CHUNKY MILD TURKEY CHILI

My hubby likes to have bread-less suppers as much as possible.  

This is one of the things I like to make to satisfy his appetite without the need for bread.

I make it mild so that my 11-month-old can eat it too. ;)

CHUNKY MILD TURKEY CHILI

serves 2

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 medium onion, diced

2 strips bacon

2 turkey burger patties (1/2 pound ground turkey)

3/4 cup - 1 cup red wine (I used Chianti)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can pinto beans

salt and pepper 

red pepper or chili powder (if desired)

tomato sauce (if desire thinner chili)

Over medium heat, cook he onion and bacon in the olive oil. 

When the onion starts to turn clear, add the turkey meat and cook until no longer pink, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks.

Add the red wine and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and pinto beans WITH the juices.

Add salt, pepper, and red pepper (if desired) or chili powder (if desired).

Add tomato sauce if desire thinner chili.

Simmer over low heat for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

If you simmer it longer, the flavors will meld together even more.

Serve alone or with bread or crackers or tortilla chips and/or cheese on top.

DIG IN!

CHICKEN VEGGIE TORTILLA CHIP CASSEROLE

I made this recipe the other night adapted from the King Ranch Chicken recipe by plainchicken.com.  

Since we don't have cheddar cheese, cheese whiz, or condensed soups over here in Italy, I had to think of creative way to make it yummy.  I also decided to add more chicken and veggies.   My 11 month old loved it and I got 2 thumbs up from the hubs.

Chicken Veggie Tortilla Chip Casserole

5-6 large chicken breasts

2 packages cream of mushroom soup

2 cups warm chicken broth (reserved from boiling the chicken)

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 medium round tomatoes, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup white wine

1 tablespoon dried parsley

Salt and pepper to taste1 cup grated parmesan cheese + more for the top

Preheat oven to 350F or 170C.

Boil and dice the chicken breasts, place into big mixing bowl.  

(I used scissors to cut mine up into bite size pieces.)

In the same big bowl, add the packages of soup with the warm chicken broth, mix well & set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the onion, tomatoes, and yellow pepper.

When the veggies start to turn translucent, add the white wine. 

Cook until almost all of the liquid is absorbed.

Dump the veggies in with the chicken and soup.

Add the parsley, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese, mix everything well.

Do a taste test to make sure your seasoning is the way you want it.

Grease a big casserole dish and line the bottom of it with crushed tortilla chips.

Add half of the chicken mixture and spread evenly.

Add another layer of crushed tortilla chips and dump/spread the rest of the chicken mixture.

Add a few more tortilla chips with a little bit more parmesan on top.

Bake for 30-45 minutes, until bubbly.

DIG IN!

5 FUN/FAST/FABULOUS IDEAS

A "Mumkin" - hollow out a pumpkin, put in a pretty plant (with the nursery pot or the pumpkin will rot), and tie a pretty ribbon around the plant.  Voila' 

from circadee.com

Salad placed in closed containers for outdoor party bug prevention.

from 4men1lady.com

Brownies or fudge in cookie cutters for cute holiday gifts.

Just bake/make/decorate and place in plastic bags.

Christmas shown here, but you could use cookie cutters of ANY holiday.

from tipjunkie.com

Get some chalkboard contact paper, place your food/drink, write your notes - cool party idea!

from rock-ur-party.tablespoon.com

What a neat idea to do with cheese cubes, cherry tomatoes, and fresh herbs!

from cabotcheese.coop