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Shopping List
| ✔ | QUANTITY NEEDED | INGREDIENTS |
| ☐ | 12 slices | bacon |
| ☐ | 2 cups | black beans (canned) |
| ☐ | 1 cup | bourbon |
| ☐ | 16 - 20 pieces | chicken thighs (skin on, bone in) |
| ☐ | 4 pounds | chuck roast |
| ☐ | 28 ounces | crushed tomatoes |
| ☐ | 6 | dry lasagna noodles |
| ☐ | 2 ½ cups | enchilada sauce |
| ☐ | 2 | green onions |
| ☐ | ½ cup | pickled jalapenos or mild green chiles, canned |
| ☐ | 2 cups | ketchup |
| ☐ | 4 pounds | lean ground beef |
| ☐ | 1 package | mixed greens |
| ☐ | 5 cloves | garlic |
| ☐ | 3 cups | mushrooms, fresh, sliced |
| ☐ | 4 | onions |
| ☐ | ½ cup | pickled peppers (and 1 cup of juice) |
| ☐ | 8 ounces | provolone cheese slices |
| ☐ | 1 | red bell pepper |
| ☐ | 4 cups | reduced sodium broth (any) |
| ☐ | 2 cups | salsa |
| ☐ | 2 cups | shredded cheddar or jack cheese |
| ☐ | 8 | soft tortillas, 8 inch |
| ☐ | 56 ounces | stewed tomatoes |
| ☐ | 8 | sub sandwich rolls |
| ☐ | 1 | yellow squash |
| ☐ | 2 | zucchini |
| ✔ | STAPLE INGREDIENTS |
| ☐ | all purpose seasoning |
| ☐ | apple cider vinegar |
| ☐ | bay leaf |
| ☐ | bread crumbs |
| ☐ | brown sugar |
| ☐ | butter |
| ☐ | Cajun / Creole seasoning |
| ☐ | chili powder |
| ☐ | cumin |
| ☐ | dried basil |
| ☐ | dried Italian seasoning |
| ☐ | eggs |
| ☐ | garlic powder |
| ☐ | hot sauce |
| ☐ | liquid smoke seasoning |
| ☐ | olive oil |
| ☐ | onion powder |
| ☐ | paprika |
| ☐ | pepper |
| ☐ | salt |
| ☐ | white wine |
Monday
Hearty + Delicious Crockpot Lasagna Soup
The best crockpot lasagna soup, complete with the traditional lasagna flavors and pasta, with more delicious add-ins like fresh mushrooms and zucchini. Let your crockpot do all the work for this hearty + delicious savory soup recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef or pork
- 28 ounces can whole stewed tomatoes undrained
- 28 ounces can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups reduced sodium broth any type
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 large zucchini roughly chopped
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 6 dry lasagna noodles broken into pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend divided
- ½ teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper divided
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic, onion and ground beef. Sprinkle with half of the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are tender and the meat is no longer pink. Transfer the cooked beef to the crockpot.
- Add the whole stewed tomatoes to a 6 quart crockpot. Break them up into smaller pieces. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, sliced mushrooms and zucchini.
- Add the remaining salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and basil. Stir in the broth. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
- During the last 30 minutes, stir in the broken lasagna noodles. Stir occasionally until the pasta is tender.
- Serve with grated cheese and garlic bread.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 235kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 15gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 471mgPotassium: 777mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 345IUVitamin C: 18.6mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 3.6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Tuesday
Black Bean Enchiladas
A family favorite! A rich homemade filling with beans and beef, cheesy and spicy.
Ingredients
- 1 TB olive oil
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 cups black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup salsa
- ½ cup chopped jalapenos or mild green chiles
- 1 TB chili powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon all purpose seasoning or salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ cup water or chicken broth
- 8 soft tortilla shells 8 inch
- 2 ½ cups enchilada sauce
- 2 cups shredded cheese Monterrey jack or sharp cheddar
- 2 green onions chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8x13 baking dish with non stick spray and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat oil and garlic over medium high heat. Add ground beef when you start to smell the garlic. Cook until brown, stirring frequently. Add beans, salsa, jalapenos or chiles, seasonings, and water or broth. Stir to combine, and reduce to a simmer.
- Stir the beef and bean mixture frequently, mashing some of the beans to thicken the filling. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Spread ½ cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of prepared baking dish.
- Evenly fill tortilla shells with the black bean and beef mixture, roll and place seam side down into the pan. Cover completely with the remaining enchilada sauce. Top with cheese and green onions, and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
- Serve with sour cream, guacamole, or your favorite toppings and sides.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 371kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 26gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 1415mgPotassium: 556mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1305IUVitamin C: 10.1mgCalcium: 206mgIron: 4.2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Wednesday
The Best Country Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
Golden brown chicken thighs are cooked until the skin is crispy, but tender and moist on the inside. Country garden vegetables like fresh zucchini and summer squash, tomatoes, and white wine create a flavorful stew that is amazing.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs skin on and bone in
- 28 ounces stewed tomatoes undrained
- 1 zucchini thinly sliced
- 1 summer squash thinly sliced
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms halved
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup reserved juice from the tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt plus additional for sprinkling on chicken
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper plus additional for sprinkling on chicken
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large cast iron skillet or dutch oven, heat the olive oil to medium high. Trim excess fat from the chicken thighs, but leave the skin on. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Working in batches, brown the chicken in the oil. Start skin side down, rotating and turning until the chicken is golden on both sides. Set aside. Continue until all chicken is browned.
