Mommie Cooks!

Sometimes Simple, Sometimes Grand, Always Declicious

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Turkey Mushroom Risotto and the Giveaway Winner!

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I have to say, if feels kind of surreal to be back home, writing up a recipe for the first time in over 2 weeks!  Honestly though, as much fun as we had, it’s nice to finally be back in Charlotte (can you believe we drove over 2,300 miles??) and best of all, back to the blog and my awesome bloggy friends.

The first piece of business I need to attend to this morning is the giveaway winner!  I have to say, it was hard to pick a winner for this contest.  There were so many amazing comments and I loved reading each and every one of them.  I even discovered a few new blogs from the whole experience that I already know I’m going to love – yay!  I had planned on using random.org to pick the winner, but being the blonde that I am, I paid with an e-check which takes a few days to clear, so I had to move on to option two (no option two is not closing my eyes and pointing at a name on the computer screen although the thought did cross my mind).  I created a random number generator in Excel and went from there.

Ok, are you ready to hear the winner?  I have to say, I was thrilled this follower was picked.  She never missed a day to check out the blog and always wrote to most thoughtful and interesting comments.  Can we have a drumroll please?
…

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Loaded Mac and Cheese

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What do you remember most about the meals you ate growing up?  Is it a specific recipe that your mom cooked for you on a regular basis?  Perhaps it’s a tradition your family partook in each evening.  Whatever it may be, the way our moms cooked for us shapes how we eat as adults (or how we don’t eat as the case may be!).

The main thing I remember about my mom’s meals was that she always had a meat, a veggie, and a carb on the dinner plate.  It was just assumed that these three parts were necessary for a meal to be complete and right or wrong, the concept has stuck with me ever since. So when I went to create a batch of mac and cheese for my family the other night, it only seemed natural to throw in some meat and veggie to incorporate that “meat, carb, veggie” combo and get it all together in one delicious combination of flavors (Or in other words: Mommie is too lazy to cook up separate parts of the meal and finds it much easier just to throw everything together into one big pot of dinner deliciousness).

I know I’m not the only one out there that likes mac and cheese.  And while this isn’t your traditional version of the well loved comfort food, it still packs a stomach pleasing punch.  Here’s what you’ll need to put together a quick “meat, carb, veggie” one dish meal that will have your family begging for seconds.

Ingredients Needed:

8 Oz. of Noodles
1 12 Oz. Turkey Kielbasa, Cut into Bite Sized Pieces
2 Tbsp of Butter
1/2 Cup of Half and Half
1/2 Cup of Lowfat Milk
1 tsp of Dijon Mustard
1 tsp of Chicken Base
2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
11/3 Cups of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
8 Oz. of Frozen Spinach
Salt to Taste

Cook up your noodles in a large pot of salted water.  While the noodles are boiling, heat up your kielbasa in a separate skillet on medium high heat for about 5 minutes or until heated through.

Remove the kielbasa from the pan and set aside.  In the same skillet set to medium heat, melt up the two tablespoons of butter.  Add the garlic to the skillet and saute up for a minute or two.  Now add in the half and half, milk, mustard, and chicken base.  Stir up well to combine and let it get hot for 2 to 3 minutes.

Now add in your cheese and let it melt and thicken the sauce; about 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the frozen spinach and stir it in, letting it heat up for a few minutes.

Add the sausage back in, stir, and let it heat back up.

Finally, add your cooked noodles back into the mix and give it one last good stir to meld it all together.  Add salt if desired.  And as quick as that, you’re ready to eat!  Nothing like a good meat, carb, veggie one dish meal to solve the problem of what’s for dinner tonight.  Feast your eyes on the delicious results of your labor.

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Loaded Mac and Cheese

Total Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

8 Oz. Noodles
1 12 Oz. Turkey Kielbasa, Cut into Bite Sized Pieces
2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Cup Half and Half
1/2 Cup Lowfat Milk
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Chicken Base
2 Cloves Garlic
11/3 Cups Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
8 Oz. Frozen Spinach
Salt, to Taste

Directions:

Cook up your noodles in a large pot of salted water. While the noodles are boiling, heat up your kielbasa in a separate skillet on medium high heat for about 5 minutes or until heated through.

Remove the kielbasa from the pan and set aside. In the same skillet set to medium heat, melt up the two tablespoons of butter. Add the garlic to the skillet and saute up for a minute or two. Now add in the half and half, milk, mustard, and chicken base. Stir up well to combine and let it get hot for 2 to 3 minutes.

Now add in your cheese and let it melt and thicken the sauce; about 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the frozen spinach and stir it in, letting it heat up for a few minutes.

Add the sausage back in, stir, and let it heat back up.

Finally, add your cooked noodles back into the mix and give it one last good stir to meld it all together. Add salt if desired. And as quick as that, you're ready to eat! Nothing like a good meat, carb, veggie one dish meal to solve the problem of what's for dinner tonight. Feast your eyes on the delicious results of your labor.

