Running Mama Cooks

I have been thinking for awhile that I would like to make a homemade veggie burger, but really haven't had the time to go searching for a good recipe. I was thrilled to come across this one on my friend Lauren's blog, they looked so good! We really enjoyed these burgers, they were perfect! I served them on sandwich thins from Trader Joes with a little "Seriously Sharp" cheddar cheese. Lauren put hers in the panini press to melt the cheese and it looked too good no to do the same. Yum!

I had the night off from teaching, making it the perfect opportunity to try a new recipe, but these would be great for our typical hectic weeknights since they can be made ahead of time. I love having a new quick dinner to add into my rotation! As it is, I have 4 extra burgers in the freezer!

Summer Cookout Veggie Burgers
Adapted slightly from Leslie Sarna by way of Lauren's Kitchen

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup rolled oats (non-instant Oatmeal)
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp. (or more) chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste
about 3 tbsp. chopped chives
1 egg
olive oil
1 small red bell pepper, finely diced*
1/2 onion, finely diced
4 oz. mushrooms, finely diced
6 sun dried tomatoes, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 large zucchini, grated
1 large handful of baby spinach

In a medium frying pan, heat some olive oil. Add the chopped onion, garlic, bell peppers and a pinch of Salt. Grate in the zucchini. Let cook 2 minutes on a lower heat. Add mushrooms, spinach and sun dried tomatoes; let cook another couple minutes. Let cool when cooked. While the veggies are cooling, in a large bowl combine the Beans, Oats, Bread Crumbs and all the spices and chives. Toss a little and add the egg. Using your hands to mix the mixture until it's slightly sticky and about 3/4 of the beans are smashed. Add in the veggies. Continue to work with your hands.

If the mix feels a little dry, add water by the teaspoon until right. If it's too wet, add bread crumbs : )

Form 8 burger patties. Refrigerate for about an hour. (you can also place these pouches in a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to a couple of weeks) To cook, unwrap the burgers from the plastic and cook in a heated skillet with cooking spray or olive oil in the bottom. Cook about 3-4 minutes on each side

PS these should always be cooked on a skillet or frying pan. Unfortunately, they can fall apart if cooked on the bbq.

*I used my food processor to chop all the veggies really small. Cut down on chopping time :)

If you told me a year ago I would be making curry, I would have probably laughed at you. But here I am, loving this dish! Really flavorful and super healthy, this is a great meal. Plus you can use any veggies you have in the fridge. I blogged about this when I made it with chicken a few months ago. It was good with chicken but I actually like it even better with lentils. The possibilities and combinations are endless!

I hope your family enjoys this as much as mine does! Even the baby loved it, although my picky big girl would not give it a chance.

Lentils Curry

Ingredients:

1/3 cup dried lentils
3 carrots chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1/2 large zucchini, cut into half moons
1/2 large summer squash, cut into half moons
3 cloves garlic minced
1 medium onion small dice
1 large sweet potato med dice
vegetable oil
1 small can diced tomatoes
2 cups veg/ck broth
turmeric
cumin
corriander
garahm masala
grated ginger
(or a premixed curry powder & masala powder)

Directions:

Any of the ingredients and portions can be changed to whatever you want

heat oil
add onion and sweat it before adding garlic, ginger and dry spices to taste
cook til very fragrant (about 30-60 sec)
add tomatoes cook for 60 sec
add broth
add lentils, veggies and potatoes
bring to a boil then simmer and cover til cooked through about 45 mins

serve with rice, quinoa, cous cous, pita bread, etc

ZACH'S RATING - ****

It's a miracle, a cooking related post!! I actually have been making variations of these burgers for awhile, but finally got around to blogging about them. Tonight I really love how they came out, so moist and flavorful, plus full of veggies.

These are a staple for us for a few reasons. They are tasty, healthy and convenient. I usually make them in the afternoon and cook two burgers for Cecily and Finn around 5pm. Then when I get home from my classes at night, I pop the rest in for Zach and me. Works out great for nights that I teach so I only have to prepare one meal even though the kids eat first.

Veggie Turkey Burgers
A Running Mama Cooks Original

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey breast
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 med carrots, grated
1 garlic clove, grated
1/2 large zucchini, grated
1/2 large summer squash, grated
1/4 cup grated Italian blend cheese
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Combine all ingredients and form into 6 burgers. Place burgers on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with cheese and serve on whole wheat english muffins.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

I love chorizo and when I saw it at Wegman's this weekend when picking up a few odds and ends, I had to grab it. I haven't done my big shopping for the week and didn't have a lot of food on hand, but I threw this together this morning and hoped for the best. The sauce was a bit thinner than I would have liked (didn't have tomato paste) but the flavor was awesome!

