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Week 15
This week’s meal plan focuses on easy recipes and an opportunity to bulk cook ground beef if you don’t have any in the freezer. We will be using ground beef on Days 1 and 2, so add extra ground beef to your list if your freezer stock is low. If you don’t want to bulk cook for the freezer, you can still cook the beef, onions, and peppers for both days at the same time to cut down on prep.
You can bulk cook it with or without the pepper, onions, and garlic for the freezer (or do a mix of both) depending on how you use your freezer stock. For the most flexibility, bulk cook onions and peppers separately from the ground beef, and freeze them all individually. If you don’t have any cooked chicken in the freezer, you can add extra to your list and cook it in bulk when you prepare for Day 4’s Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake.
Dinner Meal Plan Archive
Day 1
- Cornbread Burger Bake (Rate recipe)
- Pan Sautéed Summer Squash and Zucchini Slices
Day 2
- Chili Cheese Burritos (Rate recipe)
- Spanish Rice
- Southwestern-style Green Salad
Day 3
- Broiled Tilapia (Rate recipe)
- Rice Pilaf
- Steamed Broccoli
Day 4
- Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake (Rate recipe)
- Cottage Cheese with Pineapple
- Green Salad
Day 5
- Chicken Fingers (Rate recipe)
- French Fries
- Frozen Grapes
Day 1 Dinner Menu
- Cornbread Burger Bake (Rate recipe)
- Pan Sautéed Summer Squash and Zucchini Slices
Cornbread Burger Bake
Enjoy this easy casserole make with savory vegetables sautéed with beef and topped with a delicious cornbread topping. Using the secrets of a busy cook makes this even faster to prepare (check out our tips below).
Ingredients
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ c. cornmeal
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 8.25 oz. can cream-style corn, or approx. 1 cup
- ½ c. milk
- 1 Tbsp. oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- ½ c. chopped onion
- ¼ c. chopped green pepper
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 c. grated cheddar cheese
- taco sauce, optional
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the egg, cornmeal, baking soda, corn, milk and oil; mixture will be thin. Set aside.
- Cook the ground beef, onion, green pepper and chili powder in a skillet; drain off any fat.
- Place the meat mixture in a greased 2 quart baking dish. Cover with the grated cheese.
- Pour the cornmeal mixture over the top of everything, spreading evenly.
- Bake at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until cornmeal topping is set.
- Serve with taco sauce if desired.
Notes
Taco sauce is not included in nutrition data.
Nutrition
Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 22g | Sodium: 983mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Net Carbs: 23g
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Day 2 Dinner Menu
- Chili Cheese Burritos (Rate recipe)
- Spanish Rice
- Southwestern-style Green Salad
Chili Cheese Burritos
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 packages chili seasoning or homemade equivalent, to your family’s preference
- 2 C cheddar cheese
- 8 burrito size tortillas
Instructions
- In a large skillet cook ground beef, pepper, onion, and garlic until cooked through.
- Add chili seasoning and mix well.
- Add filling to tortilla, garnish with cheese, and roll up to serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 471kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 20g | Sodium: 666mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Net Carbs: 33g
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Day 3 Dinner Menu
- Broiled Tilapia (Rate recipe)
- Rice Pilaf
- Steamed Broccoli
Broiled Tilapia Parmesan
Broiled Tilapia Parmesan is a delicious and quick dinner using ingredients you can keep on hand.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds frozen tilapia fillets, thawed
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
- 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
- 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- ¼ tsp. dried basil
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp. onion powder
- ⅛ tsp. celery salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven broiler.
- Line pan with foil and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Mix together all ingredients except fish in a small bowl and set aside.
- Arrange fillets in a single layer on prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Flip fillets over and broil for 2 or 3 minutes more.
- Remove fillets from oven and coat with Parmesan mixture on top side. Flip and coat other side. Continue broiling until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 2 minutes more.
Notes
If your fish is frozen, thaw it by placing it in cold water in the sink for about 30 minutes, changing water once.
Nutrition
Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 11g | Sodium: 251mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g
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Day 4 Dinner Menu
- Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake (Rate recipe)
- Cottage Cheese with Pineapple
- Green Salad
Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake
Cheesy Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake is so easy and full of Italian flavor. It's even easier to make if you have cooked chicken and onions stocked in your freezer!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rigatoni, cooked al dente and drained
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, sautéed
- 10 ounce pkg. frozen spinach, thawed
- 3 cups cooked cubed chicken
- 14 ounce can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
- 8 ounce pkg. cream cheese, softened
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly spray bottom of 9x13" baking dish. Drain chopped spinach well, pressing between paper towels.
- In a large mixing bowl, add drained spinach, sautéed onions, cooked rigatoni, cooked chicken, diced tomatoes, cream cheese, salt and pepper; mix together thoroughly.
- Spoon mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over top.
- Cover and bake for 30 minutes; uncover and continue baking 15 minutes longer or until bubbly.
Notes
If you do not have cooked chicken and onions in the freezer, you can sauté those while you are cooking the pasta. Allow time for the cream cheese to soften and the spinach to thaw while you are preparing the pasta, chicken, and onions.
For a vegetarian option, omit the chicken and add sautéed mushrooms and diced red peppers or other vegetables.
Nutrition
Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 20g | Sodium: 507mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Net Carbs: 25g
Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake Permalink
Day 5 Dinner Menu
- Chicken Fingers (Rate recipe)
- French Fries
- Frozen Grapes
Homemade Chicken Fingers
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken pieces
- 1 C. flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- Oil
Instructions
- Cut chicken into strips, rinse with water, leaving a little wet so the flour will stick. Mix together flour, salt, and pepper on a plate.
- Roll chicken in flour so that it is covered. Fry in hot oil in a skillet until cooked through and golden on the outside.
- Drain on a rack above paper towels and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 335mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Net Carbs: 15g
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