You know the kind even your manly man will eat. But packed full of nutrients without extra calories. 

Because let’s face it, most of us don’t need empty calories and are perfectly happy as long as we’re satisfied.  This chili is definitely satisfying.

Building the Chili Flavor

The sweet potato is the star ingredient as it balances the chili seasonings so well. 

Because I was making this chili to share the love with one my work family members, I kept the heat out of it and instead focused on flavor.  Chili powder, ground oregano, garlic powder, and cumin will never let you down.

I also fire roasted the corn and poblano peppers, adding a little smoky flavor to the chili.

If you want to stretch this Turkey & Sweet Potato Southwest Chili a little farther, double the quantity of veggies & diced tomatoes and season accordingly.  In addition to the sweet potatoes, I added carrots, onions, red bell & poblano peppers, zucchini, corn, diced tomatoes and black beans.

I hope you’ll give this dish a try and as always I welcome and enjoy your feedback.

Recipe inspiration.  My Healthy Choices lunch buddy shared a new favorite dish, which was baked sweet potato topped with taco seasoned ground turkey and salsa.  It was delicious and has been lingering in my mind ever since.

We are so ready for chili season and have a collection of recipes for your enjoyment.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Turkey & Sweet Potato Southwest Chili

My motivation for this Heart Healthy Turkey & Sweet Potato Southwest Chili was to deliver a flavor packed hearty chili.

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 lb. lean ground turkey cooked and drained
• 2 small sweet potatoes peeled & cubed (about 2 cups)
• 2 Tbl. olive oil divided
• 1 carrot peeled and sliced
• 1 med. onion diced
• 1 red bell pepper optional
• 1 poblano pepper fire roasted, skins removed
• 1 zucchini diced
• 2 ears corn on the cob or 1 cup frozen
• 1 28- ounce diced tomatoes
• 1 4.5- ounce can diced mild green chiles
• 1 14- ounce can black beans drained & rinsed
• 2 Tbl. chili powder
• 1 Tbl. dried oregano
• 1 Tbl. garlic powder
• 1 Tbl. cumin
• 1 tsp. salt
• cayenne pepper optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spread diced sweet potatoes on a cooking spray coated baking sheet. Bake for 15 -20 minutes or until just tender.
• Meanwhile in a Dutch oven, add 1 Tbl. olive oil and brown ground turkey. Remove from pan and reserve. Add additional 1 Tbl. of olive oil and diced onion and carrot to pot. Saute until onion is tender. Add in remaining veggies and tomatoes, chiles, black beans and seasoning and bring to a gentle simmer; cook for 10 minutes.
• Add cooked sweet potatoes and ground turkey to the pot; heat through. Adjust seasoning to taste.
• Serve with favorite toppings, such as shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro.

Notes

Seasoning chili should be done according to taste. Adding gradually as the dish builds is how we arrive at the right balance.

The post Heart Healthy Turkey & Sweet Potato Southwest Chili appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Big bold flavors. Bright cheerful colors.

There’s nothing boring about these burgers.

I have a Jerk Marinade that I’ve used for Turkey Tenderloin, Turkey Meatballs, Caribbean Couscous Salad….

Its punchy, gently spicy, with bursts of citrus and herbs. There’s warmth from the spices balanced by the natural mildness of ground turkey. I’m addicted!

To make these burgers, mix up your spices and aromatics first then add them to the ground turkey. This insures the flavors are incorporated well without overworking the mixture.

Overworking = tough burgers.

When cooked properly Turkey Burgers are moist and juicy. Ground turkey is tender and can be tricky to cook on a grill. The secret I’ve found is to sear the patties in a hot pan, then finish them in the oven. They come out perfectly every time.

Turkey Burgers reheat beautifully too, so they are fantastic for meal prep and making lunches for the week! The flavors in these jerk burgers are even better the next day, warm or cold!

Juicy Jerk Turkey Burgers with Caribbean Coleslaw are fun for the weekend, but easy enough for a weeknight meal! Serve them on toasted burger buns or lettuce wraps, topped with Caribbean Coleslaw.

Are there recipes that remind you of a favorite vacation that you’d like to see us recreate? I’d love for you to comment below. Your feedback is so important to me (and keeps the recipe love fresh).

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Juicy Jerk Turkey Burgers with Caribbean Coleslaw

Juicy Jerk Turkey Burgers with Caribbean Coleslaw scream summer! Big bold tropical flavors. Bright cheerful colors. Smiles all around!

