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Lone Star Turkey Chili with Sour Cream and Chives

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Looks yummy, doesn’t it?

When you’d rather get dinner on the table so you enjoy time with the family outside, this is your new go-to meal. Chili is not just a winter meal. It’s a versatile dish with many options for eating it: layered on top of a grilled hotdog, poured over bowtie pasta, inside an empanada or as the base of Frito pie.

I prefer a thick tomato based chili served as the base for a multitude of toppings. Lone Star Turkey Chili with Sour Cream and Chives is not a overly spiced chili, but if you want more heat you can add a couple smoked ancho peppers (that will crank up the heat!) to the pot or top a bowl of chili with fresh sliced jalapenos. Because people like their chili with different levels of heat, I keep it simple and provide options for toppings, like a “buffet o’ heat” ranging from bottled sriracha to sliced peppers. The sour cream cools of the heat and balances the acidic tomato flavor.

My recipe gets its name from using Texas Jet Lone Star Chili Seasoning, a packet of spices brought home by my boyfriend after a trip to Houston. However, you can make your own chili seasoning with this Taste of Home recipe, if you need it.

Saute the garlic and onions in a tablespoon of melted butter until soft before adding a pound of ground turkey. Over medium heat to medium-high heat, stir the meat with the garlic and onions continuously until it is cooked thoroughly, Because there is no grease to drain (healthier!), you can then add the canned ingredients, mix well, cover and allow to cook on a medium-low simmer until the chili reaches the consistency you prefer for serving (typically about 30 minutes).

Remember to provide options for toppings for your chili fans. I grow fresh herbs in container pots so adding fresh chive was as easy as chopping some and sprinkling them on top of added sour cream and cheddar cheese.

Chives are super simple to grow as long as you provide them partial sun, maintain moist soil, and give them drainage.

This dinner recipe will serve about 6-8 bowls of chili. If cooking for two people, like me, you will have a couple days of leftovers available to pack for lunches or freeze for later use. By preparing Lone Star Turkey Chili with Sour Cream and Chives for dinner tonight, you’ll free yourself from worrying about future meals because you’ll have extra servings on-the-ready when you’re ready to heat and eat. Free up yourself from the confines of the kitchen this summer by making a big batch of this yummy, stovetop chili to feed your family for days!

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6-8 bowls

Lone Star Turkey Chili with Sour Cream and Chives

Chili is a hearty, make-ahead meal that helps keep dinnertime chaos-free for you and your family.

20 minPrep Time

30 minCook Time

50 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 2 cloves chopped garlic
  • 1 chopped white or yellow onion
  • 1 T butter
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1.5 oz (half a package) Texas Jet Lone Star Chili Seasoning
  • 1 can tomato paste
  • 1 can chili-ready canned beans (or pinto beans) undrained
  • 1 can chili-ready diced canned tomatoes undrained
  • 1 cup water (optional, if you think the chili is too thick)

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, melt butter and then add onions and garlic over medium heat. Stir continuously until garlic and onions are softened. Add in ground turkey and continue stirring until cooked thoroughly. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and allow the chili to simmer at least 30 minutes. Serve in bowls garnished with sour cream, cheddar cheese and chives.

Notes

Crank up the heat by adding a pinch of red pepper flake or sriracha while the chile is simmering.

7.8.1.2
76
https://onedelightfullife.com/lone-star-turkey-chili-with-sour-cream-and-chives/

Nutrition

Calories

177 cal

Fat

12 g

Carbs

18 g

Protein

2 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Dutch Oven Bolognese Sauce

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This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for information. 

Bolognese, or ragu, is a meaty tomato based pasta sauce that can be served on your preferred pasta. Often created with beef and some kind of sausage, it typically includes a tomato paste, chopped vegetables, and a liquid such as broth and/or wine.

When I began to make Cooking Light’s 2014 recipe for Beefy Bolognese over Penne Pasta, I quickly realized that I was out of red wine. The horror! So, I substituted more chicken stock in its place. Instead of using ground beef, I used ground turkey. The addition of chopped center cut bacon completed the meaty trilogy. Incorporating finely chopped onion, carrot, celery, tomatoes, and garlic elevated the flavors and was a sneaky way to include more vegetables into our dinner entree.

I think you’ll enjoy my Dutch Oven Bolognese Sauce, a healthier, alcohol-free version of the Cooking Light recipe. Thick in consistency, it can be layered on top of freshly cooked pasta or nestled between lasagne noodles. The longer it simmers on the stove, the better it tastes at dinner time.

Top with shredded parmesan (optional) and more flat leaf parsley.

I like to organize my ingredients before starting the cooking process so I diced all vegetables and opened cans and jars before turning on the stovetop. This kind of preparation makes cooking much easier and enjoyable. You don’t feel rushed in a panic when preparing multi-step recipes like this one.

