Deconstructed Eggroll Stir-Fry

...or Poor Man's Stir-Fry...or Exploded Eggrolls....I couldn't make up my mind as to what to name this dish. Whatever the name, it is DELICIOUS! Not only is it delicious, it is super flexible. Not only is it super flexible, it is pretty dang healthy. That makes it a winner, winner, chicken, ...err I mean stir-fry(?) dinner in my book!

Poor Man's Stir Fry
Recipe Source: Kitchen of Siggy Spice

• 1 pound of Ground Beef (you could also use Ground Turkey, Chicken, or Pork)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 4 TBSP Toasted Sesame Oil
• 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 5 Green Onions, white and green parts sliced
• 14 ounces Coleslaw Mix (or finely shredded cabbage)
• 4 TBSP Low Sodium Soy Sauce or Braggs Liquid Amino (more to taste)
• 1 tsp Sriracha Sauce (more to taste)
• 1 tsp Fresh Ginger, paste or grated. (more to taste)
• 2 packets Truvia (or sweetener of your choice)
• 2 tsp White Vinegar
• 1 bag (14-16 ounces) Frozen Stir-Fry Veggies. I use the Trader Joe's Hodgepodge Harvest, but feel free to use what you like
• 2 cups cooked Brown Rice. Trader Joe's makes a handy dandy pre-cooked frozen brown rice that is wonderful here, you could also make cauliflower rice to go carb free.

Brown Ground Beef with Salt and Pepper to taste.
Remove from pan and set aside.
Heat up Sesame Oil in pan and saute Garlic, Green Onions, Coleslaw, and Stir Fry Veggies until desired tenderness.
Stir in the Soy Sauce, Sriracha, Ginger, Truvia, and White Vinegar
Add the Ground Beef and Brown Rice into the veggies and mix well. Taste it and make sure it is seasoned well for your tastes, adding more Soy Sauce, Sriracha, Ginger to taste.
Enjoy!

This recipe is linked up at:
Simply Sweet Home

Sloppy DiMaggios

Blogging has introduced me to so many wonderful people that I truly count as friends.  One of those friends I met VERY early in my blogging life is Jill.  Jill had a food blog that was simply wonderful called Sublime Hodge Podge.  Though she has decided to stop writing for it, it is still up for a time to go grab her delicious recipes.  She is cooking up some good soap though, her Etsy shop, Sudsy Soaps, has the most spectacular soaps I have seen!  I am totally dying to try her Twilight Quad Soap Set for him and her.  LOVE it!
Anywho, Jill is the one who introduced me to this Rachael Ray recipe.  Since Kiddo B is a bonafide chili-dog NUT, she was all over it!  Kids and adults of all ages love this Sloppy Joe/Chili Dog hybrid.  Like all of RR's recipes, it is super quick and easy!  I made my Homemade Hoagie Rolls to serve it on,  but you could just use Kaiser Rolls or some other soft and chewy roll from the store.  Make sure and try this one soon!

Sloppy DiMaggios
Recipe Source:  Rachael Ray
1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil

2 pounds lean ground sirloin or ground turkey
1 packages beef or pork hot dogs, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 onion, chopped
1 TBSP steak seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
1 TBSP chili powder
3 TBSP dark brown sugar
3 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can tomato sauce
9 soft burger rolls - like at the ballpark.  Click HERE to get the recipe for my Homemade Hoagie Rolls.

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan, in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat and crumble as it browns. Add chopped hot dogs after 3 to 4 minutes then cook 3 to 4 minutes more. Add the onions to the pan and cook to soften, 5 to 6 minutes more. In a bowl mix the spices, sugar, Worcestershire and tomato sauce. Pour sauce over the meat and simmer a few minutes to combine flavors. Slop onto buns and serve.

This recipe has been linked up at:
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
Taste and Tell Saturdays with Rachael Ray
This Chick Cooks

Mexican Lasagna

Talk about a yum-i-licious, ultra gooey dish-o-delish!
I find lasagna it to be one of the upmost comfot foods whether it be a meat and marinara sauce type, vegetarian, or this one like this.  It feeds a crowd and can be made ahead of time to keep your evenings easier.  L. O. V. E. love it!