Course Burgers

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs use gluten free panko for GF version

Spices and Aromatics

• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 sprigs minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 scallion thinly sliced
• 1 small jalapeno fine diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• oil for pan frying

For Serving

• 1 cup Caribbean Coleslaw recipe link in post
• 4 burger buns lightly toasted

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Mix spices and aromatic together. Add ground turkey, egg and panko breadcrumbs. Mix with hands until just combined.
• Form into 4 burger patties. Heat 1 Tablespoon cooking oil in oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Pan fry burgers 2-3 minutes per side, then transfer to oven. Cook for 10 minutes or until internal temperature of burgers reaches 165° F. Remove and allow to rest 5 minutes.
• To serve, place each burger on a toasted bun and top with 1/4 cup Caribbean coleslaw.

The post Juicy Jerk Turkey Burgers with Caribbean Coleslaw appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

So while it’s winter-thyme here in Georgia, which inevitably cultivates a desire to travel to warmer destinations, we’re going to enjoy this treat for the senses.

Meal prep is a thing.

Not something I have done well in the past. Which is odd considering I love leftovers almost more than the first serving.

This Jamaican Jerk Meatball Rice Bowl, which is three recipes in one bowl, definitely qualifies. Its my chance to jump on the meal prep train.

The three elements to this perfect power bowl of goodness begins with Jamaican spiced, flavor-packed meatballs.

I basically use the ingredients from my Jamaican Jerk marinade and incorporate them into the turkey meatballs, along with an egg and a little panko to keep them together.

These meatballs are tender so I bake them. Don’t be too concerned with getting them brown because they’re going to get a dip in the nice rich marinade before serving.

Next comes the Jamaican Vegetable Rundown. <— Recipe Link here. This dish is a delicious coconut milk based veggie stew, made with a variety of vegetables (aka a great way to use up your farmers market finds), and flavored with fresh thyme, scotch bonnet pepper and scallions.

A base of Jamaican Red Beans & Rice <— Recipe Link here, brings balance to all of these big bold flavors, and is the perfect pairing for the punchy meatballs and spiced brothy veggies.

Jamaican Jerk Meatball Bowls are the perfect meal prep weekday lunch. You can easily make four to five nicely portioned lunches.

This recipe also made a wonderful moving day lunch! :)

Congratulations to Shelby and Jonathan on the purchase of their first home!! May the years to come bring you much love and happiness (and may you cook many delicious meals together) xoxo

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Jamaican Jerk Meatball Bowl

This Jamaican Jerk Meatball Rice Bowl is a virtual flavor trip to the islands.

Course Main Course

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Marinade

• 1/3 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves chopped
• 1 jalapeno seeds removed fine diced
• 3 scallions thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Tablespoon orange zest or 1 Tbl. orange marmalade
• 1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons allspice
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Meatballs

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup marinade (see above)

For the Vegetable Rundown

• See Recipe Link in Post

For the Red Beans & Rice

• See Recipe Link in Post

Instructions

For the Marinade

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl. 1/2 cup will go into the meatballs. The remaining marinade will be heated and poured over cooked meatballs.

For the Meatballs

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine ground turkey, panko, egg and 1/2 cup of marinade in a medium bowl. Mix until just combined. Form into 20 meatballs and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

For the Vegetable Rundown

• Prepare according to instructions linked in post.

For the Red Beans & Rice

• Prepare according to instructions linked in post.

To Serve Jamaican Jerk Meatball Bowls

• Place a layer of hot Red Beans & Rice in base of bowl. Add serving of hot Rundown Vegetables and 5 turkey meatballs. Drizzle with a couple spoonfuls of the remaining marinade (hot).

The post Jamaican Jerk Meatball Rice Bowl appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Thanksgiving Dinner Party Meatballs.

Talk about little bites of comfort.  All those wonderful Thanksgiving flavors conveniently bundled into party meatballs.

Sing it with me… Party Meatballs in the house tonight. Everybody just have a good time.

I couldn’t help myself.  With the Party Rockers reference or with these meatballs.  Imagine mingling at a cocktail party, sampling all the carefully selected appetizers.

Hmmm, is that a meatball I see?  Why I love meatballs.  Don’t mind if I do.

I’m telling you, when you pluck a Thanksgiving Dinner Party Meatball out of the light gravy and pop it in your mouth…You will hear the holiday angels sing.

These tender meatballs are the perfect savory combination of turkey and cornbread stuffing (dressing) balanced by the slight sweetness from the cranberries.  Why wait until the holiday season to enjoy these?  Imagine the delight of summer party guests when they get an unexpected burst of holiday flavor.  Or how about for that Game Day Party.  Who doesn’t love Thanksgiving Dinner and meatballs?

