Mexican Lasagna and Organizing on my Staycation

I am using my week very wisely, taking advantage of having both kids in school for 3 of the 9 days. I cleaned and organized my refrigerator. I did not post of picture of that because it really wouldn't do it justice without a "before". I cleaned and organized my pantry.


My nicely organized Pantry. Allowing for more efficient meal plans.

We have also instituted a weekly meal planning calendar that has an included shopping list by store area. We have incorporated the kids in selecting a meal one night of the week, as well as dad. Mom fills in the blanks. I take that and sit online, printing what coupons I can and head to the store. This week, I saved $50.00 in coupons and Kroger savings.

In part of the organizing and planning I realized I needed to use up some of the items I had in the freezer, pantry and fridge. What I ended up with was a mexican lasagna. Be patient with me - I didn't write down an exact recipe but its close enough. I'll get more diligent, I promise.

Non stick spray
1 TBS olive oil
1 medium onion - diced
8 button mushrooms - chopped
1 lb lean ground turkey
Homemade Taco Seasoning
1 can of vegetarian or fat free refried beans
1/2 container of Weight Watchers whipped cream cheese
9 corn tortillas
1 12 or 16 oz can of sliced stewed tomatoes - drained

Saute' onions until they are translucent in the olive oil with a little dash of salt.
add mushrooms and saute for 3 minutes.
Add turkey mixture with taco seasoning and turn until well broken and fully done over medium heat.
Reduce heat once the turkey is fully cooked. ( I did not drain )

Spray the inside of the casserole dish with the non stick spray
Layer bottom of the dish with three tortillas, covering as much ground as you can.
On top of the tortillas, spread about 1/3 of the can of beans all over.
Add a large spoonful of the turkey mixture.
Add 3 teaspoons of cream cheese mixture, placing them in an evenly spaced triangle points.
Add 3-4 of the tomato slices.
Repeat this two more times.
At the end, you should see cream cheese and the final tomatoes over the meat mixture.

Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes until the center is well warmed.

At the end, Sprinkle lightly with finely grated 2% cheese - flavor of your choice.
I didn't have any so I cut up one of the kids cheese sticks and sprinkled them on the top.

Replace in oven for another 5-10 minutes being sure not to burn the top.

Let sit for 10 minutes to allow for easier slicing. We got 8-9 servings and everyone loved.

Enjoy!

Italian Turkey Sausage Soup

1 lb of Italian turkey sausage
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat pasta (uncooked)
1 can of fire roasted tomatoes (I used Hun'ts)
1 zucchini quartered and sliced
4 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup of chopped onion
1 tsp chopped garlic.

Heat Sausage until thoroughly cooked, stirring and breaking up until its done - drain most but not all liquid. Throw in onion and garlic until onion is clear. Throw in the rest of the ingredients and cook thoroughly until noodles are done or simmer for as long as you like. Use a lower heat to cook through as the wheat pasta may disintegrate.

Eat =)

Killer Turkey Burgers

1 lb lean ground turkey
2 egg whites
1 cup of chopped spinach
2 small chipotle peppers finely chopped ( i had a can of them in sauce and just pull two from it - be careful, they can add alot of heat)
dash kosher salt
dash ground pepper
tsp of paprika
tsp basil
enough breadcrumbs to help with binding meat (I used leftover garlic bread that I dried out in the oven - use what you have)
Combine all ingredients and form in to 4-5 patties.

Topping:
Finely Chopped yellow or sweet onion
Finely chopped mushrooms
1 TBSP Olive oil
Sautee together - top burger with it.

Grill them until cooked through and then top with the onion mushroom topping.

We added finely chopped grape tomatoes, romaine lettuce and dill relish to the top also.

enjoy!