Saturday, January 8, 2011

Kicking Off the Weekend With a Toffee Giveaway...and Boursin-Infused Turkey Meatballs & Noodles

Happy weekend!!! To reward you for making it through the first full week of 2011, I'm teaming with Tungsten Toffee to give away some of their delicious chocolate-topped toffee! The toffee is hand-made in small batches using all-natural ingredients by the Curcio family in Colorado. Last month, Tungsten generously sent me a package containing all of their flavors to sample: Sweet Milk, Smooth Dark, Espresso Dark, and their unique Toffee Trail Mix. I love crunchy, buttery toffee...but had stopped eating it because it was either too hard or stuck to my teeth. That's not a worry with this toffee...it's light and buttery, but it's not the least bit sticky!

Want to try some of this yummy toffee? First, visit Tungsten Toffee and learn more about their toffee flavors. Then come back here and leave me a comment telling me which flavor you'd like to try AND your e-mail address. The winner will receive a 1/2-pound package of their favorite toffee OR a 12-ounce bag of the toffee trail mix. You have until 11:59 P.M. this Thursday, 1/13, to enter. The winner will be announced Friday morning.

The theme for the past week -- for me, anyway -- was Getting Back Into the Swing of Things Post-Holidays. After a few weeks of holiday busy-ness, I was ready to get into my kitchen and cook a nice dinner. But...I didn't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen after a full day at work. I found a recipe that fit the bill perfectly: Boursin-Infused Turkey Meatballs & Noodles. This skillet meal was delicious and comforting, but boursin cheese gave it a more gourmet/upscale feel. If you've never tried boursin, it's a spreadable herb-garlic flavored cheese. This recipe was adapted from Cook's Country magazine. As usual, the good folks at America's Test Kitchen never steer me wrong!!

Boursin-Infused Turkey 
Meatballs & Noodles

Step 1:  Add the following ingredients to a mixing bowl: 1 lb. ground turkey, half of a 5.2-ounce package of boursin, and salt & black pepper to taste. Combine well...clean hands are going to be the best way to get the boursin completely  incorporated into the turkey. You don't want to see visible pieces of the cheese by the time you're done.

Step 2:  Heat 1 tbs. olive oil in a non-stick skillet with sides high enough to contain the entire dish since you serve from the skillet. Roll the turkey mixture into 1-inch meatballs -- I was able to get 14 meatballs. Cook the meatballs on med-high heat for about five minutes, turning halfway to brown on both sides.


Step 3:  Remove the cooked meatballs from the pan to a platter and set aside. Pour the excess fat from the skillet and add 1/2 cup diced onion. Saute the onion for about five minutes, then add 2 tbs. flour.


Stir to combine and cook for about one minute. Then add 3 3/4 cups chicken stock, 1/4 cup white wine, and an 8-ounce package of egg noodles. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce  heat to med-low, cover, and cook for five minutes...until the noodles start to soften.

Step 4:  Crumble the remaining half of the boursin over the top of the noodles. Stir until the boursin is evenly incorporated into the noodles. Place the reserved meatballs back into the skillet, pushing them down into the noodle mixture. Cover and cook for another five minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.

Step 5:  Sprinkle the top with chopped flat-leaf parsley and serve directly from the skillet. 


I have to say that we really enjoyed this meal!! The boursin made the meatballs tender, moist, and perfectly seasoned. It also made the noodles creamy without a can of soup in sight! This dish is definitely a keeper and will be making future appearances at Casa Garcia. Simply serve with salad, and you've got a complete meal in about 45 minutes!


19 comments:

  1. Hi Wendy!

    I'm looking forward to payday so I can get to the store and try a few recipes :)

    For the giveaway - I'd prefer the trail mix. While I love toffee, I can at least pretend the trail mix is the healthiest option. :)

    Christine
    cmkran@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. the espresso dark chocolate sounds amazing- i know i'd love to eat some of that (or really, any of the flavors). toffee is one of my favorite treats!
    thanks for a fun giveaway! (+ those meatballs look delicious, by the way).

    amy
    amy@fearlesshomemaker.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm already drooling over the Espresso Dark Chocolate! Good toffee is such a treat, and this is a great giveaway! :)

    rachel@tramplingrose.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Wendy,
    The Tungsten Toffee sounds amazingly similar to a recipe that I made for Christmas gifts this year... although I only had one variety. So -- I would LOVE to try the Espresso Dark Chocolate variety that they offer. Sounds like the perfect union of two of my favorite things!
    And I'm adding your turkey meatball recipe to my box, as it sounds like a wonderful update of what my mom used to make :)
    Thanks for the recipe & the chance to eat toffee!
    Shelley
    skmlejnek@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm not sure if this is open to Canadians, but just in case: I'd love to try the Smooth Dark Chocolate Toffee.

    ikkinlala AT yahoo DOT ca

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ummmmm -toffee is one of my favorite candy! Thank you for doing such a great giveaway. Those meatballs look divine. My husband would love that for dinner. Happy New Year!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Being a big coffee drinker, the Espresso Dark Chocolate is the flavor I'd be most interested in sampling. The Boursin cheese is a great addition to the meatballs.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm a Sweet Milk Chocolate Toffee kind of girl. Thanks!

    Anne
    lovemycabrio@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have never tried Boursin cheese before. This sounds good. I think I would like the Espresso Dark Chocolate toffee the best.

    allthatsleftarethecrumbsblog@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. And the turkey/boursin/noodles recipe looks DELICIOUS!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Wendy! I'm all over the trail mix. That looks delish. I'm also all over this turkey meatball pasta. I absolutely love boursin cheese...and love it even more when H-E-B has buy one, get one yellow coupons on boursin cheese. Have to say the pepper flavor is my fave.

    sarah.nelson24@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I like the idea of the trail mix...and the espresso dark chocolate. mmmm....

    glad to hear the meatballs turned out well! i'll have to try it soon....
    xo
    trixie420247 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Turkey meatballs are one of my favorite healthier meal options. I've tricked so many people into loving them even though they're not meat and I'm sure your recipe could do the same! A healthier main course leaves room for some of the espresso dark chocolate toffee... that could be a definite weakness :) Cool giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi sweet friend...I also love turkey meatballs...it was what I grew up on! I've never tried that boursin cheese before, but it sounds like it makes a difference. As for the toffee? I'm sticking with the original...the sweet milk chocolate sounds so good. Thank you for sharing, my dear. I hope you have a good Monday. Let the week begin!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Sweet milk chocolate for me. Please. And Boursin? Nomnomnom.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I am a trail mix kind of girl.....would love to try some! Thanks for the yummy meatball recipe - will try it soon! Tried the turkey meatloaf and it was AMAZING - will be making that one again for sure! Thanks for sharing so many WONDERFUL recipes that can be prepared during the week without spending HOURS in the kitchen! Look forward to EVERY ONE OF THEM!

    emmaslori@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. oh boy, it was a hard choice but I'd have to go with Peppermint Dark Chocolate Toffee...mmmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

    Leslie
    hugbandit7 (at) gmail

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'd love to try their Sweet Milk Chocolate Toffee, just plain and simple Toffee!
    stacy4avon @ comcast.net

    ReplyDelete
  19. you can tell by the chocolate giveaway that Valentine's day is around the corner.
    Great giveaway Wendy, thanks for hosting.
    I think I'd go with Smooth Milk Chocolate Toffee

    Best wishes,
    Roxana

    ReplyDelete

I love hearing your feedback!!!