Turkey Meatballs

I don't cook with ground turkey often, but this experiment worked out so well that it's going into regular rotation. This recipe can go over pasta or on rolls for meatball subs (which is how we had it). So delicious, and healthy too! I did not measure as I was tossing stuff in, so all measurements are approximate. The next time I make it, I'll try to be more precise so I can update.

Turkey Meatballs
1 lb. ground turkey
2 slices day old bread, ground into crumbs
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp diced garlic
2 tbsp ketchup
3 tbsp + olive oil, plus more for frying
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp dried celery seed
a bit of salt and black pepper

Sauce (can use premade spaghetti sauce or use ingredients below):
16 oz tomato sauce
16 oz can whole tomatoes or large diced tomatoes in juice
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp dried parsley
2 tbsp garlic salt

Mix ingredients from ground turkey down to salt and pepper together in a large bowl, then roll the mixture into meatballs with your hands. Brown in olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat, just a couple of minutes on each side. Transfer browned meatballs to crockpot. Pour in premade spaghetti sauce or sauce ingredients listed above. Simmer on High for 2 hours or Low for 4 hours. Serves 6-8.

Pantry Potato Soup v2 (Crockpot Style)

I ended up working on another creamy potato soup recipe, in large part because I had leftover chicken and turkey stock in my fridge and half a bag of potatoes that I didn't want to waste. Also, the last experiment worked out so well, I was eager to find a similar version that could be made in my BFF, the crockpot. Here's what I came up with -- it's similar to the stove-top version I made last week, but it's designed to simmer in a crockpot all day long, perfect for workdays! The ingredients are a bit different, because once again I was raiding the pantry for supplies.

Pantry Potato Soup v2 (Crockpot Style)

5-6 medium white potatoes, cut into chunks

large handful of carrots, cut into chunks

6 cups stock or broth (I used a combo of homemade chicken and turkey stocks)

16 oz. frozen sweet corn

7 oz. can green chiles

1 tbsp celery seed

2 tbsp minced onion

1 tsp ground black pepper

8 oz. package cream cheese

2 triangles Laughing Cow cheese (or other soft cheese)

3-4 tbsp Lawry's seasoning salt (to taste)

Toss potatoes through black pepper into crockpot, and simmer on low for about 8 hours. Stir in cream cheese and other soft cheese, then raise heat to high until cheese is melted. Use an immersion blender to cream soup. Stir in Lawry's to taste. Simmer another 5 minutes on low, and serve hot, with fresh bread or tortillas.

Pantry Potato Soup

When I threw together this soup last night, I wasn't trying to make a recipe. I was just trying to make a meal using whatever I had in the pantry, fridge and freezer. The result was amazing, and despite my general dislike of leftovers, today's leftover soup lunch was just as tasty. Paired with fresh homemade bread, this is an excellent meal. Sorry, I didn't take notes as I prepared it, so I don't have exact measurements for anything. I will definitely be paying more attention to the details next time so I can update!

Pantry Potato Soup

6-8 medium white potatoes, cut into chunks

large handful of carrots, cut into chunks

8 cups stock or broth (I used a combo of homemade chicken and turkey stocks)

diced onion, green pepper and celery (I used a frozen bag of the combo)

2-3 tbsp Lawry's seasoning salt

1 tbsp celery seed

1 bay leaf

8oz package cream cheese

2 triangles Laughing Cow cheese (or other soft cheese)

In a large stock pot, boil all veggies and seasonings in stock until potatoes are fully cooked (about 15 minutes). Stir in cream cheese and other soft cheese until melted. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to cream soup. Simmer another 5-10 minutes on medium low, and serve hot, with fresh bread.

Potato Corn Chowder

I first got this recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Centsational Girl. It sounded easy enough, and with fall most decidedly here, it sounded warm and cozy. And it was both. So delicious that even my picky 4-year-old cleaned his bowl. And the leftovers were even better! Of course, being me, I couldn't just make the recipe as it was posted (sorry Kate!). I had to tweak it and make it my own. So here it is, Centsational Girl's chowder with Sandy's modifications LOL!

