Comfort food meal prep

This week's meal prep only took 1.5 hours. It was so simple and made a TON of servings. The best part, I spent $64.431 & that includes organic chicken breasts & produce. When you PLAN, you SAVE. :)


First, I threw everything into the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie 
Recipe HERE

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3½ celery stalks, diced
• 2 (10.5-ounce) cans Campbell's® Healthy Request condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 (12-ounce) can Pillsbury® Grands!® Jr. Golden Layers Flaky Biscuits

** instead of using Grands biscuits, I made dumplings :) **

Next, I started this skillet meal. It was actually very quick!

Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta 
Recipe HERE

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups dried orecchiette pasta
• 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes in olive oil, julienned
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (if you're sensitive to spice, you might want to start out with 1/4 teaspoon)
• 1 chicken breast, cubed
• 4 tablespoons basil pesto (homemade or store-bought) - see note below
• 1 cup broccoli, blanched
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

** Feel free to use whole grain or veggie noodles**

Lastly, I made this meal. While the meatloaf muffins were cooking, I used that time to clean up all my dishes. 

Turkey meatloaf muffins 

Recipe HERE

Ingredients:

• 1½ pounds lean ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
• ½ cup onion, diced
• ½ cup green pepper, diced
• ½ cup carrot, grated
• ½ cup low sugar tomato ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

I paired mine with broccoli & red skinned mashed potatoes! 

Since I'm just cooking for my husband and I, these recipes made PLENTY to last the week. Snacks consist of side salads, apples, grape fruits, AdvoBars, mixed nuts, & Greek yogurt.

I'm so chilly here in Texas. Theses dishes will be the ultimate HEALTHY comfort foods. Happy Prepping!  

1 week meal prep for 2!

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
1	Meal Replacement	Zucchini Casserole  (6)	Turkey Meatloaf (6)
2	Meal Replacement	Turkey Meatloaf (6)	BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes (6)
3	Meal Replacement	Slow Cooker Enchiladas (6)	Zucchini Casserole  (6)
4	Meal Replacement	Slow Cooker Enchiladas (6)	BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes (6)
5	Meal Replacement	Zucchini Casserole  (6)	Slow Cooker Enchiladas (6)
6	Meal Replacement	BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes (6)	Turkey Meatloaf (6)
7	Meal Replacement	Out of town	Out of town

*We are going out of town, but find a meal with 4 servings and plug into 2 remaining slots!*

Cheesy Zucchini and Turkey Casserole

Recipe HERE

 Ingredients

•                     2 tablespoons olive oil

•                     1 lb ground turkey

•                     ½ cup diced onion

•                     2 cloves garlic, minced

•                     1½lbs of zucchini, diced

•                     2 cups prepared groats (or brown rice, quinoa, etc.)

•                     1 can diced tomatoes

•                     ½ teaspoon dried oregano

•                     ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

•                     ½ cup finely chopped fresh basil

•                     7 oz Kerrygold aged cheddar, shredded

** I used brown rice** 

Fool Proof Turkey Meatloaf

Recipe HERE

Ingredients

•                     1 pound extra-lean ground turkey breast

•                     ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons ketchup

•                     1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

•                     2 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)

•                     1 large egg

•                     1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs

•                     2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

•                     1 teaspoon dried thyme

•                     1 teaspoon dried oregano

•                     ½ teaspoon salt

•                     ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes (6)

Recipe HERE

Ingredients

For The Barbecue Chicken:

• ·         2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
• ·         ½ cup water or chicken broth
• ·         ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ·         ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ·         2 cups Smoky Spicy Barbecue Sauce from Get Sauced (you can also substitute the Sweet Barbecue Sauce if you prefer)

For the Sweet Potatoes:

• ·         6 medium sized sweet potatoes or yams

For the Garnish (optional):

• ·         Chopped red onion
• ·         Chopped cilantro
• ·         Avocado

Slow Cooker Enchiladas (6)

recipe HERE

Ingredients

• ·         2 half chicken breasts on the bone with skin (remove skin before adding to enchiladas)
• ·         1 (16 ounce) jar red enchilada sauce (no sugar added) (Quick & Easy Enchilada Sauce recipe)
• ·         1 (4 ounce) can green chile peppers
• ·         1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ·         1 teaspoon cumin
• ·         1 teaspoon chili powder
• ·         1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• ·         1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, reduced fat
• ·         1 (8 oz.) container sour cream, fat free
• ·         6 medium whole wheat tortillas, low sodium if possible (corn tortillas are not recommended as they tend to fall apart) Homemade Whole Grain Tortillas Recipe

7 day meal prep for 2!

Hey friends! Tomorrow starts day 1 of my 24 Day Challenge and so I will be LASER FOCUSED with prepping. I decided to share with you my meal plan & grocery guide over the course of the next 24 days. This blog contains the first week (cleanse approved meals).

