Tag: fast food

Sweet & Sour Turkey

This recipe has been passed down through our family for several generations. It reminds me of the holidays because every day or two after Thanksgiving, my grandfather would make up a huge batch of this with the leftover turkey. I loved it as a kid and would happily devour this morning, noon, and night until the leftovers were gone. I hope you enjoy it too! Be sure to check out my note section below the recipe for additional ideas on how to prepare this recipe. Ingredients and instructions with alternative methods are marked with (*) with the corresponding (*) found in the notes section.

  • Prep time: 10-15 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes – 4/8 hours depending on your cooking method
  • Makes about 6-8 cups 

Ingredients

Ingredients used to make the sauce.
  • 4+ cups of chopped turkey (rotisserie chicken works well as a replacement*)
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp cold water
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup chicken broth

Instructions

  1. In a medium sized (3 quart) cooking pot**, begin heating chicken broth on medium high heat and add in vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and ketchup. Stir to dissolve and mix ingredients.
  2. As ingredients start to bubble and steam, add in cornstarch mix*** and stir briskly with a whisk. Continue to stir until ingredients begin to thicken.
  3. Reduce heat to low and allow ingredients to simmer together for about 10 minutes. Make sure to check and stir sauce every few minutes to prevent burning or congealing on the bottom of the pan.
  4. Once sauce is thickened, add in chopped meat and stir to evenly mix ingredients together. Let this mix simmer on low heat for about 15-20 minutes to allow the meat to absorb some of the sauce flavors.
  5. Serve over leftover mashed potatoes, on top of leftover rolls, on buns with coleslaw, or by itself!****

Notes

*As I mentioned, rotisserie chicken can be used as a substitution for turkey. You could also make this recipe in a crock pot and start with raw chicken breasts along with the sauce ingredients. If you choose to do this method, I suggest you cook it on low for 8 hours to allow the chicken breasts to fully cook. After they cook you could shred the chicken right in the sauce and then mix the ingredients together.

I used pre-cooked rotisserie chicken for a quick and easy meal!

**You can also make this recipe in a crockpot. Using this method allows for better flavor absorption by the meat but you want to make sure to cook it on low to keep the meat from over cooking if you are using pre-cooked leftovers. If you choose the crock pot method, just place all your sauce ingredients in and mix well before adding the meat (raw or cooked).

***The cornstarch mix will only slightly thicken up the sauce and it may appear more runny than you expect. You’re welcome to play around with the cornstarch mix ratio but this recipe allows for the sauce to be thin but not watery.

****There are so many ways to enjoy this recipe. Aside from using it for leftovers, it’s great on top of rice or veggies too. The sauce is very versatile so I’d love to hear how you’ve used it. Leave a comment here on the recipe page and let me know what you did with it. Thanks!

Coleslaw is a great addition to this meal. The textures and flavors compliment each other!

Nutrition

  • Serving size: 1 cup of meat and sauce
  • 1 serving is approximately 193 Calories; 1.6g Fat; 0.3g Sat. Fat; 37.5mg Cholest.; 755mg Sodium; 29.9g Carbs; 0.1g Fiber; 26g Sugar; 14.4g Protein.
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Not Your Average Taco Meat

I use this recipe in place of traditional taco meat. It’s perfect for tacos, nachos, chip dip, burritos, or taco salads! I like it because it has a ton of flavor without having to rely on a lot of salt or spices. I keep the ingredients on hand in the pantry (aside from the meat) so that I can easily make it any time. Also, it can be made in less than 30 minutes! Bonus!

  • Prep time: no prep time unless you count opening packages.
  • Cook time: approx. 10-15 minutes.
  • Makes about 1-2lbs of meat mix.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef (I use the leanest I can afford)
  • 1 lb ground turkey meat (I use this to add volume without adding more beef, but you can use whichever meat choices work for you)
  • about 16oz your favorite salsa (I use chunky Pace because I like the texture it adds)
  • 1 can black beans (about 16oz)
  • 2 Tbsp taco seasoning

Instructions

  1. Put all meat into a large cooking pan. Brown and mash the meat into crumbles on medium heat until only a slight amount of pink remains in the meat.
  2. Add the can of black beans. Simmer for a minute or two.
  3. Add taco seasoning and mix into meat using the juices created by the cooking meat to help mix it in.
  4. Once taco seasoning is mixed into the meat, add the salsa. Mix all ingredients well until they are evenly mixed.
  5. Set heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. This allows the beans to soften and the flavors to mingle.
  6. Serve hot and enjoy!
Steps 1-2 in the instructions above. Brown meat, add beans.
Steps 3-6 in the instructions above. Simmer beans to soften, add taco seasoning, add salsa, stir, and simmer. Enjoy!

