German turkey zucchini casserole

A hearty casserole made with ground turkey, diced zucchini, and cheese is a comforting a delicious dinner. 

Vegetable and mozzarella mini turkey meatloaves

Individual turkey meatloaves with grated carrots, yellow squash, and zucchini and stuffed with mozzarella cheese are sure to be a family favorite. 

Cranberry & brown sugar glazed turkey meatloaf

Turkey meatloaf is glazed with a sweet and tangy sauce of brown sugar and fresh cranberries for a delicious autumn dinner. If you like cranberries, this meal is sure to be a family favorite.

One pan stuffed peppers skillet

Stuffed peppers are a delicious late summer and early fall dinner and this one pan recipe makes them easier and faster without losing out on any of the flavors.

Turkey taco crescent pie

A simple and family friendly dinner that is sure to become a favorite. Turkey taco crescent pie only requires a few ingredients and can be customized to your liking.

Chipotle turkey, apple, & sweet potato chili

Disclosure: This post is sponsored on behalf of #appleweek. Our generous sponsors, Swiss Diamond, Envy Apples, Imperial Sugar, Nordic Ware, Rodelle Vanilla, Flahavan's Irish Oatmeal, Nairn's and The Spice House have provided us with products for recipe creation and a giveaway for our readers. As always, all opinions are my own.

 

A chili packed with sweet potatoes, apples, turkey, black beans, and seasoned with chipotle in adobo, cinnamon, coriander, and more makes for a delicious, hearty, and unique fall meal. 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I am so excited to share this recipe with you! Apples are a huge part of our fall and my husband and I love visiting our local orchard where they have new apple varieties as well as heritage varieties. We go picking every fall and I'm always creating new apple recipes as well as old favorites. 

I was soooo happy to be able to receive a box of Envy Apples to try for #AppleWeek! These apples were new to me and to my family, so trying them was a big deal for us. Our kids were sampling them with me as soon as we got the box. 

I popped one in my husband's lunch. I gave one to my mom to take home one day, too. The kids and I loved them. My husband texted me saying what a great apple it was. My mom called and asked where she could buy them. They is no question these apples are winners! They are crisp, lightly sweet, and have a delicate apple flavor - plus the skin is so pretty in color and nice in texture. 

We will definitely be adding Envy Apples to our favorites now. They are so good for eating out of hand, but they are also terrific for cooking. I knew I wanted to make at least one savory apple dish this week and had long been thinking of adding apples to a chili. 

This chili far exceeded my expectations and will be a regular in our autumn meal rotation from now on - trust me, it may sound a bit add, but all the flavors blend together for a perfect one-pot meal! 

This recipe will serve about 4-6 people depending on hunger level and any sides. It's great with corn bread or a side of corn chips/tortilla strips for scooping or sprinkling on top.

Turkey and summer vegetable soup

Ground turkey, diced tomatoes, fresh garden herbs, and summer vegetables make a scrumptious and hearty summertime soup. 

Turkey, sweet potato, & quinoa chili

Ground turkey, sweet potatoes, peppers, corn, beans, and quinoa all come together in this super hearty and healthy dish! 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This 'chili' is something I threw together once to use up some odds and ends of produce and it has turned into an almost weekly staple meal in our home lately. It's full of so many good-for-you ingredients and is very hearty and flavorful. 

Another thing about this chili is that it is flexible. These are the ingredients and flavors I most commonly use, but you can switch them up with delicious results. 

For example -- use chicken or ground beef or extra beans instead of turkey; sub pinto beans for the black beans; green onions instead of red onions; poblano peppers instead of bell, butternut squash instead of sweet potato; vegetable broth or water in place of the chicken stock; add jalapeno or cayenne pepper for a kick (I would do this for just my husband and I, but not the toddlers)... 

This recipe will make about 6 servings. I like to serve it with grated cheddar or jack cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and even some corn chips if you have them.

Cheesy zucchini & turkey casserole

Zucchini season is upon us. In this dish, zucchini is used to make a cheesy base for the casserole topped with ground turkey, spaghetti sauce, vegetables, and more cheese. 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

You will see similar versions called a Zucchini Pizza Casserole, but to me there is nothing pizza-ish about this casserole. My version uses the same base idea, but the toppings are different. Maybe more like a spaghetti bake? I don't know. So I'm just calling this version a Cheesy Zucchini & Turkey Casserole. Naming dishes can be tricky sometimes. Too wordy? Not an adequate description? I don't know. 

I do know that this dish was a huge hit in our family and was even completely gobbled up by two one year olds, so that's a win for me! Whatever you call it, it's delicious! It's definitely a keeper and a way to use up some of your garden's zucchini. This recipe will serve about four to five people as a main dish. Serve with a loaf of crusty bread and/or a side salad to stretch it a bit more.

We are usually inundated with zucchini at this time of year, but the odd weather has left many in our area with gardens that aren't producing as well as they usually do. So, I actually *gasp* bought zucchini from a farm stand. It almost didn't feel right!

Toddler turkey, carrot, and apple meatballs

I can't believe my babies are already 10 months old! They are getting so big and learning so many new things all the time. They like being outside right now and going for walks in the stroller. We recently tried the baby swings at the park, which they really enjoyed. But, what they really love right now is food. They are interested in trying everything and want to grab and eat all that they see! They still like their homemade purées, especially with oatmeal or whole milk Greek yogurt. They prefer chunkier foods now though and are trying more finger and table foods all the time. I bought some frozen turkey meatballs and they really enjoyed those, so I decided to make a homemade version that is a little healthier for them. I still cut/break up these meatballs into smaller pieces for them at this point. They are picking up those pieces and feeding themselves.... a messy, but fun, time.

