Hawaiian Turkey Quesadillas

As all of you know I love this food blog called Budget Bytes.  I have never been disappointed with any of the recipes I have tried from this site.

Budget Bytes has a recipe for Hawaiian Ham Quesadillas that I decided to alter based on what I had on hand in our pantry, as well as make just a tad healthier.

Here are my alterations:

Hawaiian Turkey Quesadillas

Ingredients:

8 oz Low-fat Cream Cheese (room temperature)
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup 2% shredded mozzarella cheese 
1 8 oz can of crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 -1/2 pound of deli turkey, chopped
1 Package of flour tortillas (about 8) - whole wheat would be great, however I only had white on hand

Combine cream cheese, green onions, and mozzarella cheese until combined.  Then add the drained crushed pineapple and deli turkey.

Once combined add some of the mixture to one side of the tortilla (make sure not to put too much because this is very rich.  Fold the other side of the tortilla over and cook in a skillet until both sides are light brown.

Cut and serve!

Smoked Turkey Sausage Noodle Skillet

If you need something super easy to cook for dinner, this recipe for Turkey Smoked Sausage with Egg Noodles is perfect.  It has less than 10 ingredients and most of them you probably already have in your pantry.  Serve it with a side salad for a dinner all will enjoy!

Turkey Smoked Sausage Noodle Skillet

Ingredients:

1 16oz Turkey smoked sausage (I used Jennie-O), sliced

1 Small onion or shallot, diced

1 Small red or green pepper

2 Cans basil, oregano, garlic diced tomatoes

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

1 Tbsp Red wine vinegar

13-16 oz Egg noodles (I used about 3/4 a bag)

3 Tbsp Fresh basil (optional)

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray or add a Tbsp of olive oil and heat to medium.  Add sliced turkey, onion, and peppers.  Cook until you have a little color on the turkey sausage and the vegetables are soft.

My kids will not eat diced cooked tomatoes so I pulse the canned diced tomatoes in the processor a few times to make them more like crushed tomatoes.  You can skip this step if your family will eat diced tomatoes.

Add the tomatoes to the sausage mixture with Italian seasoning and red wine vinegar.  Simmer until flavors are combined (about 10 mins.)

While tomato mixture is cooking, add egg noodles to a large pot of boiling water and cook according to package directions.  

Add cooked noodles to the tomato mixture to combine.  Serve in individual bowls topped with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.  So easy and super delicious!

Frito Chili Pie

If you have not watched the Pioneer Woman on Food Network you must take some time to do so. This woman makes everything look graceful and easy. As I was watching her the other day I soon discovered why she is able to come up with such amazing meals, her children are not around. They are always outside helping on the farm.

I decided to try her recipe for Frito Chili Pie after seeing some other food blogs that recommended it and I was able to score a couple bags of Fritos for an outstanding price. I did adapt it to our family's tastes and it got a thumbs up from everyone.

Frito Chili Pie

Ingredients:

1 lb 93% Lean ground beef or turkey
1/2 Onion, finely chopped
1 Small carrot, shredded
1/2 Green pepper, finely chopped
2 Garlic cloves, minced
8 oz Tomato sauce
1/2 Rotel can
1/4 Tsp salt
1/2 Tsp oregano
1/2 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder (I did 3/4 Tbsp because my 3 year old does not like anything spicy)
1 Can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 Cup water
Fritos or corn chips
Cheddar cheese or Colby/Monterey Jack, grated
Sour Cream

Brown ground beef in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and green pepper and continue to cook until vegetables are tender. Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Add tomato sauce, Rotel, salt , oregano, cumin and chili powder. Cover, reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 20-30 mins.

Add pinto beans and water and cook for an additional 20 mins.

Serve over corn chips, topped with cheddar and sour cream.