Chicken Salad Sliders

Chicken Salad Sliders combine a classic lunch sandwich favorite with the convenience of a slider bun. Freshly shredded chicken mixed with mayonnaise for creaminess, celery for a nice crunch, and a handful of refreshing grapes add a tasty sweetness. Perfect for lunch, dinner, or a fun picnic outing with the family!

Pesto Burger Recipe

My Pesto Burger Recipe is bursting with the classic flavor combination of basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese all atop a juicy grilled burger. Oh my yumminess! It is so good, y'all!

Mango Berry Fruit Salad

Mango Berry Fruit Salad is a refreshing salad full of sweet, sweet fruit! You can throw this salad together in no time, and enjoy a delicious lunch or light dinner that packs a healthy punch too! So refreshing on a hot summer day!

Grilled Cheese with Guacamole

I love guacamole with just about anything! If you missed my Simple Guacamole Recipe I posted earlier in the week, you should definitely check it out. It's easy and no fuss, and there's a great tip for keeping your guacamole fresh and green in the unlikely event you have leftovers. That doesn't happen often 'round these here parts!

But I did make up a batch to test out the tip on how to store it for up to 3 days without turning brown. So, yeah, I did it and it worked! I made this delicious grilled cheese with guacamole after the guac had been in the fridge for 3 days. You can see it is still fresh and green and bee-u-ti-ful!

This sandwich is super easy to make, of course, and it is really good! Lots of melty cheese with yummy, delicious, garlicky guacamole! This makes for a quick and easy meal that is super versatile! Pair it with chips, fries, soup, whatever you like!

Homemade Sloppy Joe Sandwich

Kiss the cans goodbye!! This Homemade Sloppy Joe Sandwich is easy to make and will knock your socks off! You'll never buy canned Sloppy Joe's again! It's true!! I know these things :)

Turkey and Zucchini Enchiladas with Verde Sauce

Healthy, Spicy and delicious!

This is easy to make and good for you too! Making these enchiladas with ground turkey and zucchini make these lower in fat and calories than your typical enchiladas.  You don't sacrifice flavor, either!

The sauce has a bit of a bite to it, but I love it! The new Herdez Mexican Cooking Sauces make dinner easy and they are really delicious!

This recipe was created by one of the allrecipes.com Allstars and my good friend, Renee of Renee's Kitchen Adventures. Visit her blog to read about how she went about creating this tasty dish! Herdez and allrecipes.com liked this recipe so much, they published it as part of the Herdez Collection on allrecipes.com! How exciting is that??   Check out the Turkey and Zucchini Enchilada recipe on Renee's Kitchen Adventures. I made this recipe as stated on Renee's Kitchen Adventures, except I halved the recipe and after removing the foil I put it under the broiler just until slightly browned. I served this with sour cream, cilantro, and homemade guac!

Roasted Pork Club with Scallion Mayonnaise

Roasted Pork Tenderloin, scallion mayo, bacon, spinach, avocado and cheese make a delicious sandwich. It's easy, too, when you use leftover pork. Enjoy this for lunch or dinner. It is a hearty sandwich that will satisfy anytime! No need to go to a deli when you can make sandwiches like this at home!

Ingredients (makes 2 sandwiches)
4 slices bacon
1/4 cup mayo
2 scallions, minced
salt and pepper
6 slices of your favorite sandwich bread
leftover pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
1/2 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced thinly (coat with lime juice to prevent browning)
2 slices Creamy Havarti cheese (or your favorite)
spinach leaves, stems removed

Directions
Cook bacon until desired doneness and drain on paper towels to cool. Bacon on the crispy side works well on sandwiches. Mix mayo and scallions in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place bread on your work service and spread mayo on each slice. Layer two slices of bread with pork and avocado and layer 2 other slices of bread with spinach, bacon, and cheese. Stack layers and top each with one remaining slice.  Enjoy!

recipe from marthastewart.com

Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Pork Tenderloin is a lean cut that is high in protein, potassium, and selenium. When cooked properly it is very tender and delicious.  This is an easy recipe that roasts up quickly and pairs nicely with the Black Bean and Sweet Potato Salad. For this recipe you can use a center cut pork loin, but I found the tenderloin on sale, so I snatched it up! It is my favorite protein, after all!

Ingredients
2 lb Whole Pork Tenderloin
1 teaspoon olive oil
1-2 teaspoons ground cumin
salt and pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat tenderloins with the olive oil and season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Sear tenderloins in a skillet over mid-high heat about a minute or two on both sides until nicely browned. Place heat proof skillet in oven and roast for 15-20 minutes. Remove pork from oven and check temp with instant read thermometer. Temp should register at least 140 degrees F. If pork is up to temp, let rest for 10 minutes then slice and enjoy (slice on the thin side to use leftovers for sandwiches). Be careful not to overcook.

Use the leftover pork to make delicious sandwiches - Roasted Pork Club with Scallion Mayo for lunch or dinner the next day!

If you are making this with the Black Bean and Sweet Potato Salad, put the sweet potatoes on the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven right before you sear tenderloins. When tenderloins are nicely seared, put them on the rack in the top third of the oven. Roast pork and potatoes at the same time until pork is up to temp and potatoes tender (about 15 minutes). When the tenderloin is done, if the potatoes need more time, put them back in the oven and finish roasting while the pork is resting.

recipe from marthastewart.com

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Salad

If you think this sounds like a strange combo, you are not alone, but strangely enough it works! The sweet potato and lime juice are the perfect mix of sweet and tangy that combines beautifully with the earthy flavor of the black beans. Packed full of healthy stuff, this salad is not only delicious, but it is good for you too! Who doesn't like that?