This recipe will make about 27ish meatballs. You can freeze them (place on a clean baking sheet in the freezer just until frozen and then place them all in a freezer bag) and then defrost in the refrigerator as needed. Heat them up in the oven or microwave, or even in an alfredo sauce. They can be eaten cold as well. The spices below are what I used, but you can use so many others like thyme, nutmeg, allspice, parsley, coriander, ginger, and others -- whatever flavors and combinations you want! They are also delicious for adults too - I've popped more than one in my mouth! 

Turkey and apple cheddar-biscuit pie

This meal is full-on autumn comfort food at its best! Turkey, apples, and vegetables in a cider gravy all topped with light and buttery cheddar biscuits and baked until golden and bubbly. 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

It has easily become a new favorite of ours. This recipe is a modified version of a similar dish in one of my favorites books: Apples of Uncommon Character: Heirlooms, Modern Classics, & Little-known Wonders. It's not a cookbook, but a beautiful book all about apples that also has 20 apple recipes in the back. I sometimes dream of living on an apple orchard one day and have a bit of an obsession with all the different varieties and with apple recipes. 

This dish is delicious as is, but I think different vegetables would also work very well such as replacing the celery with celery root, replacing the potato with turnip or rutabaga, or even adding a bit of cubed winter squash like butternut. This recipe will serve about four to five people.

Turkey, spinach, and cheese flautas

Easy meals are what I'm all about right now. Flautas are a favorite of mine since I started making them a couple years ago. The filling choices are endless. 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

We've done beef filling similar to tacos, pinto beans and peppers, etc. But, these creamy turkey and spinach ones seem to be the winner. The filling is simple to make. Then all you have to do is roll them up and give them a quick bake. 

Perfect for a weeknight dinner and they are sure to be popular in your house, too. Serve these falutas with a side of rice or beans or even some chips and salsa. We like to dip these flautas in salsa verde. Pickled jalapenos on the side are also a nice touch. This recipe will make 8-10 falutas.

Apple-turkey burgers with cranberry-apple relish

A turkey burger with apple topped with a cranberry apple relish makes a delicious autumn inspired meal.

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

My bushel of apples is slowly dwindling down... We've picked out a bunch of small ones and put them away in the refrigerator for snacks. I still have quite a few for cooking though. I've made some of my standbys like applesauce and autumn pork roast, and new recipes like apple crisp pie and these burgers that were inspired by this recipe. 

I like incorporating fruits into savory dishes, so I was pretty excited to try out these burgers, plus they used up two more of my apples! These burgers were really moist from the addition of grated apple into the turkey and the topping was a nice mix of sweet, tart, and a touch of heat.

This recipe will make four burgers. I served them with some simple roasted purple cauliflower (we got a beautiful head at the farmers' market last weekend). It was a great weeknight autumn meal and unlike any burger I've had before.

Turkey and cranberry paninis

These sandwiches are another way I used up some of our leftover turkey. It was a bonus because it also used up some of our leftover cranberry sauce. 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This is hardly even a recipe really, but I just enjoyed them a lot. In college, I used to order a turkey and cranberry panini every once in a while from a coffee shop on campus and I always enjoyed it. I had never had one of these sandwiches before or after that. 

I remembered them recently and knew for sure that I needed to make these. I made two sandwiches on panini rolls I bought at the bakery. You could use any hearty bread. The below recipe is per sandwich.

White chili

White chili is a great one pot dish for a cool day. This chili combines a lot of my favorite flavors -- lime, cilantro, avocado, cumin, and more. 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I feel that the toppings are really important for the white chili. They add all sorts of great colors and textures that I think make this dish. Plus they make it extra hearty and filling. This chili is mildly spicy, depending on your poblano peppers. Poblanos tend to have a medium spice to them, but I find that they can range it their hotness.The creamy avocado and sour cream help to balance out any extra heat.

This recipe will make about four to six bowls of chili. You can easily stretch it by adding more beans or vegetables. This is a great meal to have a pot of just sitting in the fridge for a quick dinner or as a warm lunch to take with you to work on a cold day. It usually doesn't last long around our place though!
 
White chili
1 lb ground turkey
1 medium to large white onion, diced
2 medium poblano peppers, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup salsa verde (green salsa or substitute diced jalapeno)
zest and juice of half a lime (other half reserved for serving)
1 can (14 oz) white beans (I use great northern)
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
olive oil
 
toppings:
lime wedges
avocado chunks
Monterey jack cheese (shredded)
sour cream
crumbled up corn chips (I use organic blue corn)

In a large soup/stock pot, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and peppers. Cook until onions turn translucent. With a wooden spoon, move the vegetables to the edges of the pot and add the turkey to the middle. Cook until the turkey is browned. Drain any fat. Add salt, pepper, coriander, cumin, and oregano and stir. Add the chicken stock and salsa and cook until warm. Add beans and corn and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Continue simmering for about 30 minutes. 

Then add the lime zest, juice, and cilantro. Ladle the chili into a bowl and top with corn chips, cheese, avocados, a dollop of sour cream, and extra cilantro and lime juice.