When the weather cools down, it’s time to break out the slow cooker! There is just nothing like coming in from the cold and having a nice, hot meal ready to go at your fingertips.

Where I live in Western New York, we get absolutely buried in snow for months on end. After clearing off my car and shoveling for the hundredth time, nothing makes my heart happier than a nice hot bowl of turkey chili made in the slow cooker.  

It warms the soul from the inside out. This hearty turkey chili is filled with wholesome veggies, rich seasoning, and protein-packed beans.

The best part is, it’s really easy to make and the slow cooker does most of the work for you!

One batch feeds the whole family and then some. It’s freezer-friendly, so you can save the leftovers for a rainy day, which makes it perfect for a busy week!

How To Make My Slow Cooker Turkey Chili Recipe

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of ground turkey
• 28 oz (2 cans) of diced tomatoes
• 8 oz of tomato sauce
• 1 can of dark red kidney beans
• 1 can of light red kidney beans
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 large onion
• 3 tbsp of chili powder
• 2 tsp of Adobo seasoning
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp of minced garlic
• Hot sauce to taste (I usually start with ¼ cup and add more if needed)

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili Directions:

1. START OFF BY COOKING AND DRAINING THE TURKEY.

I know, I know. The slow cooker is supposed to do the cooking for you. And it can, but putting ground beef or turkey in the slow cooker without cooking it first causes all of the grease that would normally be drained to get mixed into your meal.

At this point, you can add additional seasoning to the meat, but I highly recommend buying pre-seasoned Festive Italian Style Ground Turkey because it’s packed with flavor and lets you skip a step!

 2. PUT THE TURKEY AND THE CANNED GOODS IN THE SLOW COOKER.

This is one of the easiest parts of making chili. As long as you have a good can-opener, you can pretty much just open the cans and dump them in.

Just make sure to rinse off the dark and light red kidney beans before adding them in. You don’t want to put all of the juice and oil they come in, into your slow cooker turkey chili.

3. CHOP UP THE PEPPER AND ONION, AND TOSS THEM IN THE SLOW COOKER.

I normally opt for green bell pepper, but I will also use red, yellow, or orange if I already have it in the fridge. No sense buying another pepper if you already have one that  is going to do the job just as well.

 4. SPRINKLE IN THE SEASONING.

This is where all of the flavor comes in!

Don’t be afraid to be generous with the hot sauce (unless you really don’t like spicy foods). A lot of it will mellow out as it cooks down.

 5. MIX IT ALL UP, THEN SET IT AND FORGET IT.

Once everything is in the slow cooker, stir it very well until it’s fully mixed. Then simply put the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours.

TIP: To save time on a busy morning, make the turkey and put everything together in the slow cooker the night before, then refrigerate overnight. That way, you can just turn it on before you leave and you don’t have to worry about it!

This Wifi-enabled slow-cooker from Black + Decker is also a game-changer because you can start, stop, and adjust the slow cooker right from your phone, wherever you are!

 6. SERVE AND ENJOY!

That’s all. It’s really that easy!

For a little extra splash of flavor, I sometimes like to top it off with shredded cheese and oyster crackers, but it’s great on its own too!

Simply cook and drain the turkey, toss all of the canned goods and veggies to the slow cooker, add in some spices and stir. The slow cooker does all of the rest.

Try this easy slow cooker turkey chili recipe on cold and busy winter day and let me know how you liked it!

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Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Ground Turkey
• 28 oz Diced Tomotoes
• 8 oz Tomato Sauce
• 1 can Dark Red Kidney Beans rinsed & drained
• 1 can Light Red Kidney Beans rinsed & drained
• 1 Bell Pepper chopped or diced
• 1 Large Onion chopped or diced
• 3 tbsp Chili Powder
• 2 tsp Adobo Seasoning or garlic powder
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2 tbsp Minced Garlic
• Hot Sauce to taste

Instructions

• Cook and drain the ground turkey
• Put cooked turkey, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, pepper, onion, and seasonings in the slow cooker
• Stir until everything is fully mixed
• Cook on low for 6-8 hours in the slow cooker

The post The Best Slow Cooker Turkey Chili appeared first on Simple Socialite.

Nothing says Summer like fresh veggies, bbq cookouts, and eating outside. There’s just something about warm weather and tasty food that makes you feel good. One of my favorite things to make on a hot summer day or when I’m craving a dose of sunshine in the dead of winter is my easy tri-colored rotini pasta salad recipe.

It’s filled with fresh and crisp veggies, rich blocks of cheese, savory pepperoni, and best of all, it requires very little cooking so your house doesn’t get even hotter than it already is!