Mexican Lasagna
Recipe Source:  The ever-fabulous Melanie from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
• 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 TBSP chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• dash of ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 ½ cup frozen corn kernels, white or yellow
• 1 (6 ounce) can olives, chopped ***I omitted because olives make me want to hurl****
• 9-12 no-boil lasagna noodles (I love the Barilla brand), or boil and drain regular lasagna noodles
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup sour cream, light or regular
• 8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan and set aside.
In a large 12-inch skillet, brown the ground beef or turkey and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the grease. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste. Stir to combine well and cook for about a minute. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, cayenne, oregano and salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Add the black beans, corn and olives. Mix well and heat through, about 5 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer three (or four, depending on the brand of noodles you use) noodles over the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the sauce over the noodles. Dollop 1/3 of the sour cream and 1/3 of the cream cheese (just pinch off chunks and toss them on top) across the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheeses. Repeat the layers two more times until all the ingredients are used.
Cover the lasagna with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes more, until the lasagna is hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into and serving.

This recipe has been linked up at:
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
Mommys Kitchen

Poor Man's Stroganoff

My husband's favorite dish that he grew up with is his Mom's Beef Stroganoff. 
In my opinion, you should just never try to re-make your husband's favorite dish from his Momma or Grand-mama.  No matter how scrumptious yours may be, you can never over-come that emotional attachment or memory.  So, I have never even ventured into any kind of "anoff".  However, when I saw Mel's recipe for this Poor Man's Stroganoff, even though it was a stroganoff, it was different enough not to matter.  Plus, it had bacon in it.  I mean, come on....bacon and a creamy sauce, I am sold!
This was such comfort food...nothing fancy, just fantastic simple flavors that do the dance well.   Delish!!!

Poor Man's Stroganoff
Recipe Source:  Mel's Kitchen Cafe

• 1-2 tsp olive oil
• 6 oz turkey bacon, diced (I used center cut, though I think a good peppered bacon would be AMAZING)
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 medium red or yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 TBSP tomato paste
• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 1 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1 cup sour cream, light or regular
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried

Cooked egg noodles or rice, for serving
In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1-2 teaspoons olive oil and saute diced bacon over medium heat until crispy. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel lined plate and set aside, leaving any grease/oil in the pan. Add sliced mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for about one minute (if the pan is too dry, add a teaspoon of oil as needed). Add salt. Continue cooking until the mushrooms are softened and have given up most of their juices. Transfer them to the same plate as the bacon.
In the same skillet, brown the ground beef or turkey with the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the grease.
Stir in the flour and tomato paste to the meat mixture and mix to combine well. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 1 minute. Add the beef broth and bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking to combine all the ingredients. Simmer vigorously for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is slightly reduced and thickened. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and paprika. Cook until flavors blend, about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add sautéed mushrooms and bacon back to the skillet. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the sour cream, mixing well to avoid lumps. Stir in the parsley. Serve over egg noodles.

This recipe has been linked up at:
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
Mommy's Kitchen
Eat at Home

Cajun Shrimp Scampi over Dirty Rice

In case you missed my post on Facebook last night, I was trying to pick a name for this insanely delish recipe I made.  It was between Cajun Shrimp Scampi over Dirty Rice AND Shrimp Brochette Dirty Rice Bowl.  And (obviously) the winning name was Cajun Shrimp Scampi over Dirty Rice!
My hubby took me to Pappadauex for our first date.  For fun, we decided we would order for each other....just to see what would happen.  The man who I loved before first-sight ordered Shrimp Gumbo for me, and I ordered him Shrimp Brochette.  This was after he made me try Alligator.  If you don't know, Shrimp Brochette is simply a large shrimp that has been butterflied and stuffed with some Monterey Jack Cheese and a slice of Jalapeno, wrapped in bacon and grilled with some Creole Seasoning.   I decided I would try to re-create his meal for him for Mardi Gras, and as a twist, I deconstructed it.  The results were FABULOUS! 

