Italian Stuffed Turkey Burgers

All I have to say is, when will this winter be over???  As much as I love getting the 5 AM snow day phone calls, I will hate having to work extra days into summer.  I know, I know, "welcome to the real world" "everyone else has to work all summer" "at least you get a day off."  Maybe you're just angry because you didn't choose to work in the schools.  And if you do work in the schools you'll understand that you work hard enough during the year to earn all of those days off!  I digress.

In the midst of another Ohio freeze, I felt we needed something summer-y for dinner.  Like a burger.  A turkey burger.  Enter: the Italian stuffed turkey burger.  Because it's healthier, turkey can be somewhat dry compared to ground beef (especially in burger form).  So I decided to stuff them in order to add some gooey cheesy goodness. 

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground turkey meat
Italian seasoning
Oregano
Basil
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper
Mozzarella cheese
Whole grain hamburger buns
Pizza sauce

I started by seasoning the meat to my liking.  I added similar amount of each seasoning.  Which is a lot.

Then you have to remove all jewelry and get your hands dirty.  Mix the seasoning and meat until combined throughout.  Next I used our awesome stuffed burger maker to form the patties.

It not only form the patties perfectly, but has a piece on top that will push down the center of the meat.  Then stuff away.

Per Weight Watchers, 2 tablespoons of their Italian blend shredded cheese is perfect.  You could also use regular mozzarella. Last, put the lid on.

We got a little crazy with the cheese on a couple of these so the tops didn't fit that great.  Since it's disgustingly cold outside, we obviously did not grill these.  However, I would highly recommend that option.  I used oil and a frying pan on the stove.

Once cooked through, add some pizza sauce and eat on a whole wheat hamburger bun.

I'll admit, these don't look that appetizing.  But they were really good.  It was like eating pizza in a burger.  I asked Bob if these would be an "eat it again" option and he said yes.  So they passed the test. 

BBQ Chicken Pizzas

As I start writing this post, I realize that it seems like we eat a lot of chicken.  Actually, it doesn't just seem like it.  We do eat a lot of chicken.  I'm ok with it though because it's healthy and easy to dress it up.  This is one of my favorite meals.  It uses leftovers, is so easy to make, very few Weight Watchers points, and is delicious!

I found this original recipe on the Weight Watchers website.  However, it included many things that my husband would absolutely not eat.  So, of course, I had to revamp it.

Ingredients
1 cup shredded chicken
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I use Baby Ray's)
Onion powder
Pepper
3 whole wheat tortillas
Chives
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

You can start by using leftover chicken, such as rotisserie, or boil and shred chicken breasts.  As you know, I like to shred a bunch of chicken and freeze it sometimes.  That way, when I get home late and don't feel like cooking, it provides a quick and easy meal.

 

After that, combine the chicken, BBQ sauce, onion powder, and pepper in a bowl.  Adding some chopped onions would be delicious.  I would do that if I was you.

 

 

Then get your tortillas and put them in a baking sheet or pizza pan.  We love these low carb fajita wraps.

 

Spread the chicken mixture evenly on the tortillas.  Since I measure out WW points for hubby, the measurements are very specific.  For mine I pile as much on as possible :)

Then sprinkle the cheese on top.  We found a Weight Watchers Mexican blend shredded cheese that works really well.  I also use plain cheddar sometimes.  In the summer, I like to put fresh home-grown chives on top.  In the winter, I'm stuck with dried chives.

 

 



Bake at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes, depending on how crispy you want the crust.  Ours got a little over done this time around...

 



I think these would be fabulous with some veggies on top.  Sometimes we make tortilla pizzas with spinach. That's one of the few veggies I can get HIM to eat! 

Breaded Honey Mustard Chicken

It has been a crazy busy month!  We hosted Christmas Day at our house so the week prior to that was spent writing 3 million reports for work, and prepping for the holiday.  We had a wonderful Christmas with our families and lots of good food!  After that, we went out to eat A LOT.  But now that January is here (ugh), life is starting to get back to the same old routine.  I worked one day last week (I know, we went back way too early) and am now on my THIRD snow day (or 'cold' day technically).  Tomorrow it's back to the grind after a very relaxing few days.

I wanted to share a meal I started making since my hubby has been doing Weight Watchers.  It's breaded chicken that you could serve alone, as chicken parm, chicken marsala, etc, but a little healthier.  I once saw a Weight Watchers recipe that substituted corn flakes for breadcrumbs.  I took that knowledge and applied to a ton of different meals.   This recipe includes a honey mustard sauce.

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 panko
1/2 corn flakes
salt and pepper
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp honey

First, combine the corn flakes and panko in a plastic bag and nonchalantly crush them.  I wanted it to be a little crunchy but not with huge pieces of corn flakes.  Then pour it on a shallow dish (aka paper plate for less dishes). 

Then combine the dijon mustard, lemon juice, and honey in a shallow bowl.  Sprinkles salt and pepper in the mixture to taste.

 After that, it's time to flatten your chicken breasts.  This is really great stress relief, if you need it.  Put each piece of chicken in a plastic bag one at a time and pound it until they're about 1 inch thick.  I hate waiting for chicken breasts to cook so this speeds up the process a lot.

Next, dip the chicken in the mustard mix and then the panko/corn flakes until they are evenly coated.  Then place them on a baking sheet.

 I baked them at 375 for about half an hour or so.  I served them with our favorite oven fries :)

You could also make extra honey mustard sauce and dip the chicken into it.  So yummy.