This post is sponsored by Canadian Turkey, Grab and Go Turkey Muffins recipe provided.
With a flip of the calendar, it’s already March and that means the kiddos only have 4 more months of school. At this point in the game, you may be running low on lunch inspiration and I wouldn’t blame you. Making lunches for the small crew is tough and it never seems to end. With three boys in our house, that’s fifteen lunches a week and one tired out mama. With Spring Break only days away, we can welcome the coming break from making lunches and gear up for the last part of the school year with some renewed energy and a plan!
Check out these 5 ways you can cook smart with Canadian Turkey below to help you get through next few months of lunch making. These are some great tips on how to cook once and have lunches for the days ahead like these Grab and Go Turkey Muffins – a great way to get out of the sandwich rut.
5 Ways to Cook Smart with Canadian Turkey
1. Choose Canadian Turkey First!
Turkey is a whole, nutrient-rich food (meaning it has a lot of nutrients per calorie) that fits into an overall high quality diet that’s good for you without compromising on flavor or taste so you can feel great adding turkey to all your meals and snacks. Swap turkey for any protein in all of your favourite recipes for a lean choice. Don’t forget – with turkey, even dark meat is lean! This means you’ll get big, tasty flavour with a juicy bite even in the healthiest recipes. With ground turkey or turkey thighs available at your local grocers, swapping turkey into any recipe is a snap!
2. Practice The Art of Batch Cooking!
Batch cooking can save you time, money and help you avoid reaching for take-out foods. Cook up a larger quantity of your family’s favourite dishes or consider cooking up larger quantities of key ingredients that you can use as building blocks for quick meals on busy days. Turkey is a versatile ingredient that can take on a new life in each recipe when you change up the spices, marinades and sauces. Think about choices like turkey chili, turkey curries, turkey meatballs and turkey soups, which are great candidates for batch-cooked meals.
3. Put Your Freezer To Work!
Use your freezer to stock up on your family’s best-loved recipes. Breakfast, lunches, dinners and snacks can all be made ahead and frozen for a quick solution when you’re short on time. Make sure to use clear containers so your meals are easily identified and label with a date and name. Turkey meat is tasty and juicy, making it the perfect candidate for freezer-friendly recipes that taste even better when defrosted, reheated and served.
4. Use Tools That Make It Easy!
These days there are so many appliances available to help you get your meal prep and cooking done in record time. Slow cookers, pressure cookers, tabletop grills, and pans for one-pot meals are all readily available. These kitchen workhorses will help you prepare your daily meals in record time, freeing up extra time on busy days. The Canadian Turkey website is filled with appliance-friendly recipes to help get you inspired!
5. Cook Once And Keep Eating!
Now here’s a great idea – cook a whole turkey for extra meat to have on hand, ready for weeknight meals, lunches and snacks. You will end up with both white and dark meat, perfect for use in a variety of different recipes. You will also have a large supply of turkey bones, the perfect base for a rich stock or multiple soups. The economies of cooking a whole turkey will surprise you. Once you see how many dishes you can create, you will be shocked at how little each meal costs!
Grab and Go Turkey Muffins
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs Canadian turkey thighs
OR 3 cups cooked and chopped Canadian turkey meat
10 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 water
2 cups packed baby spinach
1 cup peas (frozen and defrosted or pre-cooked)
1 cup chopped broccoli (frozen and defrosted or pre-cooked)
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
1 cup finely chopped or grated onion
1 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Non-stick cooking spray
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350°F (180°C).
Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
If using cooked turkey, skip to step 5. If using uncooked turkey, slice turkey thighs into 1-inch strips. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook over medium heat until cooked through, 5 – 8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside to cool. Once cooled, chop into chunks.
Add onions to pan. Sauté until translucent, 2-4 minutes.
Add broccoli, peas and baby spinach. Cook until warmed through and spinach is wilted, 3 – 4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Remove from heat.
Whisk eggs together. Add water and milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Spray a 12-piece (or 2 X 6 piece) non-stick muffin pan generously with non-stick cooking spray.
Divide cooked vegetables evenly among muffin cups.
Divide cherry tomatoes evenly between each muffin cup.
Equally divide egg mixture into each muffin cup leaving ½ centimeter of space at the top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until eggs are cooked through.