Cheesy Turkey Meatballs

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I’m getting this post out a bit later today because I’ve been slaving away all morning creating Star Wars t-shirts for Nick’s birthday party on Saturday.  The things we do for our kids, right?  I created light sabers out of pool noodles and painted t-shirts by hand.   I stuffed goodie bags and wrapped “asteroids” filled with treats for a treasure hunt.  And then tomorrow, it’s chocolate birthday cupcake baking day.  I even bought edible tops with Star Wars figures for the tops of them.  Go Mommy!  I may run myself into the ground, because this is going to be the best darn Star Wars party this end of the dark side!  And as we all know, a busy day of birthday magic creation results in the need for a quick and easy dinner at the end of the day.  Enter cheesy turkey meatballs.

The idea for these little beauties was born on an evening when I was craving a meatloaf but had already had a busy, tiring day and only had a half hour until dinner needed to be on the table.  Now, if you’ve ever cooked a meatloaf, you know that a half hour isn’t going to cut it.  The cooking time is much longer than that.  So, I decided to get the same flavor in considerably less time by making mini meatloaves instead; aka meatballs.  These little morsels are delicious and so quick!  They were ready in time for dinner with minutes to spare for whipping up a noodle side dish and some broccoli.  They were also a big hit with the kids who all asked for seconds.  It’s a dish even Darth would love!  So if you’re thinking you’re ready to take these guys for a spin in your kitchen, here’s what you’ll need to do just that:

Ingredients Needed:

1 Pound of Ground Turkey
1/2 Cup of Breadcrumbs
1 Egg
1/2 tsp of Salt
1 tsp of Worcestershire
1/4 Cup of Milk
1 Carrot, Shredded
1/4 Onion, Chopped
1/2 Cup of Shredded Cheddar
1 Clove of Garlic, Minced
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 Cup BBQ Sauce

Add together in a large bowl your turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, worcestershire, milk, carrot, onion, cheese, garlic and pepper.

Mix it together well.  I actually use my hands to mix it together (after a good washing of course).  It’s just easier and you’re going to need to get dirty anyway to make the meatballs.  Once you’ve mixed it up good, grab small handfuls of your meat mixture, roll them into balls.

Heat up about a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet on medium high heat.  When the oil is heated up, drop your balls into the pan.

Cook ’em up for about 5 to 10 minutes, flipping to all sides, until they are cooked through.  Once they are cooked up, drain any leftover oil and add in your bbq sauce.

I used a homemade version that I found in my Better Homes and Gardens grilling cookbook, but you can, of course, use any sauce that fits your fancy.  Let the balls and sauce heat up and then serve.  And it’s that simple.  I quick weeknight dinner that even your littlest dark vader will enjoy.  May the force be with you…. and also the cheesy turkey meatballs.

Dump (Don’t let the name fool you, it’s delicious!)

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Yay!  I’m back and ready to get back into the blogging groove again.  Don’t get me wrong; spring break was a blast.  We spent time at the beach and had a great time camping (I’ll be sure to get the pics and review up on the camping site later this week), but after a busy vacation, it’s nice to get back to the normal schedule of things (and get an hour or two break from the rugrats!)  And I think the boys were ready to be back as well.  Just look at this picture of the older two on the final day of camping:

Do you think we wore them out pretty good?!

So today’s meal is one of my old standbys and also one of my favorites.  I call it Dump because it’s basically a “dump” of everything you have in your fridge.  I love to make this when I have a bunch of veggies I need to use up.  There are no real measurements when I cook this so bear in mind that even though I’ll attempt to give you a basic recipe to follow, this is really flexible and forgiving.  You can switch out vegetables as well to suit your tastes and what you have available.  Here’s what you’ll need:

1 Cup of Rice, Cooked
1 pd of Ground Turkey (you can also use cubed chicken; they both taste great)
2 Zucchinis Sliced and Halved
1 Onion Diced
1 Cup of Corn Frozen or Fresh
1 Cup of dice peppers Frozen or Fresh
3 Cloves of Garlic
3 tsps (or on handful chopped fresh) of Cilantro
1 Can of beans (I’ve used Pinto and/or Black before)
1 Can of Tomatoes and Diced Green Chilies
1 heaping tsp of Chicken Base
1 tbsp of Cumin
1 Tbsp of Chili Powder
1 Tbsp of Oregano
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
I didn’t add it to the list of ingredients and I know I should of, but I always swirl a Tbsp or so of olive oil to the skillet before adding my meat.  So assuming you’ve done that step, you’ll want to cook up your ground turkey (or chicken) in a large skillet on medium high heat.  While the turkey/chicken is cooking, add in the garlic, onion, and spices; the cumin, chili powder, oregano and salt and pepper.  Let your meat cook for a few minutes and then add in any fresh veggies you might be adding.  In my case, the zucchini.  Cook for about 4-5 minutes more or until the meat is cooked through.  Here’s what you’ll have so far:

Now, turn your heat down to medium and add in your frozen veggies next; for me that would be the peppers (yes they’re added in the picture above but I’m sure you’ll forgive me right?), and the corn.  Stir to combine and let warm up for a minute or two.  Next add your beans and tomatoes/peppers.  Stir to combine.  Finally add in your chicken base, lime juice, and cilantro and yep, you guessed it, stir to combine.  Let it heat up and get hot and then test the flavor and adjust any spices as you see fit.

