Meal Prep 4/8/19

I used to want to be really creative with my meal prepping each week, partly because it was fun and partly because it's nice to eat really different meals every week.  Lately though, I just want to do whatever is quickest and easiest so that it doesn't take too much time out of my weekend.  This weekend, I was sick in bed with the stomach bug all day Saturday, so I found myself once again wanting something super quick to cook on Sunday.  Didn't want my whole weekend to be spent either in bed or doing chores!

Pesto pasta : 1 lb pasta, cooked according to box.  (I used Barilla Cellentani, whatever you choose make sure it has at least 8 servings).  Once pasta has been cooked and drained, return it to the pot and toss with 4-5 tbsp pesto.  Make sure you get 1-2 tbsp of oil out of the jar.  If your pesto is drier, add some olive oil to the pasta.  Sauté 1/2 yellow onion and about 8 mushrooms, then mix in with the pasta.  Divide into 10 portions.

Chicken : 2 packages b/s chicken thighs (about 14 thighs).  Layer in a large glass baking dish and sprinkle with garlic powder.  Bake in the oven at 425-450 until internal temperature in the largest thigh reaches 160 (25-40 minutes).  Chop and divide into 10 portions.

Brussels sprouts : 2 lbs fresh sprouts. Chop into bite-sized pieces, toss with olive oil and garlic powder, distribute evenly onto 2 baking sheets, bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes.  Divide into 10 portions.

We are excited for another delicious meal!

Meal Prep 3/25/19

Leeky Mac n Cheese : 1 lb shell pasta, cooked according to directions on box.  2 large leeks, chopped, thoroughly washed, and steamed with olive oil.  Cheese sauce : 2 tbsp butter, 1.5 cups milk, 8 slices Swiss cheese, 2 large handfuls shredded monterey cheese, 1/4 c flour, garlic powder. Melt butter in saucepan, add milk and flour, stir til well combined.  Add garlic powder and cheese, stir til cheese is mostly melted.  Mix cooked pasta and leeks together in a large glass baking dish.  Stir in cheese sauce.  Cover top with a single layer of Swiss cheese slices.  (8 slices fit on mine).  Bake for about 30 minutes at 375-425.  Check after about 20 minutes, you are looking for the cheese on top to brown, but you don't want the pasta to burn.


Brussels Sprouts :  Halve 2 lbs of Brussels sprouts, layer onto 2 large baking trays, coat with olive oil and garlic, roast in the oven at 425-450 for about 10 minutes.

Chicken & Brats : 1 package boneless skinless chicken thighs (2.5-3 lbs), 2 packages Bratwursts.  I had one package of regular brats, and one of beer brats.  I reserved 2 beer brats for dinner Saturday, and cooked the remaining 8 brats in these lunches.  Chop the chicken and brats, cook in a large, lidded saucepan in their own juices.  Stir occasionally.  Add garlic powder to taste. Remove the lid when the pieces look cooked through.  When liquid is getting close to cooked off, add 6 ounces chopped mushrooms.  Cook til done.  Chop and brown a large sweet onion, add a spoonful on top of each serving of meat.

Extra :  We had some sauerkraut leftover from our St Patrick's Day Reubens, which is why we decided to buy brats.  We will have some sauerkraut with these lunches until it is gone.

Meal Prep 3/18/19

Pot Roast : 3+ lb roast.  Place in crockpot, sprinkle with salt and garlic powder.  Add 1 can of Guinness and 1 can of Yuengling.  (Or whatever beer you have lying around that you think will make a tasty roast.) Cook on high for 5-6 hours.

Potatoes : 8-9 medium sized red potatoes.  Chop into chunks and boil til soft.  Mash with butter, salt, garlic, and milk to taste. 

Broccoli :  2 lbs broccoli, roasted in oven for 10 minutes.  450-475 degrees-ish?

Extras :  I sautéed about 3/4 sweet onion and a giant handful of mushrooms to top off the meat. 