In fact, the only cooking this easy tri-colored rotini pasta salad recipe requires is boiling the noodles!

When it’s all said and done, this pasta salad is served cold, and each bite is more refreshing than the last.

How To Make My Easy Tri-Colored Rotini Pasta Salad Recipe

Tri-Colored Rotini Pasta Salad Ingredients:

• 1 box of tri-colored rotini
• 1/2 onion
• 1 1/2 – 2 bell peppers (green, red, orange, yellow)
• 1/2 block of pepper jack cheese
• 1/2 block of colby jack cheese
• 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup of pepperoni
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup of cucumber (optional)
• 1/8 cup of banana peppers (optional)
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup of olives (optional)
• 1 bottle of Italian dressing

All of these ingredients can be adjusted to taste. If you think something seems like too much or too little, feel free to modify it to your liking.

Tri-Colored Rotini Pasta Salad Recipe Directions:

1. Whenever I make this dish, I always start out by boiling water with a little bit of salt.

I don’t think the salt is actually necessary, but it’s something my mom always did while I was growing up, so I just carried on the tradition.

2. Once that’s going, just toss in the tri-colored rotini noodles and start chopping the rest of the ingredients.

Just make sure to check on them periodically so you don’t overcook them.

One of my favorite things about this tri-colored rotini pasta salad recipe is how much flavor is packed in one dish!

3. Chop up about a half of an onion and some brightly colored bell pepper.

I like to use red, yellow, orange, and green bell pepper if I have them, but if not, any combination or only one color will do. I usually end up only using two colors because that’s all I seem to keep in the fridge at once, so don’t feel like you need to go out and buy all 4 peppers if you don’t want to.

Once the peppers and onions are chopped up, then move on to the cheese.

4. Cut a half a block of pepper jack cheese and a half a block of colby jack cheese into bite-sized cubes.

If you think that’s too much or not enough cheese, feel free to adjust accordingly. I like cheese, so sometimes I tend to go overboard!

5. Slice cherry tomatoes in half, or in quarters, depending on how big or small you cut the other ingredients.

I typically use about half of the container, which equates to about a half of a cup.

6. Add in about ¼ to ½ cup of pepperoni.

Lately, I’ve been cutting up pre-sliced pepperoni into smaller bites because I’ve noticed the pepperoni seems to stick together in this salad. You can certainly use sliced pepperoni without any further cutting, just know you might get clumps that are all pepperoni.

Another option I’ve been experimenting with is cutting whole pepperoni into bite-sized cubes, just like we do with the cheese. I’ve noticed that it doesn’t seem to stick together in this form, but I almost never have whole sticks of pepperoni in my house, so I tend to stick with just cutting the pre-sliced stuff that I do have.

Variation: Add cucumber, banana peppers, and/or olives.

I love veggies, so I absolutely love adding cucumbers to this easy tri-colored rotini pasta salad recipe. I chop it up into small pieces the same way I do the peppers and onions. I use about ¼ cup of cucumber and I think it adds a little boost of freshness to the pasta salad.

If you like a little bit of zestiness here and there, I would definitely recommend adding some banana peppers to this recipe. Their tanginess stands out and adds another layer to this dish. Just be careful not to over do it. Out of all of the ingredients, this is the one I would add the least amount of because it can quickly over power the whole pasta salad.

You can certainly add in some black olives if you wish. My friends do, and they love it! I personally don’t like olives, and neither does my family, so we opt to keep them out of our pasta salad.

7. Strain the pot of noodles and rinse them with cold water.

Make sure you use a spoon and stir the noodles while the cold water is running on them so you don’t burn your hands. You should do this long enough until the noodles feel completely cool to the touch.

8. Mix everything together in a big bowl and stir in Italian Dressing.

It’s a little surprising how much dressing this easy pasta salad recipe will actually take. I usually use about a half of a bottle on the day I make it, but since I always have leftovers, I end up adding a bit more after the noodles absorb the dressing.

8. Serve and enjoy!

That’s it. It’s that simple! Just boil tri-colored rotini noodles, chop up some veggies, add in some pepperoni, and mix everything together with Italian dressing.

Try this easy tri-colored rotini pasta salad recipe at your next cookout and let me know how you liked it!