Let cool slightly and then remove from muffin tins.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
- 1 ½ lbs Canadian turkey thighs
- OR 3 cups cooked and chopped Canadian turkey meat
- 10 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ water
- 2 cups packed baby spinach
- 1 cup peas (frozen and defrosted or pre-cooked)
- 1 cup chopped broccoli (frozen and defrosted or pre-cooked)
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup finely chopped or grated onion
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Non-stick cooking spray
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
- If using cooked turkey, skip to step 5. If using uncooked turkey, slice turkey thighs into 1-inch strips. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook over medium heat until cooked through, 5 – 8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside to cool. Once cooled, chop into chunks.
- Add onions to pan. Sauté until translucent, 2-4 minutes.
- Add broccoli, peas and baby spinach. Cook until warmed through and spinach is wilted, 3 – 4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from heat.
- Whisk eggs together. Add water and milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Spray a 12-piece (or 2 X 6 piece) non-stick muffin pan generously with non-stick cooking spray.
- Divide cooked vegetables evenly among muffin cups.
- Divide cherry tomatoes evenly between each muffin cup.
- Equally divide egg mixture into each muffin cup leaving ½ centimeter of space at the top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until eggs are cooked through.
- Let cool slightly and then remove from muffin tins.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Tip: Batch-cook these muffin meals for lunches and snacks on the go and grab and run breakfasts throughout the week.
Tip: Batch-cook these muffin meals for lunches and snacks on the go and grab and run breakfasts throughout the week.
Looking for additional tips, recipes, videos and HOW TOs? Visit canadianturkey.ca for all your healthy cooking inspiration.
Try this Grilled Turkey Panzanella Salad too
I love Turkey because of all the nutrients it has in it and how versatile it is. Turkey can be used to make so many different kinds of meals
The Grilled Turkey Panzanella Salad you have featured is looking he most delicious to me today. My family would love it.
Turkey is jam packed with lots of vitamins and minerals! We love turkey and there are lots of ways to enjoy it!
Turkey is lean and full of nutrients that would be great for my family. Is very versatile.
Turkey is lean “meat” for my lean family.
It is good for my family because it is low in sodium and very versatile.
Turkey is a great choice as it is lean and has high quality protein.
I love that turkey is an excellent source of high quality protein.
It is a great choice for my family because there are so many different meals to make!
I love turkey because it is healthier and easy to cook
I love that turkey is an excellent source of high quality protein
Turkey has wonderful vitamins and protein that my family needs
Turkey is tasty, versatile, lean and nutritious too.
Turkey is great for my family because of the awesome protein it has and the vitamins, plus the B12 that my husband needs!!
Turkey is a fantastic choice for us because we love the taste, and we love the protein it provides.
Turkey is lean meat
This is good for my family because turkey is an excellent source of high quality protein.
The Grilled Turkey Panzanella Salad looks good
It contains lots of lean protein!
Turkey is a great choice for mt small family, we love the taste, and the protein it provides us!
Turkey contains all the protein we need.
Turkey is excellent lean protein.
Turkey is lean and full of protein!
Turkey is great for my family because it’s high in protein and low in fat.
turkey is an excellent source of high quality protein
Turkey is great for my family because It’s a lean source of protein and iron. Thanks!
Every bite of turkey is an excellent source of high quality protein.
I like that it has good quality protein for my family.
Turkey is full with lots of vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin B12s
Turkey is packed with high quality PROTEIN.
Lots of protein and easy to work into recipes – and the kids actually eat it!
Turkey is a lean source of protein
Canadian turkey is great for my family because it contain easily absorbed zinc that helps build strong immune systems
Turkey is a good source of iron for my family.
Turkey is a great choice for our family because it is a power protein containing so many nutrients per calorie. It is also low in sodium which helps us stay healthier as far as keeping our blood pressure down. It is also very cost efficient considering it is such a healthy nutrient rich meat.
because it is a lean protein
One everyone loves Turkey so always clean plates, great source of protein, lean and very affortable dinner for those of us on a budget. (think turkey pot pies, turkey soup, turkey chili, turkey sandwiches.)
I love turkey because it is so tasty and versatile, and full of protein and minerals, too 🙂
Turkey is a lean source of protein, and fits into our new healthy eating as it can be used in so many recipes
I choose turkey because it’s lean.
turkey is great value – it’s complex protein, lean, has minerals and vitamins, is very versatile, and tastes great so my family will eat it. thanks
We love Turkey it”s lean and has high quality protein.
