Turkey Pesto Melts

This recipe is soooo EASY, it's kind of embarrassing! But, during this busy time of year it is a FANTASTIC dinner that takes about 5 minutes to put together. What more could you ask for? You can even use your LEFTOVER Thanksgiving turkey! Just serve it with your FAVORITE salad or veggies and dip and dinner is done!

Turkey Pesto Melts
Sandwich hoagies
Pesto (I buy the jar of fresh pesto from Costco)
Sliced deli turkey 
Sliced provolone cheese

Split the hoagies and spread the top and bottom with desired amount of pesto. (We like a GOOD amount!) Layer the turkey over the bottom half of the sandwich and top with cheese. Place open-faced sandwiches in the broiler until cheese in melted and bubbly. BE CAREFUL! Make sure you watch these so your bread doesn't burn!

TIP: If you don't have hoagie buns, put these tasty things together on regular bread and cook like you would a grilled cheese!

Catching Up!

Life has been so BUSY lately, I've decided I need to take a short break from food blogging. I'll be re-posting some of my FAVORITE recipes for the month of December, which I'm actually pretty excited about. Once life calms down after all of the HOLIDAY craziness, I will have some new delicious RECIPES to post! And if I find a super-amazing recipe that needs to be shared before then, I will definitely find time to SHARE it with you so you can enjoy it during the holidays too!

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia

You all know I love cheese, and I really LOVE Parmesan! When I found this super SIMPLE recipe by Rachel Ray, I knew it would be YUMMY. The fish is moist and FLAVORFUL—a great combination! Thanks Rach!

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (I used dried)
4 tilapia filets
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the cheese, paprika, and parsley and then season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and then dredge in the cheese mixture. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the fish is opaque in the thickest part, about 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

TIP: I felt like the paprika was a tad heavy, so you may want to start with 1 teaspoon instead of 2. I also think a few sprinkles of garlic powder is a great addition.

Oreo Fudge Pie

November is the month of PIE, am I right? Chocolate pie has never been one of my favorites, but this version is EXTREMELY tasty. Who doesn't love the surprise of a big chunk of OREO? I can't think of anyone! As usual, this recipe is so EASY, it is almost embarrassing!

Oreo Fudge Pie

1 large box chocolate fudge instant pudding

Milk called for on box

1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip

12 to 15 Oreos, chopped
Prepared Oreo crust (store-bought or homemade)
Mini chocolate chips or extra Oreos, crushed, to garnish

Prepare the pudding as directed on box and let set. Fold in about two-thirds of the Cool Whip and the chopped cookies. Spoon into the prepared crust and let set at least 2 hours. Top with the remaining Cool Whip and garnish of choice.

TIP: You can use regular chocolate pudding in place of chocolate fudge, but it won't be as rich! There is a devil's food flavor that would probably work well too. :)

Favorite Taco Soup

I've had a LOT of taco soups, and this one is definitely my FAVORITE. I posted it a couple of years ago and decided it was time to give it another spotlight as the weather starts to turn. It uses TACO sauce instead of taco SEASONING, and I think that's what makes this taste EXTRA good. 

Favorite Taco Soup

1 pound ground beef

1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 can stewed tomatoes, pureed with liquid

1/2 bottle taco sauce

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles

2 tablespoons chili powder

Dash of garlic salt and onion salt

2–4 cups beef broth (or more if desired)

Brown and drain the ground beef. Combine all ingredients in a large soup pot and simmer for at least 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream, cheese, and taco chips.

TIP: You can use any kind of chip you like, but my favorite happens to be Fritos. Or Nacho Doritos are even pretty tasty. You can also try topping this with avocado, sliced olives, cilantro, or even some fresh tomato. The possibilities are endless.