Instapot Refried Beans
Ingredients
- 4 cups Chicken Broth/ or water with Bouillon
- 2 cups Dried Pinto Beans (washed and picked over)
- 1 Small Onion (diced)
- Splash of Bacon grease or Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder or a fresh clove diced
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder or a whole White Onion
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 1/2 Jalapeno deseeded and diced
- Add the bacon grease/ olive oil to the Instant Pot and turn on Saute mode to heat it up. Once hot, add the onion, jalapeno and garlic and saute until soft. Turn off Saute mode to deglaze the pot with water (or broth).
- Stir the dry pinto beans, broth, spices, and salt into the pot.
- Place the lid on top and cook on High Pressure for 40 minutes. Once the time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes and vent the rest manually. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid after removing the lid and drain the rest.
- Use an immersion blender or blender to puree the beans until they’re smooth and creamy, adding splashes of the reserved liquid as needed. Adjust the seasonings to your taste, then serve!
If you don’t have an immersion blender you can mash the beans by hand using a potato masher or process them in small batches in a food processor or blender.
They will freeze for months or you can add the beans to torillas and individually wrap and freeze for ready made burritos.
Easy One-Pot Ground Turkey Pasta
This ground turkey pasta dish is a quick and easy one-pot main meal. Substitute your favorite ground meat, broth, spices, and pasta shape. For those who want an easy meal or those beginning to cook, this is for you.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 3 cups rotini pasta
- 1 (28 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
- 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
- Heat a high-sided 12-inch skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add ground turkey, onion, and garlic; cook and stir until turkey browned, about 8 minutes. Season with oregano, garlic powder, and basil. Stir in rotini until well combined.
- Add pasta sauce and broth, making sure rotini is completely covered. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and cook until rotini tender yet firm to the bite, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Top with Parmesan cheese to serve.
Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili
- Veggies: An onion and bell pepper are my favorites for turkey chili, but feel free to get creative here. Throw in some jalapeño for added heat, or any vegetables that your chili just isn’t complete without.
- Ground Turkey: I love using turkey in this recipe because it’s a nice and lean protein option, but beef chili also works wonders in the slow cooker. No need to stop there—you can also swap the turkey for sausage, chicken, or even a combination. Not feeling meat? Try out our three bean vegetarian chili or vegan chili.
- Tomato Paste: If you’re all about a rich tomato flavor in your chili, really spend the time to cook down your tomato paste.
- Chopped Tomatoes: A can of chopped tomatoes not only bulks out the chili, but adds a sweetness and texture that rounds out all of the other flavors.
- Black Beans & Kidney Beans: This is my favorite combo of beans for turkey chili, but feel free to switch up the beans with a can of your personal fave.
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth: This makes our chili a little less thick than classic beef chili, but adds incredible flavor and creates my personal ideal texture.
- The Spices: Everyone knows a good chili has a complex flavor, thanks in part to a bunch of different spices at work. My go-to for this chili: chili powder, ground cumin, and dried oregano.
Technically you don’t have to start your chili on the stove first, but I highly recommend it. It will give your chili more flavor, and who doesn’t want that? First cook your onion and bell pepper in a skillet until beginning to soften, then add your ground turkey and cook until the turkey is golden. Tip: You can stop cooking your turkey on the stovetop just before it’s cooked all the way through—this will keep it from being too dry after stewing for 4 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant.
Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers with Pepper Jack
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. canola oil
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- kosher salt
- 1 package Trader Joe’s Frozen Jasmine Rice
- 1 cup marinara
- 1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack, divided
- 4 bell peppers, tops removed
- Preheat oven to 375°. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Cook turkey until starting to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook until turkey is golden and cooked through, 4 minutes more. Season with salt.
- Meanwhile, cook Trader Joe’s Frozen Jasmine Rice according to package directions.
- In a large bowl, combine browned turkey, cooked rice, marinara, and 1 cup shredded pepper jack and season with salt.
- Spoon mixture into hollowed peppers and top with remaining 1/2 cup pepper jack. Bake until peppers are tender and mixture warmed through, 28 to 30 minutes.
Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
You can stuff sweet potatoes with pretty much anything. We took these into Tex-Mex territory with a combo of ground turkey, onion, carrots, tomatoes, and taco seasoning.
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 4 small sweet potatoes
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 lb. lean ground turkey
- 2 tsp. taco seasoning
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Toppings
- 4 Tbsp. black beans
- 4 Tbsp. corn
- 1 avocado, cubed
- 4 Tbsp. sour cream
- Hot sauce, optional
- Preheat oven to 400º and grease a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork and bake until tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool, then split down the middle from end to end and scoop out a little to create a “bowl” for ingredients.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onion and carrots and cook until tender and golden, 10 minutes.
- Add ground turkey and taco seasoning and cook until golden and no longer pink, 6 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook 3 minutes more.
- Fill each sweet potato boat with cooked turkey mixture and top with black beans and. corn.
- When ready to eat, top with avocado, sour cream, and hot sauce, if desired.
Turkey Butternut Squash Skillet Recipe
This ground turkey with butternut squash skillet is a delicious comforting and nourishing meal that is light and fresh. This recipe is a 30-minute one-pot skillet meal that is perfect for a busy weeknight!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 butternut squash, about 3 cups cubed
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3/4 cup gruyère cheese
- fresh cilantro and parsley
- Heat oil in a cast iron skillet. Add ground turkey, onion, garlic and bell peppers and sauté until meat is no longer pink. Season wtih salt, pepper and paprika
- Add cubed butternut squash and vegetable broth. Give it a mix so most of the butternut squash is submerged in broth. Cover and turn heat down to a medium low. Cook for about 12 minutes or until butternut sqush has soften.
- Remove from stovetop and top with gruyère cheese. Bake in 400F degreens oven for abut 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley and serve.