Week 38 |
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Notes for this week |
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Day 1 |
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Baked Skillet Chicken | Sugar Snap Peas | Glazed Baby Carrots |
Day 2 |
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Three Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine | Spinach Salad | |
Day 3 |
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Cheese & Onion Enchiladas | Pan Sautéed Zucchini and Onions | |
Day 4 |
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Tortellini Zucchini Soup | Crusty Bread | Green Salad |
Day 5 |
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Tuna Cheese Melts | Celery Sticks | Applesauce |
Day 1 Dinner Menu
- Baked Skillet Chicken (make enough for tonight and Three Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine on Day 2)
- Sugar Snap Peas
- Glazed Baby Carrots
Baked Skillet Chicken
Savory seasonings and a quick sear make this easy baked chicken delicious. It is a great meal to double and serve half for dinner and chop and freeze the other half—cooked chicken in the freezer makes soups, stews, casseroles, and stir fry quick and easy.
Ingredients
- 1-½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
Rub
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mix spices in a small bowl. Rub seasoning mix onto chicken to coat.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken 2 minutes per side.
- Place in a lightly sprayed baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until juices run clear.
- Let the chicken sit on a plate 5-10 minutes before serving. Chop, cube or shred any extras to restock your freezer with cooked chicken.
Notes
If you have an oven-safe skillet, this can go straight into the oven after searing without changing pans. You may want to add a little extra olive oil to avoid burning if you are baking it in the same skillet you use for searing.
Nutrition
Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 11g | Sodium: 489mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g
Baked Skillet Chicken Permalink
Glazed Baby Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 lb. baby carrots
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Cook carrots by steaming to your tenderness preference. Place remaining ingredients in a serving bowl, and when carrots are done, add to bowl while still hot. Toss gently until coated with glaze.
Nutrition
Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 115mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Net Carbs: 15g
Glazed Baby Carrots Permalink
Day 2 Dinner Menu
- Three Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine (use chicken from Day 1)
- Spinach Salad
Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta
Fresh vegetables and pasta give leftover cooked chicken new life in this satisfying meal.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. pkg. penne pasta, cooked and drained
- 1 tsp olive oil
- cooking spray
- 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 12 oz. bag fresh baby spinach, chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 16 oz. container cottage cheese
- 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- ½ cup milk
- 10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Sauté mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper in olive oil over medium high heat until tender. Add spinach, oregano, and pepper. Heat 2-3 minutes or until spinach wilts. Remove from heat.
- Combine cream of chicken soup and milk in a large bowl and mix well. Add cottage cheese, vegetables, cooked pasta, chicken, and spinach mixture with ¾ cup cheddar cheese and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Stir gently until thoroughly mixed, then turn out into a baking dish prepared with cooking spray.
- Sprinkle top with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and ¼ cup cheddar cheese. Bake for about 25 minutes until bubbly.
Notes
If you follow our bulk cooking the easy way method, this is a good dish to use cooked chicken from the freezer.
Nutrition
Calories: 508kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 20g | Sodium: 963mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Net Carbs: 39g
Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Permalink
Day 3 Dinner Menu
- Cheese & Onion Enchiladas (make extra to stock freezer)
- Pan Sautéed Zucchini and Onions (make enough for tonight and for the soup on Day 4, more if freezing some soup)
Cheese & Onion Enchiladas
Homemade enchiladas are deliciously cheesy with rich flavor from the traditional corn tortillas.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch green onions, divided
- 2 C. sour cream
- 4 C. Mexican Blend Cheese, shredded
- 1-½ recipes homemade enchilada sauce, divided
- 8 small corn tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Chop green onions, reserving 2 chopped onions.
- Mix all but the 2 reserved onions with the sour cream and 2 cups of the Mexican cheese.
- Pour ⅓ of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x12 pan.
