Turkey Quinoa Taco Bake

This is SO good! I didn't even have to go to the grocery to make this. Love it when that happens.

Here are the details...

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of quinoa
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed
• 1 onion (any kind), diced
• 1 can of chili beans/pinto beans
• 1 can of corn
• 1 can of rotel (spicy....if you like spicy!)
• 1 packet of taco seasoning (or make your own...google the recipe, you probably have the spices!)
• Shredded cheese (1 cup)
• 2 cups of plain tomato sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• Optional: jalapeños (fresh or pickled) or cilantro to garnish, extra cumin (to taste). 
• For serving: hot sauce, salsa, sour cream 

Steps: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Prepare quinoa according to instructions on packaging. 
3. In a large pan, saute onion with a little bit of EVOO until translucent. 
4. Add the turkey to the pan and cook through until no longer pink.  Add taco seasoning (I use a little extra cumin here).
5. In a large bowl mix:
1. Cooked quinoa
2. Turkey
3. 1/2 cup cheese
4. Canned beans, corn, and tomatoes
6. Once everything is thoroughly mixed, add tomato sauce (a little at a time) until you get a nice thick consistency (you don't want it crumbly and dry). 
7. Taste test and add salt/pepper as needed. I added an extra teaspoon of cumin. 
8. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased pan.
9. Pour lime juice over this and cover with cheese. (Add jalapeño here!)
10. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Cook uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. 

Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot sauce, salsa and/or sour cream!

Enjoy!

Or you could add jalapeños:

Pasta bake!!!!

This was the first time I made this recipe, and it was bomb! 

Perfect for feeding up 6 people, easy to store, and yummy left overs!

I'll be making this again...

Ingredients:

1 box of mini penne rigate pasta (wheat)

1lb of ground turkey

Medium container of ricotta (reduced fat)

1 cup mozzarella/italian cheese medley

1/2 cup cottage cheese (low fat)

1.5 jars of your favorite tomato sauce

1/2 large white onion diced

lots of garlic

seasoning: garlic powder/garlic salt, salt, pepper, oregano, crushed red pepper, onion powder

Instructions:

PASTA 

1. Follow instructions on box. Drain, toss with a spoonful of olive oil (to avoid sticking together) and set aside.

SAUCE

1. In a LARGE pan, heat up (medium high) a bit of olive oil and toss in the ground turkey and diced onion (feel free to add green peppers, mushroom, whatever)

2. Brown meat and and make sure onions are translucent.

3. Add garlic and crushed red pepper, simmer for about two minutes.

4. Add sauce and oregano and mix

5. Set heat on low and cover while you start the cheese mixture.

CHEESE

1. Empty entire contents of ricotta, the mozzarella and cottage cheese into a bowl.

2. Add pepper (fresh ground is best), garlic powder (about a teaspoon) and several dashes on onion powder.

3. Mix and leave out until it reaches close to room temperature.

*Taste and make sure you like it...sometimes I add some parmesan/romano grated cheese to enhance flavor*

PREP

1. Once sauce is tasty, spicy, and flavorful enough to your liking, toss in the pasta and MIX WELL

(this is why we need a LARGE pan, wok, or whatever you will be using)

2. Spray dish with Pam or just oil it.

3. Scoop about half of the pasta+sauce into pan and flatten out with a spatula.

4. Use that spatula to spread the entire contents of the cheese mixture over the pasta.

5. Scoop remaining pasta+sauce onto the ricotta cheese mixture.

6. Use your favorite cheese to cover the top!

BAKE

1. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees fahrenheit for about 25 minutes

2. Uncover, change temperature to 400 degrees and bake until golden brown (10-15 minutes)

3. Enjoy! (normally they say to "cool", but anyone who knows me understands that I cannot "wait and allow to cool")