Ground turkey or chicken is a great substitute for people trying to cut down on their red meat intake. But because they are a leaner meat, the standard substitution doesn't work unless you make other changes to your recipe. Typically you will need to add a source of moisture, otherwise you'll end up with dry turkey meatballs and inedible turkey meatloaf.

Please enjoy these great and healthy recipes for using ground turkey or chicken.

For this recipe you will need:

• one package ground turkey or ground chicken
• one cup mushrooms, sliced
• one half onion, diced
• one head cauliflower, rough chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt, pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon each garlic powder and paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• one package egg noodles
• 1 tablespoon butter

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium pot over medium high heat. Cook mushrooms until soft, about 4 minutes. Push mushrooms to outer edge of pot and add onions to center and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Remove onion/mushroom mixture to separate bowl. Add the remaining olive oil to pot and add ground meat. While cooking, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and thyme. Once meat is no longer pink, add onion/mushroom mix to pot, along with cauliflower, chicken stock and milk. Bring to boil, then reduce to low and cover. Cook until cauliflower is soft, about 7 minutes. Mix corn starch with enough cold water to dissolve it and add to pot. Sauce will thicken in about 2 minutes. Pour into serving bowl.

Rinse pot and fill with water. Cook package of egg noodles according to directions provided on package. Drain and add butter. Serve turkey mixture over noodles.

I will write this recipe in parts. For the first part of this recipe you will need:

• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1clove of garlic, smashed
• 1 teaspoon each - dried thyme, salt, pepper

• 4 cups chicken stock

In a large pot over medium high heat, heat olive oil and add celery, carrots, onion, zucchini and garlic. As the vegetables are cooking, add the salt, pepper and thyme. After about 6-8 minutes, add the chicken stock. Bring to boil, then reduce to low.

• 1 package ground turkey or chicken
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• parmesan cheese and fresh parsley for garnish

In large bowl, combine turkey, egg, cheese, bread crumbs and spinach. Mix gently with hands until well combined. Form small meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter. Drop carefully into pot one at a time. They will poach in the soup for about 15 minutes before they are cooked through.

Serve in bowls with extra parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley to garnish.

These are great on egg sandwiches! For this recipe, you will need:

• one package ground turkey or chicken
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/4 onion, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large pan over medium high heat. Add onion and celery and cook until just tender, about 4 minutes. Add onion and celery to large mixing bowl and allow to cool until warm enough to handle. Add ground meat, maple syrup, fennel, salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until well combined. Form into 2 inch balls, then push flat with the palm of your hand.

In the same pan you used to cook the onion and celery, add remaining olive oil over medium high heat. Cook patties until brown on each side, about 4 minutes a side, and make sure they are no longer pink in the middle. Because of the sugars in the maple syrup, they may brown quickly, so lower the heat if necessary to cook all the way through.