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Shopping List
✔ | QUANTITY NEEDED | INGREDIENTS |
☐ | ½ pound | bacon |
☐ | 12 ounces | black eyed peas, frozen |
☐ | 6 | bone-in pork chops |
☐ | 3 stalks | celery |
☐ | 1 ½ cups | cheddar cheese, shredded |
☐ | 2 pounds | chicken breast, skinless, boneless |
☐ | 5 cups | chicken broth |
☐ | 10 | chicken thighs, skinless, bone in |
☐ | 1 teaspoon | Chinese 5 spice powder |
☐ | 10.5 ounces | cream of chicken soup |
☐ | 10.5 ounces | cream of mushroom soup |
☐ | 1 tablespoon | fresh ginger |
☐ | 17 cloves | garlic |
☐ | 2 | green onions |
☐ | 1 | jalapeno |
☐ | 1 pound | kielbasa / smoked sausage |
☐ | 2 | limes |
☐ | ¼ cup | milk |
☐ | 2 | onions |
☐ | 1 | pineapple |
☐ | 2.5 pounds | pork tenderloin |
☐ | 1 cup | rice, uncooked |
☐ | 10 ounces | Rotel tomatoes |
☐ | 4 | russet potatoes |
☐ | 16 ounces | spaghetti, uncooked |
☐ | 1 pound | Velveeta cheese |
✔ | STAPLE INGREDIENTS |
☐ | bay leaf |
☐ | black pepper |
☐ | brown sugar |
☐ | butter |
☐ | Cajun / Creole seasoning |
☐ | chili powder |
☐ | ground ginger |
☐ | honey |
☐ | hot sauce |
☐ | lemon pepper seasoning |
☐ | oil |
☐ | onion powder |
☐ | rice wine vinegar |
☐ | salt |
☐ | soy sauce |
☐ | thyme |
Monday
📖 Recipe
Hawaiian Pineapple Grilled Pork Chops
Delicious and tender pork chops are first marinated in a fast + fresh homemade pineapple-soy mixture, then grilled to perfection. Serve with grilled pineapple slices for a fun side.
Ingredients
- 6 Smithfield All Natural Bone-In Pork Chops
- 1 pineapple peeled, cored, divided
- ¾ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon ginger fresh, grated
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
Instructions
- Cut the top and bottom away from the pineapple. Carefully slice away the outside and remove the core. Using a food processor, crush enough of the pineapple to make 1 cup.
- Next, slice the remaining pineapple into rings and set aside.
- In a large shallow dish, stir together the crushed pineapple, soy sauce, honey, oil, garlic, ginger, and chopped green onions until combined.Then place the bone-in pork chops into the marinade. Flip to coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Shake excess marinade from the pork chops and place on the heated grill. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes on each side, rotating to create grill marks.During the second half of cooking, place the pineapple rings on the grill. Cook 2 minutes per side.
- Finally, transfer the grilled pork chops and pineapple rings to a serving platter. Cover loosely with foil and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Due to variations in grill type, grill temperature, and thickness of pork chops, cooking times will vary.
Nutritional value shown includes all of the ingredients in the marinade. However, all of the marinade is not consumed, so the actual amount is less than listed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Pork Chop with a Pineapple SliceCalories: 505kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 39gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 1716mgPotassium: 825mgFiber: 2gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 140IUVitamin C: 73.2mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 2.3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Tuesday
📖 Recipe
Hot Bacon Hoppin' John
Southern-inspired dish made with earthy black eye peas and hickory smoked bacon.
Ingredients
For the Rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup Carolina Gold rice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 pinch black pepper
Instructions
- First, cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces. In a large skillet, cook the bacon on medium high until crisp. Transfer bacon to dish, but do not drain.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Then, in the bacon drippings, cook the celery and onions, stirring. Cook for 5 minutes until they start to soften.
- Next, stir in the jalapeno and garlic, cooking and stirring for another 5 minutes.
- Add the black eye peas, seasoning blend, thyme, and bay leaf. Stir in the broth.
- Bring the mixture to a low boil, stirring occasionally. Cover and reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer for about 1 hour until the peas are tender.
For the Rice
- While the Hoppin John is simmering, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8×12 baking pan with non stick spray. In the pan, stir together 2 cups of chicken broth, a tablespoon of butter, a pinch of black pepper, and 1 cup of rice.
- Cover with foil, and bake for 35 minutes. Remove, let stand for 5 minutes, and fluff with a fork before serving.
- To serve, add a serving of rice to a dish. Spoon a helping of Hoppin John over the rice.
Notes
If preparing using dried black eye peas, add about 1 cup more water or broth to the recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 378kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 13gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 1005mgPotassium: 522mgFiber: 5gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 456IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Wednesday
📖 Recipe
Cheesy Chicken Rotel
A classic comfort food featuring tender chicken, spicy tomatoes, creamy cheese sauce, and spaghetti.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast boneless, skinless, cut into strips for cooking
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 16 ounces spaghetti dry, uncooked
- 10 ounces Rotel tomatoes undrained
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 10.5 ounces cream of mushroom soup
- 1 pound Velveeta cheese cubed
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ cup milk more as needed
- 1 ½ cups reserved pasta cooking water
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.
- Next, in a large pot, add 3 quarts of water. Stir in a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Add the chicken breasts and bring the pot to a VERY low boil on medium-high heat.
- Cook the chicken gently until it is no longer pink in the center. Remove from the water and let cool. Using two forks, shred the chicken. Set aside.
