operation fake out - Ground turkey

michellesisreed
michellesisreed Posts: 24 Member
edited September 22 in Food and Nutrition
So I decided to make some tacos.....however with ground turkey. Now my family (i.e babies father) would tell me that was gross and wouldn't so much as touch it....well if he knew the truth. So I find myself in the kitchen trying to hurry up and fry the turkey before he walks in and sees the much lighter meat in the skillet and decides its not for him. I keep covering it with the lid and watch the clock so I can hurry and disguise it with the taco seasoning. I stir the seasoning in quickly wha-la done. Now for the true test to serve it as if nothing is different. I make his plate and try to plaster my face with there is nothing different look. He takes a bite and then another then another. Get this he says "these are some of the best tacos you ever made, not as greasy". HAHA he just ate turkey....next fake out turkey lasagna. Anyone have some other healthy eats to force upon my family unexpectedly :)

Replies

  • denise309
    denise309 Posts: 39
    We LOVE Ground Turkey, I also make meatloaf with it

    Good luck, will you tell hubby you used it?
  • maxolivia
    maxolivia Posts: 28
    There is a great cookbook out there by Jerry Seinfelds wife, I think her name is Jessica. She shows you how to add vegetable puree into everything. Some of the stuff is good, some not so good. I make turkey chili alot and my husband and kids eat it all.
  • bethvandenberg
    bethvandenberg Posts: 1,496 Member
    I use a ton of ground turkey. I use it anywhere I'd use ground beef. I make a wonderful meal with ground turkey, make a meatloaf lay it out flat, smear mashed potatoes on it, roll it up then cut it into rounds and bake it. My daughter who hates meatloaf calls it potato rolls. :)

    I'm lucky my man will eat almost anything I put in front of him. :) His mother is really over weight so he said he grew up always having to eat diet food as a kid. Now he's like, I wish my mom would've eaten this well when she was trying to drop some weight. LOL. :)
  • kmjenkins
    kmjenkins Posts: 396 Member
    Turkey sausage is also a great substitute too for anything you would normally use sausage for. I also like to replace sour cream with non-fat greek yogurt! It super good and way lower in calories than sour cream.
  • barbarella
    barbarella Posts: 609 Member
    Ha, Ha!!!! Good job! :laugh: :flowerforyou:

    My sister sneaks ground turkey into the family spaghetti sauce!
    Hubby would probably protest if he knew! :laugh: :tongue: :laugh:
  • sfrench1979
    sfrench1979 Posts: 12 Member
    I like this! turkey meat is really not that bad. I have a really big family and a 12 year who would notice and say something. But last week i mixed trukey and beef together, she did not notice. lol
  • mrmarius
    mrmarius Posts: 1,802 Member
    pretty much everything that uses ground beef i use ground turkey to substitue. its certainly not as greasy
  • DonaGail
    DonaGail Posts: 190 Member
    Since I dont eat red meat, all that I use is ground turkey and my husband loves it now.
    I make a killer lasagna, meatballs, sloppy Toms, anything you would use beef in, just season it
    really well. Green peppers really taste good with ground turkey for some reason.
    I buy the hot turkey sausage and cut it from the casing and add that to the ground turkey for chili
    its delicious.
    Good luck!
  • aaddaammggoolleeaaffss
    aaddaammggoolleeaaffss Posts: 230
    I have been looking for more ideas for turkey and you guys have given me tons, thank you!!!!!
  • CeeRawr89
    CeeRawr89 Posts: 328 Member
    ground turkey is sooo good!

    I completely forgot about it until I saw this post.

    I make a sort of, throw whatever in the pantry and hope it turns out good... :P

    But we now have a basic recipe to go with, it includes a can of mushroom soup, reduced fat if you like, some mixed vegetables, and a side of rice (brown)
    I pan fry the meat of choice, so in this instant, ground turkey, and then I add the mushroom soup and let it reduce and simmer a bit, and then once it is warmed, I add the frozen vegetables and then let that cook and heat up. While this is happening the rice is a cookin in the rice cooker. Serve and enjoy. Season as needed (salt and pepper)
  • dwarfer22
    dwarfer22 Posts: 358 Member
    bump, to remember the great recipe ideas!
  • minervasp73
    minervasp73 Posts: 59
    This might help too:

    1 lb. ground turkey
    1 diced onion ( I use the food processor)
    Lots of HERBS.

    Cook it up in a cast-iron pan with some white cooking wine or water, or broth. Then you can dump off the fat and keep it in a bowl in the fridge, and it's easy to measure out and add to brown rice or whole wheat pasta, and whatever sauce you want, through out the week. If there are more than just you, just make more.
  • suejonestx
    suejonestx Posts: 256 Member
    Like others, I use ground turkey for anything that normally calls for ground beef: spaghetti, tacos, burgers...
    And, turkey bratwurst is also delicious on the grill! Grill it, throw it in a tortilla with some mustard, and eat! Yum-O!
    At my grocery store, they also have "chicken fillets" wrapped in bacon that come in vacuum plastic packs just like the beef fillets. They're REALLY good!
  • eleanoreb
    eleanoreb Posts: 621 Member
    turkey bacon?