Potato Corn Chowder

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 small yellow onion (or 1/2 large yellow onion), diced

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

6 medium potatoes

3/4 teaspoon thyme

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 tbsp Lawry's seasoning salt

Salt to taste

1-1/2 cups frozen corn

2 cups half-n-half

1/4 cup flour or cornstarch

Crumbled bacon

Sour cream for topping

Heat olive oil and butter in pan. Soften the diced onion in butter/oil mixture for 8 – 10 minutes on medium low heat. Meanwhile peel your potatoes and chop them into small cubes. Add chicken broth to your softened onions and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and thyme and cook on medium heat (low boil) for 15 minutes until potatoes are soft. Mash up your potato mixture using an immersion blender, regular blender or a manual potato masher. Add the frozen corn and half & half, Lawry's, white pepper and salt to taste. Mix a little chicken broth with the flour/cornstarch until smooth, then mix everything together in the pot. Let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Ladle into bowls, the top with a dollop of sour cream and bacon crumbles. Mmmmmm!

Lemon Cream Scones

Yummy. This will be a new favorite in my house, I can tell already. Even my 1-year-old is wandering the kitchen saying, "skont? skont?" It's so cute to watch him wandering around, scone in hand, nibbling happily. Special thanks to my friend Yvonne for sharing this recipe with me at our recent visit!

Lemon Cream Scones

2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1-1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 425F and have a large ungreased baking sheet standing by. Whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and roll dough flat about 3/4" thick (make thinner if you fold each scone in half). Cut 10-12 circles with round biscuit cutter or the top of a glass and place at least 1/2" apart on baking sheet. Brush tops with some cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 425F for 12-15 minutes.

These are awesome alone or with a little blackberry or strawberry preserves!

Tracy's Crockpot Dulce la Leche

I got this recipe from my friend, Tracy, at Baby Spit is the New Black. This is the easiest thing ever. I can totally see serving this at a party. I copied the recipe here directly from her blog.

Get a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk. Put a liner in your crockpot (This is VERY important). Peel the label off the milk. Put the can of milk in your crockpot. Don't open it or anything. Just put it in there, all sealed up. Trust me. And the liner is to avoid rust in your crockpot. Put water in your crock so that the can is WELL COVERED with water. There should be a fair amount of water over the can. Put the lid on your crockpot. Put your crockpot on low, let it go for 8 hours.

At 7.5 hours, start cutting up fruit and other goodies to dip in your Dulce La Leche. Apples and bananas are favorites around here. If you have a sweet tooth, marshmallows are also quite yummy. Use your imagination here, people!

When 8 hours is up (it's ok if it goes a little over, no worries) take the can out of the crockpot. Careful!!! It's very, very hot. I use tongs for this. Then slowly use the can opener to open your can with little turns at a time. If you go too fast your Dulce will squirt out of your can and across the room. Let my experience be your learning tool here. Go slow.

Pour the dip into the middle of a chip and dip tray, surrounded by your cut up fruit and whatnot. Dip and enjoy.

Thanks Tracy!

3-Cheese Baked Rigatoni

Super yummy baked pasta dish, very easy to make ahead.

3-Cheese Baked Rigatoni

1 lb. ground beef

1 box rigatoni

1 jar red pasta sauce of your choice (I like garlic & mushroom sauce)

4 oz. grated parmesan cheese

4 oz. shredded mild cheddar cheese

4 oz. shredded mozzerella

Brown the ground beef and drain once cooked through. While beef is cooking, boil rigatoni until al dente and drain. Mix drained rigatoni with beef, pasta sauce and grated parmesan and pour into a casserole dish. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes, then sprinkle cheddar and mozzerella over the top and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted. Serves 6.