Of course, when Thanksgiving Dinner is over and you’ve got leftover stuffing and cranberries, I hope you’ll think of this fun recipe!!

Give our Cranberry Horseradish Mayo a try while you’re at it.  The combination is amazing.

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Thanksgiving Dinner Party Meatballs

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the meatballs…

• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• 1 Tbl. butter
• 1/2 cup celery finely diced
• 1/2 cup onion finely diced
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries chopped
• 1 cup chicken or turkey broth
• 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 cups dry Pepperidge Farm Cornbread Stuffing
• 2 Tbl. egg whites

For the gravy…

• 2 Tbl. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 cups chicken or turkey broth

Instructions

For the meatballs…

• Sauté celery and onion in butter until softened. Add in dried cranberries, broth and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in dry stuffing. Toss to combine. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine stuffing with ground turkey and egg whites. Mix until just combined. Form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs; place on baking sheet. Bake meatballs for 30 minutes.

For the gravy…

• Heat broth in a saucepan. In a small jar with lid, combine cornstarch and poultry seasoning with 1/2 cup hot broth. Shake vigorously until well combined. Whisk cornstarch mixture into remaining broth and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

To serve…

• Toss meatballs in gravy. Be sure to spoon extra graving into serving bowl.

Notes

1 WW Pts+ per meatball

The post Thanksgiving Dinner Party Meatballs appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

We’ve made this dish so often that frankly I’ve taken for granted how good it is.  Now that school is back in session the talk around the office has changed from backyard BBQ’s and poolside picnics to family friendly weeknight meals.  These Turkey Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy are simple and delicious.

We learned a long time ago that the secret to making ground turkey taste so good is some seasoning love.  The meatball mixture will be soft, so treat them gently when pan browning.  They’ll finish cooking in the amazing mushroom gravy.  You’ll definitely want a side of Herbed Mashed Potatoes or rice to serve with this dish.  Enjoy!

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Turkey Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

For the meatballs…

• 1 ~ 1 1/4 lb. pkg. ground turkey
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt

For the mushroom gravy…

• 1 Tbl. butter
• 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
• 2 shallots thinly sliced
• 1 Tbl. fresh thyme leaves minced
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups chicken or beef broth
• 2 Tbl. flour
• salt & freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

For the meatballs…

• Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients, except turkey. Then add turkey and mix just until incorporated. Do not overwork. Roll into meatballs, about 1 1/2-inches in diameter and place on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until meatballs are firm.

For the mushroom gravy…

• To same skillet add 1 Tbl. butter, sliced mushrooms, and shallots and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the fresh thyme and cook an additional minute. Dust mixture with flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. The mixture will be thick. Gradually stir in broth 1/2 cup at a time, allowing mixture to come to a boil in between each addition. Add more broth until desired thickness is achieved. Season with salt and pepper.
• Return meatballs to gravy, reduce heat to low, and allow to braise until meatballs are cooked through.
• Serve over mashed potatoes or rice with fresh parsley to garnish.

The post Turkey Meatballs {with Mushroom Gravy} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Loaded Stuffed Cabbage Rolls.

As in…don’t hold back on the veggies.  This was a fabulous way to work through the last few fresh veggies that needed to be eaten before it was back to the Farmers Market on Wednesday.  This included a gorgeous head of cabbage that I was persuaded to buy (I just love farmers).

I cut the bottom off the cabbage, then gently loosened and peeled back what I thought was enough leaves (about 8).  Should have done 12.  I placed them over a steamer basket and steamed them over boiling water for about 10 minutes, until they were soft and pliable.

I wanted to take the flavor in a Southwest direction, so the filling was a combination of sautéed veggies (onion, carrots, celery, garlic, zucchini, corn off the cobb), 1 cup of black beans (drained & rinsed), 1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice, 1/2 cup salsa, and 1 lb. raw ground turkey burger (omit for a vegetarian version).  I added 1 egg white, 2 Tbl. Worcestershire, 3 Tbl. fresh cilantro, cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, salt & pepper.

To make the cabbage rolls, I put a generous amount of filling into six of the cabbage leaves and rolled them loosely to allow the filling to expand.

