"No, you know what's sexy? Turkey chili," - Leslie Knope [parks and recreation]

nothing drives a woman to get creative with food like sub-zero temperatures and a hungry fiance.  having perfected a pretty effortless homemade chili recipe for nights i can't be bother to do more than brown meat and open cans, i figured it was time to mix things up in an equally unchallenging way.

result:  some very tasty, very easy turkey chili-mac

according to steve, both times he heated this up for leftovers at work he was complimented for making the lunch room smell fantastic.  i promise it's tasty.  lets forge ahead, shall we?

you will need:

~1 lb ground turkey

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)

3 tbsp cumin (or more to taste)

1 tbsp chili powder (or more to taste)

1 tsp cayanne powder (more or less to taste)

1 bay leaf

1 can great northern white beans (drained)

2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with onions

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1/3 lb uncooked farfalle (or similar small pasta)

mexican blend shredded cheese

boil water and cook the pasta, drain and set aside.

brown the turkey and drain the fat then add everything except shredded cheese and cooked pasta.  allow mixture to simmer on medium low for approximately 20 minutes give or take.  

finally:  add pasta before serving and smother with shredded cheese on top.

it may not look pretty, but it tastes pretty.

mac n' cheesy chicken stuffed shells

today i'm sharing a self taught recipe that i've been debating blogging about for a while.  why?  because it's absolutely totally awsesomely incredible tasting comfort food, but frankly it's kinda nasty looking.  this is not a photogenic recipe, but after one heck of a miserable day yesterday (my car may or may not need a new alternator or battery mere weeks before i'm due to replace the car itself) all i wanted was some mac n' cheese with a dead bird inside.  don't judge.

if you have little ones to feed, i imagine this is a super kid friendly recipe.  last night I just wanted to throw my toys on the floor and have a childish tantrum, and it sure made me feel better.  my measurements are rather approximate, as i'm less a "measure and blend" kind of chef, and more of a"toss it in and see what happens" kind of cook.

you will need:

3-4 tbsp butter

12 oz evaporated milk

10.5 oz condensed cheddar cheese soup

8 oz brick cream cheese

2 cups shredded precooked chicken (i used a rotisserie chicken)

1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese divided (i used mild, but whatever strikes your fancy)

12 cooked jumbo pasta shells

melt the butter on medium heat over the stove and add cheese soup.  wisk until soup is less lumpy.  add evaporated milk gradually while wisking until smooth.  add 1/2 cup to 1 cup cheddar cheese gradually and continue to wisk as cheese melts.  allow cheese to melt thoroughly before adding too much.  you should have a thick velveeta-like cheese sauce that is a thick, yet pourable consistency with no lumps or stringiness.

soften cream cheese and combine with the chicken and remaining cheddar.  you could probably mash them together with a utensil, but i went straight for it with my hands.

stuff the shells with your cream cheese chicken cheddar cheese mixture.

arrange stuffed shells in a greased pan and smother them in the cheese sauce.  bake at 350 degrees for about a half hour.