- Bring the cooking water to a boil. Add the dry pasta and cook to package directions for al dente (about 9 minutes). Drain, reserving about 2 cups of the pasta water.
- Reduce the stove top to low. In the same pot (now drained and empty), combine the Rotel, soups, cubed Velveeta, hot sauce, onion powder + chili powder.
- Cook and stir until the cheese mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and fold in the prepared chicken and spaghetti. Add the milk and 1 ½ cups of the reserved pasta water (more as needed).
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top.
- Next, bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 413kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 34gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 1195mgPotassium: 606mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 641IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 349mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Thursday
📖 Recipe
Honey Sriracha Chicken
Perfectly sweet with a kick of spice, this easy recipe for honey sriracha chicken turns out tender, juicy and full of delicious flavor.
Ingredients
- 10 chicken thighs bone-in, skinless
- ½ cup honey
- 6 tablespoons sriracha hot chili sauce
- 6 cloves garlic finely minced or pressed
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon ginger
Instructions
- First, trim excess skin from the chicken thighs. Sprinkle both sides lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside in a large dish.
- Next, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the honey, sriracha, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger.
- Pour about two-thirds of the mixture over the chicken. Reserve the remainder of the sauce for later.
- Using tongs or a fork, toss and turn the chicken pieces until all sides are coated in the sauce. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate the chicken for at least 1 hour.
- When you are ready to cook, heat your grill to about 350. Make sure the grates are well oiled.
- Shake the excess marinade off of the chicken, removing large pieces of garlic so they do not burn. Place the chicken skin side down and let sear for 2 – 3 minutes.
- Cook and rotate the chicken, searing each side. Turn FREQUENTLY until done. Baste every few minutes with the reserved sauce, turning and cooking to create a nice glaze.
- The chicken is done when the meat near the bone is no longer pink and juices run clear. Cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees using a digital thermometer.
- Finally, transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Cover with foil and rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional) and serve hot.
Notes
Watch your grill temperature carefully and be sure to turn the chicken often. Since the marinade and sauce contains honey, it can burn quickly.
If you prefer you can start this recipe on the grill, then transfer to a 375 degree oven to finish the cooking and basting. I like to use a broiler pan for this method.
Honey Sriracha Chicken can also be prepared on the stove in a large skillet.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Chicken ThighCalories: 376kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 24gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 620mgPotassium: 335mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 125IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Friday: Leftovers!
Saturday
📖 Recipe
Lemon Pepper Kielbasa and Potatoes
Fast, easy, and comforting, this recipe features golden-crisp potatoes, savory kielbasa sausage, and caramelized onions with a perfect pop of lemon-pepper flavor.
Ingredients
- 14 ounces kielbasa cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 russet potatoes medium, peeled, cubed
- 1 onion peeled, chopped
- ⅓ cup oil divided, more if needed
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning divided, more or less to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients by slicing the kielbasa into bite-sized pieces. Wash, peel, and chop the potatoes into similar-sized cubes. Peel and chop the onion.
- In a large non-stick skillet, heat HALF of the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the kielbasa and cook and stir until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- Carefully add the rest of the oil to the skillet. Swirl the pan to heat. Add the chopped potatoes and onions to the skillet. Do not stir. Reduce heat to medium. Let cook untouched for about 7 – 10 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown and the onions start to soften.
- Stir the potato and onion mixture, sprinkle with 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon pepper seasoning and cook the other side for 7 – 10 minutes.
- Add the kielbasa back to the pan, stir and cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
- Taste, add more lemon pepper seasoning to taste, and serve warm.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 670kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 19gFat: 47gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 881mgPotassium: 1177mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Sunday
📖 Recipe
Soy Lime Pork Tenderloin + Marinade
Tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor, this savry grilled Soy Lime Pork Tenderloin features a fast and fresh soy lime marinade that can be used on chicken, beef, or pork.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Mazola® Corn Oil
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 2 limes zest of 1, juice of 2
- 6 cloves garlic pressed or very finely minced
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder see post for substitutions
- 2.5 pound pork tenderloin
Instructions
- In a shallow dish (large enough to hold the pork, stir together the Mazola Corn Oil and soy sauce.
- Zest one lime. Juice two limes. Add the zest and juice to the mixture.
- Add 6 cloves of pressed (or very finely minced) garlic.
- Whisk in the brown sugar and Chinese 5 spice (or whatever spices you are using) until well-combined.
- Add the pork tenderloin (or protein of choice) to the marinade. Turn to coat all sides.
- Cover tightly (with a lid, plastic wrap, or foil). Refrigerate for at least 3 hours up to overnight.
- When you are ready to grill, preheat your grill to high heat (between 400 and 450 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Remove the marinated pork tenderloin from the marinade. Shake to remove any excess marinade. Remove any large bits of zest or garlic so they don’t burn and cause a bitter taste.
- Place the tenderloin on the grill. Sear for 2 to 3 minutes on all sides, turning to rotate. Keep the grill lid closed between rotations.
- Continue to sear and rotate until the pork has reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Transfer the pork to a platter, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 10 minutes.
- Slice and serve!
Notes
Due to variations in grills, temperatures, pork size and type, cooking times will vary. Please refer to FDA internal temperature cooking guidelines for a safe pork cooking temperature.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 366kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 41gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 820mgPotassium: 815mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 11IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 3mg
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 more.
- 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, and substitute seasonings for the Chinese 5 spice powder.
- The Cheesy Chicken Rotel Casserole makes a ton! Perfect for leftover lunches.