Like every week, I search online to find well balanced recipes, and then I plug them into a calendar. I'm a visual person, so this really helps me figure out how many meals I need.

From there I created my grocery list. 

Parmesan crustedcod & Broccoli

INGREDIENTS

1. ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2.  2 teaspoons paprika
3. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
4. ¼ teaspoon sea salt
5. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6. 4 cod filets (about 6 oz. each)
7. lemon, cut into wedges
8. Broccoli 

• 
  

Baked spinach turkey meatball,veggies, whole grain pasta

INGREDIENTS

1. 10 Oz Fresh Spinach (or frozen Spinach, defrosted and excess water removed)
2. 1.25 lbs 93/7 Ground Turkey
3. 1 Large Egg, beaten
4. 1/2 Cup Oat Flour or Breadcrumbs
5. 3/4 Cup Onions or Green Onions, finely chopped
6. 1 Tbsp Garlic, finely chopped
7. 1/2 Tbsp Dried Parsley (or 1.5 Tbsp of Fresh Parsely, chopped)
8. 2 Tsp Olive Oil
9. 1/2 Tsp Oregano
10. 1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
11. Salt & Black Pepper to taste
12. Cooking Spray
13. Optional: 1/2 Tbsp Brown Sugar or Honey (recommended if using oat flour)
14. Frozen/Fresh veggie as side (I used broccoli)
15. Whole grain pasta (make sure to measure portion size! :) ) 
16. Low sugar/low sodium pasta sauce 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS 

1. 2 1/2 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth (4 1/2 cups)
2. 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
3. 1 1/4 cups finely chopped yellow onion
4. 3 cloves garlic, minced
5. 1 Tbsp chili powder
6. 2 tsp ground cumin
7. 3/4 tsp paprika
8. 1/2 tsp ground coriander
9. Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10. 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
11. 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
12. 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
13. 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
14. 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

For serving:

1. Tortilla strips or tortilla chips **OMIT IF ON CLEANSE**
2.  Shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese **OMIT IF ON CLEANSE**
3. Diced avocado, diced roma tomatoes, sour cream/plain greek yogurt (optional)

Mason Jar Salad:

·         

Layer bottom to top:Bolthouse Farms Greek yogurt dressing or vinaigrette of choice. 
Chopped Veggies of Choice (I did tomatoes, peppers, onions, carrots)
Romaine/Green leaf/Spring mix (Whatever is on sale. I got a head of Organic Green leaf lettuce for $1.50)

One pan chicken pesto

INGREDIENTS

1. 2 tablespoons olive oil

2. 1 pound chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, sliced into strips

3. 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil, chopped

4. 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed, cut in half, if large

5. 1/4 cup basil pesto

6. 1 cup cherry tomatoes, yellow and red, halved

Slow Cooker chicken enchilada quinoa

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 pound ground chicken
2.  1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed
3. 1 can (15-ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed
4. 1 cup frozen corn
5.   1 can (15-ounce) diced fire roasted tomatoes
6.  2 cloves garlic, minced
7. 1 medium onion, chopped
8. 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (depending o the heat level you want)
9. 1 cup water
10. 1 can (10-ounces) enchilada sauce
11.  2 tablespoons Mexican chili powder
12. 1 tablespoon cumin
13. 2 teaspoons ground coriander
14. 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
15. 3 green onions, chopped
16. 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

I compared grocery list to what I had in my pantry/freezer, and went shopping. Here was my grocery haul. All of this food for $77!

To start, I put the ingredients to the Tortilla soup in the slow cooker.

This is a picture when its done 

Next, I started the Parmesan crusted cod with broccoli and put it in the oven.

Finished! I sampled a piece, its sooooo gooooood! 

While that was cooking, I threw some brown rice & frozen veggies (peas and carrrots) in my rice cooker with chicken broth. I am following the 24DC guide, and so I am trying to eat a veggie, protein, and complex carb with every meal. If you dont have a rice cooker, you can do the same in a pot on the stove. 

While the fish, broccoli and rice cooked, I started prepping for my turkey spinach meatballs. 

Finished product! 

The cod only took 15-20 mins to cook, and so I was able to throw the meatballs in the oven right after. Boil your water for pasta, add your sauce to cooked & drained noodles, and then throw your food in containers.

**Meal prep hack** Put frozen veggies in your container as a side. When you microwave your food, it will steam your veggies. 

Next up : One pan chicken pesto. This was extremely easy to make! 

Lastly, I made the enchilada quinoa slow cooker meal. In hindsight, I should have started this at the beginning with my other slow cooker meal and had them both cooking at the same time. 

And there you have it! 7 days of meals for 2!

