Week 44 | ||
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Notes for this week | ||
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Day 1 | ||
| Basil Lime Chicken | Tropical Fruit Salad | Tex-Mex Confetti Rice |
Day 2 | ||
| Chipped Beef Gravy over Biscuits | Cantaloupe | Yogurt |
Day 3 | ||
| Tex-Mex Chicken Corn Chowder | Crusty Bread | Salad |
Day 4 | ||
| Burrito Casserole | Grapes | Tortilla Chips & Guacamole |
Day 5 | ||
| Creamy Balsamic Meatballs | Egg Noodles | Steamed Asparagus |
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Day 1 Dinner Menu
- Basil Lime Chicken (save leftovers for Day 3)
- Tropical Fruit Salad
- Tex-Mex Confetti Rice
Basil Lime Chicken
Tasty marinade with basil, lime, and dijon mustard is the base for delicious grilled Basil Lime Chicken. It's perfect for stocking your freezer with cooked chicken for quick meal prep. The chicken needs to marinate overnight, so be sure to plan ahead.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup lime juice
- ½ cup oil
- ½ cup Dijon mustard
- ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup green onions, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped (or 1 ½ Tbsp dried basil)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients except chicken together thoroughly in a small bowl. Reserve ¼ cup for basting and ¼ cup separately for serving; refrigerate.
- Marinate chicken in remaining marinade overnight.
- Grill over medium heat about 5 minutes, basting occasionally with reserved marinade.
- Flip chicken and baste again. Continue to cook until juices run clear.
- Divide chicken and serve ¼ for the meal and chop ¾ for the freezer.
- Drizzle the marinade you reserved for dipping over the chicken you are serving, or just serve the marinade as a dipping sauce.
Notes
If your chicken breasts are thick, you may want to butterfly them by cutting them in half lengthwise like a filet, which allows for more even cooking. Serve one pound of chicken for dinner and chop the remaining chicken and divide into 3 portions to stock your freezer.
Nutrition
Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 779mg | Potassium: 540mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 55IU | Vitamin C: 5.2mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1.4mg
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Tropical Fruit Salad
Enjoy a taste of the tropics any time of the year with this easy homemade fruit salad.
Ingredients
- 29 oz. mandarin orange sections, drained
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
- 2 bananas, sliced
- 1 cup grapes, cut in half
- 2 cups pineapple chunks, drained (reserve juice)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Mix everything except reserved juice and brown sugar in a medium sized bowl.
- Mix the brown sugar and 2 to 3 tbsp of the reserved pineapple juice and pour over fruit. Toss gently to coat.
Nutrition
Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 516mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 1879IU | Vitamin C: 58mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg
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Tex-Mex Confetti Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup uncooked rice
- 1 small tomato, chopped
- 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
- ½ cup green onion, chopped
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add rice; stir and cover. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
- Fluff rice with fork and add remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until heated through.
Nutrition
Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 667mg | Potassium: 481mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 555IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg
Day 2 Dinner Menu
- Chipped Beef Gravy
- Buttermilk Biscuits
- Cantaloupe
- Yogurt
Chipped Beef Gravy
We love to have breakfast for dinner at our house, and one of our favorites is biscuits and gravy. This creamy chipped beef gravy is delicious over homemade buttermilk biscuits or soft rolls, or you can serve it over toast.
Ingredients
- 4.5 oz jar dried beef
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 4 Tbsp flour
- 4 cups milk
- 2 tsp beef bouillon granules
- dash hot sauce
Instructions
- Soak the dried beef in a bowl of water for about 15 minutes to reduce the saltiness. Drain.
- Tear or cut beef into bite-sized pieces; set aside.
- Melt butter in a large skillet. Over medium heat, stir in flour and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually add milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly with a whisk.
- After all milk has been added, add beef bouillon and hot sauce. Simmer over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until thickened to your preference.
- Add beef and heat through. Serve over buttermilk biscuits or toast.
Notes
Chipped beef gravy is delicious over our easy 3 ingredient buttermilk biscuits.
Nutrition
Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 1211mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 500IU | Calcium: 186mg | Iron: 1mg
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Easy Buttermilk Biscuits
These 3 ingredient buttermilk biscuits from scratch yield consistent, delicious results.
Ingredients
- 4 cups self-rising flour
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
Instructions
- Combine flour and butter, cutting with a fork or using a mixer.
- Stir in buttermilk and mix well. Add more flour if too wet, more buttermilk if too dry.
- When dough is rolling consistency, knead a few times and turn out onto a floured surface. Roll out and cut with a biscuit cutter.
- Bake the biscuits on cookie sheet at 475° until brown, about 15 minutes (time will vary based on thickness).
