Week 10
The Carne Guisada for Monday takes a little bit of attention while it cooks if you are using the slow cooker (the Instant Pot method can be made at dinner time), so if you are not at home during the day it can be made on Sunday and reheated. It gets better the longer it sits, so it may actually be preferable to make it a day ahead.
Day 1
- Carne Guisada
- Tortillas
- Salad
Day 2
- Pasta with Homemade Pesto
- Slow Simmered Green Beans
- Crusty Bread
Day 3
- Greek Chicken
- Couscous
- Steamed Broccoli
Day 4
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Salad
Day 5
- Tex-Mex Beef Casserole
- Mexi-corn
Day 1 Dinner Menu
The recipe for Carne Guisada below is for the slow cooker, but you can use the step by step instructions for Carne Guisada in the Instant Pot if you have an electric pressure cooker.
- Carne Guisada (save leftovers)
- Tortillas
- Salad
Carne Guisada for the Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- ¼ cup water
- 4 lbs beef stew meat
- salt and pepper to taste
- 28 oz canned diced tomatoes with green chilies or plain diced tomatoes, reserve juices
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 T. flour
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp oregano
- 1 tsp chili powder
Garnishes:
- fresh cilantro
- grated cheese
- pico de gallo
- sour cream
Instructions
- Put water in slow cooker and add meat. Salt and pepper as desired.
- Drain juice from tomatoes with green chilies into a 2 cup measuring cup and place tomatoes with green chilies over meat. Add garlic, onion, and green pepper. Cook on high for about 30 minutes.
- Add spices to slow cooker and stir. Add enough water to the reserved juice from tomatoes with green chilies to make 1-½ cups liquid.
- Heat liquid in microwave or on stovetop. Add flour to liquid and mix well. Add flour mixture to slow cooker and stir to blend well.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours until sauce is thickened and meat is tender.
Notes
- These instructions are for making Carne Guisada in the slow cooker; you can find the instructions for the Instant Pot here.
- If you prefer mild vs. spicy food, substitute canned tomatoes for the tomatoes with green chilies.
- Leftovers from Carne Guisada can be used to make beef enchiladas, Tex-Mex Beef Casserole, or burritos.
- Garnishes not included in nutrition data.
Nutrition
Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 6g | Sodium: 72mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Net Carbs: 3g
Carne Guisada for the Slow Cooker Permalink
Day 2 Dinner Menu
If you are short on time or do not have access to fresh basil, you can purchase prepared pesto instead of making it from scratch. Pesto in the deli section of the grocery store is fresher and better tasting than shelf-stable pesto.
- Pasta with Homemade Pesto
- Slow Simmered Green Beans
- Crusty Bread
Pasta with Homemade Pesto
Delicious homemade pesto is easy to make and needs no cooking, just blending, and it is ready by the time the pasta is done cooking.
Ingredients
- 16 oz rigatoni
- 1 recipe homemade pesto
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Instructions
- Boil the pasta. Drain and rinse.
- Add homemade pesto and toss to coat.
- Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 395kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 19g | Sodium: 154mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Net Carbs: 42g
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Homemade Pesto
Delicious homemade pesto is easy to make and needs no cooking, just blending.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed, stems removed, and packed into cup
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp pine nuts
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
Instructions
- Place basil leaves in small batches into a food processor and process until well chopped.
- Add about ⅓ of the nuts and garlic and blend again.
- Add about ⅓ of the cheese and blend slowly while adding about ⅓ of the olive oil.
- Stop to scrape food processor contents down the sides of container towards the bottom. Process until a smooth thick paste is formed.
- Repeat process until all ingredients are used.
Notes
Pesto freezes well, so if you would like to make this in bulk, you can freeze the extra pesto for later use.
Nutrition data is for entire recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 1278kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 135g | Sodium: 407mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Net Carbs: 7g
Homemade Pesto Permalink
Day 3 Dinner Menu
Save the leftover chicken from Greek Chicken to use in the Chicken Pot Pie on Day 4. You will also need chicken broth for the pot pie, and you can make an easy broth using the carcass from the Greek Chicken. Just pick the chicken from the bones and save, remove the lemons, and put the carcass back into the slow cooker (no need to wash the slow cooker). Barely cover it with water (the less water you use, the more flavorful the broth), and cook on low overnight. In the morning, strain the broth and put it in the refrigerator. The fat will rise to the top and by evening you will be able to skim it off and use the broth.
