Frosted Pumpkin Bars

 from allrecipes.com

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 egg

2 egg whites

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup canola oil

2 tablespoons water

4 ounces reduced fat cream cheese

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel

In a mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Add egg, egg whites, pumpkin, oil and water; mix well. Transfer to an 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese. Beat in confectioners' sugar, then vanilla and lemon peel. Frost bars. Chill for 15 minutes, then cut. Refrigerate leftovers.

I left out the lemon peel & didn't miss it :)
I made them in a jelly roll pan which is why they are on the thin side & my boys prefer them without the frosting, so I just frosted them as we ate them

Double Mileage Meal: Ground Turkey

To complete 2 different meals, you will need:

2 1/2 pounds ground turkey

2 1/2 tablespoons dry onion soup mix

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dried minced garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 egg, lightly beaten (optional)

1 cup ketchup

2 teaspoons Splenda

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

10 hamburger buns

This weeks double mileage meal started with 2 1/2 pounds of ground turkey.

I placed 1 1/2 pounds in a bowl and 1 pound in a second bowl.

In the larger bowl, I mix the ingredients for Turkey Burgers. While, in the 2nd, bowl, I mix up the turkey & onions soup for Sloppy Joes.

I form and cook the turkey burgers for tonight's meal, while at the same time browning the meat for the sloppy joes.

Then, when tomorrow comes (or anytime later in the week), all I have to do is add ingredients to the pan & simmer....viola, dinner in a snap!

Also, since we have no need for 6 burgers, I cooked 3 (one for each adult & one split between the toddlers) and individually wrapped and froze the other 3. So in reality, I've got triple mileage :)

Sloppy Joes

 adapted from allrecipes.com

1 pound ground turkey

1 tablespoon dry onion soup mix

1 cup ketchup

2 teaspoons Splenda

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

4 hamburger buns

In a medium to large bowl, combine the turkey & onion soup mix.  Place the turkey mixture in a large skillet over medium heat, cook until evenly brown, and drain.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix the ketchup, sugar, vinegar, and mustard. Mix in the turkey. Cook, stirring often, for 30 minutes.

Top each bun evenly & enjoy

Turkey Burgers

 adapted from allrecipes.com

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey

1 1/2 tablespoons dry onion soup mix

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dried minced garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 egg, lightly beaten (optional)

6 hamburger buns, split

In a large bowl, mix the turkey with the onion soup mix, pepper, garlic powder, soy sauce, and egg. Refrigerate the mixture about 10 minutes, then form into 6 patties.

Preheat the grill or frying pan for medium-high heat.

Lightly oil the grill grate or frying pan. Place the patties on the grill. Cook for 20 minutes, turning once, or until well done. The inside of the burgers will look whitish in color when cooked through. Serve on bun with desired burger toppings.

Triple Mileage Meal: Mexican Trio

This is one of my favorite grouping of meals (and they all happen to be hubby favorites!).  Each dish is delicious on it's own and they are all super easy.
It's with great excitement, I give you the first TRIPLE MILEAGE MEAL!!

To make 3 meals, you'll need:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Rotel
Taco seasoning
Shredded cheese
Flour tortillas (soft taco size)
Green Chili Enchilada Sauce
Taco toppings

With this short list, you can make Mexican Crockpot Chicken and use it to yield you tacos, Baked Flautas & Green Chili Enchiladas.  The enchiladas can even be prepared and frozen (thaw completely & add a little extra time at baking) for extra ease.

You'll have to determine based on how many people you plan to feed with each meal.  For our family of 4 (which includes 2 toddlers), I would use 7-9 chicken breasts (double the initial chicken recipe) to make all 3 meals.

Chicken & Pasta

 adapted from allrecipes.com

1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta
4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts - cubed

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 (8 ounce) package cold cream cheese, cubed

1/2 to 3/4 can of Del Monte canned tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
Minced onion & garlic
Salt, pepper & Italian seasoning
Parmesan cheese

Bring large pot of water to a boil, and stir in penne pasta. 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, combine chicken cubes, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, seasoning & broth; simmering until done. Stir in cubed cream cheese and spinach. Return to simmer, and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, and cook about 3 minutes more. 

In a large bowl, mix together cooked, drained pasta and sauce. Let stand a few minutes & top each serving with cheese before serving.

This is even better as left overs!

Green Chili Enchiladas

2 cups Mexican Crockpot Chicken
2 1/2 cups Shredded Cheese, divided
6 flour tortillas, soft taco size
1 can Green Chili Enchilada Sauce (10 oz)

Pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce into 8x8 baking pan.

Divide chicken & 1 1/2 cups cheese among tortillas. Roll up. Place seam-side-down in baking pan. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over tortillas & cover top with cheese.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Oven Baked Brown Rice

 adapted from allrecipes.com

1 cup brown rice
1 cup beef broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon garlic powder
dried or fresh onion, optional
dried or fresh garlic, optional
salt & pepper to taste 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 

In a 2 quart casserole dish, mix together all ingredients. Bake covered in preheated oven for 90 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Classic Waffles

 From allrecipes.com

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups warm milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; set aside. Preheat waffle iron to desired temperature.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk, butter and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture; beat until blended.

Ladle the batter into a preheated waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Cake

Note: I made this cake for my husbands birthday this weekend and it was a disaster!  I attempted to create a roll cake using a box cake mix and it stuck to the towel as I unrolled it.  I did the best I could with it...rolling it up in saran wrap & securing it with packing tape (I wish I had taken a photo!).  The end result tasted great, and each slice looked acceptable, but the cake as a whole was not pretty.  So, for your sake, I am modifying the directions here to create an actual ice cream cake rather than a roll :)

6 cups, not packed, vanilla ice cream (I use Blue Bell No Sugar Added)
1 package mini peanut butter cups, divided
1 box cake mix (I used vanilla, but white, yellow or chocolate would work just as well)
Hot fudge (store bought or homemade)

Prepare cake mix as directed and bake in 2 rounds.  Place 1/3 of the bag of peanut butter cups in the freezer for later use.  Allow the cakes to cool completely, wrap each layer in saran wrap and freeze.

When ready to assemble, unwrap 3/4 of the peanut butter cups and set aside.  Then, remove rounds & ice cream from freezer.  Determine which layer will be the top and set it aside.  Cut the rounded top off the other layer so the top is completely flat.

Place ice cream and peanut butter cups in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer until well combined.  Quickly spread a generous layer of the ice cream mixture on the bottom section of cake, then stack the additional layer of cake on top.  Wrap the entire cake in saran wrap and refreeze.

Remove from freezer 10-15 minutes before serving.  During this time, chop the frozen peanut butter cups and heat the fudge.  Generously drizzly the fudge on the cake & sprinkle with the chopped peanut butter cups.