Hey There MacGyver

Thank you to a Cook Crook follower for sharing this!!

MacGyver Night

I will admit that I loved MacGyver and never missed an episode (we won't talk about the pictures of Richard Dean Anderson in my locker) but who would have thought that the word "MacGyver" would become a part of our slang? If you have never seen an episode (or never owned a TV), MacGyver could escape a Turkish prison with a paper clip, some chewing gum and a shoe lace. To "MacGyver" is to take what you ordinarily have on hand and make something new.

So tonight, was my MacGyver night and usually, like tonight, it is the night my husband isn't home and experimentation doesn't affect anyone but me! So, I took a look in the fridge and cabinets. In the fridge I found leftover cooked whole wheat rotini pasta, fresh spinach, chopped bacon, and leftover diced onion. In the cabinet I found a jar of light Alfredo sauce I keep meaning to try. So I sauteed that bacon and onion in a little olive oil and then wilted that spinach in the mixture. I heated up a 3/4 cup of the sauce with the pasta in a small pot and then added the other ingredients. Add a salad on the side from the Romaine hearts I always have on hand, and Voila, dinner is served. Not a rocket ship out of a paper towel tube and hairspray, but it was delicious!

Another Family Favorite (Courtesy of Pillsbury) Taco Pie

My brother had/has a very limited palate and as such when my mom found a dish he liked, she kept making it. When she discovered he liked tacos, she found a recipe for a taco casserole that Pillsbury had using their crescent rolls. She called it taco pie and since he's adverse to vegetables of ANY kind, including tomatoes, she made hers with taco meat, crescents and cheese. This is another dish that has become a favorite in my house but I've lightened it up a bit and no one is bothered a bit!

2 packages reduced-fat crescent rolls
1 pound ground Turkey
Favorite taco seasoning
Water as directed by seasoning
2 cups shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese

Spread out one package of crescents onto an ungreased cookie sheet, pressing together the seams until the dough is in a large rectangle. Do the same with the other package of crescents on a large sheet of wax or parchment paper, trying to approximate the size of the other sheet of dough. Cook turkey until no longer pink, and drain off all liquid in pan except for approximately 1 tablespoon. Follow instructions for seasoning the meat with the taco seasoning you prefer. Every brand of packet seasoning has different directions.( I no longer buy packets and instead by the large container of McCormick seasoning from the local big box store.)

When meat is finished and all liquid is absorbed, remove from heat and set aside. Spread one cup of cheese on the dough on the cookie sheet being sure to keep a small edge all around the rectangle. Next, evenly spread the meat on the cheese. Cover meat with remaining cheese. Then cover with the other rectangle of dough and pinch and seal the edges all the way around. Bake in the oven according to the package directions  for the crescents (usually 375 for 15-20 minutes) or until crescent rectangle is golden brown.

Slice into rectangles and serve with sour cream. I have made this adding green chiles and salsa too!

Steal of the Week: Italian Meatloaf

I had "meatloaf" on the menu for tonight because I scored a great deal on meatloaf mix in the meat section at the grocery store. The meatloaf mix includes veal, pork and beef and one package is about 1.25 pounds. However, I wasn't interested in the traditional meatloaf and I also was short on time to worry about making a meatloaf tonight. So....in search of ideas I went and I found a recipe on the Lipton Onion Soup box for meatloaf and it said to go to their website for slow cooker instructions.

So to www.recipesecrets.com I went and found the recipe for the traditional meatloaf using the onion soup mix. then I came across this recipe for what they call Pizza Meatloaf . I thought why not combine the two? So, in lieu of the chopped onion, garlic and salt, I just used the onion soup mix. I also have never eaten Ragu in my life so I substituted for the Bertoli tomato and basil spaghetti sauce we love and decided to call it Italian meatloaf.

The verdict? The 11-year old said I am never allowed to make any other kind of meatloaf and hubby had two helpings. Consider it added to the menu rotation!

Note: Lipton's tip to add the foil strips was an excellent idea! I also sprayed my crockpot with cooking spray because the sauce did get sticky when cooking with the meat.