Cheeseburger Pie

Recently my Mom bought me a "Best of Michigan Cookbook" and I've gotten some really great recipes out of the book so far.  This is one of them, it seemed odd when making it that it didn't have rice or potatoes in it, but it turned out really tasty despite that.  It's like a cheeseburger without carbs!

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Brown beef (I used turkey) in a medium pan.  Drain meat through a sieve and return to pan.

Add onion, bell peppers, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup water.  Cover and cook until vegetables are soft, around 8 minutes.

Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.  Spread meat mixture over the bottom of the pan.

Dot with cottage cheese, I used non-fat. 

Top with cheddar cheese.

Whisk together egg, half and half, 1/2 cup water, and seasoning mix (recipe is below.)

Pour over the meat and cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and set.  

The seasoning mix really gives this dish  ton of flavor.  It's pretty spicy, so make sure you cutback on the cayenne pepper if you're not a spice lover.  I substituted turkey for beef and skim milk for half and half and it didn't taste like it was a low fat version what so ever.  The turkey tasted like sausage, due to the seasoning.  This was a quick week night dinner, and very different from things I normally make.  Hope you enjoy it as much as me!

Cheeseburger Pie

Serves 6

1 pound lean ground beef (or turkey)

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/4 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1/4 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup water (or chicken broth)

1/2 cup cottage cheese

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

4 large eggs, slightly beaten

3 teaspoons "Spice It Up" seasoning *Recipe below

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. 

Brown beef in a medium nonstick pan.

Drain meat through a sieve and return to pan.

Add onion, bell pepper, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup water or broth.

Cover and cook until vegetables are soft, around 8 minutes.

Spray a 9x13 inch pan with non stick spray.

Spread meat mixture over bottom of pan, dot with cottage cheese, and top with cheddar.

Whisk together eggs, half and half (or skim), remaining 1/2 cup water, and seasoning mix. 

Pour over meat and cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden and set. 

Spice It Up Seasoning

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoons cayenne pepper

1 tablespoons crushed parsley flakes

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon Splenda sweetener

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoons tarragon

1/2 teaspoon dried lemon peel

Turkey & White Bean Chili

Chili is the perfect thing to make on a lazy fall Saturday, which is exactly what I did.  I love the way it fills the whole house with a delicious smell.  I will admit I didn't need to make the whole recipe as I'm really only cooking for C and I, but it makes for great leftovers too, so it worked out.

In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat.  Add onion and cook until soft, around 8 minutes. 

Mince three garlic cloves; chop 4 teaspoons of fresh rosemary; and seed and mince 1-2 Serrano chiles.

Add garlic, rosemary, chiles, cumin, oregano, and cayenne.  Cook until fragrant, 2 minutes, and season with salt.

Add turkey and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until cooked through.

The recipe calls for a 15 oz can of cannellini beans, I doubled that for more protein.

Add broth and beans and bring to a boil over high.  

Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chili is thickened slightly, around 25 minutes.

Stir in cornmeal and cook for another 15 minutes.  Season to taste with salt.

I cut some scallions and served on top of the chili, you could also add sour cream or radishes.  I really enjoyed the peppers in the chili they added some heat.  This dish is incredibly tasty and healthy!  Take some time next weekend, turn on some music and make this chili, you'll thank me later :)

Make sure you stop by tomorrow - it's my 200th post and I have a surprise for all of you!

Turkey & White Bean Chili

Serves 6

Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 Serrano chiles, seeded and minced

4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 pound white meat turkey

5 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 can 15oz cannellini beans *I used 2 cans

3 tablespoons cornmeal

In a large pot heat oil over medium high heat.

Add onion, cook until softened.

Add garlic, chiles, rosemary, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper. 

Cook until fragrant, around two minutes, and season with salt.

Add turkey and cook breaking up meat with a large wooden spoon.

When meat is cooked through, add broth and beans.

Bring to a boil over high heat.

Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chili is thickened slightly, around 25 minutes.

Stir in cornmeal and cook for another 15 minutes, season to taste with salt.

Stuffed Peppers

I'm a really big fan of stuffed peppers.  The thing I like most about them is they're creative, you can add many different ingredients, and they always seem to end up tasting great.

I used green peppers, you could use red or any kind of bell peppers for this recipe.  Wash the peppers and cut around the stem to remove.  Remove the stems and cut the peppers length-wise.  Remove the seeds and ribs inside the peppers.

Line a baking sheet with foil, and coat with non-stick spray.  Set the peppers on the pan.

Meanwhile cook the ground turkey in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Stir and break up the turkey while it's cooking. 

When the turkey is almost finished cooking add the sauce and seasonings to the pan.  Continue to stir and cook until the meat is no longer pink.

Add the spinach and Parmesan and stir until everything is well combined.

Scoop 1/2 cup of the turkey mixture into each pepper.  Sprinkle one tablespoon of Parmesan over each pepper, or any other low fat shredded cheese.  Bake for 25 minutes at 450 degrees F, until the cheese has melted and is lightly golden brown.

 

These were incredibly delicious and full of flavor, all while being healthy and low fat.  I usually like ground beef in these kind of dishes, but turkey again proved to taste just as good, if not better.  I was full after one full pepper and completely satisfied.  Enjoy the meal!

Stuffed Peppers

Serving size 3-4

1lb lean ground turkey

3 bell peppers

2 cups spaghetti sauce

1 teaspoons basil/oregano seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper

1/2 cup chopped spinach

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Wash the peppers, cut around the stem to remove.

Remove the stems, and cut peppers in half length-wise, removing seeds and ribs.

Set peppers on a baking sheet that's been lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick.

Cook ground turkey in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Stir and break up the turkey while it's cooking.

When turkey is almost finished cooking add the sauce and seasonings to the pan.

Stir and continue to cook.

Add the spinach and Parmesan and stir until every thing's well combined.

Scoop 1/2 cup of the turkey mixture into each pepper.

Sprinkle one tablespoons Parmesan over each pepper.

Bake for 35 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly golden brown.

Remove from the oven and enjoy.