I lined the bottom of our Dutch oven with a couple leaves then nestled the rolls on top.  You can see from the picture that I had extra filling.  Hmm.  Just then a brilliant suggestion came from my right side….”that filling sure would be good wrapped in a flour tortilla.”  So while I enjoyed Loaded Stuffed Cabbage Rolls for dinner, B enjoyed Loaded Enchiladas.  We were both VERY happy (and so were two lunch buddies at the office).  This recipe definitely makes enough to {Share the Love}.

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Loaded Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Course Entree

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the cabbage and sauce…

• 12 cabbage leaves steamed
• 1 14.5 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 33 oz. can diced tomatoes no-salt added)
• 1/2 tsp. ground oregano
• salt & pepper to taste

For the filling…

• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 carrot diced
• 1 celery stalk diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 small zucchini diced
• 2 ears corn kernels removed (or about 1 cup frozen)
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground oregano
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• a good handful of fresh cilantro about 3 Tbl. chopped
• 1 cup black beans rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup long grain rice uncooked
• 1 lb. ground turkey uncooked (omit for vegetarian version)
• 1 egg white
• 2 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup salsa

Instructions

For the cabbage and sauce…

• Cut the bottom of a head of cabbage. Gently loose and remove 12 leaves. Place over a steamer basked over a large pot of water, cover and steam for about 10 minutes until leaves are soft and pliable.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 Tbl. olive oil. Add onion, carrot, celery and saute until just tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add in garlic, zucchini, and corn and saute another 2-3 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, salt & pepper and stir until combined well. Remove to a large mixing bowl.
• In same skillet over medium heat, combine the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Season with oregano and salt & pepper to taste. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
• To the sauteed veggie mixture, add cilantro, black beans, rice, ground turkey, egg white, Worcestershire, and salsa. With hands combine ingredients until just blended.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom of dutch oven with 2 steamed cabbage leaves.
• Roughly divide mixture into 10 equal portions. Spoon each portion on a cabbage leaf and roll beginning at the stem end of the leave. Fold in sides as you loosely roll. Place seam side down in the Dutch oven. Once you have one layer of rolls spoon about 1/3 of the sauce over the rolls. Continue to add filled rolls in a 2nd layer, then cover with remaining sauce.
• Place Dutch over covered in preheated oven and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Notes

Per Serving (1 cabbage roll & 1/2 cup sauce) = 5 WW Pts+

The post Loaded Stuffed Cabbage Rolls appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Sometimes I crave Spaghetti & Meatballs.  I’m not really a big ‘craver’…if that is a word, except Chocolate cravings….those happen most days at either 3 pm or and 9 pm.

It’s Day #2 of Eat Out of the Fridge/Pantry Week.  As I walked out the door it occurred to me – should I thaw Chicken or Ground Turkey?  Turkey it was and meatballs it became.

We love ground turkey and often choose it over ground beef.  First and foremost because ground turkey begs for you to add flavor and seasoning and that suits our cooking quite well.  A Pasta Sauce, Basic Tomato Sauce or Marinara Sauce is so versatile that we keep containers frozen for just such an occasion.

Nothing really special about this Spaghetti & Meatballs recipe.  You may be wondering why I would even bother posting it.  Lemony Thyme, above all else, is a place for me to record recipes and share them.  The truth is it has become a recipe box for me and I use it as a resource, as I hope some of you will.  Oh and there is this crazy idea that popped into my head about making a Spaghetti & Meatball Grilled Cheese Sandwich…in honor of National Grilled Cheese Month of course ;)

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Spaghetti & Turkey Meatballs

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 2 cups Tomato Sauce see recipe links in post
• 1/2 lb. cooked spaghetti

For meatballs…

• 1 1-1/4 lb. Jennie-O Ground Turkey
• 1 egg
• 1 slice bread ground fine
• 2 Tbl. Parmesan cheese grated
• 1/4 cup onion fine diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 Tbl. fresh parsley finely chopped
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• pinch red pepper flakes

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line shallow baking sheet with non-stick foil.
• Combine all meatball ingredients, until just blended (do not overwork). Form into 2″ balls and place on foil lined baking sheet, we made 15.
• Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, until cooked through.
• Serve meatballs over cooked spaghetti with tomato sauce.

You might also like our Great Big Italian Meatballs recipe.

The post Spaghetti & Turkey Meatballs appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I have no excuse for not sharing this recipe with you before now.  Our close friends and family know that Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries had always been a signature meal for us. 

However, somewhere around the time I got caught up in the What’s for Dinner craze (trying different recipes almost every night), our old faithful Turkey Burger got limited play time. 

It took sharing them at the office last week for me to realize how much I’ve missed them.  And considering they are still being raved about, it’s time to give up the secret recipe.