Cajun Shrimp Scampi over Dirty Rice
special thanks to This Mommy Cooks for some Dirty Rice inspiration

For Dirty Rice:

• 4 cups cooked rice
• 1 1/4  pounds ground turkey
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 4 tsp very finely minced garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp Kitchen Bouquet or other browning sauce
• 1 TBSP Creole Seasoning, I used Tony Chachere’s... more to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped flat leaf parsley

For Cajun Shrimp Scampi:

• 1 pound medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4 slices bacon, diced into bite sized pieces
• 2-3 jalapenos, seeded and sliced into half-moon pieces
• 2 TBSP butter
• 1-2 tsp Creole Seasoning, Again, I used Tony Chachere's...more to taste
• pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
• Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

In large skillet over medium heat with a TBSP of canola oil, brown meat and veggies, breaking up ground turkey to small pieces.  Once cooked thoroughly, add in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.   Add Creole seasoning and browning sauce, stir. Add in cooked rice and parsley and stir to warm through, keep warm while you prepare the shrimp.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, add bacon and cook until bacon starts to render fat.  Add butter and allow to melt.  Add in Jalapenos, Creole Seasoning, and optional cayenne pepper.  Add in shrimp and cook just until shrimp turns opaque and bacon is cooked through.
To serve, place Dirty Rice on a plate and sprinkle with 1-2 TBSP of shredded Monterey Jack Cheese.  Add Shrimp mixture on top.  Allow the heat of the dish to melt the cheese.  ENJOY!

This recipe has been linked up at:
Mommy's Kitchen
Simply Sweet Home
Tidy Mom
Crazy Domestic
Nikkis Nifty Knacks

Skillet Chili Mac with Corn and Green Chilies

Prepare for some one-pot lovin'.  This recipe is simply amazing and scrumptious!  As I am writing this, my mouth is literally watering remembering all the flavors and texture of this dish.  Just like many my meals as of late, this is simple, easy, fast, and healthy!  Make this soon and ENJOY!

Skillet Chili Mac with Corn and Green Chilies
recipe slightly adapted from My Tasty Treasures (who adapted from My Kitchen Cafe, who adapted from Cook's Illustrated)  WHEW, that was a mouthful!

• 1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound ground turkey or ground beef
• 1 medium sized onion, minced
• 1 TBSP chili powder
• 1 TBSP cumin
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 TBSP brown sugar
• 2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
• 2 cups water
• 8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni, I used Barilla Plus
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chilies, drained
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I used 2 % cheddar jack but you can use pepper jack or a Mexican shredded cheese blend)

Heat oil in a deep skillet medium heat. Add the ground turkey or beef, onion, chili powder, cumin and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook the meat until it is no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat or grease (the amount will depend on how lean your meat is). Stir in garlic and brown sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, water, and macaroni. Cover and cook, stirring often and keeping the heat at a steady simmer, until the macaroni is tender, about 12–14 minutes.
Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, frozen corn, green chilies and cilantro and sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top. Cover and let sit off the heat until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

This recipe has been linked up at:
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
Crazy Domestic
Mommy's Kitchen
Eat at Home

Bow Tie Lasagna - 15 Minute Meal!

Yes, you saw that right...15 minutes!!!
My dear friend Jill from Sublime Hodgepodge posted this recipe with a RAVE review and I knew I had to try it!
Super simple, fast, and SCRUMPTIOUS!  It has a lasagna taste that would make Garfield proud, without using Ricotta or Cottage Cheese.  Make a salad and add a chunk of crusty bread and you have a fantastic dinner everyone will be sure to love.

Bow Tie Lasagna
slightly adapted from Sublime Hodgepodge, who got it from Tasty Kitchen member Rozanie

• 1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage...you could even use ground Turkey
• 5 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
• 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce.  Make sure you use a good one since that is the taste that will be front and center.  
• 1 TBSP Olive Oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 clove of garlic, very finely minced
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Mozzarella cheese, you could use low fat
• 1/2 cup sour cream, you could use low fat
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan, to taste

Fry meat in small pan. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.
After noodles are cooked, drain and drizzle with olive oil. Mix in your spaghetti sauce. Add your fried hamburger, seasonings, cheeses, and sour cream. Fold together and allow it all to combine and melt together, over low heat, for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

This recipe was linked to:
Mommy's Kitchen
Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms
Frou Frou Decor
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
Crazy Domestic

Taco Salad Dippers

I am not sure why this is named Taco Salad Dippers and not just "Ohhhh yeahhh, baby!" (in your best Isaac Hayes voice.) 
It is so scrumptious!  An absolute perfect combination of meat, taco-ish sauce, rice, and beans.  The first time I made it, I topped it with cheese, lettuce, and sour cream then scooped up the goodness with tortilla chips, my hubby ate his like a bowl of chili, and my daughter made a bed of lettuce and crushed up Doritos for the filling to rest it's sleepy self on.  The possibilities are endless!  In fact, this week, I am wrapping the filling and some cheese in a flour tortilla and baking them smothered in Enchilada Sauce and more cheese....viola!  Supreme Burrada!  The point is, however you choose to eat this, you will LOVE it! 
As an added bonus, this one pot wonder is freezable!