- Pour out the excess chicken cooking grease, reserving ¼ cup in the pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add the zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, bell pepper, onion and garlic to the pan. Stir to combine. Add half of the wine and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the stewed tomatoes, the remaining wine, half a cup of reserved tomato juice, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir to combin well.
- Place the browned chicken breasts on top of the tomato and vegetable mixture. Transfer the skillet into the center oven rack and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
- Serve over hot potatoes, rice, or pasta.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 321kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 21gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 402mgPotassium: 794mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 890IUVitamin C: 39.4mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 2.6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Thursday
Cajun Butter Baked Chicken Thighs
An easy and delicious recipe for savory spiced butter baked chicken thighs. A golden, cripsy skin with tender, juicy chicken on the inside. Made with only three ingredients.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds chicken thighs bone in, skin on
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- 4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning blend low-sodium preferred, use more or less to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place oven rack in center. Arrange a wire baking rack on top of a shallow baking pan and set aside.
- Rinse chicken with cold water and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Cut away excess skin and fat and discard.
- Very lightly season both sides of the chicken thighs with 1 ½ teaspoons of the Cajun seasoning. Place the thighs on the wire rack skin side up.
- Bake the chicken in the oven for 20 minutes. Stir together the melted butter and remaining seasoning in a small bowl.
- Remove the chicken and baste with the seasoned butter. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the chicken and repeat the basting process. Bake for another 10 minutes.
- Remove and baste the chicken one final time, and finish baking for 5 minutes.
Notes
The nutritional value for this recipe is listed higher than it actually is due to the calories in the total amount of butter. Since the butter actually drips into the skin and into the baking pan, all of it is not in the chicken.
You can also baste the chicken with the reserved chicken fat and butter that gathers in the bottom of the pan to reduce the amount of butter used.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 556kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 37gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 238mgSodium: 229mgPotassium: 489mgFiber: 0gSugar: 0gVitamin A: 400IUCalcium: 51mgIron: 2.3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Friday: Leftovers!
Saturday
Bacon + Bourbon Meatball Subs
This is NOT your same old meatball sub, y'all. Homemade meatballs are slow simmered in a homemade bourbon sauce and topped with savory bacon and melted provolone. Served on a toasted sub roll.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef 80/20
- 1 onion small, finely diced
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus for brushing sandwich rolls
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1 cup bourbon good quality
- ½ cup brown sugar light or dark
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce more or less to taste, I used Frank's Red Hot
- 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke Seasoning
- 8 sub sandwich rolls split
- 8 ounces provolone cheese sliced
- 12 slices bacon cooked
- mixed greens
Instructions
- First, make the meatballs. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a broiler pan or wire rack (placed over a larger pan to catch the drippings). Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using your hands, combine the ground beef, onion, eggs, bread crumbs, salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- When the mixture is well combined, portion meatballs into 2 inch sized balls, rolling lightly between your hands. Arrange in an even layer on the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes.
- While the meatballs are baking, heat the oil in a large skillet. Saute the garlic until golden.
- Next, whisk in ketchup, bourbon, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, hot sauce, liquid smoke, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper.
- Bring to a low boil, stirring frequently. Add the meatballs to the bourbon sauce. Reduce to a simmer, over, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Slice the sub sandwich rolls. Brush lightly with oil and on the top half, top with sliced provolone cheese. Arrange on a baking sheet and toast the buns in the oven until golden and the cheese is melted.
- To assemble, place fresh greens on the bottom sandwich roll. Add 3 or meatballs. Spoon sauce over the meatballs.
- Top with cooked bacon slices and the cheesy top sandwich roll. Dig in!
Nutrition
Serving: 1Meatball Sub with sauce, bacon, cheese, greensCalories: 842kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 46gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 153mgSodium: 1834mgPotassium: 833mgFiber: 2gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 629IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 338mgIron: 6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Sunday
Crockpot Mexican Shredded Beef
A delicious, Mexican-style recipe for shredded beef prepared in a slow cooker.
Equipment
- Crockpot or slowcooker (see notes about preparing in an Instant Pot)
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chuck roast trimmed
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 onion peeled and chopped
- 1 cup salsa or undrained diced tomatoes
- ½ cup pickled peppers
- 1 cup pickled pepper juice
- ½ cup water or broth or beer
Instructions
- Place the beef roast in the bottom of a 6 quart (or whatever size you’ve got where the roast will fit). Sprinkle all of the spices over the roast.
- Next, add the chopped onion and salsa (or tomatoes) on top.
- Pour the pickled peppers and the juice over everhthing. Add the liquid (water, broth, or beer)..
- Cover and cook on low for 7 – 8 hours (on high for 4 – 5 hours) until the beef is tender and easily pulls apart using a fork.
- Using two forks, shred the beef and stir it into the sauce. Serve hot.
Notes
The nutritional information does NOT include any toppings, tortillas, etc.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 445kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 45gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 156mgSodium: 883mgPotassium: 959mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1363IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Notes about This Week's Meal Plan:
- Each recipe makes at least 6 - 8 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.
- Use any leftover fresh veggies to create a simple tossed salad to serve with one of the meals.
- If you are on a tight budget, you can use water instead of broth, leave out the liquid smoke seasoning if you don't have it already, buy whatever produce is on sale.