Five Point Sloppy Joes

A super Melanie find!

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. Oil
1 onion, chopped small (I usually use only 1/2 of a large onion)
1 green pepper, chopped small
2 garlic cloves, minced (or a few sprinkles of garlic powder- so i don't have to buy garlic!)
1/2 tsp cumin (heaping)
1 tsp chili powder (heaping)
1 lb. ground turkey
1 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. brown sugar (packed)
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
hamburger buns

Directions:
1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the onions, peppers, and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the cumin and chili powder; when the veggies are coated with the spices, stir in the turkey.
3. Cook, breaking apart the meat with a wooden spoon, 3 minutes.
4. Add the ketchup, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, and salt.
5. Let the sauce bubble. Cook for approx. 4 to 5 more minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the turkey is cooked through.

*suppose to be 6 servings. Each serving is 5 points.

Robusto Pesto

Ingredients:

4 cups basil leaves

4 garlic cloves

1/4 c. pine nuts

1 c. extra-virgin olive oil

2 c. Parmesan or Pecorino Romano (finely shredded)
Coarse salt

Additional ingredients for bruschetta:
fresh mozzarella cheese (cut into slices)
tomatoes (cut into thin rounds)
onions (thinly sliced)
balsamic vinaigrette
Artisan bread (sliced)
basil leaves

Directions:
1. Put the basil, garlic, pine nuts, and about 1/2 cup of the oil in a blender or food processor. Pulse the machine on and off, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary, until the mixture is chopped but not pureed; add a bit more oil if necessary.
2. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the remaining olive oil or as much as you need to get a loose paste.  Then stir in the Parmesan cheese and add salt.  It should be fairly salty and somewhat gritty at this point.  If you're using it as a pasta sauce, the key is to thin the pesto with a few tablespoons of pasta water before tossing it with the noodles.  If you're spooning it over meat, fish or poultry, make it a little on the thicker side (you can easily do so by adding more cheese). 

To make bruschetta:
1. Drizzle olive oil on bread and toast in the oven. 
2. Add pesto thickly to bread.
3. Top with tomatoes and onions.
4. Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette.
5. Top with one round of mozzarella and a few fresh basil leaves.

M&M Holiday Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 12-ounce package M&M’S®  Milk Chocolate Candies (red and green)

3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. In medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt; blend into butter/sugar mixture. Stir in M&M’S® Milk Chocolate Candies and nuts, if desired. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and centers are still soft. Do not overbake. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; cool completely on wire racks. Store in tightly covered container.

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Use your slow cooker to make this creamy version of a classic dish.

Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon (1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
3 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cup (about 10-ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8 ounce box isn’t quite 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Add eggs. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen
Servings: 12 servings
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: Easy

Meat Filled Shells

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
4 eggs slightly beaten
1 c. Italian bread crumbs
1 c. shredded mozzarella
3/4 c. finely chopped onions
3/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
spaghetti sauce
grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Spread a thin layer of sauce in bottom of 13x9 pan.  Place shells open side down in single layer.  Cover with remaining sauce.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 F for 45 min.  Fills 36 shells (1 box). Serves 10-12 people.

Lasagna Filling

Ingredients:
2 lb. ricotta (lrg. container)
2 eggs
1/3 c. sugar
1 c. plain bread crumbs

Directions:
Mix together and layer lasagna.

Cheese Filled Shells

Ingredients:
2 lbs. ricotta (1 1b.~14 oz.)
3 eggs
1/3 c. sugar
1 c. plain bread crumbs
2 c. mozzarella shredded
1/2 c. parmesan cheese grated
2 Tb. parsley
3/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:
Mix all together and stuff shells.  This makes enough for one box of jumbo shells (36). Serves 10-12 people.