Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the day, including Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Cheeseburger Stuffed Shells. Enjoy!

SLOW COOKER SWEET AND SPICY CHILI

This recipe is from Kellie Hemmerly on TODAY’s, and begins, “This Sweet and Spicy Chili is made in the slow cooker for deep, concentrated flavor. The BEST chili recipe around, I use a secret ingredient to create a sweet-tart background to this slightly spicy recipe.”

Kellie’s website, The Suburban Soapbox, looks pretty cool; I recommend checking it out!

Anyway, to view this recipe online, click here.

Servings: 1 cup; Yield: 10-12 servings; Prep Time: 20 min; Cooking Time: 4 hr

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef (I used 80-20)

1 large onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 large jalapeno peppers, minced (remove the seeds and veins for less heat...leave them for more heat)

1/4 cup chili powder

3 tablespoons ground cumin

3 tablespoons ground cayenne pepper

2 tablespoon crushed red pepper

6 ounce jar of chopped sweet peppers and juice

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 - 28 ounce can tomato sauce

1 - 28 ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

In a large frying pan, brown the ground beef until no longer pink and transfer to the slow cooker using a slotted spoon. Drain off all but two tablespoons of fat and add the onions to the pan. Cook the onions over med-high heat until they begin to soften. Add the peppers to the onions and sauté until softened. Add the garlic and jalapeno peppers, cooking for one minute longer. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker with the beef.

Add the chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, sweet peppers and juice to the beef mixture and stir to combine. Add the brown sugar, tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes stirring thoroughly to be sure all the ingredients are incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook in the slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours.

Serve with your favorite chili toppings, we love greek yogurt, sour cream, shredded cheddar, green onions, and pickled jalapenos...just to name a few.

TURKEY MEATLOAF WITH FETA AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

This is from Giada de Laurentiis on the Food Network show, Giada at Home.

Total: 1 hr 5 min; Prep: 15 min; Inactive: 5 min; Cook: 45 min; Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Vegetable cooking spray

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup chopped garlic and herb-marinated sun-dried tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, minced, optional

2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons whole milk

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat

Directions

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, if using, eggs, milk, feta, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat.

Carefully pack the meat mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice. Put on a serving platter and serve.

CHEESEBURGER STUFFED SHELLS

This is from Machismo on Tbsp., and begins, “Cheeseburgers? Good. Stuffed Shells? Good. Together? Amazing. Cheesy beef and onions are stuffed inside pasta shells and baked to hearty perfection.”

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes; Servings: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 sweet onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. ground beef

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup ketchup

3 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided

18 large pasta shells (from a 16 oz. box)

Extra ketchup, for serving

Fresh oregano, garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, start heating a large pot of water for cooking the pasta.

Add ground beef to the skillet and cook, breaking up the beef as it cooks, until the meat is well browned, another 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in ketchup and 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese at the very end and remove mixture from the heat.

Cook shells according to package until they are al dente. Be careful not to overcook the shells or they will fall apart later. Drain shells and let cool briefly. (For best results, cook more than 18 shells in case any break or tear during cooking.)

Working one at a time, stuff each shell with a generous spoonful of cheeseburger filling and place in a large baking dish. Repeat process until you’ve used all of the cheeseburger mixture.

Add 1/4 cup of water to the baking dish and cover it tightly in foil. Bake shells for 15 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top of the shells and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes, until cheese is completely melted.

Remove from oven and garnish shells with a drizzle of ketchup and sprinkle of fresh oregano, if desired. Serve warm.

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN AND PASTA

This is from FamilyTime, and begins, “A Dutch-oven meal means there are no extra pots to wash.” That’s a plus, as far as I’m concerned!

Serves: 6; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 pounds chicken pieces, skinned

salt or fresh ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup prunes, cut into quarters

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup capers, drained

1/4 cup green olives, pitted*

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crumbled

1 teaspoon dried oregano

12 ounces spaghetti

Directions

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. In large, nonstick skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil. Add chicken a few pieces at a time; cook, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides. Add remaining ingredients except pasta. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until chicken is tender. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain. Serve chicken and sauce over hot pasta.

To pit olives, gently hit each with a mallet or the side of a large knife. The olive will easily fall away from pit.

BAKED APPLES

This came from an old Weight Watcher’s email, and had a points value of 3 points each. I have no idea what the new points value each serving would have now, nor do I have the exact email to find the recipe. Very yummy, though.

4 apples, small

1 C applesauce, unsweetened

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 C water

2 C vanilla nonfat yogurt

1/4 ground cinnamon

4 tsp pecans or walnuts, toasted & chopped

Core apples, leaving bottom intact so they can be filled. Place upright in small glace microwaveable baking dish. Stir applesauce, cinnamon & brown sugar. Spoon mixture into apples. Pour water into bottom of baking dish. Cover dish & microwave at medium for 12-15 minutes until apples are soft. Remove from microwave & allow to cool. Spoon yogurt over each apple, garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon & toasted pecans or walnuts.

LEMON CAKE WITH STRAWBERRIES

This comes from Rebecca Franklin, About.com's French Food expert. She writes, “This French olive oil cake recipe makes a tangy, simple cake from ingredients already in most kitchens. A little lemon and a bit of olive oil create a lusciously light texture in this recipe, which is derived from a classic pound cake. Serve it with coffee or tea for a simple sweet, or as part of a breakfast buffet. It's guaranteed to be a hit at the dessert table and it's preparation is amazingly effortless.” Prep Time: 720 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 765; Yield: 1 cake.

Yes, I did a double-take, too, on the prep and total times. However, the strawberry sauce has to marinate for up to 24 hours.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

6 ounces extra light olive oil

2 eggs

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 cup plain yogurt

1 2/3 cup granulated sugar

3 cups self-rising flour

Macerated strawberries:

2 pounds strawberries, hulled and sliced or chopped

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation

How to make fresh strawberry sauce: Toss the strawberries with the sugar and lemon juice and allow them to marinate in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

How to make olive oil cake: Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan and set it aside.

Whisk the olive oil, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, yogurt, and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Stir in the flour until it is completely incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake the cake for 45 minutes, until the surface is light golden brown and the cake tests done with a wooden pick in the center.

Allow the olive oil cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then loosen the sides and remove the cake from the pan. Allow the cake to continue cooling on a wire rack. Serve it with the macerated strawberries.