First, thank you for the feedback from last week’s meal plan. It sounds like I may have given y’all too many choices and I need to go back to providing six recipes, not twelve. More is not always better – I get it!!! This week I’m going to throw in some pre-made/frozen options and see how y’all respond. With the beginning of the holiday season the meal plan will be entering survival mode with a dash of healthy from now until Jan. 1!! Please keep the feedback coming!
Sunday, November 17th – Baked Meatball Parmesan – I always skip over meatball dishes because in my mind, making meatballs is way too labor intensive. But then a dish like this one pops up in my feed and I find myself dreaming about meatballs. This guy is super simple and perfect for a family Sunday supper. I’m going to double the meatball portion and freeze half so I have fresh meatballs, in my freezer, for a meal down the road.
Monday, November 18th – Skillet Beans and Rice with Kielbasa Sausage – I think all Mondays should be one pot wonder nights. No one has the energy to do anything complicated on a Monday night. I will sub brown rice for the white and possibly chicken sausage for kielbasa to cut down on the calories.
Tuesday, November 19th – Trader Joe’s Asparagus Risotto with Skillet Chicken – If only Trader Joe’s delivered. Can we start a petition to make that happen? Until then, just add this to your list. Perfect dressed up freezer to table meal. I like to cook my risotto in the pan, not the microwave, but either is fine. Pair with my infamous skillet chicken – recipe below!
Perfectly Cooked Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
- Heat pan over medium/high heat for two minutes. Add oil. (If you have time, let your chicken come to room temp, about fifteen minutes on the counter )
- Pat dry chicken. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder on both sides. Add chicken to pan. Let it cook for 4 minutes – do not flip chicken until it's nice and golden brown. In order to obtain this nice crust you need the heat to be medium/high. After four minutes, flip breast and cook for another 3 minutes, without touching!
- Turn heat down to low, cover pan with lid allowing an inch or so opening for heat to escape. Cook chicken, mostly covered, for 10 – 13 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken!
Wednesday, November 20th – Pizza Chicken Bake – Rotisserie chicken, jarred marinara AND you can half the recipe to create an “adult” side and a “kid” side. Win, win. Oh, and under 400 calories. Big fan. Huge.
Thursday, November 21st – Fast & Easy Garlic Butter Chicken with Skinnytaste Scalloped Potatoes – Everyone will be full on this night – even the pickiest of eaters. Who knew low calorie scalloped potatoes even existed? My prayers have been answered.
Friday, November 22nd – Ava’s Favorite Chicken Burgers with Grilled Okra – It’s Friday. Burgers are aalways a good idea on Fridays. Toss some french fries in the oven for the kids. By kids I mean the adults. It’s called balance.
Ava’s Favorite Chicken Burger Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup basil mayo 1/4 cup light mayo, mixed with 1/4 cup chopped , fresh basil
- 2 tsp horseradish
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Mix ground chicken with cheese, basil mayo, horseradish, salt and pepper. Form round shape patties – about a 1/2 cup of the mixture per patty. Spray pan with cooking spray. Over medium heat, cook patties for about 4 – 5 minutes. Flip, cook for another 4 minutes or
until cooked thru.
Grilled Okra
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh okra
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse okra and pat dry. You can choose to cut your okra into 1/2 inch pieces, or leave them whole. I usually cut mine for the kids but I love them either way. If you are feeling crazy, do a little bit of both. Place okra on sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve immediately. If you are looking to spice things up, sprinkle a little cayenne before baking!
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