I like turkey as it’s a lean source of protein and has a chemical in it that’s natural and helps you sleep
Turkey is packed with high quality PROTEIN.
Turkey is a heathier choice for my family
It is a good source of protein that is low in fat.
Turkey is nutritious choice because it’s got high quality protein, it’s lean, it gives you iron, vitamin B12, niacin, vitamin D, potassium and phosphorus
Turkey is a high quality lean protein
Turkey is protein rich and can be cooked in many different ways.
I love turkey because it’s a great source of lean protein. There is also so many ways to enjoy it! I love turkey pot pie the most!
Turkey is a nutritious choice for my family because it is a good source of protein and it is a leaner choice compared to other meats.
Turkey is packed with protein
turkey contains energizing iron!
I enjoy serving my family turkey because it is very lean and full of vitamins/minerals 💗
Turkey is lean and is protein so it’s great for my family. Plus it’s delicious!!
High in protein and low in fat is awesome!
I love that it has a great source of protine
It is packed with high quality protein
Turkey is lean, high in protein and B12
Turkey is a great choice for our family because it’s so versatile and a good source of protein.
It’s a lean source of protein!
Turkey is a good choice for my family as it is a lean protein full of vitamins and minerals and it tastes great in a lot of our favourite recipes.
Turkey is lean with high protien
Turkey is lean with high protein!!
I like turkey because it is a lean protein that works in many dishes.
Turkey is packed with protein and is a lean choice.
Turkey is high in protein and in B6 & B12
Turkey is a great choice as not only does it taste delicious it is high in protein!
Turkey is a good choice because it is a lean meat with lots of protein.
Canadian turkey is packed with protein and all turkey is lean.
Canadian Turkey is a great choice as it is a lean protein source packing a great punch per serving
It is a great choice because it is a lean protein that is low in fat, perfect for this family where we need to watch fat intake.
I love that turkey is an excellent source of high quality protein and we make roast turkey about every 6 weeks or so. We love our turkey!
Turkey is a lean source of good protein.
Turkey is full of protein and is lean
Turkey is a good choice for my family as it is low in fat and high in protein.
It is great for my family because it is high in protein. The white and brown meat are both lean so that is a bonus.
Turkey is a great choice since it is packed with high quality PROTEIN.
As a fitness enthusiast turkey is my #1 protein choice. Great protein per calorie ratio.
It’s low in fat!
I didn’t realize that there are soooo many nutrients in turkey. High in protein, low in fat! And you can have it so many wyas
I like that turkey is lean and full of protein.
I love that it is a lean source of protein that offers lots of nutrients my growing boys need.
turkey is a great source of protein
Turkey is a great choice as it is lean and has high quality protein.
Turkey is lean and high in protein
Protein plays an important role in building, maintaining and repairing your body.
Turkey is great because it has high quality protein!
I love turkey because it’s full of protein and low in fat. It’s great I’m so many recipes .
Turkey is a a very versatile meat to prepare . I really enjoy the dark meat it is so moist and flavorful. The Grab and Go Turkey Muffins sound perfect when you have those little bits of meat left over that are too small for sandwiches.
I learnt that Turkey is very lean and offers a great source of protein.
Turkey is great because it is low in sodium and it has high quality of protein
I found out that turkey is lean and full of nutrients.
I love turkey because it’s lean and healthy and so versatile.
It’s packed with quality protein!
Diabetics need the protein hit turkey gives
Love that it’s lean and taste amazing
My family LOVES turkey – we love how it tastes and how often you can put it into different recipes! Aside from all the nutrients in turkey it is a high quality protein that I can feed my family and keep them healthy.
Mishelle
I think turkey is great because it’s low fat and pure protein,
Turkey has lots of protein.
I love that turkey is low in sodium.
Turkey is a great choice for my family because it is lean and has high in protein.
Canadian Turkey is an excellent source of protein and so many other nutrients: vitamins and minerals!!!
Turkey meat is lean and has iron.
Great source of protein, and so many great ways to enjoy turkey in our favorite recipes!
It’s a great source of lean protein and tasty too.
An excellent source of high quality protein
I love that it is a lean protein packed with vitamins.
Turkey is a healthy choice because it is high in lean protein.
I would like to try the Easy Turkey Pot Pie. I will probably like anything that say’s easy.
Turkey builds up your body with immune-strengthening ZINC.
