What's For Dinner? Week 1

Double-Decker Shepherd's Pie*

2 1/2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (I'm using Yukon Gold)
1 C. milk (I'm using 2%)
salt
pepper
1 tbls. extra virgin olive oil
8 oz. white mushrooms, chopped
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 bunch scallions. green parts sliced thing and set aside, white parts chopped
1 large poblano chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup frozen peas and carrots (they come together in a package)
2 tsp. worcheshire sauce

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. In a saucepan, combine the potatoes with salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water; return the potatoes to the pot. Mash with the milk until smooth; season with salt.
3. In a large skillet (I use Cast Iron) heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes; transfer to a plate.
4. Brown the meat in the pan. Fully cook the meat and drain any liquid. Lower the heat to medium and stir in the chopped scallions, the poblano, peas and carrots. Cook until peppers are soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, 1/4 mashed potatoes and the reserved 1 cup cooking water. Lower the heat and simmer until the juices are thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Spread half of the potatoes evenly in a greased 9-by11-inch baking dish. Spoon the meat mixture evenly on top, then spoon the remaining mashed potatoes evenly across the filling to enclose. Bake until lightly golden, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the sliced scallions. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
*Based on a recipe from Rachael Ray's Everyday Magazine

I'm going to do a mixed green salad with a Balsamic Vinegar dressing.

Zesty Penne with Sausage and Peppers

1 box penne pasta
1 lb. Italian Sausage
1 each green and red bell pepper, cut into stripes
1 jar your favorite spaghetti sauce (I like Trader Joe's)
1 tsp. fennel seed
Dash crushed red pepper
4 oz. cream cheese, cut into cubes
Parmesan Cheese

1. Cook the pasta according to package.
2. Crumble sausage into large skillet, cook and stir on medium heat until done (about 8 minutes). Drain. Add bell peppers, cook and stir 5 minutes. Add sauce, fennel seed and crushed red pepper and stir until heated through. Add cream cheese, continue to cook and stir until melted.

3. Toss Pasta into sauce and sausage mixture. Serve with Parmesan Cheese, a salad and garlic bread

Taco Bubble Casserole
Don't know why it has that name...but it looks tasty.
I'm going to use ground turkey.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/taco-bubble-casserole/

Honey Orange Chicken
Brown Rice
Grilled Marinated Zucchini

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/honeyed-orange-chicken/

For the Zucchini, I just buy 3 or 4 medium sized zucchini and cut them into 1/2 inch slices. I marinate them in whatever I have around...olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice and any fresh herbs I want to get rid of. I grill them right on the hot grill for 3 or 4 minutes per side.

Easy Night:
Spaghetti with your favorite jar sauce.
Salad
Garlic Bread