If you'd like, you can also buy the grocery list and cook each meal before dinner and have the left overs for lunch. With Clint working 24H shifts at the fire station and with me working 10s at the urgent care, that is not feasible. 

Well, we are prepped and ready for this challenge! Tune in next week for another meal plan. 

Full meal prep with snacks!

Sometimes I am laser focused when I meal prep, and other times I need to just chug a Spark, remind myself of why I need to do this, and get to work. I NEVER want to be the old Jessie again. The always tired, always sick, frumpy, fluffy, Jessie. You'll realize your journey is mostly a mindset shift, followed by a little motivation & a lot of discipline. Just the other day, I was talking to one of my good friends that finished a challenge, and she was shocked at how easy this transition has been. Again, mindset. When you FEEL good, and you see results, you're going to stick with it.

So with a new challenge group launching, I wanted to do a step by step blog of this weeks prep.

Step 1. I looked in my freezer. I had lots of chicken, and a container of turkey burger. I also looked in my fridge and found cauliflower, carrots, and zucchini. Pantry is always stocked with black beans, brown rice, and whole grain noodles.

Step 2. Look at ads. What's on sale? Stock up on things you can put in your freezer and pantry, and any household items. Buy produce that is on sale. Sometimes frozen is cheaper (just buy plain frozen veggies, no added sauces).

Step 3. Recipes. Endless options. My first go-to is Pinterest. Look up recipes utilizing your ingredients. "Black bean and brown rice recipe", "easy healthy chicken recipe" "healthy 20 minute meal", Etc. write them down & create grocery list

Step 4. Store, home, prep.

My Menu:
Buffalo chicken mason jar salad
Taco salad mason jar
Fattoush mason jar
Baked chicken and veggies.
Cilantro lime skillet meal
Frittata
Protein bites!

Before I left for the store, I threw the buffalo chicken in the pressure cooker and started marinating the chicken for my Fattoush. (To make this buffalo chicken recipe easier, follow this link and use a Pre-Cooked rotisserie chicken. It is more expensive this way if you purchased chicken on sale like I did. To cook the chicken like I did-  I placed 3-4 normal sized chicken, 1 cup buffalo sauce, 1/2c chicken broth, some minced garlic, and cooked until done. Then I shredded the pieces. You can follow this same recipe in a slow cooker.) If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can cook basically anything insanely fast and it is still super juicy.  For time sake, I used the pressure cooker. Threw the finished chicken in the fridge, and went to the store.

Marinated Chicken

Buffalo Chicken

**Mealprep money saving tip: since salads are on the menu, buy the heads of green lettuce or romaine vs prewashed lettuce I'm a tub. You'll save $3-4 right there!

Before I started on my meals, I washed my lettuce. I always let it soak in a sink full of water and a cup of vinegar (apple cider or white). Soak for 10 mins and then rinse.  I clean all my fruits and veggies this way. When it's done, I place them on towels and layer with paper towel. It'll dry as I prep my meals.

Next up, baked chicken and veggies. Preheat oven to 400. As my lettuce was soaking, I was chopping veggies. I used cauliflower, zucchini, onion, and sweet potato. Use whatever veggies are in SEASON or on sale.  Place chopped veggies in a ziploc an with a little olive oil/grape seed oil, shake until evenly coated. Placed veggies around chicken and season. I used Mrs Dash salt free herb seasoning. Bake for 20-25 mins until done. At this same time, I also put my marinated chicken in the oven for the same amount of time. (Kill 2 birds with 1 stone, right!?)

As those were baking, the skillet meal was up next! I followed this recipe, and it turned out really well!

Oven is done! The chicken and veggies were placed in Tupperware dishes, as well as the skillet meal.

Chicken & Veggies

Skillet meal

 Bring on the Salad Station! I started the quinoa for the second salad in my lineup.


For the Fattoush salad, I layered Fattoush dressing (basically a lemony vinaigrette), chicken, onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, and then the lettuce. I use the big quart size jars, but if you want to use pint size, make sure you have something else to eat for lunch. (Great place to add in some fruit!)

Next up! Those buffalo salads. Layer quinoa, buffalo chicken, red onion, tomato, green pepper, and lettuce. You can see I changed the recipe a bit. I went with what I had or what ingredients were cheapest.

Last salad, taco salad in a jar. I don't follow a particular recipe for this. First layer is salsa, second layer is ground turkey with taco seasoning, next is toppings of your choice (I used tomato, green pepper, onion, and corn), lettuce, and then crushed tortilla chips.

Ordinarily my husband and I drink meal replacement shakes every morning, but this week we had a house full of guys laying flooring. I decided to give this  frittatta recipe a try to give them some breakfast. I used 10 eggs, 1/4c Almond milk, spicy turkey breakfast sausage, onion, peppers, and kale. It was actually DELICIOUS!

