour hot meat mixture into un-greased deep pie dish (or baking dish if you don't have a pie dish).

5. Spoon the cheese/sour cream mixture over the meat

6. Unrole the crescent rolls over the cheese mix. I arranged the crescent rounds in a lattice pie fashion. 

7. Melt butter in a small bowl and mix with Parmesan cheese

8. Top the unbaked pie with the butter/Parmesan mix

9. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes until dough is golden brown

Enjoy!

Weight watchers enchiladas

I originally found this recipe on Pinterest (where else) and when I saw Amanda post about making it, I knew I had to too! These weight watcher friendly (6 points) enchiladas are a spin on traditional enchiladas and very delicious. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey
1 10oz can enchilada sauce
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 can reduced fat refrigerator biscuits
1 ¼ cups shredded low fat Mexican Cheese

Green onions 
Cottage cheese or Greek yogurt

*Makes 6 servings

1. Brown the turkey and drain the fat, if any

2. Stir in the cans enchilada and tomato sauce

3. Cut the biscuits into fourths and stir them into the meat/sauce mixture

4. Pour into a greased casserole dish and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees

5. Take it out of the oven and top with cheese and green onions. Bake and additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted

Top with cottage cheese or Greek yogurt and enjoy!

BBQ Meatloaf

Yet again another easy and tasty recipe. I hadn't originally intended for my blog to be all about recipes but like I've mentioned before, as a newlywed I am loving trying new recipes for my hubby! Jon and I aren't huge fans of meatloaf, I will eat it but it is not my fave and Jon despises ketchup. I modified this recipe to make BBQ turkey meatloaf. Seriously it takes 10 minutes to prep, pop it in the oven and an hour later, you have a delicious meal ready to be devoured.

Ingredients

1 1/2  lb ground meat (beef or turkey)

1/2  cup dry Italian breadcrumbs

1/2  cup  chopped onion

1/3  cup  barbecue sauce, divided

1 1/2  tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2  tsp black pepper

2  large egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Mix the raw meat, breadcrumbs, onion, 1 tbsp barbecue sauce, egg whites, garlic salt, pepper and chili powder in a large bowl

3. Pour the mixture into a 9x5 greased loaf pan and spread the remaining BBQ sauce over the top of the meat loaf

4. Bake at 350° for 1 hour 

Enjoy!
 

A healthy Italian alternative

I am dying to share this easy/cheap meal idea with you! A couple of months ago I read a blog post about how awesome spaghetti squash is and how similar it is to pasta. I mean who doesn't love a giant bowl of spaghetti for dinner?? But as we get older, we realize-dang that's a lot of carb intake (especially when you add that thick, buttery Texas sized garlic toast). Don't be afraid to try this simple recipe, I promise your belly will thank you!

You can buy spaghetti squash in the produce section of any grocery store. I didn't get a picture before we cut it up but it's about the size of a football and bright yellow. It is usually less than a $1 a pound and I try to get the smallest one I can find since it is just me and Jon for dinner (usually between $3-$4). So here is how you can get a delicious, low carb, inexpensive meal with minimal preparation:

1. Cut the squash in half long ways and remove and throw away the "guts" (it is kind of like scraping a pumpkin clean at Halloween)

2. Place each half of the squash face down in a baking dish with about 1/4 inch water in the bottom. (Jon was stressed about me using this picture since we had just got back from a jog/walk....silly boys)

3. Cook the squash for 40 minutes at 375 degrees (when it is ready, the skin will be soft to the touch)

4. Let the squash cool after you take it out because it will be super hot! Turn each half over, grab a fork and start removing the insides...they will look like yellow angel hair pasta. A fork is the easiest at the beginning but we use a spoon at the end to get the last little bits and pieces

5. Enjoy!! We topped our spaghetti squash with spinach marinara sauce, garlic salt, and ground turkey (we always keep cooked ground turkey in the fridge to add to different meals for additional protein). Excluding the few carbs in the tomato sauce, this meal was carb free! And delicious!

I hope you try this great meal!