Meal Time

I did it!!! I have cooked 5 meals (+ leftovers) and 1 side dish (also leftovers) in the past 2 days. It honestly didn't take more than 1-1 1/2 hours of prep for all of them combined. I looked at all the recipes before hand and went ahead and cut up all the onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, etc at the same time and mixed everything that could be mixed together and set aside. I was surprised at how quickly it went!
So, here is a list of the meals I made:

1. Crockpot Chunky Turkey Chili
2. Turkey Meatloaf
3. Quinoa Pizza Bites
4. Baked Veggies
5. Breakfast Casserole
6. Baked Italian Chicken

So far, we have had the Turkey Chili and it was delicious. A little more chili powder could have been used. Yesterday, at lunch, I had the Baked Veggies. I liked the option of baked veggies to the fresh I have been eating. It provides a little variety. Tonight, we tried the Quinoa Pizza Bites. Sooo yummy with the marinara!  Tomorrow will be the Turkey Meatloaf (recipe was a little different, so we will see how it tastes) and the Breakfast Casserole.

As I'm sure you can assume, all the recipes were easy. One of my biggest reasons for not cooking in the past  was the fact the recipes could be so complicated. I don't want to spend all day in the kitchen. I'm no Julia Child. :) I have been logging my food and workouts at myfitnesspal.com. I found a cool feature on this app that lets you build your own recipe (even scans the barcode instead of having to search for every item) and then figures up the calories/ nutrition facts per serving. LOVE IT!!!

I'll post 1 recipe per day (for the sake of time).
PLEASE, let me know how you like them and any changes you find made them better.

Crockpot Chunky Turkey Chili

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes with juice
1 can (16 ounces) pinto beans, drained, rinsed (just realized I forgot to rinse... oops)
1/2 cup chunky salsa
2 teaspoons chili powder (as mentioned earlier, you may want to use a little more)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese to top when finished (I used 2% cheddar)

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground turkey and onion. Drain off excess fat. Transfer browned mixture to the crockpot with tomatoes, beans, salsa, chili powder, and cumin. Stir gently to blend ingredients. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 5-6 hours. (I recommend getting a crockpot with a WARM setting; therefore, it will not continue to cook and dry out for those of us with 8 hour days). Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with a dollop of sour cream (if you want) and a little shredded cheese (we used ~1/4 cup per serving). Serves 4-6. Depending on how you divide your servings.
Recipe from About.com.

Nutrition facts per serving (6)
Calories: 227.5
Total fat: 1.1 g
Protein: 23 g
Fiber: 11.3 g
Carbs: 29.1 g
(If you need more nutrition information, just let me know).

If you have a favorite (and good) easy, healthy meal, feel free to post it and I'll be sure to include it in a post.