- Fill each tortilla with an even amount of the cheese mixture, spooning it down the center line of the tortilla. Fold the two unfilled sides to the center, overlapping them, and place the enchilada folded side down in the baking pan. (If the tortillas are too stiff to fold, you can heat them in the microwave under a damp paper towel or carefully steam them for a few seconds over boiling water.)
- Pour the remaining sauce over enchiladas in pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.
- Top with cheese and reserved green onions and bake until cheese is melted over the top (about 10 more minutes).
Notes
If available, try a more authentic cheese by using Oaxaca cheese (also called quesilla), a white cheese that melts easily with a creamy texture that is often used as filling in Mexican dishes. Queso quesadilla, labeled quesadilla cheese in English, is another creamy white cheese that melts easily.
Nutrition
Calories: 621kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 46g | Sodium: 1306mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Net Carbs: 18g
Cheese & Onion Enchiladas Permalink
Enchilada Sauce
This enchilada sauce is quick and easy to make and is less expensive than store-bought enchilada sauce. Serve it with burritos or enchiladas for a delicious inexpensive meal.
Ingredients
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ Tbsp garlic powder
- ½-1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- cumin to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and let simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes to combine the flavors.
Notes
Nutrition data is for entire recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 138kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2258mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 18g | Net Carbs: 23g
Enchilada Sauce Permalink
Day 4 Dinner Menu
- Tortellini Zucchini Soup (use sautéed zucchini and onions from Day 3; make extra to freeze)
- Crusty Bread
- Green Salad
Tortellini Zucchini Soup
Tortellini Zucchini Soup is an easy 20 minute soup that is good to the last drop—so good that you might need to double the recipe! It freezes well, so it’s a good dish to stock your freezer.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 zucchini, diced
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 medium bay leaf
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 19 ounce bag frozen tortellini, cheese or meat
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
Instructions
If preparing to serve:
- In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onion and zucchini in the olive oil until onion is translucent and zucchini is tender.
- Add the stock, basil, bay leaf, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Stir and heat to a simmer.
- Add tortellini and bring back to a simmer. Cook for 8 minutes or until tortellini is tender and cooked through. Add parsley and stir just before serving.
If preparing to freeze:
- Sauté the onion and zucchini in the olive oil until the onion is translucent and zucchini is tender. Remove onion and zucchini from heat and combine with all ingredients except stock in a freezer container.
- Freeze and label each container with the following instructions: "Bring 6 cups of stock to a boil. Add frozen ingredients and stir gently until thawed. Heat to a boil and cook for 8 minutes or until tortellini is tender and cooked through."
Notes
Vegetarian: Using vegetable stock, this soup is vegetarian so no adaptations are needed.
Gluten-free: If you would like to make a gluten-free version, you could substitute gluten-free pasta like Udi's gluten-free ravioli. Be sure to adjust the cooking time if you use pasta other than tortellini.
If you'd like, add fresh spinach for extra nutrients.
Nutrition facts are using cheese tortellini.
Nutrition
Calories: 470kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 15g | Sodium: 1302mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 15g | Net Carbs: 55g
Tortellini Zucchini Soup Permalink
Day 5 Dinner Menu
- Tuna Cheese Melts
- Celery Sticks
- Applesauce
Tuna Cheese Melts
These tuna cheese melts are perfect for evenings when you need a quick and easy dinner. If you have a toaster oven, you don't even need to use your oven!
Ingredients
- 10 oz canned white tuna, chunked and drained
- 1 Tbsp onions, chopped
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 ½ Tbsp pickle relish
- 8 slices whole grain bread, toasted
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
Instructions
- Preheat broiler. Toast bread; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine tuna, mayonnaise, onion, and pickle relish; mix well. Top 4 of the slices of bread with tuna mixture.
- Place cheese slices over the tuna and lightly broil until cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Top with remaining bread slices and serve.
Notes
Nutrition facts use tuna packed in water.
Nutrition
Calories: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 31g | Sodium: 572mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Net Carbs: 4g
Tuna Cheese Melts Permalink
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