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Easy Tri-Colored Rotini Pasta Salad

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 box Tri-Colored Rotini
• 1/2 Onion diced
• 1 1/2 Bell Pepper any color, diced
• 1/2 block Pepper Jack Cheese cubed
• 1/2 block Colby Jack Cheese cubed
• 1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes sliced in half
• 1/4-1/2 cup Pepperoni
• 1/4-1/2 cup Cucumber (optional)
• 1/8 cup Banana Peppers (optional)
• 1/4-1/2 cup Olives (optional)
• 1 bottle Italian Dressing

Instructions

• Boil noodles until al dente. Strain and rinse with cold water until noodles are cool to the touch
• Dice onion, peppers, and cucumbers (optional), and cut cheese into cubes
• Slice cherry tomatoes and olives (optional)  in half
• Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with Italian dressing

Notes

All  ingredients can be adjusted to taste. If you think something seems like too much or too little, feel free to modify it to your liking!

The post The Best Tri-Colored Rotini Pasta Salad For Summer (Or Any Time Of The Year) appeared first on Simple Socialite.

Pizza is a magical food that everyone should be able to enjoy over and over again. It is covered in cheesy deliciousness and is perfect for almost every day of the week!

The biggest problem is that it’s not usually very good for you. Well, guess again!

When I started my journey cutting carbs and generally trying to eat healthier, I was introduced to one of my new favorite foods, low carb tortilla pizza! ??

The beauty of this meal is that it’s better for you than regular pizza, but you don’t lose any of the flavor.

There is generally less grease, fresher ingredients, and everyone can choose their own toppings since it is personal-sized. Best of all, it is incredibly quick and easy on a busy weeknight!

The secret isn’t in the sauce. This time, it’s all in the crust.

Traditional pizza dough is very similar to bread and is filled with flour, and therefore, carbohydrates. Swapping out this one ingredient can make a world of difference.

There are plenty of alternative keto pizza crust recipes out there like cauliflower crust from Our Best Bites, chicken crust from Hey Keto Mama, or even quinoa crust from Simply Quinoa. While those are all great options, I prefer to keep it simple and I opt for Mission Carb Balance® Whole Wheat Soft Taco Tortillas with only 4g of net carbs.

Mission also makes burrito-sized Carb Balance® tortillas, which are a little larger and have 6g of net carbs, that would also work if you are looking for a just a little bit more.

Because the Mission low carb tortilla pizzas come out to be such thin, personal-sized pizzas, my boyfriend, John, and I like to each have two when we eat this for dinner.

Using the low carb tortillas as a pizza crust alternative, you can completely cut out the step of having to make the crust, since most pizza crust alternatives require following an additional recipe.

My favorite part about this dish is that Mission’s low carb tortillas are ready to go right out of the package. You can simply take one out, start building a pizza, and pop it in the oven. It’s that easy!

Low Carb Tortilla Pizza Directions:

You just need a cookie sheet or pizza pan, Mission Carb Balance® Whole Wheat Soft Taco Tortillas, pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, and whatever toppings you choose.

Simply spread a little pizza sauce on the tortilla, cover with mozzarella cheese, and add whatever else you like.

Personally, I tend to go for the classic cheese and pepperoni, but sometimes I add the occasional green pepper.

The biggest thing you will want to watch out for is adding too much sauce. I’m all about a good saucy pizza, so I tend to load it on, but you have to remember that the low carb tortilla won’t absorb the sauce the same way a traditional pizza crust does.

You really don’t need a lot of sauce. Once you see it start to pool, you’re probably good. I’ve found that when there is too much sauce, it tends to get a little messy because the tortilla doesn’t stiffen up as much.

A good rule of thumb is that half of a jar of pizza sauce should make 4 low carb tortilla pizzas, while a full jar can make 8!

Once your low carb tortilla pizza is ready to go, simply put it in the oven at 350° for 10-15 minutes. Viola, you’re done!

I always suggest adding a little Parmesan cheese and cracked red pepper to finish it off, because I think it adds a little something extra. Then simply cut it into four easy-to-eat pieces and enjoy! ?

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Low Carb Tortilla Pizza

A simple, healthy, low-carb pizza alternative that doesn't lose any of the flavor. There is less grease and fresher ingredients in this personal-sized pizza. Best of all, it is incredibly quick and easy on a busy weeknight!

Course Main Course, Snack

Keyword Low Carb Tortilla Pizza

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Pizzas

Ingredients

• 4 Mission Carb Balance® Whole Wheat Soft Taco Tortillas
• 1/2 Jar Pizza Sauce (approximately 2-3 tbsp per tortilla)
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• Sliced Pepperoni
• Parmesan Cheese (optional)
• Pinch Cracked Red Pepper (optional)

Instructions

• Place 4 tortilla shells on cookie sheet(s) and spread sauce over each one
• Cover with as much cheese, pepperoni, and any other toppings that you wish
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and tortilla is stiff

The post The Magic That Is Low Carb Tortilla Pizza appeared first on Simple Socialite.