Finally, add the rice in and stir it up to complete this delicious one skillet dinner.

If you’re feeling like a little cheesier dinner, I sometimes add a cup of shredded cheddar directly into the dump and stir it in until melted.  But if you’d like to keep it healthier, just sprinkle a little cheese over the top and serve.  And that’s it!  I served it up with some pan fried cheese quesadillas (cooked in a dab of butter on the skillet).
Enjoy!

Other recipes you might enjoy:

Chicamole Pizza
Leggo My Schnitzel!
Teriyaki Mahi Mahi with Mang-O-So Delicious Salsa

Germanbasa

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I call this Germanbasa because it’s a yummy dish made with kielbasa that’s inspired by German cooking.  I love kielbasa but it always seems like I used it the same way every time so I thought this go round I might branch out and try something a bit different.  While I wouldn’t put this meal on my “last supper” list, it was tasty and everyone in the family ate without complaining, so I have to give it some props.  So here we go.  What you’ll need:
1 12 Oz Beer
11/2 Cups of Water
1 Large Yellow Onion, Chopped
1pd Kielbasa Sausage
2 Tbsp Flour
3 Tbsp Butter
2Tbsp White Vinegar
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Cup chopped Mushrooms
1 Tsp Mushroom Base (can use chicken or vegetable base if you don’t have mushroom)
2 Tsp Dried Parsley (feel free to use fresh if you have it)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Melt 1 of your Tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the mushrooms until moist; about 3-4 minutes.  Add in the beer, water, mushroom base, onions, and sausage.  Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer covered for about 25 minutes.  Remove the sausage  and onion/mushroom/beer mixture from the skillet.  Cut the sausage into 1 inch disks and set aside.  In your skillet, melt the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter over medium heat and then add in the flour, stirring to create a roux.  Let the roux cook for about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in the vinegar, sugar, and reserved onion/mushroom/beer mixture.  Add parsley and season with salt and pepper.  Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat, simmering until sauce thickens; about 10 minutes.  Add your sliced sausage back into the mix and cook for an additional 10 minutes.   Serve over rice or potatoes.  And that’s it!  Here’s a picture of the final product:


I served it with roasted cauliflower.  Yummo!  Enjoy!


Other Recipes You Might Enjoy

Sausage Calzone
Low Country Boil
Mama’s Stuffed Peppers (Only Better)

Don’t be Blue Cheese Turkey Burgers with a side of Seasoned Home Fries

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But honestly, how could you be blue when you’re eating these tasty little morsels?  We don’t eat red meat in this house, something about cows eating corn that just really turns me off, so turkey is the king when it comes to foods involving what should have been ground beef.  Ok, here’s what you’ll need:
1 Pound Ground Turkey
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 cup chopped mushrooms (I prefer portobello)
4 oz. Crumbled Blue cheese (yes, yes, I forgot to put it in the picture, blame my kids)
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix together turkey, soy sauce, onion, mushrooms, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Form Turkey mixture into four bun sized patties.  Place in large skillet and cook on medium high heat flipping once until cooked through; about 9-11 minutes depending on thickness.  Turn heat down to medium and add one small handful of blue cheese to the top of each burger.  Cover skillet and let sit until cheese is melting; about 3-5 minutes.  Place cooked pattie on a bun and enjoy!  I love these just plain with ketchup, but they’re also killer with some tomato and avocado slapped on top.
Now, on to the home fries.  No burger is complete without them.  Am I right?  Here’s what you’ll need:
2 large baking potatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
salt to taste
I just want to note that I leave the skin on my potatoes; vitamins and such.  But if you prefer your skin removed, go ahead and get rid of it now.  Next, slice your potatoes into wedges.   Combine the olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder and onion powder in a gallon sized ziploc (or whatever else you have on hand that can effectively coat fries).  Now throw your wedges into the bag and coat those beauties up.  Dump your contents onto a large jelly roll pan and spread them out in a single layer.  Pop them in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, being sure to turn the fries once.  When they’re good and golden, pull them out and season with salt.  Yummy!
And as long as I’m on a roll, I might as well include a tomato cucumber salad so we can say we had a veggie and make this meal complete.  This salad is so easy and really delightful.  My two older kids beg to have this with dinner every night!  Check it out:
1 cucumber chopped into slices and then halved
8 oz of cherry tomatoes sliced in half
1/2 small onion diced
1 lemon juiced
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Place your cucumbers, onions, and cherry tomatoes in a medium bowl.  Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the top and add in the olive oil.  Combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Easy Peasy!
And here’s the final plate.  Yes, my food photography skills need work, but what can I say.  My studio has been taken over by small aliens.  Wait, those are my kids.
Bon Apetit!
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