Tonight's Dinner Creamy broccoli and turkey tortellini recipe

Goat cheese makes a great pasta sauce

Are you used to making pasta and sauce in several different pans on the stove? This slow cooker recipe means you can throw everything in just one pot around lunch time and have a delicious meal on the table by 6 p.m.

Tortellini is one of my favorite pastas because they're little pasta pillows filled with everything from meat to cheese to vegetables. They also need barely any sauce to have a nice filling meal. But every so often, it's nice to add a vegetable or side to the pasta to make a heartier meal. Normally though, adding stuff means more pots and pans to clean when the meal is over and if you're anything like me, cleaning up is the least fun part of cooking. (That's why my husband does it.) But this delicious creamy tortellini dinner from Parents magazine gives you a hearty dinner with minimal cleanup.

Instead of having to cook the tortellini in one pot, the vegetables in another and the sauce in yet another, you just throw everything in the slow cooker, turn it on and four hours later dinner is served. The best part, not only is there just one pot to clean at the end of the night, you don't have to spend any time at the stove. This is just one more reason I love my slow cooker: I don't need to watch what I'm making. Everything goes in, I turn it on and then run whatever other errands I have. So, it's the perfect meal for those busy nights when you realize you just don't have time to cook.

Creamy broccoli and turkey tortellini

Serves 6

Ingredients:1 pound ground turkey1-1/2 cups chicken stock1 (12 ounce) package frozen broccoli florets1 (9 ounce) package cheese tortellini2 (4 ounce) packages herbed goat cheeseDirections:

Cook the turkey in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink, about five minutes.Transfer the cooked turkey to a four to six quart slow cooker. Stir in the chicken stock, broccoli florets, uncooked tortellini and goat cheese until well-combined. Cover and cook on low for four hours. Serve immediately.

More Tonight's Dinner recipes >>Other tortellini recipes

Sausage & kale tortellini
Tortellini casserole
Tortellini stir-fry

Fresh nectarine and gorgonzola pizza recipe

An Elegant
Take On PizzaSweet nectarines, tangy gorgonzola cheese and fresh basil make this pizza simple and elegant. Drizzle with a white balsamic reduction to help bring all the flavors together perfectly. Pair this pizza with a green salad and a lovely glass of wine for a fancy take on a traditional pizza dinner.

We love making pizza at home. While traditional toppings are some of our favorites don't let the unusual combination of flavors fool you with this pizza recipe. Loaded with sweet sun-ripened nectarines, fresh garlic and Gorgonzola cheese, it's finished with a lovely white balsamic reduction that really brings everything together. You won't be disappointed when you taste this modernized version of pizza.

Fresh nectarine and Gorgonzola pizza recipe

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients:Olive oil for greasingFresh pizza dough (I made my own whole wheat dough and added a little honey for sweetness)1/4 cup sliced fresh mozzarella cheese1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese1 nectarine, sliced thinly (not paper thin)Thinly sliced red onion1 clove garlic, very thinly slicedShavings of fresh Parmigiano-ReggianoFresh basil (or parsley for decoration)1/2 cup balsamic vinegar1 tablespoon brown sugarDirections:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. The oven needs to be nice and hot before the pizza goes in.Make the balsamic reduction: Place balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small saute pan. Turn heat to medium high. Let simmer until reduced and noticeably thick — watch it like a hawk. If it burns, it's ruined.On a floured surface, roll out the dough to desired thickness.Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and place the rolled dough onto parchment paper.Drizzle dough with a little olive oil and, with your hand, rub it over the surface to coat evenly.Cover the dough with a layer of ricotta cheese (use a spoon to help spread it around) then add the mozzarella.Arrange the sliced nectarines, red onions and sliced garlic on top of the cheese. Sprinkle with fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano and Gorgonzola.Bake the pizza for about 15 minutes or until the crust is slightly brown and the cheese is melting.Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh basil or parsley. Drizzle with the reduced balsamic. Slice and serve.

