Versatile Lasagna

I've been making variations of this recipe for a few years.  I like to add LOTS of veggies to it.

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 onion, diced
4 cups pasta sauce (I sub part of this for shredded carrots, shredded zucchini, chopped spinach/kale, diced tomatoes, diced mushrooms, etc.)
16 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder, to taste
2 cups mozzarella cheese- I usually get by with less than this
6 lasagna noodles

In a soup pot, brown meat, add diced onion.  Add sauce and veggies.
In a bowl, whisk ricotta, egg, and parmesan.  Season ricotta mixture with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder, as desired.

In a 9x13 dish, cover bottom with sauce.  Top with 3 noodles, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella.  Cover with sauce, noodles, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella.  Top with sauce.  Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate or freeze until ready to cook.

When ready to cook...
Bake at 375º for 45 minutes COVERED, then remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes uncovered.  VERY IMPORTANT: let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving!

If you are baking the casserole frozen, add an additional 15 minutes to covered baking time and 10 minutes to uncovered baking time.

Greek Turkey Burgers

We made these at our last Freezer Meals cooking night. They are a favorite at my friend, Denise's house. Doug was a little skeptical of the non-beef burger, but he really liked them!

• 1 large egg white
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 pound ground turkey
• Cooking spray
• 4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, split
• 1 (7-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, drained and cut into 1-inch strips

Place egg white in a large bowl; lightly beat with a whisk. Add onion and next 6 ingredients (through turkey); stir well to combine. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook 8 minutes on each side or until done.

Place patties on bottom halves of hamburger buns. Divide peppers evenly among burgers; cover with top halves of buns.

Note: To freeze extra servings, wrap each uncooked patty individually first in plastic wrap and then in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, thaw patties completely in refrigerator, and then cook and serve as directed.

Turkey Joes

We made these a couple weeks ago and they turned out really well. Doug and I were both skeptical of what the texture would be like, but they were great.

Turkey Joes (from Weight Watchers)

1 lb uncooked ground turkey

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup tangy barbecue sauce

4 mixed grain hamburger rolls

Brown turkey in nonstick skillet for about 8-10 minutes. Drain liquid and add peppers and onions and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add BBQ sauce and cayenne pepper and stir frequently until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve on buns.

Mmmm Pot Pie

We used this recipe as a guide to make Chicken Pot Pie the other night... it was delicious!!

Delicious Pot Pie

2 unbaked pie crusts

5 small/medium red potatoes, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 cups shredded/chopped rotisserie chicken (I even tossed in a little extra Thanksgiving turkey... you could use all turkey if you wanted, or omit meat for a veggie pie)

heaping handful of frozen peas

2 cans cream of chicken soup (I used cream of mushroom and it was quite tasty)

salt and pepper

Unroll one pie crust into a pie plate, prick with fork, and bake at 400 for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add potatoes and boil until tender.

Meanwhile, sauté onion in butter until tender, add peas and carrots and sauté for a a few minutes.

In a large bowl, combine onion, carrots, peas, chicken, and cream of mushroom soup. Drain potatoes and mix in bowl. Pour mixture into the pre-baked pie crust. Next, unroll the other pie crust on top, folding up the overlapping edges. Brush the top crust with a little milk or a beaten egg (this is just for looks... either will do). Now cut 4 slits in the top crust to let air escape. Bake for 45 minutes or until crust is brown and filling is bubbly.

VEGETARIAN OPTION: omit meat, use a cream of veggie soup, and make it a veggie pot pie!

Turkey Salad

This is a great light dinner from Real Simple magazine

1 large head leaf lettuce

1/2 pound thinly sliced deli turkey (I only used a quarter of a pound)

2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges (I used fresh Bradley tomatoes)

1 avocado, diced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (I probably only used a third)

1/2 cup shaved Parmesan (I used fresh grated)

4 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients but oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in large bowl. Mix, then divide among 4 plates. Stir oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in small bowl and drizzle over salads.