Notes

It was really tough to come up with a name for this recipe because in our family, we affectionately refer to this meal as “Taco Slop” because it is so versatile and can be slopped on anything from a tortilla, a chip, or a salad. When I first started writing my blog, I knew that I wanted to share this family favorite from the start, but I knew that if I titled it “Slop” I probably wouldn’t get that many views. I hope when you try this recipe that you can develop your own name for it. Call it whatever you like! But if you find things about it that you like to change or add, please write a comment below and share it. I’d love to hear about your version!

Nutrition

  • Serving size: 1/2 cup of meat mix
  • 1 serving is approximately 144 Calories; 10.7g Fat; 2.3g Sat. Fat; 42.4mg Cholest.; 439mg Sodium; 8.5g Carbs; 1.8g Fiber; 2.5g Sugar; 14.8g Protein.

Chicken Taco Crunch Wraps

The best thing about tacos is that they’re so versatile! This is a fun variation that makes a very hearty, portable meal. This recipe is similar to the Crunchwrap Supremes you find at Taco Bell but with some changes to the ingredients. All ingredients are optional and flexible based on your personal taste.

  • Prep time: approx. 2-3 minutes per wrap
  • Cook time: approx. 6-10 minutes per wrap
  • Makes about 4 large wraps

Ingredients:

  • 3 cans of canned chicken breast
  • 1 8oz. brick of cream cheese (room temp)
  • About 4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • Small can green chilies
  • About 1/4 cup taco seasoning
  • Tostada shells (at least one for each wrap you plan to make)
  • Large flour burrito tortillas (the largest you can find)
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Pico de Gallo (or just tomatoes)
  • Sour Cream
  • Refried beans (optional)
Most of the ingredients you’ll need to make delicious Crunch Wraps. Not pictured: lettuce, taco seasoning, optional beans.

Instructions:

  1. Open and drain water from canned chicken. Place all canned chicken in a large bowl with cream cheese and about 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese. (Cream cheese can be warmed in the microwave for about 30 seconds to make mixing easier).
  2. Begin mixing ingredients with large spoon or spatula. This can also be done in a stand mixer to make things a lot easier.
  3. Mix in green chilies and taco seasoning with chicken mixture. Stir until all ingredients are evenly mixed.
  4. Create a work station with an assembly line for burrito tortilla > (opt beans) > chicken mixture > tostada shell > lettuce > pico > sour cream > shredded cheese > (opt tortilla circle).
  5. Place a burrito tortilla on a plate or cutting board.
  6. In the center of the burrito tortilla, (spread optional beans in a thin layer first) place about a cup of the chicken mixture- flatten and shape it to be about the size of the tostada shells.
  7. Place 1 tostada shell on top of chicken mixture.
  8. Place about 1 handful (or 1/2 cup) of shredded lettuce on top of tostada shell.
  9. Top lettuce with 1-2 Tablespoons of pico de gallo and 1-2 Tablespoons of sour cream.
  10. Top ingredients with about 1/4 cup shredded cheese (this will melt and work to seal the wrap during grilling).
  11. Fold one edge of the burrito tortilla up and over ingredients reaching for the middle on top of all the ingredients. *If it seems like your burrito tortilla will not reach to meet all edges in the middle, you can cut out circles from extra burrito tortillas using a cereal bowl to trace around with a sharp knife. These circles can then be used directly on top of the wrap ingredients before wrapping the burrito tortilla.* Continue to fold up the edges going around the wrap in one direction. You will end up with a wrap that is shaped like an octagon or something close to it. You can place a small salad plate on top of the wrap to keep it folded. See video below for example.
  12. Warm a large frying pan or a griddle or grill to medium heat. Oil or butter the warming surface.
  13. Carefully place wrap fold side down on your heated surface.
  14. Place a heat-resistant plate on top of the wrap as it is grilling to ensure it makes the most contact with the hot surface as possible.
  15. Heat the wrap for about 3-5 minutes depending on how hot your surface is. Use a spatula to tip up the edge of the wrap as it is cooking to check for doneness.
  16. Once desired doneness level is reached, carefully flip wrap over to other side and repeat grilling process. 3-5 minutes.
  17. Serve hot and enjoy!
Build a tower of deliciousness, one ingredient at a time.