I made this in the morning and put it in the crockpot so that all I had to do was make the pasta when I got home, but it could just as easily simmer on the stovetop.

Chorizo Spaghetti

Ingredients:

4 Chorizo sausage links, sliced
olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 large onion, sliced
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup red wine
Dried basil
Italian blend cheese

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add in the garlic and chorizo, cook until chorizo crisps up a bit. Place in the crockpot. Add in all the other ingredients, except the cheese. Cook on low for approx 6 hours.

Serve over pasta with a bit of Italian blend cheese.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Warm weather = perfect timing for a grilling recipe swap!! I was psyched to get this recipe for a delicious chicken marinade from Sarah and loved that it was skewers. Zach and I love preparing chicken this way on the grill and I haven't done it in a long time.

It was a really good, healthy meal. Keep an eye out for Sarah's thai rice recipe in a week or two because I am dying to try it. I opted not to make it at the last minute this week because we were eating pretty late because of my classes and I didn't want to overload on yummy carbs at that time. But we are HUGE pineapple fans so I will be trying it soon!

Like Sarah, I marinated the chicken in pineapple juice, soy sauce, oil and pepper for about 2 hours and then placed them on the skewers. I also skewered some zucchini, onions (we LOVE grilled onions) and summer squash. They were seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil.

I am looking forward to having this meal become a summer staple!

Wow, life has been busy!! Which means dinner usually isn't too exciting around here. I did make this new recipe on Monday night and they were very good. I saw it on Lauren's blog, it is originally a Rachael Ray recipe.

Next time I will take Lauren's idea of adding some green pepper for color and flavor, and probably use provelone cheese instead for the sauce.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 softball-sized onion, chopped
1/4 cup steak sauce
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and ground black pepper
4 dinner rolls (or 8 finger rolls), toasted if desired
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk (I used skim)
1 cup desired cheese, shredded

Directions:

In large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, brown the ground turkey, about 5-6 minutes. Add the onion and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the onions start to get tender. Stir in the steak sauce and chicken stock, season with salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and cook about 2 minutes.

While the meat is cooking, melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring up to a bubble and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir the cheese in a figure-eight motion until it is all incorporated.

To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls, then top with the cheese sauce and replace the top of the roll.
ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

I was thrilled to find out that this week's theme for the recipe swap was sandwiches. Quick weeknight meals is what I am in need of the most since I am now teaching every evening during the week except for Tuesdays. Healthy sammies and wraps are the perfect fit for our family right now.

I was assigned Elisha's "Graceland" Eggplant Panini and it was great! I lightened it up by baking the eggplant instead of frying and also skipping the oil on the sandwich itself. I actually cooked the eggplant in the afternoon and all I had to do was assemble and cook the panini after putting the kiddos to bed.

Here is Lishie's original Recipe. I shared our go-to recipe for French Dip Sandwiches, one of our family favs.

Eggplant Panini
Recipe adapted from DeLish

1 Eggplant
1 egg, whisked
1/2 cup Bread crumbs
Italian Sub Rolls or full Italian Bread, sliced into sandwich sizes
1 Jar of Roasted, Sweet Red Peppers or 1 Fresh Red Pepper, Roasted
Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
Fresh Basil
Approximately 2-3 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:

Clean, peel, & slice the eggplant length-wise. Set up a mis en place: Whisked egg in one shallow bowl, Bread Crumbs in another. Heat oven to 400. Dip the eggplant slice first in the egg then coat the slices with bread crumbs & place on a baking sheet. Cook for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

After the eggplant is breaded & cooked, assemble the sandwiches... Bread, eggplant, peppers, mozzarella slices, basil leaves (I leave them whole) & finally the splash of balsamic vinegar.

Close the assembled sandwich & cook it either on a panini maker OR on a grill pan with a weight on the sandwich (another pan or heavy plate) until the mozzarella is melted.

ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

I follow my cousin Katy's awesome blog, Tangerine Hearts, and came across this recipe the other day. She blogs about Fashion, recipes, and life in general. My favorite posts are her "What the Fug" segmants that highlight interesting (hideous and ugly) new trends in fashion. Definitely check her out!

This crockpot soup caught my eye because it looked so easy and yummy, plus it was easy to make this typically heavy soup on the lighter side. We really enjoyed it!

Smashed Potato Soup
adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Slow Cooker Family Dinners cookbook by way of Tangerine Hearts

Ingredients:

3 1/2 pounds potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 chopped yellow pepper
1/2 chopped red pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used fat free half and half)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
4 strips low sodium bacon, diced (I used turkey bacon)
additional sliced green onion

Directions:
In crockpot, combine potatoes, peppers, garlic and black pepper. Pour chicken broth all over.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours. Meanwhile cook chopped bacon until crispy, set aside.