Let me share that we LOVE Turkey Burgers for one single reason…they are so happy when you throw punchy flavors their way.  I know most people tend to turn to Turkey Burgers because they’re ‘healthier’ than good old ground beef, but that’s just not our motivation.  So while we appreciate how hard Jennie-O has worked to remove the fat, we do a pretty good job adding it back in.  These are NOT your everyday dry turkey burgers.

We treat these burgers in a similar manor to the way we approach meatloaf.  We add in eggs, fresh bread crumbs, and Worcestershire sauce, then depending on the flavor we’re looking for we add in a tablespoon of oil, typically olive but if we’re taking these in an Asian direction sesame oil is nice.  For BBQ Turkey Burgers we add in a 1/2 cup of our favorite BBQ sauce.  For Asian Turkey Burgers we add in Red Curry Paste, a little soy sauce and fresh cilantro.  You can go Buffalo by adding Franks or Mediterranean by adding feta, spinach, and Greek yogurt.  The possibilities are quite exciting actually.

Once we’ve infused the flavor, we assess the wetness.  Remember our goal is a nice moist turkey burger which means the mixture needs to be wet.  If they are too wet, we add a couple tablespoons of panko breadcrumbs at a time until we achieve the right consistency. 

They need to hold together long enough to form them into patties and get them in a frying pan.  Sorry, no grilling these burgers.  We actually brown them in a skillet and then transfer them to the oven to finish.  BBQ Turkey Burgers love to be topped with a slice of nice smoky Gouda or my favorite Munster and a generous schmear of BBQ mayo, served on a bun or a bed of lettuce.  Quite amazing.

BBQ Turkey Burgers paired so nicely with our Smoked Paprika Sweet Potato Chips and Moroccan Couscous Salad.

All my best,
xo Libby

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Turkey Burgers

Course Burger

Servings 6

Author B with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 ~ 1 1/4 lb. pkg. Jennie-O Ground Turkey
• 2 slices bread processed in food processor
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup favorite BBQ sauce
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs more or less as needed
• olive oil for pan frying
• sliced cheese optional
• burger buns optional
• BBQ mayo optional (but highly recommended)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Add all ingredients, except panko crumbs, in a mixing bowl and combine by hand. The mixture will be wet, however it needs to hold together. Add panko a little at a time until mixture just comes together.
• Form into 6 patties. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat and cook burgers, 3-4 minutes per side until nicely browned. Transfer to oven to finish cooking. Use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness. Remove when 5 degrees from desired doneness, cover with foil and allow to rest 5 minutes.
• Best served on a bun or bed of lettuce, with a slice of cheese, and a dollop of BBQ Mayo.

The post Turkey Burgers {BBQ} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

These beautiful mini-Sweet Peppers were smiling at me as I strolled through the produce isle.  How could I resist their vibrant ‘happy’ colors?  When it’s January, and the tornado sirens are echoing in the distance and torrential rains are beating on the window, a little ray of sunshine for dinner seemed just right.  So we kicked up our recipe with a little spice and created Southwest Stuffed mini-Sweet Peppers {with Quinoa & Spicy Turkey Sausage}.

For a nice change, I chose to put a Southwest twist on classic stuffed peppers.  I incorporated leaner ground turkey and Italian turkey sausage with this year’s super-food Quinoa in place of rice.  Stuffed Peppers are another wonderful dish that allows for creativity and a chance to use up some existing fridge/pantry ingredients.

So while I’m posting this as a “recipe” the key to great stuffed peppers is the stuff.  Combine a variety of veggies, ground meat (or not), beans are wonderful, whole grains are fabulous, lots of punchy spice flavors, a fresh herb or two, saute, fill, and bake.  These Southwest Stuffed mini-Sweet Peppers {with Quinoa & Spicy Turkey Sausage} also make a wonderful appetizer.  I picked them up and ate them like I would a jalapeno popper.  I sure did.

Before stuffing the pepper, give them a little dip in a pool of salted boiling water …4-5 minutes will soften them just enough without turning them into mush.  Drain them on paper towels and then fill them full of goodness.  We sprinkled a little grated cheese on top and baked them for 30 minutes until they looked like this.  The recipe below is enough to stuff a 2 lb. bag of peppers which will yield a BIG batch of Southwest Stuffed mini-Sweet Peppers {with Quinoa & Spicy Turkey Sausage}.  We enjoyed them for dinner last night, lunch today, and was still able to {Share the Love} at the office.

