Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Last night for dinner, I turned a tomato, french bread, olive oil, mozzarella, and basil pesto into a delicious plate full of Italian goodness! Although it is normally thought of as an appetizer, we find that after two slices we are stuffed! With just a few ingredients you can have a delicious meal, that is pretty good for you too. Here's my recipe for one of my favorite quick meals :)

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Fresh tomato, diced

Italian bread, sliced

Basil pesto

mozzarella cheese

olive oil or butter

 

First, mix a tablespoon of basil pesto in with either 4T of melted butter or olive oil. Spread over the french bread slices. Toast in toaster oven until golden brown. Top with slices of mozzarella cheese (slices work best, but all I had was shredded) and diced tomatoes. Toast again until cheese is melted and tomatoes are hot.

You can also serve it with cold tomatoes on top (that's how I like it).

Sliced French Bread

Slathered with olive oil and basil pesto

Toasted and topped with cheese

And of course, tomatoes!

BBQ Chili Pasta

Since I work third shift and my husband works first shift, there is very little time between him getting home and me leaving for work. So, it's always great to find a quick meal that is quick, a little different and changes things up. Well he found this recipe on his allrecipes.com app on his phone and has been wanting to try it. Sunday night, before I left for work he made BBQ Chili Pasta.

Now to be honest, I was a little nervous because of the name. I mean, really BBQ and chili?? Really? Well I was in for a shock. I really enjoyed it! It was pretty quick, and if you had pre-frozen ground turkey or beef, it would be even faster. We used whole wheat rotini to make it a little healthier. My favorite part was the fresh green peppers, I think that made the dish.

Since this serves 6 we had plenty left over for meals for work too!

BBQ Chili Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package rotini pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 8 ounces ground turkey
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce

Directions

1. In a large pot with boiling salted water cook rotelle pasta until al dente. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet heat oil over medium-high heat, add onion and cook until onion for 2 minutes, or until softened. Add ground turkey and cook until no pink remains, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in chopped green bell pepper, corn, chili powder, dried oregano, salt, tomato sauce, and BBQ sauce. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. In a large serving bowl, combine the turkey mixture with the pasta. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 340 | Total Fat: 7.4g | Cholesterol: 29mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

This is taken from the allrecipes.com website, http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/bbq-chili-pasta/detail.aspx 

Your turn! Do you have any quick, easy meals you always turn to when everyone's hungry? I'd love to hear it!