Turkey is great tasting and nutritious. Even though most of the time a turkey is to big for the 2 of us we still get one occasionally and prepare many freezer meals after the main event.
With my husbands weight loss journey we found turkey a great option to keep him on track. A great protein and versatile too.
I would love to try the easy turkey pot pie recipe. We love turkey because it’s tasty and healthy
Turkey is packed with protein!
The Grilled Turkey Panzanella Salad would be a delicious and nutritious choice for my family. I know I’d really love it!
I love turkey because it is an excellent source of lean protein. I can buy turkey on sale after holidays and keep it in our freezer for later.
Such a great source of lean protein.. Not just for Christmas that’s for sure.
Turkey is a good source of protein and is a lean meat.
Turkey is good source of high quality protein and is lean. I now make my meatloaf with minced turkey meat and it’s great.
Turkey is an excellent source of lean meat and protein.
Excellent source of lean protein that is incredibly versatile for making an endless array of turkey-based dishes. Who knew nutritious could taste so good!
A great source of protein, theres lots of recipes that use Turkey and the whole family loves it.
Our family likes Turkey because it is lean meat!
Turkey, with skinless meat, is a wonderful source of lean protein. Turkey is also delicious as cooked or in many dishes. I have signed up for recipes and am looking forward to receiving them.
Turkey is fantastic because it’s a great source of lean protein as well as lots of vitamins and minerals.
Turkey is such a great source of lean protein, and it’s so versatile! It’s so much more than just thanksgiving.
Canadian turkey is a great nutritious choice for my family because it gives you a boost with energizing iron.
Turkey is a great source of heme iron, which is more easily absorbed than other forms of iron; as someone who is anemic, this is a good source of nutrition for my family and I.
Turkey is great for my family becasue it is loaded with vitamins and nutrients to help support a well balanced diet!
I love that it’s loaded with vitamins and nutrients. Perfect to support a balanced diet.
Lean. Tasty.
Turkey is lean and full of nutrients which is good for my family!
Canadian turkey is a great nutritious choice for my family because it is a source of good quality protein and other nutrients!
it good for you and hig in protein and give you engry
I love the versatility of turkey – really want to try the muffin recipe.
I like turkey because it’s a lean source of protein, whether it’s light or dark meat.
such a tasty source of protein and can be used in so many ways.
Turkey is packed with high quality PROTEIN.
I love turkey because my kids eat it without question and it is so healthy and versatile.
It is a good source of lean protein for me and my family
I like that turkey is lean and contains iron.
Turkey is filled with PHOSPHORUS.
Turkey is lean and full of nutrients
turkey is LEAN and full of iron and vitaminD which we all need in the winter months living in Canada
Turkey has vitamin B12 which is a vitamin many members of my family are deficient of so eating turkey tis a great way to compensate for that!
Lean Protein
Because Turkey is high quality protein which contains iron, zinc,Vit B12 and D, niacin, Selenium , potassium, magnesium and phosphorous. Plus it’s low in sodium
Canadian turkey is great for my family Not only dose it support a Canadian buisness but it is a great lean source of protein.
Canadian turkey is a great choice for my family because it is full of protein.
I love that turkey is a great source of protein and iron!
All fresh cuts of turkey are low in sodium, so it is definitely good for our family meal!
Turkey is a great source of high-quality protein and it has an excellent taste.
Looks delicious !)
Turkey is filled with PHOSPHORUS. And it doesn’t even make you sleepy!!!
It’s nutrient rich and has less sulphites, also very versatile
Turkey is a great nutritious choice for my family because of its iron content – I’m always trying to add iron-rich sources other than red meat, since I tend to be anemic and since one of my kids doesn’t like red meat.
Dark turkey meat
Turkey is a lean protein and we sub it for ground beef in almost all of our recipes at home 🙂
Turkey is packed with high quality PROTEIN which is important for my whole family. I’m always very careful about my family getting enough protein, especially before a big game!
I just like the taste of turkey.
It is a lean source of protein!
I love that it’s a lean source of protein.
YOu need to eat so little turkey in order to get your daily protein.
Turkey is a great source of protein and iron!
Turkey is a lean choice with a good source of protein.
Canadian turkey is lean and is a good source of protein.
It’s a lean meat that is full of vitamins and minerals.
Turkey is a lean and a good source of protein
Turkey is a tasty source of protein !
