Pre-baby Meal Prep
I didn’t do much planning in the food department before I had Jax, but this time I’d really like to plan ahead some meals so that we’re not scrounging or ordering take out every single night.
Some ideas I had for meals that freeze well are: lasagne, meatballs and/or bolognese sauce, cooked sausages and onions/peppers to just heat up (although I’m not sure how that freezes - anyone???), a few different types of quiches, black bean and rice casserole, chicken parmesan, enchiladas and/or burritos….
Any other ideas?? It’s very hot here and all of these dishes seem very heavy and hearty. I’d love some lighter fare, but can’t really think of anything that would freeze well. Can you?
ground beef(or turkey) and rice (I have a recipe) to use in stuffed peppers or soft tacos, or even a taco salad. I did 2 huge batches of that before Ella was born and we used it for everything!
white chicken chili
you can marinate and freeze several chicken breasts, defrost in the morning (or night before) and grill for chicken salad
chicken divan
meatballs to create stuffed zucchini boats (Robin Miller has an awesome recipe)
fish cakes
gumbo
white chicken chili
chicken divan
I am going to look up Robin Miller's zucchini boats one, that sounds cool.
This is one of Rachel Ray's 'double duty dinners'. I posted the whole thing in case you are interested. Otherwise, you can just make the beef and rice and then freeze in 2-3 portions.
Spanish Style Beef and Rice Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Show: 30 Minute Meals
Episode: Fast and Freezable
2 cups beef stock
1 3/4 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups white enriched rice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 2/3 pounds ground sirloin
Salt and pepper
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1/3 palmful, twice
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls
Spicy Chopped Salad with Tortillas, recipe follows
Heat beef stock, water and butter to a full boil. Add rice, reduce heat and cover pot. Cook 20
minutes, until tender and liquids are absorbed.
Heat a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat, 2 or 3 minutes. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, Worcestershire. Cook together 5 to 7 minutes, until veggies are just tender. Add tomato sauce, cloves, cumin and parsley. Bring mixture up to a bubble and reduce heat to low.
Combine cooked rice with meat mixture and serve with Spicy Chopped Salad wit and Taco Dressing, recipe follows. Reserve 1/2 of the beef and rice and freeze for stuffed peppers for another meal. Recipe follows.
* Please note: You can also choose to make the stuffed peppers in their entirety, then freeze and microwave when ready to serve for 12 to 15 minutes on high. Reheat with loose plastic over the dish to keep the peppers from splattering. If you do not have a carousel microwave, rotate peppers once during the reheating of your peppers.
Stuffed Peppers with Beef, Rice, Spinach and Cheese:
4 long, mild to medium chile peppers, such as moderate heat poblano or mild Italian cubanelle
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
1 clove garlic, cracked
10 ounces triple washed spinach, stems removed and coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup beef broth or chicken broth
3 cups leftover Spanish style beef and rice
1 cup tomato sauce
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack, smoked cheddar or pepper jack cheese
Preheat a griddle or grill pan. Seed chile peppers. Drizzle peppers with a little oil and grill over medium high to high heat 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until tender. Transfer peppers to a broiler pan or baking sheet, hollow side up.
Place a small skillet on the stove top and add 1 tablespoon, 1 turn of the pan, olive oil and a crushed clove of garlic. Heat over medium flame and add spinach in bunches until it is all wilted and is giving off liquid. Season greens with salt and pepper. Remove spinach and drain. Set aside.
Preheat broiler to high.
Defrost beef and rice in microwave oven. Combine 1/2 cup broth and defrosted rice in the skillet you cooked the spinach in and reheat over medium flame. Add 1 cup tomato sauce and heat through.
Pile spinach and hot beef and tomato rice into peppers, mounding them up in the center of each pepper. Top liberally with grated cheese and melt cheese under broiler 3 to 5 minutes, then serve.