After 8 to 10 hours mash potatoes slightly with a potato masher. Stir in cream, cheddar cheese and the 1/2 cup green onions.

Top individual servings with additional sliced green onion, bacon and cheddar cheese.

This recipe makes 8 servings; 243 calories per serving (without toppings).

This week's recipe swap theme was chicken. I had so many good ones to choose from for this category, and ended up submitted my chicken pizza burgers. They were so yummy and thought it would be different than some other chicken dishes in the swap.

In return, I received Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki sauce from DeLish. This is the perfect example of a recipe taking me out of my comfort zone. I do not do well with white sauces at all. If I saw this in a restaurant, I would avoid it. BUT, knowing that the sauce is made with greek yogurt (which I love) and cucumbers (yum) I was actually excited to give it a try.

It ended up being a very yummy, super healthy dinner that both Zach and I enjoyed. Next time I think I will add some sliced onion.

Thanks Lishie!!

Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce
Recipe from DeLish

Ingredients:

Chicken -
1 lb boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbs fresh dill
1 tsp dried oregano

Tzatziki Sauce -
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1 tbs fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic

Whole Wheat Pitas
Grape tomatoes, halved
chopped cucumber

Directions:

Chicken: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, dill & oregano. Arrange the boneless chicken on a foil lined baking sheet. Brush the olive oil & herb mixture onto the chicken. Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Dice the chicken.

Tzatziki Sauce: Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Serve the sauce topped on the chicken in the pita. Add desired amount of tomatoes and cucumbers

ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

After a week of quick weeknight dinners, I was excited to take my time and make this for our Friday night dinner. I absolutely love risotto, and this one was totally worth the half hour of stirring!! I used my go to recipe for risotto and tweaked it a tiny bit. It was really good and the perfect compliment to london broil, which I simply season generously with Laury's and broil for 20 minutes.

Mushroom Spinach Risotto

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
8 oz package sliced cremini mushroom
1 shallot, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
a few dashes of red pepper flakes
1 c arborio rice
1/4 c dry white wine
5 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version), heated on the stovetop or microwave
1 c fresh baby spinach
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a large saute pan. Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Remove from pan and set aside.
Heat remaining olive oil and butter in a large saute pan
Add shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes; stir until tender, about 2 minutes.
Add arborio rice and stir until coated
Add the white wine and stir until absorbed
Add the hot chicken broth, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Add more broth only when all of the broth in the pan has been absorbed by the rice. This entire process takes anywhere from 17 to 25 minutes.
Near the end, stir in the mushrooms and spinach
When you add your final ladle of broth, add the cheese.
Serve immediately

When this recipe was recommended to me last week I was dissappointed that I has already done my food shopping! It looked so good and right up our alley. I immediately put it on our menu for this week and it was as good as it looked and sounded. Super simple and quick too! We had leftover fried rice so I served it with that, but it would be awesome over white rice too. The sauce was delish.

Beef with Snow Peas
Recipe from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

1-½ pound Flank Steak, Trimmed Of Fat And Sliced Very Thin Against The Grain
½ cups Low Sodium Soy Sauce
3 Tablespoons Sherry Or Cooking Sherry
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger
8 ounces, weight Fresh Snow Peas, Ends Trimmed
5 whole Scallions, Cut Into Haf-inch Pieces On The Diagonal
Salt As Needed (use Sparingly)
3 Tablespoons Peanut Or Olive Oil
Crushed Red Pepper, For Sprinkling
Jasmine Or Long Grain Rice, Cooked According To Package directions

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Add sliced meat to bowl and toss with hands. Set aside.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet (iron is best) or wok over high heat. Add snow peas and stir for 45 seconds. Remove to a separate plate. Set aside.

Allow pan to get very hot again. With tongs, add half the meat mixture, leaving most of the marinade still in the bowl. Add half the scallions. Spread out meat as you add it to pan, but do not stir for a good minute. (You want the meat to get as brown as possible in as short amount a time as possible.) Turn meat to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a clean plate.

Repeat with other half of meat, allowing pan to get very hot again first. After turning it, add the first plateful of meat, the rest of the marinade, and the snow peas. Stir over high heat for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Check seasonings and add salt only if it needs it. Mixture will thicken as it sits.

Serve immediately over rice. Sprinkle crushed red pepper over the top to give it some spice.
ZACH'S RATING - ****

I was really excited for the recipe swap this week. The theme is Asian and I love cooking Asian food. I was happy to get a Thai dish since I do not have that much experience with Thai food. Also, it is from Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes and she is great! The original recipe calls for shrimp, but since I am allergic I used chicken instead.

