Front Burner

Being a mom comes with a hectic schedule sometimes.  Not wanting to sacrifice healthy eating, I've had to adapt my weekly menus to accommodate the various activities that the kids have going on during the week.  Mondays we typically have swim lessons from 4-5 which leaves me without much prep time for dinner.  Enter... the slow cooker... and dinner is ready when we walk in the door (with the exception this night of having to roast the carrots...)! The #1 reason I love my slow cooker :)  And while some crockpot recipes can require some tedious prep work, this one was simple, quick, and smelled amazing upon opening the front door!  Choose any accompanying veggie but these butter roasted carrots were fairly easy and to die for.

Creamy Turkey Ragu

1 can (28-oz) crushed tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 pkg (20 oz) lean ground turkey
2/3 cup Philadelphia reduced-fat Italian Herb Cooking Creme
1 box enriched Rotini (spiral pasta) cooked, following package directions

Spray slow cooker bowl with cooking spray.  Stir in tomatoes, onion, carrot, garlic, oregano, sugar and salt. Crumble in ground turkey and stir to combine.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 8 hours.

Stir in cooking creme until evenly incorporated into sauce.  Pour cooked pasta into slow cooker and stir to coat pasta.  Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

*Courtesy of Family Circle magazine*

Butter-Roasted Carrots

4 cups diagonally cut carrot sticks
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, toss to incorporate evenly.  Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes.

*Courtesy of Cooking Light*