Not Your Mama's Chili

With it officially being fall I wanted to post this older recipe again; it's a favorite at our house when cooler temps hit here in Oklahoma. I originally thought I got this from my mom, but later learned I actually tweaked her recipe and made my own. Chili is often reoccurring on our menu during the fall. I've taken this to football tailgates, watch parties, and pot lucks; and it's always a big hit!

ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
2- 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, chili ready
1- 15 oz. can pork & beans
1- 10 oz. can rotel
1/2 cup ketchup
1 packet of Williams chili seasoning
1 onion, diced (optional)

instructions
1. Brown ground beef and drain any grease.
2. Mix in diced onion and chili seasoning with meat.
3. In a large pot, combine tomatoes, rotel,
ketchup, pork & beans, and meat mixture.
4. Stir well, then bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat, stir, and let simmer before serving.
6. Top with your favorite chili toppings, then serve.

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

I was recently searching Pinterest for some new clean recipes since I've burned us out on grilled chicken and veggies. I came across this one and snapped a screen shot on my phone and put it in my recipe folder. It was a huge hit at our house, and with the response I got from my insta-pic of this delicious dinner I decided to share here. I'm not certain where the original pin came from but the actual recipe I followed was slightly different. I always like to add my own twist to things and can never fully follow a recipe verbatim. We had this meat mixture as lettuce wraps in butter lettuce and also over the top of brown rice. It was tasty both ways, and it will be making an appearance on our menu again.

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

ingredients

1 lb extra lean ground turkey

1 package broccoli slaw

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp garlic salt

1 head butter lettuce

reduced sodium soy sauce to taste

instructions

1. In a skillet brown turkey until cooked through.

2. Once turkey is cooked; add broccoli slaw, chopped onion, 

and teriyaki sauce to skillet. Place lid on top of mixture 

and let simmer (occasionally stirring) until broccoli slaw and 

onion are soft and tender.                                       

3. Serve in butter lettuce or over the top of rice. Enjoy! 

Summer Squash & Sausage Skillet

This recipe idea I got from a friend who shared something similar with me. However, anyone that knows me well knows that I can never fully follow a recipe without putting my own twist on it. It was a quick, easy, and clean dinner that the husband and I both really liked.

ingredients

1 package smoked turkey sausage 

1/2 sweet yellow onion, chopped

2 zucchini squash, sliced

1 yellow squash, sliced

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano

instructions

1. In a skillet, pour olive oil and let heat. Add onion and cook until tender.

2. Then add zucchini squash, yellow squash, and tomato halves.

3. Once all veggies are tender, add turkey sausage and seasonings.

4. Let everything simmer for 7-10 minutes, then reduce heat.

5. It can be served over rice, or eaten by itself. Enjoy!

Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry

This recipe is an all original of mine! I came up with this one Friday night when we were having the discussion of what to eat and couldn't figure out what to have for dinner. I had all of these ingredients and thought if it didn't turn out we could go grab take out. We had dinner that evening and it was a big hit with the husband, so it's been added to our rotating dinner menu. It's like having Chinese take out, but better and much healthier. I passed this recipe on to my mom and sister, and it's been a hit at both of their houses too. It's a simple recipe the whole family will enjoy!

ingredients

2 large chicken breast

3 cups cooked brown rice

2 cups broccoli

1 yellow onion

1/2 cup carrots

1/2 cup sweet peppers

1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

pinch of ginger

instructions

1. Salt 'n pepper chicken breast, then bake. (about 25-30 min on 350)

After chicken is cooked and cooled, dice chicken breast. Set aside.

2. While chicken is cooking, clean, dice, and chop your veggies.

Once veggies are ready, place in a sauce pan on the stove top. 

3. Add teriyaki sauce and the pinch of ginger. 

4. Place lid on pan and let saute until veggies are soft and cooked through.

5. When veggies are tender, add diced chicken to the mixture and stir well.

6. In a bowl, add about 3/4 cup brown rice. 

7. Pour 1 cup of chicken & veggie mixture over the top of rice, and serve.

* This recipe makes approximately 4 servings. Each serving has about 280 calories calculated using MyFitnessPal App.

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Tasty Tuesday | Meatloaf Muffins

If you're like me, you are constantly looking for easy week night dinner recipes. I prefer something I can prep ahead of time, and then just pop it in the oven when it's dinner time. After all, who wants to slave in the kitchen all evening after being at the office all day? Not me!

These meatloaf muffins are an easy week night dinner, and are a favorite at our house. You can pair them with a your favorite veggies, and you've got a complete dinner on the table in under an hour!

ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
1 yellow or white onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup old fashion oats
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 egg
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic salt

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl, mix well.

3. Scoop mixture into cupcake pan, dividing evenly.

4. Bake 25-30 minutes.

5. Serve and enjoy! 

Tasty Tuesday | Grilled Hickory Bourbon Chicken

We all know that when summer comes around it means grilling season is on us! At our house, we love our grill year ‘round but I especially love it in the summer. I am not a fan of heating up the house with the oven on a 90*+ day if I don’t have to. Grilled chicken is also a very popular dish at our house, but I’m always looking for new recipes so we don’t get burnt out. We’ve taken this chicken with us to two different cookouts, and made it at home this summer and it never seems to disappoint! It has a nice, rich, savory flavor and just the right amount of bbq taste. We typically pair it with some grilled veggies, and dinner is served!

ingredients

1 lb chicken breast {boneless and skinless}

1 cup Stubb’s Hickory Bourbon BBQ Sauce

salt and pepper to taste

instructions

1. Salt and pepper chicken on both sides.

2. Place chicken in gallon size baggie with sauce and let marinate. 

I typically will put the chicken in the sauce of a morning 

and let it marinate all day until it’s time to prepare dinner.

3. Grill chicken to 165 degrees. {until done}

4. Serve & enjoy!

I have found the Stubb’s sauce at Target and our local grocery store I shop at. I’m sure you can find it in multiple grocery chains. We’ve only tried this with that particular sauce, so using something different could give the chicken a different taste. Of course, you can use any BBQ sauce for a BBQ chicken, but the flavor this particular sauce gives is sure to make your taste buds light up!

Bon appetite!   

Tasty Tuesday | Taco Cupcakes

Like I've mentioned before, {and something you'll continue to hear from me} I like to keep things simple, easy, not complicated, etc. when it comes to cooking. I do enjoy cooking, but there's no need for it to be difficult or complicated. We all have enough difficult things going on in life, and making dinner shouldn't be one of them!

This recipe is easy, and always a hit at our house. I can't remember where I originally got it from, but every time I've ever made them they have never gone to waste. I'm sure these "cupcakes" would be a big hit for kids too! I mean what child wouldn't want cupcakes for dinner?! This is one of those dinners that everyone wins. It's easy to prepare, and everyone will love!

ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef 

1 packet taco seasoning

1 cup salsa or rotel

24 wonton wrappers

1 cup reduced fat Mexican blend cheese

1/2 cup low fat sour cream

instructions

1. Brown beef with taco seasoning, and drain if needed. 

Turkey or chicken can easily be substituted for beef.

2. Pour salsa in beef, mix together.

3. Preheat oven to 350.

4. Spray cupcake pan with nonstick spray.

 5. Line each cupcake hole with a wonton wrapper. Then repeat.

6. Fill wonton wrappers with beef mixture, then top with cheese.

7. Bake for 15-20 minutes. 

Cheese will be melted and wonton wrappers should be crispy.

8. Pull from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

9. Remove from cupcake pan and top with sour cream. 

You can add any other taco toppings you wish. 
I substitute plain Greek yogurt for sour cream.

10. Serve and ENJOY!