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Southwest Stuffed mini-Sweet Peppers {with Quinoa & Italian Turkey Sausage}

Course Appetizer, Entree

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme, inspired by Real Simple

Ingredients

• 1 2 lb. bag baby sweet peppers
• 2 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 lb. ground turkey or ground beef
• 2 Jennie-O Hot Italian sausages optional
• 1 cup uncooked Quinoa or rice or couscous, about 2 1/2 cups cooked
• 1 onion diced
• 1 carrot shredded
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 scallions thin sliced
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground oregano
• 1 tsp. chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. dried coriander
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper or more according to taste
• 1 tsp. salt adjust according to taste
• 1 3 oz. can diced mild green chilies
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup shredded cheese shredded (such as Monteray Jack, Pepper Jack, or Cheddar), plus 1/2 cup for topping
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• For mini-Peppers, slice one side off and remove seeds. Blanch in large pot of salted boiling water for 4-5 minutes until just slightly softened. Remove from water and drain on paper towels.
• Add quinoa, onion, and carrot to 2 cups boiling water. Stir and reduce heat to low and cover. Cook 15 – 20 minutes, stirring at 5 minute intervals until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Add additional liquid ¼ cup at a time if necessary.
• In a large skillet, heat olive oil and brown meat. Add garlic, scallions, and seasoning and cook for an additional minute. Stir in chilies, corn and diced tomatoes and bring to a boil, stirring to incorporate. Remove mixture from heat and stir in cooked quinoa, 1 cup shredded cheese, and fresh cilantro. Adjust seasoning. Then fill peppers with mixture and arrange in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake for about 30 minutes.
• Serve with sour cream and fresh cilantro leaves.

The post Southwest Stuffed mini-Sweet Peppers {with Quinoa & Spicy Turkey Sausage} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

The week following Thanksgiving was epic in terms of leftovers.  The pantry doors were bulging like the doors on a pre-teen girl’s closet.  The fridge was packed full of 1/2 used ingredients begging for a purpose.  And fortunately for us, every food blogger I follow was offering up solutions.  This Mexican Casserole was inspired by this beautiful recipe I found on From Away.

From time to time, and out of necessity, we self-impose an Eat Out of the Fridge/Pantry Week.  It’s a chance for us to use up leftover ingredients for certain, but it also saves us a bunch in grocery bills….and encourages us to get creative in the kitchen. It’s a win-win week.

In the freezer we had a package of ground turkey (although ground beef, leftover Thanksgiving turkey, or shredded chicken would all work great).  In the fridge we had an opened package of queso fresco (Mexican crumbling cheese), the last of a hunk of cheddar cheese, and fresh cilantro.  And in the pantry we can always find canned diced tomatoes and on this day we had the bonus can of Rotel, an open bag of tortilla chips, and an onion.  And this is how it all began for us.  Any variation of ingredients is welcomed and anything goes during Eat Out of the Fridge/Pantry Week!

Brown the ground turkey with diced onion until cooked through.  Season with Mexican spices like chili powder, ground oregano, cumin, and cayenne.  Sprinkle mixture with a little flour, then add in a can of diced tomatoes and a can of Rotel.  Simmer gently for about 10 minutes, adjusting seasoning to taste.  Pour mixture into a large bowl and toss with tortilla chips.  Pour into a baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Sprinkle with crumbled queso fresco cheese and shredded cheddar and bake 10 – 15 minutes at 350 until mixture is bubbly and cheese is melting.  Serve with fresh cilantro sprinkled on top.  Mexican Casserole. Ta da!!

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Mexican Casserole {Eat Out of the Fridge/Pantry Week}

Course Entree

Cuisine Mexican

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 1-1/4 lb. pkg. ground turkey can substitute ground beef
• 1 onion diced
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground oregano
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 Tbl. flour
• 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 10 oz. can Rotel
• 3 cups tortilla chips
• 6 oz. queso fresco cheese crumbled
• 2-3 oz. shredded cheddar
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves rough chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 11×7 baking dish with cooking spray.
• In a large skillet, saute the ground turkey and diced onion until cooked through. Add in the seasoning and saute another 1-2 minutes, then dust with flour and cook for an additional minute.
• Add in canned tomatoes and Rotel and simmer mixture gently for 10 minutes, adjust seasoning to taste.
• In large bowl combine meat and tomato mixture with tortilla chips, then pour into prepared baking dish. Top with crumbled/shredded cheeses and bake for 10 – 15 minutes until mixture is bubbly and cheese is melted.
• Serve with fresh cilantro leaves.

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