More pizza recipes

BBQ chicken pizza
Zucchini ribbons and raisins pizza
Pita prosciutto pizza

3 Tips for diabetes awareness

The Diabetes Talk: I'm Not At Risk -- Am I?It’s the time of the year of again when taking a nap on the couch seems to beat out exercise a little more often that we’d like to admit. It can be pretty easy to forget about our health in all the commotion of the holiday season, but it’s important for us to be aware of and understand our risks for diseases like diabetes.

Get a grip on your risk for diabetes

November is American Diabetes Month, and millions are taking action and raising awareness about the seriousness of the disease. You may not think about diabetes much; maybe it doesn't affect you personally. But consider this: Diabetes rates are double today what they were 20 years ago, and someone is diagnosed with the disease every 17 seconds. That's a frightening statistic.

Even more frightening is the actual number of children and adults with diabetes — 26 million. Another 79 million are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Pay attention now — diabetes may be closer than you think.

To take a stand against diabetes and for your health in the new year. You don't have to swear off pumpkin pie or start training for a marathon, either. A lot of change comes from simply knowing your risk factors and understanding your current health status.

1Get your eyes checked

 

Get a comprehensive eye exam every year. Because the eye provides the only non-invasive view of blood vessels in the body, eye doctors are often the first health care providers to see signs of chronic conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Find an eye doctor near you.

1Assess your personal risk

 

Take a diabetes risk assessment from the American Diabetes Association on Facebook. It's fast, easy and provides an indication of your risk for prediabetes or diabetes based on a number of different factors. There's even a tip sheet to help you lower your risk.

1Get moving — no excuses

 

Remember that exercise is important for everyone, even when it's cold outside. If you can't bear the cold, consider alternative exercise like power-walking at the mall. You can even knock out your holiday shopping while you're at it. Now that's motivation!

More on diabetes

Dash diet ranks best overall
Tips to prevent diabetes complications
Signs of diabetes and treatment options

No-bake football cookies

The Perfect Dessert
For The Super BowlWin big with a tray of these adorable, quick and easy, football-shaped no-bake cookies!

These no-bake football cookies are simple to make and loved by kids and adults alike!

No-bake football cookies

Yields about 2 dozen football-shaped cookies

Ingredients:1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter2 cups granulated sugar1/2 cup milk or cream4 tablespoons cocoa powder1/3 cup peanut butter2 teaspoons vanilla extract3 cups quick-cooking oats2 ounces (1 to 2 small tubes) white icing gel with a fine tip endDirections:

Add the butter, sugar, milk and cocoa powder to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil (stirring occasionally). Allow mixture to boil for about one minute, then remove saucepan from heat.Stir in the peanut butter and the vanilla. Last, stir in the oats one cup at a time.On a cookie sheet lined with wax or parchment paper, drop by heaping tablespoons and with the tips of your fingers, flatten a bit and form cookies into little football shapes.Place cookies in the refrigerator to cool at least 30 minutes before piping on football stitch lines as shown in the picture.After all cookies have been decorated with their stitch lines, place back in the refrigerator at least 20 minutes for serving. (Cooling allows the cookies and icing to set.) Cookies can be decorated the day before and placed in the refrigerator overnight. Serve cool or room temperature.

More Super Bowl recipes

Gridiron rollups
Heart healthy Super Bowl recipes
Super Bowl onion dip

Tonight's Dinner Chicken bruschetta skillet recipe

Turn Bruschetta Into An EntreeBruschetta can be a wonderful appetizer, especially with fresh tomatoes. But add chicken and you turn the classic hors d'oeuvres into a delicious entree.

When tomatoes are at the height of their season, I can't get enough bruschetta. Those plump tomatoes on that scrumptious toasted baguette... I start to salivate just thinking about it. So when Hunt's had a recipe using their tomatoes for a chicken bruschetta, I knew I had to try it. It was just as delicious as those little toasts, but much more filling because of the chicken base. And it was so unbelievably easy that I can't wait to try it again this summer when heirlooms are back in season.

Chicken bruschetta skillet

Serves 4

Ingredients:1 baguette1 tablespoon garlic powder1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste4 cloves garlic, gratedSalt and pepper to tasteDirections:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Chop up the baguette into 1-inch cubes. Place the cubes on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake the bread for 10 minutes or until the cubes are dried out.While the bread is baking, mix together the tomatoes, cheese and basil in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Top the breasts with the tomato mixture and set aside.Heat the tomato paste and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink. Top with bread crumbs and serve immediately.