Makes about 10 meals.

Meal Prep 3/11/19

I usually try not to do the same carb two weeks in a row, but we went to Lewisburg to see friends and the Pony this weekend, so I wanted something quick and easy to cook when we got back on Sunday.  So here we are with pasta two weeks in a row.  I can't say I mind though...pasta is always my favorite! And just like pasta is our go-to carb, boneless skinless chicken thighs are our go-to meat!  So quick and easy in the oven, and they taste great even if you don't season them.

The Pasta :  2 lbs bowtie pasta, cook according to instructions on the box.  Tossed with 2 giant spoonfuls of pesto and about 14 oz of roasted garlic alfredo sauce.  

The Chicken :  2 packages of boneless skinless thighs (2+ lbs each). Sprinkle generously with garlic powder. The oven was set to 425 for 40 minutes, but knowing my oven it was probably closer to 475.  I had the thighs overcrowded in the baking dish, so that is probably why it took longer than the normal 30 minutes.

The Veggies : 7-8 carrots?  I don't think I ever remembered to count them.  The carrots were chopped and sauteed in olive oil and garlic powder with 3/4 medium sweet onion. I added about 6 oz of chopped mushrooms near the end.  We also chopped and roasted 2 lbs of brussels sprouts, about 1.5 lbs of which was added to the lunches.

I cooked the pasta in my stock pot so that I after I drained it, I could use it as a giant mixing bowl to mix the pasta and veggies together.  The chicken I chopped up in the baking dish after removing it from the oven, and then used a slotted spoon to lift the meat out of the ridiculous amount of fat it was swimming in.  I added about 2 spoonfuls of chicken to each meal.

We got 12 meals this week.

Meal Prep 3/4/19

Back to one of my favorites...pasta and meatballs!  

Meatballs :  3 lbs ground beef (I used 80/20 this time.  It's fattier than I normally buy, but it comes in a 3 lb package for convenience.) Mix ground beef with 2 eggs and about 1/3 cup of breadcrumbs (you know I didn't measure those breadcrumbs, I just poured them).  Shape into 25-30 balls.  Drop into a pot filled with sauce, cover and cook on medium for 90-120 minutes.  For sauce, I used a big 2 lb 13 oz jar of Prego Fresh Mushroom.  

Pasta :  1 lb of penne rigate, cooked according to package instructions.  Mixed with the sauce left in the pot after I removed the meatballs.  

Broccoli :  2 lbs fresh broccoli, coated with olive oil and garlic powder and roasted.  My oven was set to 425, I think it was actually around 475.  The broccoli roasted for 10 minutes. 

I turned the oven setting down to 395 after that to roast something else, and when it dinged to say it was at 395 I checked the thermometer I have in the oven.  It said 450.  A new oven is next on our list of big-purchase items.  As soon as we make time to go pick one out...  

Meal Prep 2/25/19

Pot Roast : (It's actually a london broil because it was cheaper...) 2.5 lbs of beef, place in bottom of crock pot, season with garlic powder and salt to taste.  Add 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, and one can full of water.  Cook on low for about 6-7 hours.  This one cooked until the power went out due to high winds...I think it was right around 6 hours.  Might have been a little less. Use forks to shred the meat. 

Risotto : Chop 1/2 onion and saute til starting to brown.  Add 1 lb arborio rice, stir to coat with oil, then add enough chicken stock to cover the rice.  Cook slowly, adding chicken stock or water as needed, until the rice is creamy and not crunchy.  Season to taste.  You know what I used...garlic powder and more garlic powder.

Carrots : Chop 2 lbs of carrots and saute. 


The vegetables came up a bit short on this one, I ended up supplementing two of the meals with other veggies I had leftover in the fridge.