Taco Salad Dippers

• 2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup white rice, not instant
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 TBSP sugar
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
• 2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
• 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

In a large pot, brown the ground beef or turkey with the onion and garlic and cook until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are translucent. Drain any accumulated grease. Add the water, rice, seasonings, tomato sauce, tomato paste and beans. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, watching to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. The mixture will seem very watery at first, but after simmering, it will thicken to perfection as the rice absorbs water and all the ingredients meld together.

A HUGE shout-out to Mel from My Kitchen Cafe for another a-mazing dish!

This recipe has been linked up at:
Nikkis Nifty Knacks
Frou Frou Decor
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
Mommy's Kitchen
The Country Cook

Taco Soup

I know that everyone has a recipe for Taco Soup....and guess what, so do I! 
For those who may not have tried Taco Soup, it is kind of a lighter chili-ish type meal.  Perfect to serve with Corn Bread or Frito's, you can top it with any normal chili toppings.  It has a wonderful balance of flavors that is sure to please the kiddos as well as adults.
I particularly love that this is so easy, just open throw it in the crockpot and walk away....it makes a TON so perfect for large gatherings or for leftovers.
Speaking of, one of our favorite ways to use up the leftovers is for NACHOS...YUM!

Corn Bread Taco Bake

Tra-la-la, fall-la-la is in the air-la-la!  Apples, pumpkins, candy corn-la-la!
One thing you all should probably know about me, that most of my college friends knew long ago and my kiddos know all too well now, is that I like to make up songs.  Songs about nothing...songs about whatever I am doing....songs about what I am trying to make my kids do. 
At least I don't sing into the Echo Mic anymore, well much anyway.  But boy did I ever love me some Echo Mic!  Case in point from this old college pic.

My dear, beautiful, friend Scooby (as seen here in this unauthorized-from-her pic) and I took the Echo Mic on tour with us annoying fellow choir members, as well as our bus driver Vern, through several states. 
Yes, my hair was that big and yes, I still have that red IZOD water-proof jacket thing.
Today my little diddy is about fall as you can see!
What does singing about fall have to do with this recipe?  Not too much, other than the fact that because I now have the song "Taco Flavored Kisses" going through my head and instead of going all "Southpark" on you again, I thought I would detour myself, and spare us all.  I am a giver that way :)
This recipe was yummy and a nice change of pace from regular tacos or even Taco Pasta.   It screams fall to me in a way that only corn bread and beans can.

Ingredients:

• 1 package (8 1/2 oz) corn bread/muffin mix (I used trader Joe's Corn Bread Mix and made per directions EXCEPT I used a 9x13 pan) PLUS ingredients on box
• 2 - 2 1/2 pounds ground beef or turkey
• 2 packages taco seasoning
• 1 can Southwest Mexicorn
• 2 cans Rotel
• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 cup Colby Jack, Cheddar or Mexican cheese, shredded
• 5 green onions, green and white parts, sliced
• 1 (4 ouces) can diced green chilies, drained
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1-2 cup shredded lettuce, to taste
• 1 can sliced olives
• Extra shredded cheese, to taste

Preheat oven to  350 degrees. 
Make cornbread mix according to directions. Spread in 9"x13" pan.  Bake for 15 minutes.
Cook ground meat until no longer pink, drain.
Add taco seasoning and 1/3 cup water, can of Rotel (drained) and can of mexicorn (rinsed and drained) Cook until most of liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes.
Spread over corn bread. Combine sour cream, cheese, green chilies, and green onion. Spread over meat mixture. Bake for 30 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted.   I also like to stick mine under a broiler for a couple minutes at the end to get the top golden.
Sprinkle with tomato, lettuce and cheese.

