White Bean Pumpkin Turkey Chili

 

White Bean Pumpkin Turkey Chili

I made a few substitutions of what I had on hand. Instead of 2 lbs ground turkey, I used 1 lb and 1 roasted sweet potato. I also used 1 can of black beans in place of 1 of the white bean cans, and I threw in a few handfuls of kale. I also added salt and pepper because the recipe didn't call for it for some reason.

It's so good! You can't even taste the pumpkin, it really just adds a creaminess to it. I think some corn and chipotle powder would also be good. I've been trying to have high veggie & protein soup on hand for lunches lately. 

I also made a side of cornbread, I haven't tasted it yet but I'm sure it's good....it's cornbread lol.

Click here for the White Bean Pumpkin Turkey Chili recipe from Skinnytaste

Click here for the cornbread recipe from BudgetBytes

Cheesy Sausage Pasta

 

Cheesy Sausage Pasta

This was really good! I have to say I was worried because it doesn't actually call for any spices. So I did add salt, pepper and garlic powder just in case. I also added in some jarlic and a couple small bell peppers because I had them to use. I also had to substitute the monterey jack cheese for fiesta cheese because that's all they had. I used Target brand andouille chicken sausage. I'd make this again! I actually was going to add in some of the refrigerated squeeze cilantro because we have it, but I forgot. I bet it would add some bright flavor. 

Click here for the Cheesy Sausage Pasta recipe from BudgetBytes

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Soup

 

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Soup

 This I improvised some. I used a bag of frozen butternut squash and 1 sweet potato instead of just 2lbs of squash like the recipe called for. I roasted the sweet potato with salt & pepper for 20 minutes in the oven first. I also added in a jalapeno, some chipotle in adobo sauce that I had extra from the meatloaf I was making for dinner, and a bay leaf. It's SUPER good, I really love it! Craig wont eat it because he doesn't do black beans, but I know Ethan will at least try it. I just wanted a quick lunch that I can grab that's super healthy. I've been way into sweet potatoes and beans lately.

Chipotle Cheddar Turkey Meatloaf with Mac & Cheese and Honey Bourbon Salad

 

Chipotle Cheddar Turkey Meatloaf with Mac & Cheese and Honey Bourbon Salad

  This meatloaf is PHENOMENAL. The recipe called for ground chicken but the store didn't have any so I subbed turkey. I made everything else as is except I used half an onion instead of a shallot. Oh and the store was out of cilantro so I used a squeeze of that fresh tubed cilantro. We had it with Bob's mac and cheese and a bourbon honey mustard salad kit. The mac & cheese was a little bland, but the salad kit was absolutely delicious.

  Next time I might try making it more WW friendly with fat free cheddar and a sugar free sweetener for the glaze.

Click here for the Chipotle Cheddar Turkey Meatloaf Recipe by Jawn I Cooked

I made a quesadilla the next day with the meatloaf and it was incredible. So so good. I also ate the leftover salad and it stayed nice and crunchy because it was sprouts and cabbage instead of lettuce. 

Meatball Subs

 

Meatball Subs

I needed to use up spaghetti sauce since I made so much and everyone was tired of spaghetti. Walmart had these fresh three cheese meatballs in the meat department. I browned them in a skillet then added the leftover spaghetti and simmered until the meatballs were cooked. I toasted some mini subs with Italian mix cheese and red pepper flakes. Super quick and delicious. 

Rotisserie Chicken Baked Potatoes with Parmesan Broccoli

 

Rotisserie Chicken Baked Potatoes with Parmesan Broccoli

   I had leftover rotisserie chicken from the protein caesar salad, so I used it up on this recipe. I baked potatoes in the oven at 400 for like an hour, then topped them with butter, salt/pepper/garlic, shredded cheddar, bacon bits, chicken and sour cream.

   To make my version lighter I used light butter, light sour cream, and queso along with the chicken, salt/pepper/garlic. The broccoli is just microwaveable steamed broccoli that I tossed in spray butter with salt/pepper/garlic and parmesan. 

Caesar Protein Chicken Veggie Pasta

 

Caesar Protein Veggie Pasta

   This is super good! 

I just used:

- 1 rotisserie chicken

- 1 bag of mini cucumbers

- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes

- 1 box Barilla protein pasta

- 1 bottle Bolthouse caesar dressing

- 1/4 red onion

- Juice of 1 lemon

- salt, pepper, garlic powder, dry dill

Not pictured:

- Chopped lettuce

I just chopped and mixed everything together. Next time for a higher protein/lower calorie option I might try half a bottle of Bolthouse with half greek yogurt and extra seasoning to make up for the loss of flavor. Bolthouse is already low calorie but more protein is always good. The lettuce I'm adding per bowl so it doesn't get soggy.

I love love love this and need this in my fridge at all times now.