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Shopping List
✔ | QUANTITY | BUY |
☐ | 8 ounces | baby portabella mushrooms |
☐ | 2 large handfuls | baby spinach, fresh |
☐ | ¾ cup | BBQ sauce |
☐ | 1 | bell pepper |
☐ | 9 cups | broccoli, fresh (about 3 large heads) |
☐ | 4 stalks | celery |
☐ | 7 cups | cheddar cheese, sharp, shredded |
☐ | 1.5 pounds | chicken breast strips |
☐ | 6 ½ cups | chicken broth, low sodium |
☐ | 4 pounds | chicken thighs and/or drumsticks |
☐ | 1 cup | cooked chicken |
☐ | 6 cups | cooked white rice |
☐ | 28 ounces | enchilada sauce, canned or homemade |
☐ | 1 envelope | fast acting yeast |
☐ | 12 cloves | garlic |
☐ | 1 inch section | ginger root |
☐ | 2 cups | Half & half |
☐ | 1 cup | heavy cream |
☐ | 1 | jalapeno |
☐ | 2 pounds | lean ground beef |
☐ | 1 | lemon |
☐ | 1 ½ cups | mozzarella cheese, shredded |
☐ | 3 | onion |
☐ | 1 | orange |
☐ | 1 cup | parmesan cheese, shredded |
☐ | ¼ cup | pickled jalapeno slices |
☐ | 1 pound | red beans, dry |
☐ | 1 | red onion (you won't use a whole one) |
☐ | 16 ounces | refried beans |
☐ | ½ cup | roasted red peppers, jarred, drained |
☐ | 12 ounces | smoked sausage or ham |
☐ | 1 cup | sour cream |
☐ | 1 packet | taco seasoning |
☐ | 1 | tomato |
☐ | 4 | tortillas, large (10 – 12 inch size) |
☐ | 1 cup | V8 vegetable juice |
☐ | 6 cups | vegetable broth |
✔ | STAPLE INGREDIENTS |
☐ | all purpose flour |
☐ | apple cider vinegar |
☐ | bay leaves |
☐ | black pepper |
☐ | butter |
☐ | Cajun seasoning |
☐ | garlic powder |
☐ | honey |
☐ | hot sauce |
☐ | ketchup |
☐ | liquid smoke seasoning |
☐ | nutmeg |
☐ | olive oil |
☐ | onion powder |
☐ | salt |
☐ | sugar |
☐ | vegetable oil |
Monday
📖 Recipe
Honey Citrus BBQ Chicken
A tasty twist on bbq chicken. Featuring an easy homemade honey citrus bbq sauce with fresh citrus juice and zest.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 1 cup ketchup
- ½ orange juice and zest
- ½ lemon juice and zest
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Then lower heat to around 400 degrees.
- Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken pieces using all of the salt and half of the pepper.
- While the grill is heating, combine the orange juice, lemon juice, citrus zest, honey, and all other sauce ingredients in a sauce pan.
- Bring to a low boil, stirring frequently. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. Cool and transfer to a jar.
- Cook the seasoned chicken on the heated grill, turning frequently to cook through.
- During the last 10 minutes of cooking, baste the chicken with the honey bbq sauce. Turn and baste again several times until the chicken is sticky and well coated.
- Transfer to a platter and cover loosely with foil. Rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Due to variations in grill, temperature, and size of chicken, please use a meat thermometer to determine proper doneness.
Nutrition
Calories: 309kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 21gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 498mgPotassium: 330mgFiber: 1gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 325IUVitamin C: 10.9mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1.2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Tuesday
📖 Recipe
Crockpot Red Beans and Rice
A savory + spicy country classic prepared in a slow cooker. Easy, hearty and delicious, made with red beans, smoked sausage, celery, peppers and more.
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry red beans
- 12 ounces smoked sausage or ham sliced / diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 4 stalks celery leaves included
- 1 onion peeled and diced
- 1 bell pepper any color, seeded and diced
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce more or less to taste
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 1 cup V8 vegetable juice
- 6 cups cooked white rice for serving, see recipe notes for alternate rice addition
Instructions
- Rinse the beans in a colander. Discard any stones, weird looking beans, etc.
- In a 6 Quart slow cooker, combine the red beans with all other ingredients except the rice.
- Cover and cook for 6 - 7 hours on high, until the beans are tender.
- Serve over cooked, hot rice.
Alternate Directions (Rice IN the Recipe)
- If you prefer to have the rice IN the red beans, add 1 cup of rice to the crockpot during the last hour of cooking. The servings will be the same quantity, but will not be as large. Note, the recipe nutrition facts of this recipe are listed for the 6 cups of cooked rice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 339kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 15gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 780mgPotassium: 819mgFiber: 7gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 824IUVitamin C: 32mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Wednesday
📖 Recipe
Creamy Garlic Mushroom Chicken
This chicken recipe is fantastic! Creamy garlic sauce made with parmesan and garlic, simmered with tender chicken, mushrooms and spinach.
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken breast boneless, skinless, cut into strips
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 8 ounces baby portabello mushrooms sliced
- ¼ cup butter
- 4 cloves garlic pressed
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese shredded, plus additional for serving
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
- ½ cup roasted red bell peppers drained, sliced
- Pasta optional
Instructions
- Sprinkle the chicken pieces on both sides with half of the salt and half of the pepper. Heat olive oil to medium in a 10 inch skillet. Brown the chicken for about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, brown the sliced mushrooms. Set aside.