Meal Prep 2/11/19

Chicken : Boneless/skinless thighs, 2 packs (6-8 per pack).  Season with garlic powder and bake in the oven at 425 for 35 minutes.  (Use a thermometer to check for thorough cooking - I stuck the thermometer in several different pieces to be sure they had all reached an internal temperature of 165.)

Brussels Sprouts : 2 lbs of sprouts, cut into bite-sized pieces.  Tossed with bacon grease and seasoned with garlic powder.  Roasted at 425 for 12-15 minutes. 

Pasta : 1.5 lbs of tri-color rotini, cooked according to instructions on the box.  Tossed with Classico Sundried Tomato Alfredo sauce.

Makes 11 meals.

Meal Prep 2/4/19

Pork-Turkey meatballs

Risotto

Broccoli

Meatballs : 1 lb ground pork, 2 lbs ground turkey, 1 egg, garlic powder.  Shape into 30 balls, place them in a single layer in a large skillet, cover, cook on medium heat.  Stir occasionally.  Add some soy sauce and mustard to the liquid that gathers in the skillet.  

Risotto : Chop some onion, brown in a saucepan with olive oil.  Add 1 lb arborio rice, stir to coat with oil.  Add enough chicken broth to cover, cook on low, adding more broth or water as it is absorbed by the rice, until the rice is done.  

Broccoli : Coat with olive oil and garlic powder, roast in the oven at 450 for 10 minutes.  

Meal Prep 1/28/19

This week I roasted everything in the oven!  Temperatures are approximate, because my oven is temperamental and I am fairly positive that it always runs hotter than I set it to.  When in doubt, set your oven to 400 and check every ten minutes for done-ness...

Pork Tenderloin : Sprinkle garlic powder and oregano over a 2.5 pound pork tenderloin, then bake at 400 for 45 minutes.

Brussels Sprouts : Chop 2 lbs of sprouts, coat with olive oil and garlic powder, and roast at 425 for 10 minutes.

Sweet Potatoes : Peel and chop 3 potatoes, coat with olive oil and garlic powder, and roast at 450 for 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Petite Tri-Color potatoes : Chop 20 potatoes, coat with olive oil and garlic powder, and roast at 425 for 10-20 minutes.  Stir halfway through.

I ended up with about 1 extra serving of potatoes and 2-3 extra servings of brussels sprouts. 

Meal Prep Monday 1/21/19

PB Beef Stir Fry

makes 8 servings

Rice : Cook 1.5 cups brown rice according to directions on package.  

Broccoli : Spread 2 lbs fresh broccoli on a baking sheet.  Coat with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic powder, and roast at 400 for 12 minutes.  

Marinade : Mix 1/2 c chicken stock, 1/4 c soy sauce, 2 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp wasabi paste, and 1 tbsp ginger powder.  

Beef : Toss 3 packages of stir fry beef with the marinade, let sit while you heat olive oil in a large skillet.  When oil is hot, add beef and marinade.  Stir in a heaping 1/4 cup of peanut butter.  Stir frequently, remove beef and liquid from the skillet to a large bowl when the beef is done. 

Cabbage : Chop a small head of cabbage, and cook in the beef drippings after beer and marinade have been removed.  Once cabbage is cooked, add it to the bowl with the beef and mix well.  

I had about 1 serving of beef and cabbage left, but the rice and broccoli came out to 8 servings each. 

Meal Prep 12/3/18

36 oz frozen cauliflower : 

toss with olive oil and garlic powder, roast at 450 for 15 minutes, stir, roast 10 more minutes

24 oz brussels sprouts : 

toss with olive oil and garlic powder, roast at 400 for 15 minutes

3 lbs ground turkey : 

mix with 2 eggs and 1/2 c bread crumbs, shape into meatballs, cook in a large, lidded, skillet with just enough chicken broth to cover the bottom of the skillet. Remove lid when meatballs seem cooked through, let cook until all the liquid is gone and meatballs are beginning to brown. 

