I was shocked to find out that so many people I know have switched from pork bacon to turkey bacon. I am without a doubt a huge bacon lover so even getting myself to try it was a big ordeal. You can of course taste the difference but it’s really not bad! The boys have actually come to like it too. What I like about it most is knowing there is not all that grease in the pan when it’s done cooking. I know, I know, that’s the best part right?

I am certain this is not an original idea but it was one of those, open the fridge, look in and grab, dinner moments. Really simple and really delicious. I am a big fan of Applegate Naturals bacon for a number of reasons.

It is all natural, no antibiotics used, gluten free, casein free, not preserved, minimally processed, no artificial ingredients and a lot more. I purchase mine at Kroger so there is a very good chance you can find this at your local grocery store. Applegate isn’t just limited to bacon either. They make a wide variety of products from hot dogs to lunch meats!

Here is their entire line!

Ingredients:

5 Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts
12 strips of ApplegateBacon
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Slice your chicken long ways in half, making them more like a tender shape.

Season each side of your chicken with a little salt and pepper. You can really use any spices that you want for this step. I just used my house seasoning which is just salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Wrap a piece of bacon around each tender. I made some with pork bacon and some with turkey bacon. I was just interested to see the flavoring difference. I liked them both personally.

I did cook them in two smaller pans as to avoid all of the grease getting onto the turkey ones.

Cover each pan and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree over for 30 minutes. At this point, you want to uncover the chicken and turn the broiler on for just a few minutes. All you are really looking to do here is make the bacon a little crispy. If you like it on the softer side, by all means, skip this step and eat!

I happened to have some Kraft Smokin Bacon Ranch dipping sauce on hand so I figured, why not! There is no such thing as to much bacon!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Applegate Naturals. Any opinions, ideas and text expressed here are my own whether positive or negative. This post is not endorsed, sponsored or has any connection to Twitter, Facebook or any other Social Media network that may be mentioned.
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This is my fast and easy go to meal when I am sick of the same old stuff or in a hurry. It is nice to throw together on a Sunday night then just warm it up during the week in the slow cooker. It is not too sweet or sour, and it has just the right mix of veggies and seasonings. Start with 1 tablespoon of chili powder, then add more if you prefer more heat! If you are worried about the cooking wine and serving this to children, NO WORRIES! The alcohol cooks out! If you are wondering why this is in the pasta category, read to the bottom to find out.

If you don’t eat beef, this taste good with ground turkey or ground chicken. I have tried it all 3 ways. The chicken was by far my favorite though.

Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) petite diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup Holland House Red Wine Vinegar (Print and Save $.50 now!)
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 to 3 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
• 1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef, chicken or turkey)
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 3 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. dried leaf oregano
• 1/2 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, red wine vinegar, ketchup and brown sugar.
2. Stir together to dissolve the sugar. Set it to the side.
3. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, combine your ground beef with the remaining ingredients.
4. Cook it over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes
5. You want to make sure that you don’t have big chunks of ground beef so I used a spatula and just “chop it” as I turn the meat.
6. If you aren’t using a lean meat, at this point you will want to drain off the grease and return it to the skillet.
7. Stir in the tomato mixture that you prepared earlier
8. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
9. Serve in buns or even over hot cooked pasta! It is delicious like this.
10. Makes 5 1/2 cups. Depending on how you like your buns piled, you can get 6 to 10 sandwiches from this.

I don’t think there are any rules to what you can put in a Shepard’s Pie. It is another one of those versatile dishes that you can make your own. I love to make it because the kids love it, it’s hearty and well who doesn’t love mashed potatoes with all kinds of yummy goodness hiding under it? I like this one because it puts a little spin on what most people are used to when they make Shepard’s Pie. You can’t go wrong with potatoes and cheese, especially with little mouths around the house. The boys are not fans of onion but I can hide them in this. I even hide them from myself! Please tell me what you think!

INGREDIENTS

• 1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup World Harbors Jamaican Style Jerk Marinade & Sauce (Save $.50 now!)
• 1 can (8 oz.) mushrooms, drained
• 1 cup corn (drained if canned)
• 4 cups mashed potatoes
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS
This is so easy… Ready?