More Tonight's Dinner recipes >>Other bruschetta recipes

Deviled egg and herb bruschetta

Raw tomato bruschetta dip

Strawberry and mascarpone bruschetta

Magical holiday dessert Coconut creme brulee

Creme Brulee Is
A Cinch To Make!When the crunchy, caramelized sugar melts on your tongue, it reveals a cool, smooth, creamy custard infused with toasted coconut. This creme brulee recipe will make your dinner table seem like a five star restaurant and make your guests think you are a true chef.

Creme brulee, with its creamy custard and addictive caramelized topping, has long been a restaurant chef's secret weapon. The creme brulee recipe comes together quickly, holds exceptionally well in the refrigerator and has the ability to capture our curious imaginations – just how did they get that sugary topping to turn into a magnificent candy shell that tastes like toasted marshmallow revealing a creamy custard infused with toasted coconut? Easy.

Once you master the custard technique, which is little more than mixing ingredients together at the right time (easy) and cooking them gently in a water bath (even easier), you can experiment with additional flavors. And with "easy" being the key word, you can make creme brulee your secret dessert recipe weapon this holiday season, too.

Coconut creme brulee

Serving size: 8

For the custard:1 cup toasted unsweetened shredded coconut4 cups heavy cream1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped8 large egg yolks3/4 cup sugar1/4 teaspoon kosher saltBoiling waterFor the brulee:3/4 cup sugarDirections:

In a medium saucepan, combine coconut, cream, vanilla bean seeds and pod over medium-low heat. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally; do not boil. Remove from heat; set aside 10 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine sieve; reserve cream.Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar and salt until creamy and pale. Using a ladle, pour a small amount of the cream mixture into the eggs to temper, whisking constantly; repeat. Add remaining cream, and whisk to incorporate. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a pitcher.On the bottom of a large roasting pan, place a damp kitchen towel; place eight (5 ounce) baking dishes on the towel. Divide cream mixture evenly between dishes.Place pan in oven. Pour enough boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the baking dishes, being careful not to splash any water into the custard. Bake 40 minutes or until custard is set around the edges but trembles slightly in the center. Remove pan from oven. Remove baking dishes from water; let cool on a wire rack 10 minutes; refrigerate four hours. Brulee when custard has cooled or cover custards with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to three days.To brulee, working with one at a time, sprinkle a thin layer of sugar over the custard. Using a brulee torch, heat sugar until melted and golden; serve immediately.

More holiday dessert recipes

Gluten-free raspberry souffle
Decadent holiday cookies
Christmas bread pudding

Tonight's Dinner Grilled mozzarella and pluots

Fresh Fruit Makes Grilled Cheese SweetFresh bread, fresh mozzarella and fresh fruit turns everyone's favorite comfort food into something really special.

About six weeks ago I did a recipe on fruit quesadillas. Since they were such a huge success with my family, I wondered how the American version of that dish would go over. There are still a few weeks left of pluot season, so I thought I'd give it a try. But this time, instead of tortillas and that yummy shredded Mexican blend cheese, I was going to use fresh sourdough bread and fresh mozzarella. I even dipped it in a little white balsamic for some extra tang. The result was even better than I hoped. My son actually wanted seconds, which isn't very common in my house. So, you can bet I'll definitely be making these again before pluot season ends.

Grilled Mozzarella and PluotsIngredients:8 slices sourdough bread4 pluots, pitted and thinly sliced4 ounces fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese, sliced4 tablespoons butterDirections:

Lay four slices of bread on a cutting board. Top with sliced pluots divided evenly. Top with mozzarella and remaining bread slices.Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sandwiches and cook, turning once until golden and crisp on both sides, about four minutes total. Serve.

More Tonight's Dinner Recipes >>Other Grilled Cheese Recipes from SheKnows

Bacon and pimento grilled cheese

Grilled cheese nibblers on wheat bread

Veggie grilled cheese sandwich