Sloppy Toms

Okay, this is my last post of the day-I promise. We are having this for dinner and it's a great healthy alternative to sloppy joes as well as being a kid-favorite. It is also from Family Fun magazine (I seriously just copied and pasted it from their website). Gottat love it!



Sloppy Toms:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small green pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup bottled chili sauce (we used Heinz)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon quick-cooking oats
3 scallions, minced
6 burger buns



1. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and the pepper, and, stirring often, saute them over high heat until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and the chili powder and saute the mixture for another minute. Add the ground turkey and salt to the skillet, breaking up the meat with a fork or wooden spoon, and cook it until it's no longer pink.



2. Add the water, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce, and tomato paste and stir the mixture as you bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and continue cooking at a simmer with the pan covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.



3. Stir in the oats and the scallions. With the pan uncovered, cook the mixture over low heat until it thickens, about 7 minutes. If the mixture is saucier than you like, cook it for a few more minutes; if it's not saucy enough, add a few tablespoons of water to the skillet and heat it briefly.



4. Serve on toasted hamburger buns as you would regular sloppy joes. Makes 6 servings.

Stromboli

This might be a no-brainer for some but I just discovered it and I LOVE it! This is the recipe I made but you can mix it up however you like

1 package refrigerated pizza dough
1/2 cup pizza sauce
turkey salami slices (about 15)
turkey pepperoni slices (about 20)
1 cup mozzarella cheese
olive oil
Italian seasoning

roll out pizza dough on floured surface. Spread the pizza sauce on 1/2 the dough. Top with cheese, salami and pepperoni and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Fold the other half of dough over top and cinch the ends together. Add a little olive oil on top and brush on dough then sprinkle some more Italian seasoning on top. Bake according to pizza dough directions.

*I thought this would be really good with mushrooms, olives and onions as well. So many options with this recipe, I love it! You could also omit the sauce inside and just dip your Stromboli in your favorite marinara...I would suggest Amy Lepore's marinara recipe cause it's the BEST!

Joining In...

I figure if I am going to get the awesome opportunity to use ALL of your scrumptious meal ideas, then I better do my part and share a few of my favorites. So, here ya go.

Italian Stuffed Calzone
2 packages (11 oz each) refrigerated French bread dough, divided. (I buy scone dough or Macy's F.B. dough at the bakery.)
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives, sliced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can (8 oz) pizza sauce
1 teaspoon italian seasoning mix
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 pound italian sausage, cooked, crumbled, drained
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
1/4 cup (1 oz) grated fresh parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unfoll one package of the bread dough out; rool and stretch to edge of baking stone. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over dough to within 1 inch of edge. In bowl, combine bell pepper, olives, onion, pizza sauce, seasoning mix and garlic; mix well. Add cooked sausage; mix well. Spoon meat mixture over cheese; spread evenly. Unroll remaining dough directly over filling by matching top edges of dough and shaping to fit as dough is unrolled. Trim excess dough from corners, forming an even edge. Roll and crimp edges to seal. Drizzle oil over dough; spread evenly. If desired, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over dough. Make three crisscross cuts, about 6 inches long, across center of dough to vent. Bake 18-20 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cut into wedges. Serves 8 people.

Homemade Sloppy Joe's
1 lb. hamburger
1 lg. onion chopped
1 cup ketchup
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1-2 T. mustard
Brown been and onion. Add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Simmer about 15 minuts. Serve on hamburger buns.

Apple Crisp
6 peeled apples
1/2 cup sugar
2 T. water
4 T. butter or margerine
1 cup quick rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
Slice and spread apples in a greased 8"x8" baking pan. Sprinkle with sugar and water. Mix and spread rest of ingredients over apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until tender. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Yummy!

Little Italy Chicken Pitas with Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette

This one doesn't use the oven or the stove-top and it's my husbands favorite meal! I even made it for Father's Day!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil
1 tablespoon chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (I use a rotisserie chicken from Costco)
1 cup chopped tomato (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Asiago cheese (I actually use the Kirkland pecorino romano)
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
6 (6-inch) pitas (I also get these at Costco for $1.99 per 10-they are the kind that fold like a taco)
3 cups mixed baby greens

Preparation:
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in chicken, tomato, cheese, and basil. Line each pita with 1/2 cup greens. Divide chicken mixture evenly among pitas.
Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed pita )
Nutritional Information
CALORIES 342(24% from fat); FAT 9.1g (sat 2.8g,mono 4.2g,poly 1.3g); IRON 2.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 56mg; CALCIUM 162mg; CARBOHYDRATE 37.3g; SODIUM 397mg; PROTEIN 26.4g; FIBER 2.4g