This beautiful dish is easy to make and pairs wonderfully with Roast Pork. You can serve this hot or cold - either way it will disappear quickly!

Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Place chopped sweet potatoes on foil lined tray and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with 1/8-1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Toss to coat potatoes and spread in single layer on baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes until tender. The roasting time will vary depending on the size of your potato cubes.

While the potatoes are roasting, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Add 1/2 medium finely chopped red onion and black beans and mix well. When potatoes are tender add them to the black bean mixture and combine. Give it a taste and salt and pepper as needed. Top with 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro and enjoy!

Recipe from MarthaStewart.com

Pan Seared Turkey Patties Smothered in Sauteed Mushrooms

Let me start with an apology. I am so sorry for the poor quality of these pictures! My photographer is back at college in GA, so I was left to go this alone...

and at night with no natural lighting.  Not a good combo!

Rest assured - these patties taste amazing....the pictures don't do them justice

Now that is out of the way, let's talk TURKEY! I like ground turkey as an alternative to ground beef. It has a nice mild flavor that pairs well with your favorite herbs, it is low-carb and leaner than ground round. Just be sure to purchase the ground turkey that includes the dark meat. If you purchase ground turkey breast you will be making a leaner choice, but you will end up with a dry tasteless turkey patty - blech! and you'll pay more for that too :o(

I like to pan sear ground meat patties to seal in the juices with the delicious crust that forms from the high heat. The key to pan searing is using a hot pan. First you'll want to heat the pan over mid-high heat and then spray with cooking spray or add butter, olive oil, or whatever kind of fat you are using.  Don't let the fat burn in the pan, add your patties right away and leave them alone! This is key - you have to let them sit in the pan to get that nice sear on them. If you move them too soon that yummy crust will be left in the pan, and that would be sad :o(  In most cases the food is ready to be flipped when it releases easily from the pan 

I could go on and on about how good these were, but you really have to try them for yourself! It was love at first bite for me! I was originally going to serve these with a cauliflower mash (recipe here) and freshly steamed green beans, but my local grocer was out of cauliflower! WHAT??  That was a first! So I grabbed a bag of salad (actually 2 because they were on a BOGO Free sale!), and the salad worked well with this for a deliciously easy low carb (and low cost) meal that I would eat again tonight if I could!

Ingredients

8oz container of sliced fresh mushrooms

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1 to 1.5 lbs ground turkey

1-2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1-2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic

1/4-1/2 cup shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese

4 slices of your favorite cheese

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

Place your ground turkey, fresh basil, and minced garlic in a large bowl and combine well.  Add salt and pepper. Mix in enough Parmesan cheese to bind it together nicely, and form into patties.  Adjust your seasonings according to the amount of turkey you have and to suit your tastes. For example: I used 1 1/4 lbs ground turkey with about 1.5 tablespoons of fresh basil, 1 teaspoon of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (I do not recommend using the grated Parmesan that comes in the can - it will not produce the same results as shredded or shaved). I used american cheese slices because I like how creamy it is. This made 4 patties.

In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat and add mushrooms. Saute until mushrooms start to release their juices (about 5 minutes) and then reduce heat to mid-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until soft and tasty. Salt to your liking, and remove from pan and keep warm.

Reheat the same skillet over mid-high heat. When good and hot (water droplet should sizzle on it), melt 1 tablespoon of butter. The butter will melt very quickly, so be sure you have your turkey patties ready to go in the pan. Add the turkey patties, cover and let cook for a good 5 minutes. It is important not to move them around! Just let them sit there so they get a nice sear. If they start to burn (you'll smell it), then your pan is too hot. Adjust the temp and flip to other side. Once they have a nice sear and release somewhat easily from the pan, flip them over. Be careful not to let them stick to the pan - the parmesan cheese might want to stick, so be sure to get under the patty when flipping. Cover and let cook for 3-5 minutes until juices run clear.

Top with cheese slices and cover to melt.

Transfer to a plate and smother with reserved mushrooms. Enjoy!

TIP:  If you are using stainless steel cookware you'll want to have some Bar Keepers Friend® on hand for cleaning up the skillet. Bar keeper's Friend works like a champ and is cheap too! A little goes a long way! You won't use this on non-stick cookware though.

I use stainless steel cookware with a magnetic base, because I have an induction cooktop. I used to have an anodized aluminum set that I absolutely loved, but because it wasn't magnetic I had to retire that set after 20 plus years of good use! Madison now has that set at college, and she loves it too!  After much research on stainless steel, I settled on the Emeril set made by All Clad. I've been using this for more than a year now and I am crazy about it! It still looks brand new, too, thanks to BarKeepers Friend! If you are in the market for a high quality, affordable set I suggest Emeril by All-Clad E914SC PRO-CLAD Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Cookware Set, 12-Piece, Silver

Slow Cooker Cheese Steaks

Slow Cooker Cheese Steaks are delicious sandwiches piled high with slow cooked beef, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, green peppers, and lots of melty cheese!