- Greek Chicken (save leftovers)
- Couscous
- Steamed Broccoli
Greek Chicken
This easy crockpot Greek chicken recipe is a good way to make chicken to restock the freezer, and it can also be made in the air fryer. It makes a delicious meal and freezes well to use in recipes calling for cooked chicken.
Ingredients
- 5 lbs whole roasting chicken, rinsed and patted dry
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary or 2 tsp dried
- 3 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 lemon
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Rinse chicken and pat dry.
- Cut lemon and squeeze juice into a small bowl. Add oil, rosemary, and garlic to lemon juice. Place lemon pieces into chicken cavity.
Crockpot Greek Chicken Instructions
- Lightly spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place prepared chicken in slow cooker.
- Brush lemon dressing over entire chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken.
- Cover; cook on low for 6 hours or until internal chicken temperature reaches 165°F.
- Remove chicken from slow cooker onto serving platter; allow to sit for 5 minutes before slicing.
Air Fryer Greek Chicken Instructions
- Prepare the chicken as directed.
- [Depending the style of your air fryer basket, you may need to brush the chicken with the dressing before putting it in the basket, but if possible put the chicken in the basket and then brush it with the dressing (it's less messy that way).]
- Brush lemon dressing over entire chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken.
- Spray the fry basket with cooking spray and place chicken into the basket with the legs facing down.
- Air fry chicken at 330 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Flip chicken. Continue cooking for 20 more minutes (or more as needed based on the size of your chicken) at 330 degrees Fahrenheit or until internal temperature of chicken is 165 degrees.
Nutrition
Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 24g | Sodium: 387mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Net Carbs: 1g
Greek Chicken Permalink
Day 4 Dinner Menu
- Chicken Pot Pie (use leftovers from Day 3)
- Salad
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Pot Pie with a fabulous, flaky double crust and a rich sauce filled with chicken and a medley of vegetables is one of those delicious comfort foods that never goes out of style.
Ingredients
- 12 oz pkg. deep dish pie crusts or homemade equivalent
- ⅓ C butter
- ⅓ C chopped onion
- ⅓ C all purpose flour
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 14 oz can chicken broth or homemade equivalent
- ½ C milk
- 2-½ C cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
- 2 C frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
- Montreal Chicken Seasoning, to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oven 425°F.
- Prepare pie crusts as directed on package for two-crust pie using 9-inch pie pan or prepare your own crusts.
- Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 2 minutes or until tender. Add flour, salt, and pepper; stir until well blended.
- Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened. Add chicken and mixed vegetables; mix well.
- Remove from heat. Spoon chicken mixture into crust-lined pie pan. Top with second crust and seal edges.
- Cut slits in several places in top crust. Bake at 425°F for 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cover edge of crust with strips of foil during last 15-20 minutes of baking if necessary to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Gluten-free version
Making this recipe gluten-free is easier than it seems:
- Gluten-free pie crusts can be found in the freezer section of many grocery stores (or you can make your own).
- Use GF all-purpose flour or cornstarch to thicken the filling. If you use cornstarch to thicken the filling, mix equal parts cornstarch and room temperature broth (do not use heated broth). I usually mix it in a small glass jar with a lid (like an old pimiento jar) and shake it well until the consistency is uniform. Add the mixture to the sauce and heat until thickened, stirring regularly.
- Be sure your chicken broth is gluten-free.
Nutrition
Calories: 537kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 32g | Sodium: 614mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Net Carbs: 38g
Chicken Pot Pie Permalink
Day 5 Dinner Menu
- Tex-Mex Beef Casserole (use Carne Guisada leftovers)
- Salad
Tex-Mex Beef Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cups prepared Carne Guisada
- 30 oz. can refried beans
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 10 oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained
- ½ cup crushed tortilla chips
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
- pico de gallo and cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- In a 9x12 baking dish, layer the rice, refried beans, tomatoes and green chilis, and carne guisada. Sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips and cheese.
- Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with fresh cilantro and pico de gallo.
Notes
For flavor that packs a powerful punch, try adding cumin and garlic salt to the refried beans before adding to the casserole. You can also substitute yellow rice in place of the white rice for even more flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 505kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 17g | Sodium: 1169mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Net Carbs: 41g
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