Yield: 4 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 to 20 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy
Spicy Chopped Salad with Tortillas
2 hears romaine lettuce, chopped
3 tablespoons canned or jarred sliced jalapenos, drained
3 tablespoons salad olives, Manzanilla with pimento, drained
1 vine ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 cup broken tortilla chips, any variety
2 tablespoons taco sauce
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup olive oil, eyeball it
Salt and pepper
Combine salad ingredients in a bowl, toss with tortilla chip pieces. In a second bowl, combine taco sauce, lime juice, cilantro or parsley. Whisk in olive oil in a slow stream until dressing is combined. Toss salad with dressing to combine and coat ingredients evenly, then serve.
Yield: 4 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: none
Ease of preparation: easy
Chicken Divan Tonight, Chicken Tetrazzini Next Week Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Show: 30 Minute Meals
Episode: Double Duty Dinners
Base chicken recipe:
1 quart chicken stock
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or the equivalent of freshly grated
Salt and pepper
Divine Divan:
1 pound broccoli spears
8 ounces Gruyere, shredded to 2 cups
Tremendous Tetrazzini:
2 tablespoons butter
12 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pound wide egg noodles, cooked to al dente and hot
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) grated Parmigiano
2 ounces slivered almonds, toasted
Bring 1 quart chicken stock to a boil in a wide, deep skillet with lid. Add chicken breasts. Return broth to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and poach the chicken 8 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Reserve the broth for the sauce.
In a skillet, saute shallots in oil and butter for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in 1 cup wine and reduce by half, 1 minute. Ladle in chicken broth, whisking sauce as you do. Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream. Season sauce with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Bring to a bubble and reduce heat to low.
Slice the chicken into 1/2-inch strips and add to the pan. Coat chicken in sauce. At this stage, in order to have enough for 2 meals, remove half of the chicken in sauce and transfer to a container with a tight fitting lid. Cool the chicken, cover, and freeze for the tetrazzini, recipe follows.
To assemble Divine Divan: simmer broccoli spears in 1-inch water, covered, for 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Top with half the grated Gruyere and half of the base chicken recipe. Top chicken with remaining Gruyere and brown until bubbling and golden under preheated broiler, about 2 minutes. Serve with dressed salad greens and bread.
To assemble tetrazzini: reheat defrosted base chicken recipe in microwave oven. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small pan. Saute mushrooms 5 minutes, until tender. Toss drained hot egg noodles with chicken and mushrooms. Transfer mixture to a baking dish and top with bread crumbs, cheese, and almonds. Brown under preheated broiler until topping is even golden brown. Place pan 6 inches from heat source. Topping will brown in 2 to 3 minutes.
Serve with salad and bread.
3 cups water
1 tsp lemon pepper
2 tsp cumin, divided
4 chicken breast halves
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup chopped onion
2 cans corn
2 4 oz cans diced green chilies
3 TBS lime juice
2 15 oz cans white beans (ie, navy beans or cannelini's) undrained
crushed tortilla chips
shredded montery jack cheese
In a large pot, compine water, lemon pepper, 1 tsp cumin and the chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 25 min. Remove chicken and shred or cut into bite sized pieces. Place back in the broth.
Spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray and saute the garlic, onion, corn, green chilies, and remining 1 tsp cumin. Saute about 5 min. Add to chicken and broth, then add the lime juice. Bring to a boil, add beans and simmer until heated through. Serve with crushed tortillas and cheese.
***I'd let it cool on the stovetop and then put in freezable containers.
Thanks again!
Have you thought about the spanish style beef and rice? I have done it with ground turkey (that's pretty much the only ground meat I use now) and it is terrific. Just FYI....
I am making the white chicken chili tomorrow. I got inspired when I posted the recipe! I am adding some diced zucchini (to the skillet part) - I have a TON of it and thought it would be a nice add.
Spaghetti sauces, chili, soups, fried sausage patties, and homemade pizzas freeze well.