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

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.

Weekly meal prep - healthy & on a budget!

I often have people tell me that it is just too expensive to eat healthy. Now, I admit, I used to think this also. With a little planning and 1 day of work, you can have all your meals planned, cooked, and in containers, all while staying on a budget! 

My husband, Clint, works as a full time firefighter and fills his schedule with other part time gigs. He hops from 24 hour shift to 24 hour shift to provide for our family while I anxiously wait for the State of Texas to grant me a license to practice as a PA. In the meantime, I have a mortgage of student loans so I work as a nanny. We are ALWAYS on the road and we are trying to save money, so our meals travel with us. The process is quite simple. Check ads. Use coupons. Cook on Sundays. 

1. Look at Ads

Every week I get a big chunk of ads in the mail for Kroger, Aldi, HEB, and others. I briefly skim the ads to see what's on sale. I skip all of he "food-like-crap" (cereals, granola bars, premade meals) and stick to the basics. I focus mostly on meat, vegetables, and fruit. I also pay attention to household products like soap, detergents, toilet paper, etc. If I save more money in that area, then I have a bit more room with food. 

2. Coupons!

Yeah, I'm a 27 year old who avidly cuts coupons. I'm frugal. My sisters brought me to a coupon class a long time ago, but now they have online tutorials that break it down for people. I get the paper every Sunday and clip what I need. I also print from coupons.com.  I do throw a LOT of coupns away. I don't use cereal, or microwave meals, or any of that pre-made stuff. 

Stores like Kroger and HEB have electronic coupons. They link right to your shoppers card and are deducted when you buy the product. Yes, it's that simple. 

You can also search "Kroger coupon match ups" online and view a database that shows product sale price, which coupon to use, etc. Someone does all the work for us (and I wish I could personally hug them all for being a lifesaver!) 

Organizing clipped coupons is also important. You can't save money if you don't know what coupons you have! I have that little wallet sized holder with dividers. I categorized them based on what I buy "meats, eggs and dairy, condiments and spices, cleaning, laundry, hair care, etc." Search online for different methods to organize & find the one that best suits you! 

3. Rebates

Just recently I discovered yet another money saving ap called Ibotta. After my list is made, I look on the ap and see if there are any money back options for the things on my list. (https://ibotta.com/r/xtpadya) 

$27.50 lifetime earnings in 2 months. Not bad! 

4. Stock up. 

This week chicken was on sale at Kroger, so I stocked up and put some in the freezer. Last week ground beef and turkey were on sale so I stocked up. If frozen veggies are on sale (like this week private selections was 99 cents a bag when you buy 4) - STOCK UP! 

5. Meals 

Now where do I find the recipes to make? Simple: Pinterest. You can follow my recipe board if you'd like, but that's where 99% of my receipes are found! 

Typically whatever fruits and veggies are in season are cheaper. Kroger had bell peppers 99 cents each, so stuffed peppers were added to the menu.  Instead of buying prepackaged lettuce for salads that's around $3-4, I buy a large head of green leafy lettuce for 99 cents, wash and chop it up, and stick it in a salad spinner. Instead of buying the baby carrots, I buy a bulk bag and it's so much cheaper! For rice and beans, I buy them in bags and spent the extra time making them. They take longer, but they don't have all of the sodium the canned and instant beans/rice have! 

Now for the cooking. After I make my grocery haul, I start cooking. Just about any recipe can be cooked, separated and placed in the refrigerator. 

- Mediterranean Chicken Gyros 

(https://www.pinterest.com/pin/191754896611401042/) 

I had some WildTree Mediterranean seasoning, so that made this recipe super easy! I also had some Tzatziki seasoning on had. No, I don't sell Wildtree, but I'm obsessed with it! The seasonings simplify my life so much, and offer healthier alternatives to a lot of condiments and spices. After the chicken, I quickly sautéed some onions and peppers and placed it in a container with some chicken. I put the wrap in some aluminum foil and put it on top of the chicken/veggie mix. The Tzatziki topping was put in another tiny container, so the gyros can be assembled when we are ready to eat. 

- Stuffed bell peppers

 

Wildtree saving the day again! This recipe can be found on the Wildtree website. It's called "Simple skillet stuffed peppers." 

Voila!  

- Spaghetti squash recipe

http://www.iwashyoudry.com/2013/09/04/super-easy-crock-pot-spaghetti-squash-meatballs/

I typically make my own meatballs, but this week the meatballs were on sale and I had a coupon. I couldn't pass that up. I don't stress if my food isn't 100% clean. I just try to make 80% of the food myself, and 20% whatever. 

- Chicken, potatoes, and green beans

http://honeywerehealthy.blogspot.com/2014/07/healthy-meal-prep.html

Self explanatory. Very basic recipe. If sweet potatoes are cheaper, go with those. Shop what's on sale, and don't be afraid to change up a recipe to suit what you have in your home. 

-Jalapeno chicken with Spanish rice

http://www.plainchicken.com/2010/07/chicago-chicken.html?m=1#_a5y_p=1957444

Spanish rice: 

2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add 1 cup brown rice. Add some chopped onions and peppers. I added some Wildree fajita seasoning. If I didn't have that, I'd add some chili powder, cayenne pepper, chicken or veggie bullion, etc. Use whatever you have on hand!

-Black bean and corn quesadilla with Spanish rice 

For this, I didn't have a recipe. I cooked black beans and smashed them to a paste. I smeared it on a tortilla with some corn and cheese, and cooked both sides in a pan. I cut into 4s and placed in tin foil. I used some of our leftover Spanish rice, and included a little salsa dish. (On sale at Kroger, coupon available too!) 

Black beans + brown rice = total protein - so you don't have to worry about the lack of meat in this recipe! 

-Tex mex bowls with Spanish rice

http://honeywerehealthy.blogspot.com/2012/11/tex-mex-to-go.html

I didn't have refried beans, and I didn't want the extra sodium. I had leftover black beans from the previous meal so I used those. 

-Dirty brown rice

http://mybodymykitchen.com/dirty-rice-turkey/

I used my ground beef and turkey in the two previous meals, but I had some sausage in the freezer so I used that. Slight modification, but it still tastes excellent. 

I'll be the first to admit, it takes some time to learn. Hang in there! Remember, this is a lifestyle change and may take a while to make all of the adjustments. I know people who eat completely organic and 100% clean, and I have nothing against that. It's just not for me. I have made gradual changes over the year to get where I am now, and maybe I'll have more changes in the future. If you eat poor choices based on convenience, then this might be something for you to try, too.