At first I was little concerned while it was cooking because the smell of the fish sauce was so overwhelming. Fortunately, Gina mentions this in her post so I kept plugging away and hoping for the best. It turned out good. I wouldn't say it is my favorite dish, but it was yummy. Thank you Lisa, for sharing this with me!

Thai Coconut Curry Chicken
Adapted from Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes, by way of Lisa's Cooking Adventures

Ingredients:

1 tsp oil
4 scallions, whites and greens separated, chopped
1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb chicken tenders, cut into chunks
6 oz light coconut milk
2 tsp fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
salt to taste

Directions:

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add scallion whites and red curry paste and sauté one minute. Add chicken and garlic, season with salt and cook about 3-4 minutes. Add coconut milk, fish sauce and mix well. Simmer about 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat, mix in scallion greens and cilantro. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Week 4 of the recipe swap...holy yummy mac 'n cheese recipe!!! I was going to try to eat only a little bit of this (I halved the recipe) but that went out the window after the first bite. Whats not to love, it combines two of my favorite things - french onion soup and mac 'n cheese!

I know people have mixed feelings about Rachael Ray, but I happen to love her and most of recipes. I will definitely make this again.

French Onion Mac 'n Cheese
Recipe from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
2 large onions, very thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
1 pound penne rigate or whole wheat penne rigate pasta
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup whole milk
Freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 pound gruyère cheese, shredded (I used swiss)

Directions:
1.In a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions, thyme and bay leaf for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and cook until the onions are browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate and discard the bay leaf. Reserve the skillet.

2.Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and return to the pot.

3.In the reserved skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the chicken stock and milk and bring to a boil; season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Lower the heat and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese until melted.

4.Combine the onions and sauce with the pasta and toss well.

ZACH'S RATING - *****

Whipped these babies up for dinner tonight, and they were a hit all around. Even Finny loved little bits of the burger!!

The burgers were super moist and were great dipped into some extra sauce on the side. Great way to use leftover homemade marinara!

Chicken Pizza Burgers

Ingredients:

1 Lb ground chicken
1 egg
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parm
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic, grated or minced
fresh black pepper
1/2 cup marinara sauce
4 sliced reduced fat provolone cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Mix all ingredients together except provolone cheese and sauce. Form into 4 burgers. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes. Switch oven to broil. Spoon marinara sauce over burgers and cover with a slice of cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly. Serve on toasted hamburger rolls.

ZACH'S RATING - **** 1/2

Pot roast and the crockpot seem to go hand in hand, yet when I've made it in the past there always seems to be something that isn't quite perfect. Its usually very heavy and way too rich, even for my taste (and I like rich food on occasion!)

This was the exception. It was the perfect pot roast. Tender and flavorful, and the sauce was a delicious au jus, without being a super thick gravy. This will definitely be my go-to way to prepare it from now on.

The only problem with this dish is that I made it on Ash Wednesday. Woops!!

Perfect Pot Roast

Ingredients:

2.5 lb chuck roast
2 tbs olive oil
12 oz bottle of beer
12 oz bottle of Chili sauce
1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 cup baby carrots
1 cup baby potatoes
salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat olive oil on medium high heat. Season roast with salt and pepper and sear on all sides. Place in crockpot. Add all other ingredients and cook on low for 10-12 hours.

ZACH'S RATING - **** 1/2

I'll admit it, I am a little slice happy since purchasing a mandolin slicer this weekend. I wanted to make a quiche for dinner tonight and thought a potato crust would be a great excuse to slice away! I looked around online for some recipes, and settled on this one from For the Love of Cooking. I heavily adapted the filling but used this method for the crust.

It was good, but not great. I wanted the potatoes to be much crispier and think that if it was done more like a fritatta in a pan and then baked, it would be better. I wont give up on this one, I think it can be great!

Prosciutto and Spinach Quiche with a Potato Crust
Adapted from For the Love of Cooking

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 oz prosciutto cubed
1/2 onion, sliced
1 tbs olive oil
8 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Direction:

Preheat oven to 375. Arranged potato slices on greased pie plate and cook for 10 minutes. Set aside

Heat pan to medium heat. Add olive oil and saute prosciutto until crisp. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels. Add onion and cook until caramelized, about 5-8 minutes.

Combine milk, eggs, prosciutto, onion, mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach and salt and pepper. Pour into potato crust and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until set. Allow to cook for a few minutes before slicing.

