Messy Margie's (my version of sloppy joe's)

Please note... all recipes are a guide.  I often follow this one 'kinda' close, however, sometimes I eyeball it.  I also almost always cook them for an hour (or more) on low in crockpot but I doubt that's necessary, it's just what I do because I'm usually taking them somewhere, but I would recommend you let them simmer for at least a good half hour to meld (is that really a word?) the flavors

For a crowd (Makes 24ish)

3 pounds lean ground turkey

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup finely chopped green or red bell pepper

2 1/2 cups ketchup

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Add water if needed (I usually don’t)

24 buns of your choice

Directions

Heat a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat and add ground meat. Brown meat until it is cooked thoroughly. Carefully drain and discard fat. Transfer meat to a bowl.

To same pan, heat oil on medium heat; and add onions and peppers and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. When vegetables are tender, return meat to pan and add remaining ingredients. Stir frequently to cover meat with sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly.

For a few (Makes 8ish)

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup finely chopped green or red bell pepper

3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon ketchup

1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons vinegar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Add water if needed (I usually don’t)

8 buns of your choice

Heat a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat and add ground meat. Brown meat until it is cooked thoroughly. Carefully drain and discard fat. Transfer meat to a bowl.

To same pan, heat oil on medium heat; and add onions and peppers and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. When vegetables are tender, return meat to pan and add remaining ingredients. Stir frequently to cover meat with sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly.

CrockPot Chicken Enchiladas

Adapted recipe from here.


1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
1 T oil
10 oz can enchilada sauce
14 oz can tomato sauce (recipe called for 8 but I don’t think it was enough)
8 corn tortillas
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 c frozen corn
2 c cheese
3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded ( I cooked mine in the crockpot ahead of time with 1 c salsa and 1 T taco seasoning)
2 ¼ oz olives (GROSS, I didn’t do this!)

Saute onion and garlic in oil in saucepan. Add enchilada sauce and tomato sauce.

Combine chicken, beans, and corn together.

Place 2 tortillas in the bottom of crockpot

Layer 1/3 chicken/bean/corn mixture, 1/3 cheese, 1/3 sauce, repeat 2 more times.

Top with 2 tortillas.

Cover, cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Also, you can substitute ground beef or turkey for chicken.

Chicken with zucc & shrooms!

I adapted this recipe from here...

1.5 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
2 clove garlic, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (3oz each because that's a real portion!)
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
2 small zucchini (about 1.5 cups)

In a medium bowl, combine the broth, tomato paste, ground black pepper, oregano, salt and garlic. Mix well and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute the chicken in the oil for 2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned.
Add the reserved broth mixture, zucchini, and mushrooms to the skillet and bring to a boil. Then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Its kinda saucy (like me!) but I really liked the flavors

Serving with whole wheat pasta!

Serves 4

Spaghetti

When I make spaghetti the kids are HAPPY! It's spaghetti, its filling, its yummy, and it's cheap!

When making for a big group:

1 spaghetti packet from Savelot
1 lb ground turkey (from frozen section at Savealot or Aldi)
1 can tomato paste
3 can water
garlic powder
onion powder
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (because cheese makes everything taste better)

Cook noodles according to package directions.

Brown meat and season with garlic & onion powder. Drain

Add seasoning packet, tomato paste, water. Cook. Add cheese, cook until melty. Add noodles.

Serve