The goal is to strike a balance: find quick and easy recipes that balance carbohydrates – derived from whole grains, fruits and vegetables – with a lean protein. One protein to consider for breakfast is turkey, which is available in a variety of breakfast-friendly and often gluten-free cuts, including links, bacon and ground. Jennie-O offers many quick and easy breakfast recipes on SwitchToTurkey.com and jennieo.com. “It’s time for Americans to drop their soggy cereal, pudge-inducing pastries and boring granola,” says Barry Lynch of the Jennie-O Turkey Store. “The new year is a perfect time to start each day right with a convenient, protein-rich breakfast using turkey.”

To help incentivize Americans to start the day off right with a nutritious and complete breakfast, Jennie-O is kicking off a Breakfast Hall of Lame contest on SwitchToTurkey.com. Now through Jan. 31, consumers who visit SwitchToTurkey.com can enter the contest by submitting a photo of their uninspiring breakfast or a picture of themselves with their breakfast. The person whose photo receives the highest number of votes by Jan. 31 will win the grand prize: a two-week stay at The Biggest Loser Resort, in either location: Mailbu, Calif. or Ivins, Utah. Complete rules are available on SwitchToTurkey.com. Find recipes – including a breakfast burrito, breakfast pizza and sassy scrambled eggs with JENNIE-O turkey sausage links – as well as tips on safe handling instructions for turkey on the company’s website.

Breakfast Burrito
1 Package JENNIE-O Extra Lean Ground Turkey Breast
1 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 egg and 1 egg white
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup wheat bran
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, drained
8 whole wheat MANNY’S tortillas

Directions: Put the ground turkey breast in a mixing bowl. Add onion and garlic powder, paprika, and pepper; mix thoroughly. Add egg, egg white, applesauce, and wheat bran; stir well. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Preheat a large non-stick skillet to medium high and coat lightly with cooking spray. Add the ground turkey mixture and stir to crumble and brown, 14 minutes. Always cook turkey to well-done, 165 F as measured by a meat thermometer. Reduce heat to medium. Add bell peppers and saute with meat for 5 minutes, continuing to stir and break up the turkey into smaller pieces. Drain the beans and add to the skillet. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Fill tortillas with mixture. Additional sides, if desired, light shredded cheddar cheese, CHI-CHI’s salsa, WHOLLY GUACAMOLE dip, lime juice, and cilantro. Serving suggestions – scrambled eggs or egg whites and fresh fruit.

The post Make Over Your Boring Breakfast with these Tempting Turkey Recipes first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

Even if you send packages home with guests, it’s inevitable that you will have leftovers. You might even have enough for a few days’ worth of meals. But eating the same dishes day after day gets old quickly. Instead of letting your menu get stale, rethink the concept of leftovers. Rather than viewing leftovers as a finished dish, consider these foods as ingredients for delicious new entrees.

When you find yourself staring down a refrigerator full of holiday leftovers, use these tips to transform these dishes into new meals your family will love.

* The centerpiece of many of those holiday meals is often a turkey, and there’s nothing quite as lovely as a golden brown bird ready for carving. One simple tip can make your turkey taste better on the day of the celebration – and as leftovers. As you’re seasoning the turkey prior to roasting, spread on Hellmann’s(R) Real Mayonnaise for a juicy, crispy, flavorful meal.

* Mashed potatoes are a universally loved side dish during the holidays. They can warm up even the coldest days and make any meal more comforting. With the extra helpings left from your holiday-sized batch of mashers, make your own interpretation of shepherd’s pie. Mix the vegetables and meat of your choice with herbs, salt and pepper to taste before adding them to a baking dish or casserole. Top the mixture with mashed potatoes (and a few small dabs of butter), and bake until warmed through. If your potatoes have gotten a bit stiff, add a bit of cream or milk to soften them up.

* Whether you know it as “dressing” or “stuffing,” the dish is a staple of Christmas and Thanksgiving. Regional naming differences aside, it’s a versatile leftover that should be praised as much on the day after your celebration as the day of. These rich, herbal flavors pair exceptionally well with pork, so use it (or reuse it) to create delectable stuffed pork chops.

* The sweet-tart taste of cranberry relish is great with turkey, but you can also add it to sweeter dishes for a different spin. Get started the very next morning after your gathering by heating up a griddle for crepes or pancakes. Mash your cranberries to a more jam-like texture to use as a zingy topping on whichever kind of griddle cake you prefer.

Your loved ones will certainly appreciate your efforts to make the holidays delicious, but the praise will go even further when you test out tasty new recipes for leftovers. For more ideas, visit www.hellmanns.com, and get started by trying Hellmann’s(R) Turkey Casserole recipe.

Turkey Casserole
Serves: 6
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes

Ingredients:
4 cups leftover prepared stuffing, divided
4 cups coarsely chopped leftover cooked turkey (about 1 pound)
3/4 cup Hellmann’s(R) or Best Foods(R) Real Mayonnaise, divided
1/4 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 8-inch baking dish with no-stick cooking spray. Spoon in 2 cups stuffing, then top with turkey.

Combine 1/4 cup Hellmann’s(R) or Best Foods(R) Real Mayonnaise with cranberry sauce; evenly spread over turkey.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup Mayonnaise, potatoes and cheese in large bowl. Evenly spread on turkey, then top with remaining 2 cups stuffing.

Bake 40 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with dried cranberries.

Also terrific with Hellmann’s Light Mayonnaise.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories 680, calories from fat 350, saturated fat 9 grams, trans fat 0 grams, total fat 39 grams, cholesterol 100 grams, sodium 1330 grams, total carbohydrates 47 grams, sugars 7 grams, dietary fiber 5 grams, protein 35 grams, vitamin A 10 percent, vitamin C 8 percent, calcium 20 percent, iron 15 percent

The post Transforming Holiday Leftovers into Mouthwatering Meals first appeared on The How Do Gardener.