Turkey builds up your body with immune-strengthening ZINC. I never hear much about Zinc but its essential and turkey is great source
Canadian turkey is a great nutritious choice for my family because it is a power protein.
Turkey is full of vitamins, minerals and is a great source of protein. i love it but i find it very gassy.
Canadian turkey is a great nutritious choice because it is packed with high quality PROTEIN.
It is good for my family because it is a great source of lean protein!
I love things I can make ahead and have in the freezer for when I’m feeling lazy – this recipe fits the bill!
Turkey’s a great nutritious choice for my fam b/c it’s a good lean protein with iron.
It is nutritious, lean and high in protein.
Turkey gives you a boost with energizing IRON!!!
has lots of lean protein
It is high in protein!
Turkey is full of vitamins and minerals including iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and niacin.
Canadian turkey is high in protein. Also, very tasty and makes for many meals if you roast a whole turkey. Turkey soup is the best.
it’s a lean source of protein
Turkey is a lean source of protein & can always find on sale.
It is a really great source of high quality protein!
A great protein choice for my family
We have their Quick and Easy Pantry Turkey Salad a couple of times a month. It is easy to make, tasty, high in protein and low in calories. Thanks for the super giveaway opportunity!
Great protein punch for the ‘pound’
Its great protein. It can be used in so many types of food and recipes. Its a family favorite anytime of the year.
It’s lean and has a lot of protein, which my family needs.
its so high in protein and leaner than other meats!
It’s lean and full of protein!
Turkey is a great choice as it is lean and has high quality protein.
Lean Meat and great for salads.
Canadian turkey is a great nutritious choice for my family because it is full of protein and is something that everyone enjoys. We can have it for lunch,dinner or supper,or a snack, So versatile and yummy!
Turkey is great as it is full of nutrients and high quality protein.
turkey is an excellent source of immune-strengthening zinc – very important during cold/flu season!
I love its low in sodeum , great for the hubby !
Turkey is one of my favourite meals and not enjoyed often enough. I think I will make one in the coming weeks and follow some of the tips and recipe here.
I love turkey because it’s so good for you.
I love that it is a lean meat but packed with protein.
I love it because it is a lean source of protein.
It’s a great source of protein and it’s lean
it’s great because of the protein and vitamins! 🙂
i love the amount of protein in it
turkey is lean and high in protein.
It is a great source of protein.
Turkey is full of lean protein, which is great for healthy lifestyle! It also is a great source of B vitamins.
Turkey is perfect for us because it is bursting with VITAMIN B12 something I’m struggling with getting enough of every day.
I like turkey because its good
Turkey not only tastes good but is a lean protein that is good for us.
Turkey has a lot of protein, which my family needs.
Turkey is great because it’s a lean meat that is full of protein
turkey has lean, quality protein and is packed with minerals and vitamins. thx
Turkey is lean and full of nutrients that would be great for my family.
High in protein and lean, very versatile too.
Turkey is delicious, full of protein and very versatile!
It is good for my family as it is high in protein.
Turkey is a great choice as it is lean and a good source of protein
Packed full of minerals. Good recipes.
It’s lean and it tastes great.
Turkey has wonderful vitamins and protein
I want to try the Grilled Turkey Panzanella Salad! My family would love it!
Gotta love turkey, packed full of protein and nutrients, while being exceptionally lean and tasty 🙂
Turkey is a great choice because it is lean and tastes great.
It is great for my family because it is low in sodium!
each serving has 30 g of protein
LOVE
Turkey is a staple in my cutting diet!
Turkey is a great source of lean protein for my family.
Canadian turkey is a great nutritious choice for my family as it’s packed with protein which helps with sustaining a healthy lifestyle
lean meat
I choose turkey for my family bc it’s full of protein and a healthierchoice I adore #Turkey !
Love the turkey muffins portable and delish ♥
Turkey is low in sodium and a lean meat so it is a much healthier alternative for my family
I love that turkey is a good source of lean protein!
Because it’s tasty, versatile and nutritious
It’s a great source of protein and is heart-healthy as well.
It is a valuable lean protein.
Turkey is a great choice as it is lean and has high quality protein.
I love all the deliciousness and goodness in these turkey muffins. They are so appetizing with all those lovely veggies in them. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
The turkey muffins look like a healthy breakfast alternative and a great way to use up leftover turkey,