recipe adapted (aka tweaked) from:  Pam's Midwest Kitchen

This recipe has been linked up at:
Mommy's Kitchen
Nikki's Nifty Knacks
Frou Frou Decor
Simply Sweet Home
Tidy Mom
Eat at Home

Cheeseburger Soup

Now that it is officially September, I think I speak for everyone when I say "bring on the comfort food"!  This soup was SO yummy!  I had never made or tasted Cheeseburger Soup before, but it sounded intriguing.  After looking at a couple different recipes, and doing some combining, tweaking, substituting, and short-cutting, here is what I came up with. It reminds me of a yummy Loaded Baked Potato Soup with hamburger in it...definitely stick to your ribs.  I rounded out this meal with some Homemade Breadsticks and a Ranch Wedge Salad.  SCRUMPTIOUS!  Once you are ready to make some soup, don't hesitate to try this one!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound hamburger
• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced green or red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup diced celery
• 24 ounces roasted cubed potatoes (3-4 cups)   I used the Trader Joe's frozen Roasted Potatoes.  I cannot speak to other brands, but if I was making without that convenience item, I would place cubed potatoes, in a bowl and toss with olive oil until evenly coated.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place potatoes on a baking sheet and roast in a 450 degree oven until tender, about 15-20 minutes.
• 1 tsp dried Basil
• 1 tsp dried Parsley
• 2 TBSP butter, melted
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 10 ounces Velveeta (sorry, just no getting around how this stuff melts), cubed

In a skillet, brown hamburger and bacon.  Add minced garlic and cook an additional minute.  Drain excess grease. 
Saute onions, peppers, and celery in skillet with 2 TBSP extra virgin olive until slightly soft, about 1-2 minutes.  Add frozen potatoes and cook until crispy on outside.  If using potatoes you roasted in the oven, continue sauteing veggies until soft and go to next step.
Add meat mixture, potatoes and veggies to a stock pot.  Add chicken broth and dried herbs bringing to a boil.
In a separate bowl, mix together melted butter, milk, and flour until smooth.  Gradually pour milk mixture into boiling soup, gently stirring, reduce to simmer.  Add cheese and let cook until melted, stirring once in a while so bottom doesn't burn.  Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.  Salt and Pepper to taste.
ENJOY!

This recipe has been linked up at:
Nikki's Nifty Knacks
Frou Frou Decor
Simply Sweet Home
Tidy Mom
Mommy's Kitchen
Delightful Country Cookin'
The Country Cook

Siggy's Skinny They Won't Know it's Not Beef Mac

Well, that title is a mouthful...but it makes me smile, just like this recipe!
This dish is a definite staple in my house, and is loved by all. Even my picky pants niece who doesn't eat anything scarfed it down when she came to visit this summer. It makes a TON, like 2 meals worth, so it would work great as a friendship casserole (make one, give one to a friend) or to stick the other one in the freezer for an easy meal at a later date.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound box elbow macaroni, I use Barilla Plus Whole Wheat Macaroni
• 4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped
• 2 cups chopped onion, about 1 large onion
• 1 TBSP chopped garlic
• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast. I always end up with 2 1/2 because I buy it from Costco
• 1 can crushed tomato (28 oz)
• 2 cans tomato sauce (each 14-15 oz)
• 1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup. Sorry, no way around this one.
• 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 cups shredded 2% cheddar or colby jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the macaroni to al dente, set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 2 TBSP olive oil then season and brown ground turkey. Drain meat and set aside. Add remaining 2 TBSP olive oil to skillet, add the peppers and onion, saute until soft. Add garlic and cook just until it becomes fragrant. Do not allow garlic to burn, bleck! Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and cheese soup. Stir to combine. Add basil, oregano, and cumin and allow to simmer over medium low heat for a few minutes allowing flavors to meld together. At this point, give it a taste and add your salt and pepper until right for you. Add the ground turkey into sauce. In a LARGE bowl (I said it makes a TON right), combine the macaroni and the turkey sauce mixture. Stir to combine and pat yourself on the back for getting your arm workout in for the day (remember the aforementioned, makes a TON). Spread this mixture into 2 casserole dishes or, as I do, a 9x13 pan and a 8x8 pan. Top with cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbly. Once this bad boy is done baking, if you can still use your arms from stirring this mammoth amount of food, pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy!