Week 23 Summary |
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Notes for this week |
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Day 1 |
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| Spinach and Ground Beef Stuffed Shells | Peas and Carrots | |
Day 2 |
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| Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings | Zucchini and Tomatoes | |
Day 3 |
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| Taco Macaroni | Southwestern-style Salad | |
Day 4 |
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| Crockpot Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers | Green Beans | |
Day 5 |
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| Greek Pizza | Broccoli Salad | |
🗓️ Day 1
- Spinach and Ground Beef Stuffed Shells
- Peas and Carrots
Spinach & Ground Beef Stuffed Shells
Stock your freezer with a pan of homemade stuffed shells with ground beef, spinach, onion, and garlic, and enjoy the other pan for dinner tonight.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 oz bag fresh spinach
- 1 cup water
- 2 lbs. ricotta cheese
- 1 cup Italian blend cheese, shredded
- 12 oz jumbo pasta shells, cooked according to package directions
- 56 oz pasta sauce
Instructions
- Brown the beef with the onion and garlic in a skillet.
- Cook the spinach in a pot with 1 cup water until soft and wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Drain spinach and squeeze out any excess water. Chop the spinach.
- Mix the beef, spinach, ricotta, and Italian cheese together. Fill each cooked shell with the mixture.
- Spread a bit of sauce from 1 jar of sauce on the bottom of a 9 x13 inch pan. Place half the stuffed shells in the baking dish. Cover with remaining sauce from the open jar.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.
- Place the other half of the shells on a flat sheet and freeze. When frozen, place in a freezer container, label with “Stuffed Shells: Thaw, place in pan and cover with foil, and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes”, and return to freezer. Save unopened jar of sauce in the pantry for use with frozen shells.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 486 calCarbohydrates: 39 gProtein: 28 gFat: 25 gSodium: 986 mgFiber: 4 gSugar: 8 g
Spinach & Ground Beef Stuffed Shells Permalink
🗓️ Day 2
- Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
- Zucchini and Tomatoes
Easy Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings
This easy and delicious crockpot chicken and dumplings with canned biscuits is a family favorite. The rich, creamy sauce with shredded, tender chicken is a winning combination even before adding the dumplings. Using cream of chicken soup and canned biscuits make this yummy dinner so easy to prepare that makes it look like I'm a great cook with virtually no effort.
Ingredients
- 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoon butter, softened
- 21 oz condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth plus extra for thinning
- 1 onion, diced
- 6 refrigerator biscuits, from can
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- salt & pepper to taste, if needed
Instructions
- Spray a large slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken in bottom of crock pot.
- In a medium bowl, mix together butter, soup, broth, onions, and parsley. Pour over chicken.
- Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours.
- After cooking time has elapsed, turn off slow cooker and break chicken into pieces using a fork. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut each biscuit into 9 pieces.
- Stir biscuit pieces into hot chicken mixture.
- Turn crock pot back on to high and continue cooking for 30 minutes. If your mixture is too thick when you add the biscuits, add about ½ to 1 cup of hot chicken broth or water to thin the mixture.
- Add salt & pepper to taste if needed.
- Serve hot garnished with parsley if desired.
Notes
You can give this dish some extra color by adding 12 oz. of fresh or frozen vegetables at the beginning (like peas and carrots).
If you like extra flavor, add poultry seasoning at the beginning as desired.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 255 calCarbohydrates: 17 gProtein: 18 gFat: 12 gSodium: 983 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 2 g
Easy Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings Permalink
🗓️ Day 3
- Taco Macaroni
- Southwestern-style Salad
30 Minute Taco Macaroni
30 Minute Taco Macaroni is a quick and easy stovetop meal that is even easier if you keep taco-seasoned cooked ground beef in the freezer.
Ingredients
- 16 oz elbow macaroni
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 2 tbsp. taco seasoning mix
- ⅓ cup water
- ½ onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 10 oz Rotel tomatoes and green chilies, drained
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Brown ground beef in a skillet with onion and garlic.
- Add taco seasoning mix and ⅓ cup of water and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, water, milk, Rotel, salt, pepper, and cooked pasta. Stir in cheese and serve warm.
Notes
If you already have taco-seasoned ground beef in the freezer, this recipe can be done in about 15 minutes. If you don't have any stockpiled, go ahead and cook extra tonight and freeze it. Cooking 5 lbs. ground beef and seasoning it for the freezer takes less time than making 1 lb. ground beef 5 times and seasoning it for each recipe.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 437 calCarbohydrates: 48 gProtein: 22 gFat: 17 gSodium: 738 mgFiber: 3 gSugar: 4 g
30 Minute Taco Macaroni Permalink
Taco Seasoning Mix
Making your own spice mixes is cost effective and easy, and you know exactly what is in the mix. When preparing taco meat with this taco seasoning mix, cook the ground beef then add 2 Tbsp. of mix with ⅓ cup of water per pound of meat. Simmer for about two minutes, stirring as it cooks.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup dried minced onion
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 3 tablespoon salt
- 4 tsp. cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp. beef bouillon granules
- 1 ½ tsp. dried oregano
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 year.
Notes
- This recipe makes enough seasoning for 8 lbs. of ground beef. Nutrition data is for a portion to season a pound of meat.
- When preparing taco meat: brown ground beef in a skillet and drain. For each pound of beef, add 2 tablespoon of the taco seasoning mix and ⅓ cup of water. Bring to a boil, then cook and stir for two minutes.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 28 calCarbohydrates: 6 gSodium: 2931 mgFiber: 1 g
Taco Seasoning Mix Permalink
🗓️ Day 4
- Crockpot Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Green Beans
Easy Southwestern Stuffed Peppers with Cheese {Slow Cooker}
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers make a classic dish with a Tex-Mex twist even easier, and you can prepare everything the night before to save time in the morning. The filling freezes well, so if you’d like you can double the filling recipe and stock your freezer.
Ingredients
- 15 ounces red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 12 ounces frozen corn, thawed
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup salsa
- ¼ cup onion, chopped
- 1 ½ cups cooked rice
- 1 teaspoon A-1 or Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 6 medium bell peppers, any color with seeds and tops removed
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine beans, corn, tomatoes, salsa, onion, cooked rice, A-1 or Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and 1 ¾ cups of cheese.
- Stuff peppers with vegetable mixture. Place peppers in slow cooker, cover, and cook on low 6-8 hours (high: 3-4 hours).
- During the last 30 minutes of cooking time, sprinkle with remaining cheese and allow cheese to melt.
Video
Notes
The prep work for this dish can all be done the night before; just put the stuffed peppers into the slow cooker in the morning, turn it on and go.
The filling for the stuffed bell peppers freezes well, so if you'd like you can double just the filling ingredients and freeze a batch for later. Label with "Stuffed Bell Pepper Filling: Thaw and stuff 6 seeded bell peppers with vegetable mixture. Place in slow cooker, cover, and cook on low 6-8 hours (high: 3-4 hours). During the last 30 minutes of cooking time, sprinkle with ¼ cup of cheese and allow cheese to melt."
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 391 calCarbohydrates: 51 gProtein: 20 gFat: 14 gSodium: 432 mgFiber: 10 gSugar: 6 g
Easy Southwestern Stuffed Peppers with Cheese {Slow Cooker} Permalink
🗓️ Day 5
- Greek Pizza
- Broccoli Salad
Greek Pizza
Fresh tomatoes and spinach combine with onion slices and feta cheese to make delicious homemade Greek Pizza.
Ingredients
- 1 prepared pizza crust
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt or adobo seasoning
- 1 bag baby spinach
- 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 oz feta cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Prepare pizza crust on baking surface. Place ingredients on crust in the order listed.
- Bake until hot and bubbly, about 10 minutes if the crust is pre-baked, longer if the crust is not cooked.
Notes
If you are a fan of olives, you can add sliced black olives.
Leftover roasted chicken can be shredded and added, but be prepared to eat with a fork if you opt for this addition.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 409 calCarbohydrates: 39 gProtein: 19 gFat: 20 gSodium: 1029 mgFiber: 3 gSugar: 4 g
Greek Pizza Permalink
Broccoli Salad
Broccoli Salad is a nice alternative to a side salad. It’s quick and easy when you use the bags of fresh broccoli florets available at the supermarket, but be sure to allow time for the salad to chill.
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
- ¾ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 Tbsp. onion, chopped
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 ½ Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 6 strips turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the first 3 ingredients and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the mayo, sugar, and vinegar. Pour over the broccoli mixture and mix gently to coat. Chill for at least 4 hours.
- Add bacon crumbles just before serving.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 361 calCarbohydrates: 15 gProtein: 9 gFat: 29 gSodium: 601 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 12 g
Broccoli Salad Permalink
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