Monday a good friend of mine Kendra came over and we cooked all day. Prepping meals for when little man arrives. I had been planning to pre-cook some meals for when baby arrived, It would be one less thing I would have to worry about. We really don't want to eat take-out those first few weeks. The special thing about this cooking session is that Kendra helped me cook three years ago and prep meals for Ava. This time around we weren't just prepping meals for me but also for Kendra who is expecting her first baby in December. We had so much fun chopping, prepping, and talking. We cooked a total of 7 meals in one day.
All of the recipes we used:
- 1 London Broil or top round roast (about 2 lbs)
- 1 diced onion
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce – Use just 1 pepper!! (It’s in a can.)
- 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder (you can adjust this according to your taste)
- Add all the above ingredients into a freezer bag.
- When you are ready to cook the meal, dump the contents of the bag into the crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-7 hours Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-7 hours.
- When the meat is cooked, you will need to strain the juices and add the juice back to the slow cooker. (You want to remove the peppercorns and onions.) Shred the meat and add back to the juice in the slow cooker for about 30 minutes. This is one of our favorite recipes. My kids eat it as long as we have leftovers.
* If you like the taste of chipotle but not the spiciness, you can remove the seeds.
You will also need:
- 16 burrito sized flour tortillas
- Anything else you like on burritos – cream, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.
We also like to add
Cilantro Lime Rice to our burritos. All you need to do is make some white rice and add lime juice, cilantro, and salt.
- 2 peppers (your favorite)
- 1 onion
- 1 1/2 pound chicken breast
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- taco seasoning packet
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. salt
You will also need tortillas, cheese, cream, etc.
Directions
- Put all the ingredients in a large freezer bag. (Make sure you label the bag with instructions.)
- When it’s time to cook it, dump it all in your slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours.
- When it’s cooked, shred the meat and add it back to the pepper mixture and serve on warm tortillas and your favorite toppings.
That’s it! I actually did this in about 45 minutes! Since we also like to eat rice with a few of these dinners, I like to make a large batch at the beginning of the week and heated up what we need. Some of these meals make enough food so you can eat them for leftovers. We used the leftover chicken fajita meat to make fajita quesadillas.
(serves 4-5)
- 1 whole chicken (4-5 pounds)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 whole garlic cloves
- 3-4 potatoes, quartered (Don’t put in the freezer bag)
Instructions:
- Mix all the dry spices together. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken, and under the skin of the breast.
- Add 4 whole garlic cloves inside the bird.
- Put in the freezer bag.
Write the following instructions on the bag:
- Quarter 3-4 potatoes and loosely wrap them in a few foil balls.
- Place them at the bottom of the crock pot and put the chicken on top of the potatoes.
- Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.
Honey Rosemary Chicken
IN THE BAG- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite sized pieces, 1/3 c balsamic vinegar, 1/3 c honey, 1/3 c olive oil, 3 T chopped fresh rosemary, 1 t salt. Let marinate for several hours in the refrigerator before freezing.
TO COOK- Let defrost completely in the fridge. Add 1 cup of water and the contents of the bag to the crockpot. Then cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Ten minutes before serving, add cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
TO SERVE- Serve over couscous (or rice). Be generous with the sauce as you ladle- it’s fabulous.
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients:
* 2 cups shredded cooked chicken or chopped raw chicken
* 1 large green pepper, chopped
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1 cup salsa
* 1 can chunk pineapple with juice
* pinch of salt
Directions:
* Chop veggies and if necessary, chicken.
* Dump all ingredients into a zip top freezer bag. Freeze flat.
* Thaw the night before using.
* Dump thawed bag into crockpot. If using cooked chicken, cook in crockpot for 2-4 hours on low. If using raw chicken, cook in crockpot 4 hour on high or 8 hours on low.
* Serve over rice or noodles.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs, (see Tip)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 16-ounce or 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed
1 3/4 cups low-fat milk, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 ounces (2 cups) whole-wheat elbow macaroni, or penne
Preparation
1. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat an 8-inch-square (2-quart) baking dish with
cooking spray.
2. Mix breadcrumbs, oil and paprika in a small bowl. Place spinach in a fine-mesh strainer and press out excess
moisture.
3. Heat 1 1/2 cups milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming. Whisk remaining 1/4
cup milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth; add to the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the
sauce simmers and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar until melted. Stir in cottage
cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
4. Cook pasta for 4 minutes, or until not quite tender. (It will continue to cook during baking.) Drain and add to the
cheese sauce; mix well. Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the spinach on top.
Top with the remaining pasta; sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture.
5. Bake the casserole until bubbly and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
Tips & Notes
Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 4. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator, if necessary, then bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
Tip: To make fresh breadcrumbs, trim crusts from whole-wheat bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a
food processor until coarse crumbs form. One slice of bread makes about 1/2 cup fresh crumbs. For dry
breadcrumbs, spread the fresh crumbs on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F until crispy, about 15 minutes.
One slice of fresh bread makes about 1/3 cup dry crumbs. Or use prepared coarse dry breadcrumbs. We like
Ian's brand labeled “Panko breadcrumbs.” Find them in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets.
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/baked_mac_cheese.html
Ingredients
Classic Lasagna
Meat Sauce
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces hot or sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
2 onions, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
12 ounces mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, (not packed in oil), slivered
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
Pasta & Cheese Filling
12 whole-wheat lasagna noodles, (12 ounces)
2 cups nonfat ricotta cheese
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Ground nutmeg, to taste
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Preparation
1. To prepare meat sauce: Heat oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and
cook, breaking up clumps, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and carrot; cook,
stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring
frequently, until mushroom liquid evaporates, 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Stir in wine, plum tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, basil, thyme and crushed red pepper. Bring to a
simmer; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring
frequently, until the sauce is very thick, 30 to 45 minutes more. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
3. To prepare filling & assemble lasagna: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
4. Cook noodles until just tender, about 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain, then cool by
plunging noodles into a large bowl of ice-cold water. Lay the noodles out on kitchen towels.
5. Season ricotta with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Spread about 1 1/2 cups meat sauce in the prepared pan. Layer 3 noodles on top. Spread another 1 cup sauce over the noodles. Dot about 2/3 cup ricotta over the sauce, then
sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Continue layering the noodles, sauce and
cheeses, finishing with the sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan. Sprinkle with parsley; cover with foil.
6. Bake the lasagna until the sauce is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, 5 to 10 minutes
more. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.
Tips & Notes
Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 5. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw before baking.
Let me know if anyone if anyone has tried these recipes or if you plan on it.
Cheers.
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