(Depending on the size of your skillet, you may not be able to fit all the meatballs.  I fit 32 meatballs, and then made 3 turkey burgers with the remaining meat. Each meal got 3 meatballs, so there were 2 leftover plus the burgers.)

7 sweet potatoes : 

peel, chop, boil, mash with milk and garlic powder

Meal Prep 11/26/18

One Pot Beef Stroganoff

I used a 12 qt stock pot to cook this meal. It left plenty of room for stirring without splashing, which was nice.  

Chop and saute 1/2 lg sweet onion, 3 tbsp garlic, and 1 tbsp ginger root.  When the onion begins to brown, add 2 lbs stew beef.  Chop 12 carrots and 6 large celery sticks

Add 21 oz condensed mushroom soup, 1 can of Guinness, 12 oz marinara sauce, and 14.75 oz golden creamed corn.  Mix well, then add chopped carrots and celery.  

When carrots are soft, add 1 lb egg noodles.  When noodles are just about done, add 12 oz frozen peas.  Cook til done. 

Makes 11-12 servings. 

Basil Smashed Peas on Pizza

I had a variety of ideas for dinner tonight.  I figured out pretty quickly that I was going to make baked chicken tenders, but it took me awhile longer to figure out what I was going to eat with them.  Did I want to make mac & cheese?  Did I want to make pizza?  Did I want to make some other kind of pasta dish?  If I made pizza, did I want the chicken tenders on the pizza, or next to it?  So many decisions...

I narrowed it down to pizza, so I pulled a hunk of dough out of the fridge to warm up while the chicken tenders were cooking.  (sliced b/s chicken breasts, coated with a mixture of garlic powder, italian bread crumbs, and corn meal)  I also had to come up with a vegetable to go with dinner. I had some leftover peas, and I remembered the Minty-Smash Peas that I made a few years ago that were pretty tasty.  I decided to make a variation of those.

I put about 1/2+ cup of peas into my food processor and sprinkled them with garlic powder.  Then I decided to use basil instead of mint.  I added a generous handful of fresh basil leaves to the processor, and added just a splash of olive oil.  When I blended it up, it seemed a bit too dry, so I added approximately a tablespoon of ranch dressing.

I was going to have the smashed peas next to my pizza, but then it occurred tome that I could use them as a pizza sauce of sorts.  So I did that instead.  I spread the peas out on my crust, topped them with a bit of sliced onion and two sliced mushrooms, added shredded colby jack cheese, and popped it in the oven.  (450 degrees, 20 minutes)

It was super delicious.

Corn-Tomato Chowder

I eat so few canned or processed foods anymore.  The only big exception is the canned tuna that has become a lunch-staple this year.  (I have recently started mixing boiled eggs into my tuna salad so that maybe I will give myself slightly less mercury poisoning...) But I still haven't moved away from cans when I'm making chowder. And I probably never will.  Besides, I don't really have anything against canned food, other than fresh is always better, especially taste-wise.  I do always compare labels before choosing my cans.  Generally whichever one has the lowest sodium content is the winner.  I don't care what everyone tells me about how I'm a runner and I need lots of sodium and it is impossible for me to consume too much.  I beg to disagree.  I drastically reduced my sodium intake a few years ago, and I have definitely felt better ever since.  But I digress.

I wanted to cook something different tonight. Yesterday was a snow day.  This morning the roads were too icy for school, so we lost another day. I really needed an extra day of weekend last weekend.  I don't particularly feel the need for 4 days stuck in the house this weekend, but oh well.  At least I'm getting out for a run every day.  Anyway, I just spent two days cooped up in the house and the most exciting thing I made was a gouda omelette.  Exciting, but not particularly time-consuming or blog-post-worthy.