Notes
If you do not have self-rising flour, you can make your own by combining 4 cups all-purpose flour with 2 Tbsp. baking powder and 1 tsp. salt. Freezing Buttermilk Biscuits You can freeze the biscuits either cooked or uncooked. To freeze uncooked, place the biscuits in a single layer on a cookie sheet or other flat pan and put in the freezer for a few hours or until frozen. When frozen, place the biscuits into a dated freezer container for later use. To freeze cooked biscuits, place biscuits into a dated freezer container for later use. If assembling breakfast sandwiches for the freezer, slice cooked biscuits and fill as desired. Wrap each biscuit with freezer wrap and place biscuits in a freezer container. To cook frozen biscuits: If cooking thawed biscuits, follow normal cooking instructions. To cook frozen biscuits, extend cooking time to about 25 minutes (cooking time will vary with thickness). If reheating cooked biscuits, bake at 350ºF for about 20-25 minutes or until hot. If biscuits begin to brown too much, cover with foil for remaining cooking time. To reheat breakfast sandwiches, wrap breakfast sandwich in a paper towel and heat in microwave for 2 minutes, then flip over and heat for an additional 1-2 minutes until heated through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1biscuit | Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 47mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 152IU | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg
Go to Easy Buttermilk Biscuits postDay 3 Dinner Menu
- Tex-Mex Chicken Corn Chowder (use leftover chicken from Day 1)
- Crusty Bread
- Salad
Tex-Mex Chicken Corn Chowder
This cheesy chicken corn chowder is an easy weeknight meal. If you have leftover chicken, you can have this soup ready in just a few minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken, chopped into bite size pieces
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 1 tsp garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 2 cups half & half
- 3 cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 29.5 oz canned creamed style corn
- 4.5 oz can diced green chilies, drained & rinsed
- 4 oz jar pimientos, diced
- fresh cilantro, chopped
- tortilla chips for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, sauté chicken in oil until cooked through. Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add half & half, cheese, corn, and green chilies. Cook and stir gently over low heat until the cheese is melted, making sure to reduce heat if you notice any sticking on the bottom of the pan. Stir in pimiento.
- Serve immediately. Garnish with tortilla chips and cilantro, if desired.
Notes
If you are using cooked chicken, you only need to sauté it long enough to reheat it so you can add the garlic at the same time you add the chicken.
Nutrition
Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 1034mg | Potassium: 448mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1350IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 516mg | Iron: 2mg
Go to Tex-Mex Chicken Corn Chowder postDay 4 Dinner Menu
- Burrito Casserole
- Grapes
- Tortilla Chips and Guacamole
Easy Frozen Burrito Casserole
Dress up frozen burritos with this tasty recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 pkg frozen bean burritos, 8 count
- 10 oz 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup
- ½ can of milk
- 4 oz diced green chilies
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place frozen burritos in the baking dish.
- Combine soup, milk, and green chilies, mix well and then pour over the burritos. Top with cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375°F for 35-40 minutes or until heated though and cheese is melted.
Notes
Substitute any kind of burritos that you think would be good, and feel free to change the flavor of the cream soup (cream of chicken with chicken enchiladas, for example).
Nutrition
Serving: 1burrito | Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 676mg | Potassium: 245mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 328IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 255mg | Iron: 3mg
Go to Easy Frozen Burrito Casserole postDay 5 Dinner Menu
- Creamy Balsamic Meatballs
- Egg Noodles
- Steamed Asparagus
Creamy Balsamic Meatballs
Balsamic vinegar and heavy cream combine into a surprisingly delicious sauce for meatballs.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. cooked meatballs, homemade or purchased
- 2 Tbsp butter
- ¼ cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Brown meatballs over medium heat or in the oven; set aside.
- Heat butter in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add onion to pan; cook over medium heat until onions are golden.
- Add cream and vinegar and cook on low 2 minutes.
- Add cooked meatballs to pan and cook until heated through.
- Serve over cooked egg noodles or rice.
Notes
Noodles are not included in calorie calculation.
Nutrition
Calories: 377kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 93mg | Potassium: 262mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 700IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 0.7mg
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Bulk Meatballs
Ingredients
- 5 lbs. ground beef
- 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup steak sauce or Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. basil
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. garlic salt
- 1 tsp. onion powder
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in large bowl by using your hands. (Yes, it's easiest to just get messy and mix away!) If your mixture is a little too dry add a little more steak sauce or Worcestershire sauce. If your mixture is a little too moist, add a little more bread crumbs.
- Shape into 1 inch balls. Place on foil lined baking sheets with a shallow rim to prevent drips and bake at 350°F for about 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs.
- Allow to cool. Divide into 5 portions in labeled, freezer safe containers.
Notes
You can also make vegetarian meatballs with this recipe—check out the vegetarian meatball recipe, which I use in any recipe calling for meatballs. You can grill instead of baking if you use a grate that prevents meatballs from falling through.
Nutrition
Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 476mg | Potassium: 443mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 3.2mg
Go to Bulk Meatballs postCreate a Shopping List
Note that any recipe scaling from the recipes above does not carry over to the starting point for the grocery list, so you will need to make those same serving adjustments below after you click the Shopping List button. To print the notes for each day, after clicking the Shopping List button, click Print Collection.
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