the best turkey meatballs

I don’t make the rules. Easily doubled. Serves 4 with pasta.

• 1 pound ground turkey

• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

• 2 tsp parsley

• 1 tsp paprika

• 2 cloves minced garlic

• shredded cheddar or feta cheese to taste

Combine all ingredients. Form 1-inch balls. In a large skillet over medium heat, add some olive oil and lightly brown the meatballs on all sides. You can either cook them all the way through using this method, or add them to your favorite sauce in a pot and allow them to simmer for 40 minutes until cooked through.

chicken salad

Shredding chicken is the worst, so bring in the Crockpot! Makes 4-6 servings.

• 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

• 1 tsp black pepper

Place chicken in the Crockpot and cover with broth and pepper. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Once it’s cooked through, shred and allow to cool.

While it’s cooling, make the dressing. This recipe makes a small serving but can easily be doubled to your liking. Combine:

• 1/2 cup mayo

• 1 tbs white vinegar

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 onion diced

• 1 stalk celery sliced thin

• 2 tsp curry powder

Combine with shredded chicken and refrigerate - it’s better after a day.

taco pasta

The only thing I love more than my Crockpot is one-pot recipes. Serves 4.

• 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey

• 1 small onion, diced

• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 14.5-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes - do not drain (or plain diced)

• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

• 1/2 cup uncooked pasta (elbows, ziti, rotini, etc.)

• 1 4-ounce can diced green chile peppers

• 2 tsp chili powder

• 1 clove minced garlic

• 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese

In a large pot, cook meat, onion, and garlic until the meat is browned. Drain off fat.

Stir in beans, tomatoes, sauce, pasta, chiles, and chili powder. Bring to boil and then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Stir often.

When you are ready to serve, remove from heat and sprinkle cheese over the top.

quiche

Looks fancy but is super easy. Make it for your mom and she will be super impressed. Makes 8 servings.

• 1 premade pie crust (if you buy the frozen ones, leave it out for 20 minutes before baking)

• 6 eggs

• 2/3 cup milk, half and half, or heavy cream

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• any/all of the following to taste: baby spinach, shredded cheese, broccoli, diced onions, minced garlic, fresh basil, sliced cherry tomatoes, red pepper flakes, cooked ham, bacon, sausage… this is perfect for using up your leftovers.

Preheat the oven to 375º. Combine all ingredients and then pour into pie crust. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the middle isn’t wiggly. If the edges are getting brown but the middle isn’t set, cover just the edges with tinfoil. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

onion rings

Worth the work, I swear. Makes 2 very large appetizer quantities.

• 2 large sweet onions

• all-purpose flour

• 4 eggs

• 2 tbs mayo

• black pepper

• seasoned bread crumbs (either buy the pre-seasoned ones or make your own)

• cooking spray (I like the olive oil kind)

Preheat the oven to 425º. Tinfoil and spray a cookie sheet.

Slice the onions into 1/2 inch rings. To do this, peel the onions and cut off both ends. If you mess up any of the rings, you can still use them - they just won’t look as nice. Soak the finished rings in a bowl of water while you’re slicing to remove the skins.

Grab two dinner plates and a bowl. On the first plate, combine a handful of flour and the black pepper. In the bowl, combine the eggs and the mayo. On the second plate, pour out the breadcrumbs.

Remove each onion ring from the water, and drop it briefly on a paper towel. Use tongs for this unless you enjoy breading your own fingers. Dip it in the flour, then the eggs, and then the breadcrumbs. Make sure it’s completely covered. Drop on the baking sheet and repeat until your hand cramps.

Spray the finished onion rings with more cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes on each side.