    haha ive also been having turkey fajitas, so delicious!! glad your tacos turned out well :)
  • amandalc980
    amandalc980 Posts: 383 Member
    My coworker did that! I thought turkey tacos, eww. Then she brought them in and I was head over heals. I use turkey in spaghetti now, too. So tasty!
  • time2move
    time2move Posts: 78 Member
    I've done that before. I've also switched to the Preggo Healthy Smart whatever it's called spaghetti sauce with the extra vegetables in it. He doesn't notice as long as I add garlic, basil and other herbs. He doesn't do the shopping and doesn't pay attention to the pantry :)
  • emmyvera
    emmyvera Posts: 599 Member
    Did that to my husband with turkey meatloaf. Added in garlic and onions for flavor and instead of ketchup used his favorite BBQ sauce - he loved it and it is a big request. Total fake out :laugh:
  • luvmy3kidz
    luvmy3kidz Posts: 25
    Ground up mushrooms as a third of your turkey burgers and meatloaf is an awesome tip I heard recently. I don't think this is the best time of year to get fresh mushrooms but... if you can, please share!
  • minervasp73
    minervasp73 Posts: 59
    Try using cooked/smashed lentils or brown rice instead of mushrooms, cause yeah they're crazy expensive right now.
  • Evermyre
    Evermyre Posts: 43
    For my meatloaf I use ground turkey instead of beef and oatmeal instead of bread to help bind it together. Takes fantastic. Come to think of it, I haven't made that in a while. Might have to do that this weekend!
  • TrainerRobin
    TrainerRobin Posts: 509 Member
    Good job! Ground turkey is a good substitute as long as it's LEAN. Watch out for the ones that aren't and be sure to compare the labels to a very lean ground beef. You may be surprised by how much fat there is in many ground turkeys. But yes, lean turkey ground up rocks! Good sneak, girl!

    If you ever want to push it to another level (again, be sneaky here and prep ahead of time), my family has been "tricked" into actually loving a dramatic substitute: TVP (texturized vegetable protein). Now before y'all freak out, know that I get ones that are not the generic yellow no-flavor varieties. The ones I buy are called (yes, really!) Beef Not! and Turkey Not! They come in cubes and tenders but I actually only think the ground variety sells to my family without notice. The beef not actually has the same crumbles in size and texture and shape as ground beef and it's colored like beef, so you don't "see" the difference. I reconstitute mine with beef stock and then season the heck out of it -- for tacos, I add cilantro, salsa, cumin, chili powder, diced onions, garlic, etc. I end up with a HUGE volume of food and just set it out in a bowl and everyone chows the stuff down. My kids are so convinced that they talked me into bringing it (in homemade chili) to a potluck and my stuff disappeared in no time. I never told anyone what was in there, and they loved it. They may have all went home to become a little gassy later because the stuff is vegetables and high in fiber! LOL

    Anyhow, it makes great "crumbles" in pasta sauce, chili, taco "meat", and sloppy joes. I don't use it outside of that. I tried to make patties of it, and it's just not convincing. Tried to half and half it with lean beef in a meatloaf but my supportive family said they could tell. But in these few easy, quick applications, it can't be beat. Sold by a place here in Texas called Dixie Diner. Google 'em. It keeps forever and the nutrition is amazing! Cheaper, more protein, less than 1/5 of the fat in lean ground turkey, zero cholesterol, HEALTHY carbs, and high in fiber!

    Believe me -- I'm not an anti-beef person at all!! One of my favorite foods is a super rare filet. Not to mention, we raise organic beef cattle on our ranch here in north Texas. But when it comes to things mixed up in a hurry, that use ground beef and a ton of other flavors, this TVP rocks. My kids somehow prefer the Turkey Not even though it is lighter in color, but my hubby and I like 'em both. Just another suggestion!! :)

    BEEF NOT TVP CRUMBLES
    Serving Size: 1/2 cup (dry)
    Calories: 140
    Fat: 1.5 g (.5 g saturated)
    Cholesterol: 0 g
    Potassium 121 mg
    Sodium: 0 g.
    Total Carbs: 15 g 0
    Dietary Fiber: 9 g 0
    Sugars 4 g 0
    Protein: 25 g 22 g

    LEAN GROUND TURKEY (93% Lean)
    Serving Size: 4 ounces
    Calories: 160
    Fat: 8 g (2.5 g. saturated)
    Cholesterol: 80 mg
    Potassium 0 mg
    Sodium: 85 mg
    Total Carbs: 0
    Dietary Fiber: 0
    Sugars 0
    Protein: 22 g
  • annpat28
    annpat28 Posts: 42
    I tried to replace beef with turkey in manwich. The light color of the turkey showed even with the sauce on it. My son threw a huge fit and refused to eat it. My son and his family live in the same home with us. My daughter inlaw and i are trying to be healthy but my husband and son refuse to even try
  • johnjfrancis
    johnjfrancis Posts: 1
    You might as well have used Tofurky... They are going to moan anyway. ;))
  • xlacijeanx
    xlacijeanx Posts: 232 Member
    LoL! Good job tricking ur man! I've luckily got my man on board with ground turkey, whole grains, etc- but I'd be doing the exact thing you did if he didn't want to try it! I don't even notice a difference hardly anymore between turkey and beef dishes- and whole grain pasta is normal to me now- it takes a bit but I prefer it now lol
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