I chopped the raw bacon into small pieces before adding them to a medium-high dutch oven pot.

After cooking the bacon for about five minutes or until it reaches the crispness you prefer, add the ground turkey and Italian sausage. Cook six minutes or until brown. You will have to continually stir it to get it to crumble and cook evenly.

The Italian sausage leaves just enough grease in the pan once browned to cook the vegetables in the following steps but not enough grease to ruin the recipe.

After the meat has cooked thoroughly, remove it from the pan and set aside. Immediately add in the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to saute for about five minutes.

Chopped your vegetables so that they are all the same size to guarantee that they cook evenly.

Add tomato paste and sauté while mixing one minute. Add stock and bring to a boil. Cook one minute, scraping the pot to loosen any browned bits.

Make sure to stir frequently.

Return the beef mixture to the pot and stir in the chopped tomatoes, pepper and salt. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook one hour. Make sure to stir the sauce several times to prevent it from sticking to the pot. Then, cook pasta according to package directions. Once the hour has expired, spoon the bolognese on top of your pasta of choice. Garnish with shredded parmesan and flat leaf parsley.

4 cups

Dutch Oven Bolognese Sauce

An even lighter version of Cooking Light's meat bolognese sauce. The perfect slow simmer Sunday dinner!

30 minPrep Time

1 hr, 30 Cook Time

2 hrTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 3 chopped center-cut bacon slices
  • 8 oz lean ground turkey
  • 4 oz ground Italian sausage
  • 1 1/2 c finely chopped onion
  • 1/2 c finely chopped carrot
  • 1 T. minced garlic
  • 1/4 c unsalted tomato paste
  • 1/2 c unsalted chicken stock
  • 1/3 c. dry red wine (I used more chicken stock)
  • 1 (14.5oz) can unsalted diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 8 oz. pasta
  • chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (optional)
  • 1 T. shredded parmasen (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place bacon in a Dutch oven or deep pot with a lid over medium-high heat.
  2. Saute 5 minutes until crisp.
  3. Add ground turkey and ground sausage to pan and cook 6 minutes or until browned.
  4. Stir until it crumbles.
  5. Remove meat mixture from pan.
  6. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic; saute 1 minute.
  7. Add stock and bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.
  8. Return meat mixture to pot; stir in tomatoes, pepper, and salt.
  9. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 1 hour, stirring several times.
  10. Cook pasta according to box directions. Serve bolognese on top of pasta and top with optional parmesan and chopped parsley.
7.8.1.2
66
https://onedelightfullife.com/dutch-oven-bolognese-sauce/

Nutrition

Calories

1957 cal

Fat

61 g

Carbs

121 g

Protein

94 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

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Crunchy Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

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Maybe the reason I decided to eat healthy for dinner was because I cancelled my YMCA membership this week. If I’m going to be lazy, I better eat low-fat dishes.

My Crunchy Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps are my first step to reprogramming my mind to eat healthier and get back into shape, even if that’s not in front of strangers at a high-priced sweaty gym. Maybe you feel the same sometimes?

Full of sweet but tangy flavor, these delicious lettuce wraps remind me that eating healthy is not only easy to prepare but pretty tasty too.

The key to keeping these lettuce wraps on the lighter side is to use ground lean 93/7 turkey meat as the base with fresh broccoli slaw and bib lettuce. The crunch comes from added fried wonton strips (optional) and the slaw, which nicely balances the soft meat mixture and bib lettuce exterior. I don’t add extra sugary or salty sauces on top leaving the wraps on the lighter side. There is enough flavor from the marinade ingredients. While these wraps can be served for a lighter-fare dinner entree, they could also be served for lunch.

crunchy-asian-turkey-lettuce-wraps

If you want to add heat to the meat mixture, you could add Sriracha or a pinch of red pepper flakes to the marinade. This colorful entree looks bright and appetizing when plated on white or dark contrasting plates. If you have leftovers, you can deconstruct the lettuce and create a bowl of “salad” out of the ingredients too.

My Instagram post of this recipe was quite popular yielding more likes than any of the 130 posts yet. Follow One Delightful Life on Instagram!

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Ingredients

  • Bib lettuce
  • 1 lb. 93/7 lean ground turkey cooked until its browned
  • Marinade:
  • 1/3 c. hoisin
  • 3 T Thai chile sauce
  • 1 T sesame oil
  • 1 T soy sauce
  • 1 T rice wine vinegar
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 chopped green onions
  • salt and pepper
  • Toppings:
  • broccoli slaw (purchased prepared in a bag-add as much as you like)
  • sesame seeds to garnish
  • wonton strips (buy in a package in the produce department)

Instructions

  1. Mix marinade ingredients in a small bowl and set aside
  2. Cook 1 lb. 93/7 ground turkey until its browned
  3. Add marinade to ground turkey, mix well, and simmer on low until fully heated.
  4. Spoon turkey marinade mixture into individual bib lettuce leaves.
  5. Top with broccoli slaw, sesame seeds, and wonton strips.
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63

https://onedelightfullife.com/crunchy-asian-turkey-lettuce-wraps/

Nutrition

Calories

131 cal

Fat

2 g

Carbs

24 g

Protein

3 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

 

Healthy Turkey Meatball Sandwiches

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Healthy comfort food.