Corn-Tomato Chowder

3 large carrots, chopped

1/2 head of garlic, minced

olive oil

ginger powder, turmeric powder, smoked paprika, oregano, sea salt

1 can yellow corn 

1 can creamed corn

1 can tomatoes (mine were basil/garlic/oregano)

1 can evaporated milk

Put the carrots, garlic, and a few tablespoons of olive oil into a dutch oven.  Cover on medium heat and let the contents steam for a few minutes.  When the carrots are no longer hard, remove the lid and add seasonings, to taste. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the mixture has thickened (oil has been absorbed, water from the steam has evaporated).  Add the corn and tomatoes.  Stir well, then let simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Add the evaporated milk, stir well, simmer for another 5-10 minutes.  

I added some quinoa, shrimp, and mushrooms to my bowl of soup for dinner this evening. 

And some avocado of course, but I forgot to add that til after I was done with the camera.

Peanut Butter Chicken Pasta

2 b/s chicken breasts

garlic powder

ginger powder

turmeric powder

1/2 c vegetable stock

1-2 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 c crunchy peanut butter

1 carrot

2 big handfuls arugula

Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and dump them into a skillet on medium heat.  Liberally sprinkle with the seasonings (If I was less lazy, I would have used fresh minced garlic and ginger). Add the vegetable stock and soy sauce to the skillet.  Stir occasionally as the chicken cooks, so that it will cook evenly through.  When the chicken is about down, add the peanut butter.  Mix well. Turn down the heat so that the chicken doesn't over-cook.  Chop the carrot into bite sized pieces and add that as well.  The pan should stay hot just long enough to soften the carrots.  Add the arugula a minute or two before serving; it tastes better if it doesn't wilt too much.  Serve over the grain of your choice.  I chose pasta of course, but I'm sure it would be just as tasty over rice or quinoa or farro or whatever. 

 boiling peanut butter deliciousness

arugula

Pumpkin Burger

I made these a few days ago.  They are super delicious.  I'm eating one for dinner tonight...with pumpkin mac & cheese.  Pumpkin is my favorite part of fall!

Pumpkin-Chicken Stew

Pumpkin-Chicken Stew

2 b/s chicken breasts

1 c pumpkin

2 cans diced tomatoes

(I used 1 garlic fire roasted, and 1 garlic-basil-oregano)

1 can white corn

garlic powder

ginger powder

turmeric powder

Put the chicken in the bottom of the crockpot, put everything else on top.  Cook on low for 5+ hours.  Test chicken with a thermometer to ensure it has been cooked fully.  Shred chicken or just break into large pieces like I did. 

Roasted Yellow Squash Boat

Preheat the oven to 400.

Cut a large yellow squash in half, chop off the ends, and scoop out the seeds.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, ginger powder, oregano, and sea salt. 

Bake for 15 minutes.

Fill with quinoa and top top with pork tenderloin. 

(today's pork was rubbed with garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, and cumin) 

Due to the size of the squash, the skin may be too tough, but you can eat the inside!

Zucchini Pizza

Pizza Dough

2 tsp yeast

7 oz hot water (120 degrees)

garlic powder

oregano

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 c whole wheat flour

2 c white flour

1 tbsp olive oil

Toppings

marinara/Basil-Cashew Pesto mix

sliced tomato

spaghetti-ed zucchini

fresh basil

colby jack cheese

Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes

Deliciousness.  I had some salmon on the side, extra deliciousness.

Cumin-Rubbed Beef

Step 1 : Mix together cumin, mustard powder, garlic powder, sea salt, sage, and bread crumbs.
             Heat water for pasta, add pasta when the water boils.  Try to time it so pasta is done around the                    same time as the beef.

Step 2 : Coat pieces of eye of round beef with the seasoning mixture, then brown them on each side.

Step 3 : Pour red wine into the pan, just enough to cover the beef. 

Step 4 : When the beef is about halfway done, add vegetables to the pan.  

             I used cabbage and carrots.  I also grated some ginger into the pan. 

Step 5 : Remove the beef from the pan when it is done.  Once the pasta is drained, add it to the pan with the              vegetables and sauce, mix well. 

Step 6 : Eat.