Baked Turkey and Cheddar Zucchini Boats

I've seen these zucchini boat recipes all over the internet lately! If you have read this blog at any point this summer, you've probably noticed that every other recipe is related to zucchini. So if you're not a zucchini lover, I do apologize...because here's another one!


Baked Turkey and Cheddar Zucchini Boats

Ingredients:

2 medium/small zucchini
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
8 slices of deli/sandwich style turkey
4 Tbsp. plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice both zucchinis lengthwise, splitting them in two. Cut the tops off. You should have four potential zucchini boats now!

Using a large metal spoon, scrape out about an inch of the insides of the zucchini, leaving about a 1/2 inch of zucchini on the inside. Place zucchini boats on a greased baking tray.

Spread one Tablespoon of the Greek yogurt on each zucchini boat. Fold the turkey slices in thirds and lay across the boats as pictured. There should be two slices per boat. :)

This is my favorite brand of Greek yogurt. It's perfect for baking and cooking, and it's cheap! I do believe I bought it at Walmart. :)

Greek Yogurt Spread

Turkey added.

Sprinkle the boats with the Italian seasoning and finish each boat off with about 1/8 c. (or a small handful in my measurements...) of shredded cheddar cheese.

Ready to go!

Place tray in the oven and bake for fifteen minutes.

After fifteen minutes, remove and cover the tray with tin foil. This prevents the cheese from burning and the turkey from over-browning. Place tray back in the oven and bake for another fifteen minutes.

After fifteen minutes, they may look done, but make sure to check with a fork! They should need at least fifteen more minutes. :)

Remove tray from oven and stick a fork in the zucchini part of the boats to ensure they are soft and cooked through. Depending on the size of your zucchini, they may need some extra time!

You can serve immediately if you like! I kept mine warming in the oven while we wait for my hubby to come home. :) Can't WAIT to eat these!!

Enjoy with life!

Gluten Free Chicken Taco Salad

During a long struggle with gluten intolerance during my pregnancy, I became painfully aware of how difficult eating gluten free can be. It's amazing how many things gluten sneaks into! At first, I had a hard time learning to love what I could eat instead of missing what I couldn't.

After finally getting comfortable with those realities, I enjoyed getting creative and making big lists of all the gluten free foods I loved eating.

Here's an EASY lunch option I made last week that is naturally gluten free and delicious!

Gluten Free Taco Salad

Ingredients:

2 handfuls of white corn tortilla chips
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. margarine or butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 Tbsp. salsa
1 cup chopped baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup re-fried beans or black beans
1/2 an avocado, chopped into bite-sized pieces

Instructions:

Trim the fat off of the chicken breasts and cut into bite-sized pieces. Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the chicken and cook on medium-high heat until all chicken is cooked through. Salt and pepper as desired!

Lay the chips across your plate. Top (in any order desired, but here's mine...) with re-fried beans or black beans, chicken, cheese, salsa, shredded spinach and avocado.

So easy and versatile! Every ingredient is naturally gluten free, which is why I love this recipe. No worries and fuss-free.

If you're new to living gluten free, take heart. Life can be stress-free, enjoyable and delicious again! Keep researching, experimenting (safely!) with your food, and learn what both you and your body love!



Enjoy with life!


<3

Lunchroom Nostalgia: Baked Beef Crispitos

Looking for these?? I've moved my site! Find the recipe for Lunchroom Nostalgia: Baked Beef Crispitos HERE!

Individual Meatloaves

So here's my lunch plan...simple. For some reason, I don't feel like going all-out for lunches very often. Maybe that's my school-teacher mindset: twenty minutes to wolf down whatever you brought and rally the troops for the next thing on schedule. Don't get me wrong, sometimes a really nice, carefully planned luncheon can be really special. Today, however, is one of those typical, need-to-have-a-laid-back-lunch kind of Monday.

{and yes, that is a fishbowl with a fish in it on our table. This is his usual living place...we just happened to join him today.}


For our wedding my husband and I received a few cookbooks. One of my favorites is entitled Fast-Fix Meals by The Gooseberry Patch. I discovered this easy meatloaf recipe about a month ago. I had every ingredient on hand, which made it even easier. I've tweaked the recipe from the book to serve four individuals.  I also adapted a little more today...in other words, I did not have yellow onions on our last grocery list, so bear with me.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef {I always use frozen, then thaw it.}
1/2 cup minced yellow onion {didn't use it today}
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce {I used French's}
1 tsp. mustard {I used Grannie's Sweet and Tangy}
1 egg
3/4 cups dry bread crumbs or stuffing mix {I used Clover Valley chicken flavored stuffing mix}
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. any barbecue sauce {I used Bear-B-Que Honey and Sweet Baby Ray's Honey}

How To:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg, onion, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, two tablespoons of barbecue sauce {you'll use the other 1/2 cup later} and mustard with a fork.

Add ground beef and coat it thoroughly with the sauce mixture. Add the stuffing mix and stir until thoroughly coated with ground beef/sauce mixture.

Grease four oven-safe ramekins or small oven-safe ceramic serving dishes. {Instead of buying aerosol cooking spray, I use a piece of paper towel and soft margarine.} Divide and spoon meatloaf mixture evenly into ramekins or serving dishes.

Bake for fifteen minutes. Retrieve meatloaves from the oven. Using the remaining 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce, coat each individual meatloaf with a top layer of barbecue goodness. Return to the oven and bake for another fifteen minutes.

Once the individual meatloaves out of the oven, allow several minutes to cool--it's really hard to enjoy them if you end up burning yourself on the serving dish! This dish pairs really well with a tray of fresh, chopped veggies and corn bread or seasoned potato wedges.

Enjoy with whatever this Monday brings your way.

Twice Baked Potatoes with a Twist

Today being Friday (yes!) and a good while since our last grocery outing, I decided to get a little creative in the kitchen for lunchtime. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing like a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but I really do enjoy throwing things together to spice up the noon hour every so often.

Yesterday, I had no idea what to make for lunch. So, I did what I usually do when stumped--stare at the pantry. I perused its various contents: half a bag of yellow potatoes, raspberry jello mix, a box of instant tuna tetrazini, and several packages of Ramen. I decided the potatoes were my best bet. Along with a few other things I had stocked in my fridge, I concocted this easy, veggie/fiber-loaded lunch-time (or whenever time!) recipe! It's basically twice-baked potatoes in oven-safe ramekins--delicious.

Ingredients:

About 10 small yellow potatoes
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup Ranch dressing
1/2 cup fresh broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup fresh, finely chopped green pepper
4 slices of cooked, crumbled turkey bacon
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions

How To:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Wash the potatoes and bake in microwave for 10-12 minutes on 60% power. {Make sure to poke holes in the potatoes to release the steam as they bake!}

While waiting, chop the broccoli, green pepper, and green onion. Place in a large mixing bowl. Add crumbled turkey bacon, ranch dressing, and shredded Swiss cheese. When the potatoes are done, allow a little time to cool {just so you don't burn you hands!}. Roughly chop the potatoes into pieces that will be easy to mash. Toss potatoes into the mixing bowl {skins and all} with the rest of the ingredients. Using a potato masher, combine all ingredients and mash until thoroughly mixed.

Fill four oven-safe ramekins with potato mixture and bake in oven for about 15 minutes. Garnish with a little minced green onion or chopped green pepper and enjoy!

Don't worry if you don't have everything I listed immediately on hand...this recipe begs for creative use of resources! Use whatever veggies you do have: carrots, zucchini, onions, even corn! Why not try a different dressing that's been sitting in the fridge without use for a while?

Happy Lunch-time!