The potato crust

Week 3 of the recipe swap and I got super lucky again! I am sitting here in a major food coma after eating way too many of these delicious and rich potatoes. Saturday nights are usually my splurge night, so this meal was perfect (there will be no weight watchers points for this one!) I served the potatoes with grilled flank steak and steamed asparagus. The only change I made to the original recipe was adding a handful of shredded cheddar to the top of the casserole dish before baking. Added a nice crispy, cheesy crust.

These would be perfect for a special occasion dinner, over the holidays, or just a nice dinner party with friends. And it gave me the perfect excuse to buy a mandolin slicer which I have been wanting for awhile!

The theme this week was side dishes. I shared the recipe for caramelized green beans.

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes
Recipe very slightly adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

4 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 onion, sliced into rings
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk (I used 2%)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, plus more

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 1 quart casserole dish.

2.Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the onion slices, and add the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3.In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds. Pour cheese over the potatoes, and sprinkle with a handful of cheddar.

4.Bake covered for 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven.

ZACH'S RATING - **** 1/2

I'll admit I have never heard of a cassoulet before coming across this recipe, but maybe that is because I never really ate beans until recently! This recipe comes from the most recent edition of Fitness magazine. It was tasty and we enjoyed it, but it was missing something. Zach suggested adding a can of diced tomatoes next time, and I think he is right. It could use the extra liquid (some of the squash wasn't as tender as the rest) and tomato flavor would be a good compliment to this dish. I hope to revisit it soon.

Turkey Sausage Cassoulet
Slightly adapted from Fitness Magazine
Serves 4, 11 WW points plus per serving

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tbs olive oil, divided
2 shallots, minced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
pinch salt plus more to taste
4 uncooked turkey sausage links
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbs fresh sage, chopped
1 16oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tbs grated Parmesan
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add 2 tbs of olive oil and the shallots, onion and pinch of salt to the pot. Saute 5 to 10 minutes and then turn off heat.

2. Remove casings from sausage and brown in a separate pan. Remove from pan and add to onion mixture.

3. Add the squash, broth, thyme, sage and beans to dutch oven; stir.

4. In a medium bowl, mix the panko with parmesan and remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle over the sausage mixture. Cover and back from 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love meatloaf! I am slowly but surely turning Zach into a fan too because its one of my favorite comfort foods. I usually try to cook with ground turkey whenever possible, but meatloaf is the exception. To me, it has to be beef. And when you use 95% lean beef, its really not that much more fattening.

I have always been intrigued by bacon wrapped meatloaf so I decided to give it a try. I used turkey bacon because the real deal would have been way too indulgent. The result? Meatloaf heaven!!

Killer Meatloaf
A Running Mama Cooks Original

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef
1 tbs olive oil
1 egg
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
1/4 cup ketchup, plus more
2 tbs dijon mustard
1/2 cup provolone cheese, cubed
3 slices turkey bacon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400

Heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft and slightly caramelized. Remove from heat. Mix all ingredients together except the bacon and form into a loaf. Arranged bacon on top and brush loaf with ketchup. Bake for 45 minutes.

ZACH'S RATING - **** 1/2

Week 2 of the recipe swap! The theme this week was lunch, but we ended up having these for dinner. I shared the recipe for tortellini spinach salad. I wish I had a better picture of these turkey burgers because they were delicious! I made some small changes to the original recipe (added panko bread crumbs, cooked them in the oven instead of the grill, and skipped the maple dijon sauce) to accommodate our tastes. Oh, and cheese! I have to have cheese on my burgers so I included some reduced fat cheddar. Super juicy and tasty burgers. They will definitely be going into our rotation.

Maple Turkey Burgers
Adapted from Sandra Lee

Ingredients:

For Maple-Dijon Sauce: (I skipped this, but wanted to include it for those interested)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons real maple syrup

For Burgers:

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast
1/4 cup real bacon bits
1/2 cup chunky applesauce
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
4 slices reduced fat cheddar cheese
Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
Hamburger condiments

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

For Maple-Dijon Sauce: In a small bowl, stir to combine mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and 2 tablespoons maple syrup; set aside.

For Turkey Burgers: In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients for burgers. Wet hands to prevent sticking and shape into 4 patties. Cook on a baking sheet for 20 minutes. Add a slice of cheese to each burger and cook until melted. Serve on toasted bun with traditional burger condiments and a dollop of maple-Dijon sauce, if desired.
ZACH'S RATING - **** 1/2

**UPDATE - Since then, I have made these several times. I like that they are easy to make whenever it is convenient for me during the afternoon and I can just put the uncooked burgers in the fridge until I am ready to cook them. Works out well when Zach and I are going to eat later than the kids! This is a healthy, easy go-to weeknight dinner.