Week 44 |
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Notes for this week |
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Day 1 |
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| Basil Lime Chicken | Tropical Fruit Salad | Tex-Mex Confetti Rice |
Day 2 |
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| Chipped Beef Gravy over Biscuits | Cantaloupe | Yogurt |
Day 3 |
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| Tex-Mex Chicken Corn Chowder | Crusty Bread | Salad |
Day 4 |
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| Burrito Casserole | Grapes | Tortilla Chips & Guacamole |
Day 5 |
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| Creamy Balsamic Meatballs | Egg Noodles | Steamed Asparagus |
🗓️ Day 1
- Basil Lime Chicken
- 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 tablespoon dried basil)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon 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.
Adapted from Basil Lime Chicken at GoodenessGracious.com.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 233 calCarbohydrates: 4 gProtein: 27 gFat: 12 gSodium: 779 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 1 g
Basil Lime Chicken Permalink
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
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- 2 bananas, sliced
- 1 cup grapes, cut in half
- 2 cups pineapple chunks, drained (reserve juice)
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Mix everything except reserved juice and brown sugar in a medium sized bowl.
- Mix the brown sugar and 2 to 3 tablespoon of the reserved pineapple juice and pour over fruit. Toss gently to coat.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 231 calCarbohydrates: 44 gProtein: 4 gFat: 7 gSodium: 10 mgFiber: 5 gSugar: 35 g
Tropical Fruit Salad Permalink
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 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon 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 per serving
Calories: 199 calCarbohydrates: 41 gProtein: 8 gFat: 1 gSodium: 667 mgFiber: 7 gSugar: 4 g
🗓️ Day 2
- 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 tablespoon butter
- 4 tablespoon flour
- 4 cups milk
- 2 teaspoon 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 per serving
Calories: 226 calCarbohydrates: 13 gProtein: 11 gFat: 14 gSodium: 1211 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 10 g
Chipped Beef Gravy Permalink
Easy Buttermilk Biscuits
These 3 ingredient buttermilk biscuits from scratch yield consistent, delicious results.
Ingredients
- 4 cups self-rising flour
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1-½ 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 tablespoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon 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 per serving
Serving: 1 biscuitCalories: 135 calCarbohydrates: 18 gProtein: 3 gFat: 5 gSodium: 47 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 1 g
Easy Buttermilk Biscuits Permalink
🗓️ Day 3
- Tex-Mex Chicken Corn Chowder
- 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 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon 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 per serving
Calories: 510 calCarbohydrates: 32 gProtein: 23 gFat: 35 gSodium: 1034 mgFiber: 3 gSugar: 6 g
Tex-Mex Chicken Corn Chowder Permalink
🗓️ Day 4
- Burrito Casserole
- Grapes
- Tortilla Chips and Guacamole
Easy Frozen Burrito Casserole
Dress up frozen burritos with Easy Frozen Burrito Casserole. It goes beyond just making frozen burritos taste better - it will actually become a family favorite!
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 per serving
Serving: 1 burritoCalories: 359 calCarbohydrates: 39 gProtein: 16 gFat: 15 gSodium: 676 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 1 g
Easy Frozen Burrito Casserole Permalink
Easy Homemade Guacamole Step By Step
Homemade guacamole is easy to make from fresh ingredients and enhances the taste of tacos, nachos, tostados, and more! It also makes a great gluten-free and vegan dip for parties or game night. Follow our easy step by step instructions with images to make it.
Ingredients
- 4 ripe avocados
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon lime zest
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Cut each avocado in half lengthwise, then cut in half lengthwise again. With each cut, take the knife all the way to the pit and, with the avocado on the cutting board and the knife horizontal and parallel to the cutting board, rotate the avocado carefully while holding the knife in place. If the avocado is ripe, it should be fairly easy to cut through.
- Take the quarters apart and remove the pit by gently twisting with your fingers.
- Peel each section of avocado.
- Cube each avocado quarter, place in a medium bowl, and mash gently, leaving some chunks.
- Add remaining guacamole ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Adjust seasonings to taste and serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
Always wear gloves when working jalepenos, and wash your hands carefully before touching your face. If you don't have plastic gloves, this is a great way to reuse grocery store produce bags.
Choosing avocados: For immediate use, avocados should be firm but have some give when you squeeze them gently in the palm of your hand. I usually buy the Hass variety, which turns darker as they ripen (other varieties may not darken with ripeness). The color of this variety in addition to the feel when you give them a gentle squeeze will help you determine the level of ripeness. If you end up with unripe fruit that you need to use, you can hasten ripening by putting them in a paper bag and rolling down the top. Leave them in the bag at room temperature until they ripen, checking them each day with a gentle squeeze.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 114 calCarbohydrates: 7 gProtein: 2 gFat: 10 gSodium: 200 mgFiber: 5 gSugar: 1 g
Easy Homemade Guacamole Step By Step Permalink
🗓️ Day 5
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- 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 pound cooked meatballs, homemade or purchased
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 12 ounces egg noodles, cooked
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.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 595 calCarbohydrates: 43 gProtein: 22 gFat: 37 gSodium: 105 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 2 g
Creamy Balsamic Meatballs Permalink
Bulk Meatballs
Ingredients
- 5 lbs. ground beef
- 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- ¼ cup steak sauce or Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon 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 per serving
Calories: 183 calCarbohydrates: 5 gProtein: 25 gFat: 6 gSodium: 476 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 1 g
Bulk Meatballs Permalink
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