Pesto Turkey Meatballs

I feel like I've been cooking and baking a lot recently, and I decided I wanted to share some of my recent successes. I mean, recipes. So I'll probably be posting frequently (as frequently as nap times and other chores will allow). 

I'm also the kind of person who rarely sticks to a single recipe when cooking. I look up two or three (thank you, Pinterest!) for ideas and guidelines and cook times, and then do my own thing. So here's what I ended up with tonight. 

Tonight's recipe came from "Slow Cooker Revolution" from America's Test Kitchen. Or it was inspired by that recipe, anyway. Life happened and I didn't get things done early enough to even use the crock pot. I also used this recipe from Pinterest. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2/3 cups plain breadcrumbs
- 2/3 (ish) cups pesto (from the refrigerated section of the grocery store - much better than the bottled kind)
- 1/4 (ish) cups grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp Mayo (the recipe called for one egg yolk, but I was all out of eggs. This was a suggested substitute I found via Google).  

Mix all ingredients together using your hands,
- 2-3 mozzarella string cheese sticks, cut into 8 pieces.  

Roll a bit of the meat mixture into a ball in your hand, then flatten it slightly. Put a mozzarella piece in the middle and roll it up. Repeat until all the meat is used. I think I ended up with about 22 meatballs. It would be easy to freeze the extra at this point to use for a future meal.
Line a baking tray with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Eat immediately to enjoy the hot cheesy goodness. 

(Mine ended up with the cheese spilling out of the meat balls and sticking everything to the foil. A silicon mat may have been more effective, but then I'd have to wash it.)

Serve with pasta (or spaghetti squash) and pasta sauce.

Taco and Fajita Seasoning

I recently gave up on buying Taco and Fajita seasoning packets from the store because I found these seasoning mix recipes that I think are so much better. Plus, you can increase or decrease the ingredients to suit your tastes (I always add extra hotness, like cayenne and crushed red pepper).

Taco Seasoning

To make about 1 packet worth (for 1 lb meat):

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Or 4x it and do this to make about 2/3 cup:

4 Tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoon paprika

6 teaspoon ground cumin

4 teaspoon sea salt

4 teaspoon black pepper

I do the 4x recipe and put the ingredients right into a small container (like an old jam jar or small plastic container) and then shake. To use, add a few tablespoons of the mix and a few tablespoons of water.

Fajita Seasoning (about 3 packets worth)

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 Tablespoon salt

1 Tablespoon paprika

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons crushed chicken bouillon

1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Same as with the Taco seasoning, put the ingredients right into a small container (like an old jam jar or small plastic container) and then shake. To use, add a few tablespoons of the mix and a few tablespoons of water.