And here you have it! My finished product.

Snacks this week are mixed nuts, tuna packets, Gingerbread bars, AdvoGreens snack shake, hummus and veggies, Greek yogurt, fruit, and pumpkin protein bites!

Well there you have it! A successful meal prep.I am always running challenge groups to teaching others healthy habits & how to incorporate meal prep in your life. What are you waiting for?! It took one friend saying "let me help you" for me to quickly change from restrictive eating to balanced habits. In less than 1 month I felt better, and 4 years later I am still on track.  All it takes is one friend.. and your life can forever change.

Family Meal Planning!

"How do I meal prep for my entire family?" --- this is something I hear OFTEN. I don't have children YET, but I am from a large family, and so I wanted to share some of my favorite tips. 

First things first, you don't have to prep all your meals in one day, but you do have to PLAN them. If you're frugal like me, and on a time crunch, you'll want something healthy, easy, and convenient. 

So where do we start? Check your pantry and freezer for anything you can use. That'll save you some money! If you're a coupon clipper like me, you can plan to use those as well. (Look back at previous posts about Meal Prepping on a budget for more details). 

Recipes are literally floating all around you, you just have to utilize them! I personally like crockpot meals, freezer meals, & quick 15 minute meals like skillet meals. Pick 5 meals for Monday - Friday (or 7 meals if you want to plan Saturday and Sunday in advanced too), and write them on the calendar. From there, create your grocery list & head to the store! You can either toss it all in the crockpot before work, make it ahead of time like me, or make it the night of - choose whatever works best for you and your family! 

After your store run, your kitchen may look something like this..... 

After the store, wash/cut the produce that can be used in snacks or lunches. Invest in containers that help keep produce fresh for longer! Wash apples, peaches, etc and toss them in the fruit crisper. Wash lettuce and put in salad spinner. Wash carrots and put in container for an easy snack. (These are just some examples)

Now, lunches. Don't over complicate it! There's endless combinations that are healthy, well balanced, ANNNND children friendly. I remember the middle school days... I wanted lunchables, but it was the last thing my parents would buy me. They were expensive and had ZERO nutritional value. Make lunches fun by creating DIY lunchables and offering the kiddos, or your husband, options! 

Here are some of my favorite things that alone can be used as a snack, or combined can create a meal:

- Boars head lunchmeat (deli section-still technically processed but doesn't contain nitrites.)

- Sargento cheese 

- Ezekiel tortillas 

- Mixed nuts

- Hummus

- Hard boiled eggs 

- Peanut butter (I love Justin's Peanut Butter! Comes in mini packets for lunches, or you can buy the tub and put it in separate containers. Dip carrots, celery, peanut butter, or crackers!)

- Nut Thins crackers 

- Fresh fruit (apples to dip in peanut butter, berries, banana, etc)

- Fresh Veggies 

- Lara Bars, Kind Bars, AdvoBars (my favs!!) 

Now, mix & match!

- Turkey, cheese stick, crackers, hummus, carrots, berries, and trail mix. 

-turkey wrap, string cheese, crackers, hummus, carrots, and hard boiled egg. 

- Turkey Wrap, carrots, berries, hard boiled egg. 

Other easy meals can be created using a rotisserie chicken and some imagination! Add some hot sauce to the chicken, or pizza sauce, and make a quesadilla! 

Add some taco seasoning or salsa & your favorite Tex Mex seasoning, and you have a taco salad! 

If you don't want to prepare dinners ahead of time, that's ok! Shred a rotisserie chicken and toss it in a crock pot with some chopped veggies & Soup Mix, and you have a delicious fall soup by dinner time. 

Marinate a pork tenderloin & throw it in a crockpot with red potatos, carrots, and onions. 6-8 hours on low, and your house will smell HEAVENLY! 

If crockpots aren't for you, Google skillet meals!  Super easy, and typically take 10-30mins. This is a Mexican skillet meal that I am obsessed with. 

This process isn't meant to be overwhelming, which is why my next challenge group is focusing on Families!!! So whether you're solo or you're a family of many, I would LOVE for you to join my challenge group. It will focus on meal planning for the week, eating clean, gaining energy, and becoming more active. 

How do you enroll? Message me or email me (jesolgat@gmail.com) and we will set up a time to talk details. Warning : I will ask many questions, but it is only so I can customize this for you/your family! You pick your recipes, and I will help you execute the plan. I am SO excited about this challenge - it's a first of its kind! :) once you learn this process, I PROMISE that your weeks will be more organized and less overwhelming. 

Have a blessed week! I'm logging off to eat some chicken & veggie soup while watching college football. <3 

In good health, 

Jessie