1. Preheat over to 375°F
2. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray
3. Brown your ground beef together with the onions. Yes, put the onions in while you are browning your meat!
4. Drain off the grease.
5. Stir in your Jamaican Jerk Sauce, mushrooms, drained corn, salt & pepper
6. Cook it for 2 to 3 minutes
7. Spoon the meat mixture into your prepared 9 x 12-inch oven-proof dish
8. Top it with the mashed potatoes
9. Sprinkle on the cheese
10. Bake it for 20 minutes, until cheese has melted
11. Let it cool for 5 minutes, eat and enjoy!

Next time you are going to a cookout, or any other kind of  event where you will be bringing a dish pass, give these a try! I love meatballs and am always looking for new ways to jazz up the normal ones. I have tasted several different kinds of  ”Swedish meatballs” and honestly, they never taste the same. This one met my standards! It is an easy to make appetizer is always a party pleaser! Please let me know what you think!

INGREDIENTS

Meatballs

• 1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Holland House White Cooking Wine ($.50 off printable coupon)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Sauce

• 1 jar (10 oz.) currant jelly
• 1/2 cup chili sauce
• 1/4 cup HOLLAND HOUSE White Cooking Wine
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch

DIRECTIONS

In medium bowl, combine all meatball ingredients; mix well. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place meatballs in 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until brown.

In medium saucepan, combine all sauce ingredients; mix well. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens. Add meatballs.
To serve, place meatballs and sauce in fondue pot or chafing dish. Serve with cocktail picks.

I am not a big vegetable eater so trying a dish with broccoli wasn’t exactly my idea interesting. I think if you are making an attempt to eat more vegetables, this isn’t were to start This classic Asian  beef and broccoli is easy to prepare with Sun-Bird Seasoning Mixes. These Seasoning Mixes can be found at your local grocery store in the Asian food section. My closest store is Kroger and they sell them and are really cheap.  If you don’t eat beef or broccoli, substitute chicken and fresh cut green beans for beef and broccoli.

This is a nice little way to make an otherwise not so healthy dish a little better for you. I personally left out the Salsa because I don’t like it and it was still fantastic!! I am not normally a Mexican food eater (not that I would really consider this Mexican) but I gave it a try and it was a success. If anything else it can just be a little way to jazz up the plain old pasta on a plate. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Prep Time: 30 min
Start to Finish: 30 min
Makes: 6 servings (about 1 1/3 cups each)

1    lb extra-lean (at least 93%) ground beef
1    jar (16 oz) mild salsa
1    cup tomato sauce
1 1/2    cups water
2    cups uncooked regular or multigrain elbow macaroni
1    cup frozen corn
1/2    cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese (2 oz)

1.    In 12-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain.
2.    Stir in salsa, tomato sauce and water. Heat to boiling. Stir in macaroni and corn. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until macaroni is tender.
3.    Sprinkle with cheese. Cover; let stand 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Find out your Pasta Personality and how it compares to some of Carrabba’s signature pasta dishes. Are you outgoing and have a spicy personality like a Marinara sauce, or warm and caring like a smooth Alfredo? No matter what your personality, Carrabba’s Italian Grill has a signature pasta dish that’s perfect for you! Take the Carrabba’s Pasta Personality Quiz and find out which one of their Signature Pasta meals best represents your personality!

I found it quite funny that mine came out to be Spaghetti and Meatballs. While I could eat Meatballs ALL DAY, I am not a big fan of Spaghetti. I am seriously a Fettuccine/Penne’ and Alfredo girl!

Red Gold Tomatoes generously sent me a gift box full of Red Gold goodies. In the box were 4 cans of tomatoes, a large sturdy shopping bag, a key chain, a Red Gold Cookbook, a magnet, Red Gold Ketchup and a brochure full of tomato soup recipes from around the world.

Budget Stretching Recipe: $.74 per serving It’s a fast and easy meal for the times when you’ve had a long day at work and not a lot of time at home. This recipe is used in several school lunch programs because children love it!

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 (14.5 ounce) can Red Gold® Stewed Tomatoes or 1 (14.5 ounce) can Red Gold® Petite Diced Tomatoes with Onion, Celery & Green Pepper
1 cup elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded pasteurized prepared cheese product

Directions:

* In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and onion. Drain well. Add RED GOLD® STEWED TOMATOES and 1 cup of water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni and bring back to a boil.
* Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until macaroni is done. Sprinkle cheese on top and stir until cheese is melted.

Cook Hint::
Properly wrapped, fresh ground beef can be kept in the freezer at 0° for 3 months. Ground beef wrapped and frozen flat will stack easily and make best use of freezer space. These packages also thaw quicker. Be sure not to stack packages until they are completely frozen.

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