Is there such a thing? Yes! If you swap the ingredients you use in a traditionally fattening comfort food for healthier options, you can! Gobble up my Healthy Turkey Meatball Sandwiches for lunch or dinner and feel good doing it. Of course, I needed something to wash these babies down with so I opted for a cold, light beer.

These turkey meatballs are crisp on the outside but tender on the inside. Tasty!
These turkey meatballs are crisp on the outside but tender on the inside. Tasty!

In this recipe I use skim milk instead of heavy cream, low-fat shredded mozzarella, and ground turkey instead of fatty ground beef. The fresh herbs are aromatic and take basic turkey meatballs to the next level. Use fresh herbs, people! It makes the difference.

Tip: Let your eggs reach nearly room temperature for better results.
Tip: Let your eggs reach nearly room temperature for better results.

Rolling your meatballs in a bit of all-purpose flour is the key to a getting a crispy exterior. Once in the pot, rotate them often even allowing them to stand on end. Don’t walk away from the stove because you need to move the meatballs often using tongs.

Don't crowd your meatballs.You'll need room to turn them often to brown all sides.
Don’t crowd your meatballs.You’ll need room to turn them often to brown all sides.

Once the meatballs reach that beautiful golden color on all sides, remove them from the pan and let them rest. (Don’t worry if the meatballs are a bit soft on the inside still because they will finish cooking in the spaghetti sauce.)

Unlike beef meatballs, these babies are not as greasy so you don't have to place them on a rack to cool.
Unlike beef meatballs, these babies are not as greasy so you don’t have to place them on a rack to cool.

Finished cooking off the meatballs, add all of them back to the pot. Add your preferred jarred spaghetti sauce to finish cooking them on a low simmer with the lid on until you’re ready to make a sandwich.

Want perfectly browned mozzarella cheese and a slightly crispy bun? Place your meatball sandwiches under the broiler for a couple minutes or place them in a toaster oven on the broil setting. Watch them closely!

Use a spoon to gently and evenly coat the sauce on the meatballs.
Use a spoon to gently and evenly coat the sauce on the meatballs.

healthy-turkey-meatballs5 copy

Don’t forget to garnish your finished meatball sandwich with a tablespoon of chopped basil.

20 meatballs

Serves 6-7 sandwiches

Healthy Turkey Meatballs Sandwiches

20 minPrep Time

30 minCook Time

50 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 1 c. shredded low-fat mozzarella
  • 1 T chopped basil for garnish
  • 1 pkg Pepperidge Farms Top Sliced Hot Dog Buns
  • 1 jar Prego traditional spaghetti sauce
  • Meatballs:
  • 1 lb. ground turkey
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 2 T. fresh oregano
  • 2 T. fresh chopped basil
  • 3 diced garlic cloves
  • 2 T. parmesan
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs
  • 1/2 c. skim milk
  • 3 T all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper

Instructions

  1. Add all meatball ingredients to a large bowl.
  2. Using your hands, make meatballs (slightly larger than a golfball) and place them in a slightly flour glass 9"x11" pan. Once all the meatballs are made, roll them around in flour to coat evenly.
  3. Add 2 T. olive oil to large pot. Bring to medium heat.
  4. Once at temperature, add 7-8 meatballs. Be careful not to crowd them.
  5. Rotate the meatballs until they are golden on all sides. Continue to add more olive oil to the pot before adding additional meatballs.
  6. Remove them from the pot and let them rest on a new glass pan.
  7. Finish cooking all meatballs.
  8. Reduce heat to low and add spaghetti sauce and return meatballs to the pot.
  9. Cover and let simmer at least 10 minutes.
  10. Add two meatballs into a split top hot dog bun and top with any extra sauce from the pot.
  11. Top with low-fat shredded mozzarella and put in a toaster or oven on broil for 2-3 minutes to melt cheese to a bubbly golden brown.
  12. Remove sandwich and sprinkle with chopped basil for garnish.
  13. Serve immediately.

Notes

You can use use ground beef rather than turkey. If you roll the basil leaves like a cigar and then run your knife through them, you can chop it easily into ribbons. Parmesan is salty so you cold eliminate the 1 tsp salt in the meat mixture.

7.8.1.2
31
https://onedelightfullife.com/turkey-meatball-sandwiches/

Nutrition

Calories

401 cal

Fat

5 g

Carbs

74 g

Protein

14 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info