- Reduce heat to low. Melt the butter and stir in the pressed garlic. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes until bubbly, stirring constantly. Whisk in the cream and broth until smooth. Stir in the remaining salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese.
- Cook on low, stirring until the cheese is melted. Add spinach, peppers, chicken and mushrooms. Stir and heat through. Serve over pasta if desired.
Notes
Nutritional information does not include pasta.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 667kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 47gFat: 50gSaturated Fat: 26gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 220mgSodium: 1553mgPotassium: 1048mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2928IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 306mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Thursday
📖 Recipe
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Warm, creamy, and full of flavor, this easy recipe for Broccoli Cheddar Soup will be your new fave. Made 100% from scratch in one pot, too!
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion small, peeled, finely diced
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 5 ½ cups vegetable broth more as needed for desired consistency
- 9 cups broccoli fresh, washed, trimmed, chopped into ½ inch sized pieces (stems and florests)
- 2 cups half & half
- ¾ teaspoon nutmeg more to taste
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper more to taste
- 3 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- salt to taste
Instructions
- First, in a large pot melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Then add the garlic. Cook and stir constantly for 1 minute.
- Next whisk in the flour, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth and bubbly, about 2 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in the vegetable broth until smooth. Stir in the broccoli. Bring to a low boil while stirring frequently.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the broccoli is tender, about 8 – 10 minutes. (Cook longer if you prefer soft broccoli.)
- Next, add the half & half, nutmeg, and pepper. Using a handheld blender, break up some of the broccoli pieces in the pot. This step is 100% optional, but helps give the soup a nice consistency.
- Remove the pot from heat and stir in the shredded cheese until melted and well combined. Salt to taste.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 338.47kcalCarbohydrates: 14.26gProtein: 14.28gFat: 25.9gSaturated Fat: 16.21gCholesterol: 77.5mgSodium: 870.13mgPotassium: 381mgFiber: 2.5gSugar: 3.31gVitamin A: 1563.08IUVitamin C: 74.49mgCalcium: 380.1mgIron: 1.12mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Friday: Leftovers!
Saturday
📖 Recipe
Enchilada Casserole
This hearty Mexican-inspired enchilada casserole is beefy, cheesy, and saucy. This comforting dinner idea is easy to make, too.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1.25 ounces taco sesaoning
- ½ cup water
- 4 large flour tortillas 10 or 12 inch size
- 28 ounces enchilada sauce divided
- 16 ounces refried beans
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tomato small diced
- 1 small onion small diced
- 1 jalapeno seeded, finely diced
- 3 cups cheddar cheese shredded, divided
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown and crumble the ground beef. Stir in the water and taco seasoning and simmer until heated through. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour about half a cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 12 inch round casserole dish or 9x13 baking pan.
- Place a tortilla shell into the casserole dish. Using a rubber spatula or back side of a spoon, evenly spread a third of the refried beans onto the tortilla. Add a layer of the sour cream.
- Continue to layer the casserole, next with a portion of the seasoned ground beef, then the tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, sauce, and cheddar cheese.
- Repeat two more times, then top with a final tortilla, sauce, and cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
For this recipe, we used a round 12-inch casserole dish. If you use a rectangular dish, you can cut the tortillas to fit, or may require more tortillas to finish the layers.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 522kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 41gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 2010mgPotassium: 554mgFiber: 6gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 1875IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 387mgIron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Sunday
📖 Recipe
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Full of bold flavor and featuring an easy homemade pizza crust, this pizza recipe is sure to please.
Ingredients
- 1 envelope Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast
- 2 cups all purpose flour more or less until soft dough is formed
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup very warm water between 120 - 130 degrees Fahrenheit
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- ¾ cup barbecue sauce thick variety, more or less to taste
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup cooked chicken chopped into bite-sized pieces
- ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup pickled jalapeno slices optional
Instructions
- First preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Position the oven rack to the lowest position. Lightly grease a pizza pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup of the flour, one envelope of Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the warm water and oil and mix with a spoon until well blended (about 1 minute).
- Gradually add the remaining flour, stirring after each addition. Use enough flour until you have formed a soft dough.
- Next using your hands, form the dough into a ball. Knead the dough ball on a floured surface until it is smooth and stretchy, about 4 minutes.
- Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- On a floured surface, pat and roll the dough out to a 12 inch circle. Carefully transfer the pizza dough to the prepared baking pan.
- Using your fingers, pinch the edges of the pizza dough to create a crust edge.
- Evenly spread the barbecue sauce on top of the dough, leaving ¾ of an inch edge.
- Top with shredded cheese, chicken, red onions, and jalapenos.
- Finally, bake the pizza for approximately 15 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Notes
Cooking times will vary according to oven. Recommended cooking time is 12 - 15 minutes, please watch carefully during last few minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1SliceCalories: 306.63kcalCarbohydrates: 37.11gProtein: 10.31gFat: 12.87gSaturated Fat: 4.72gCholesterol: 24.01mgSodium: 742.25mgPotassium: 142.38mgFiber: 1.51gSugar: 10.3gVitamin A: 345.04IUVitamin C: 0.96mgCalcium: 170.51mgIron: 1.84mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Notes about This Week's Meal Plan:
- Each recipe makes at least 4 servings. Most make enough for leftover lunches depending on the size of your family.
- Feel free to switch the meals and days around to fit your schedule and mood.
- Supplement and round out this week's meals with an easy tossed salad or garlic bread.
- Pick up a pack of your fave pasta for Wednesday night. Or even make some steamed "zoodles" for a lower carb option.