Step By Step Meal Plan #1: 40 Meals in 3.5 Hours

You may remember this picture... 40 meals in 3.5 hours!

Then my lazy bum had tweaks to make to the meal plan (i.e. which ones froze best, etc.) and I just sat on it, forgot, and procrastinated. But here goes, and i'm trying a new document upload site so i'm interested to see how it works!

These are the recipes featured!!

And here is the meal plan!!
Detailed Meal Plan #1

Biscuit Soufflé Breakfast

Biscuit Soufflé Breakfast
Recipe inspired by Cooking with My Kid
Makes 6 Servings

6 ready to bake biscuits (reserve other 2 for breakfast sandwiches)
4 large eggs

1 cup egg substitute
1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
½ cup Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese
3 servings Jimmy Dean crumbles

1/2 tsp creole seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the dish with unbaked biscuits. Mix eggs, egg whites, milk, creole seasoning and cheese together and then pour it over the biscuits. Sprinkle with crumbled sausage (and salt and pepper to taste) and bake for 45 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and egg is set.

Nutritional Information: 328 calories, 30 carbs, 14 fat grams and 17 protein grams.

Review: Good stuff! I love how the biscuits bake into the egg/sausage/cheese mixture - it really tasted great and was very filling. A nice twist on breakfast, and probably one of the easiest recipes to put together (didn't even have to cook any meat - nice!). We'll definitely be having this again soon. (and FYI - I just cooked the extra two biscuits in the oven with the casserole, and we just froze them for later breakfast sandwiches!)

Southwestern Chicken Pasta Salad

Southwestern Chicken Pasta Salad
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 4 servings

8 oz. pasta, short shape/dried
1 pound chicken, cooked with salt, pepper and lemon juice
2 oz. 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese
½ cup green onion
½ red or green bell pepper, diced
1 small tomato, diced
¼ cup orange juice
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
½ tsp salt

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and place in large bowl. Add chicken and next 5 ingredients (through tomatoes). Toss to combine. Combine orange juice and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill.

Nutritional Information: 441 calories, 53 carbs, 7 fat grams and 39 protein grams.

Review: Really tasty recipe - definitely best cold! It had plenty of flavor, the onions added a lot of crunch and the OJ combined with the adobo gave it a spicy after taste. The serving is very large and filling - a big serving for this amount of calories and fat grams makes me happy! We'll definitely make this again, I think it would be good for an event too. Note: if you don't like chipotle chiles in adobo sauce do not try it - I think this definitely made the recipe/sauce so without it I don't know that this recipe would have much flavor. Just a head's up!

My Main Blog

I debated on whether or not to link my two blogs. I mean, obviously the original blog links to this one, but this one could technically stand alone. Anywho, I know that sometimes I comment as Kelly, sometimes as Healthified Kitchen and sometimes as Fitting Back In so I thought i'd just bridge the gap in case anyone came here first not knowing about my other one!

Fitting Back In is my main blog - it's more of a personal diary with everything from pics of family and friends, book reviews and shopping to workouts, organization tips and home decor. The Fitting Back In tab "Recipes" links over to this blog, where I post recipes and meal plans only. Healthified Kitchen really grew out of Fitting Back In as a place for me to drill down by ingredient and more easily plan meals!

I hope this clears up some of the confusion I've gotten in emails. :) Fitting Back in, Healthified Kitchen and Kelly are all the same person- me, the big cheeseball smiling at you at right! I know many of you know this, and thank you again for coming over here for my recipes!!

FYI - the link to the blog is also now available in the top navigation bar. Thanks so much!

~Kelly AKA Fitting Back In AKA Healthified Kitchen :)

Mexican Bake with Cilantro-Lime Cream

Mexican Bake with Cilantro-Lime Cream
Makes 6 Servings
Recipe adapted from Diabetic Living

10 oz. rotini
16 oz. 96/4 ground beef
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
¾ cup bottled salsa
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp chili powder
2 oz. 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese
6 tbsp fat-free sour cream
3 tbsp green onions, diced
1 tbsp fresh cilantro

1 tsp lime juice

Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain and return to pot. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook meat and garlic until meat is brown, stirring to break up meat as it cooks. Drain any fat. Add cooked meat into pot with pasta. Stir in beans, tomatoes, salsa, oregano, cumin and chili powder. Transfer to rectangular dish. Bake covered 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese, bake for 3 minutes until cheese melts. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, 2 tbsp green onions, cilantro and lime peel. To serve, top each serving with a spoonful of the sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining green onions.

Nutritional Information: 393 calories, 59 carbs, 5 fat grams and 30 protein grams.

Review: We really liked this one! The 'dressing' added a lot to it and it was really just a fun, simple pasta dish that was filling and EASY. Was it our favorite? Probably not - but definitely one that we'll keep in the rotation! Suggestion: when reheating - leave the dressing out of the microwave. Keep in a separate bowl then spoon on when it's hot and ready to eat. Also, note that the original recipe suggested you switch the beans up - use pinto, navy, whatever - not necessarily black.

Asian-Inspired Menu for 10

I used this menu for a book club I hosted for 10. There was plenty of food! If anything - I noticed that i'd make a bit less rice and a bit more of the Szechuan Chicken - it went fast! So these changes are included below. Also, I had made the egg rolls the night before and thought I could just bake them the day of. WRONG. They weren't bad, but they weren't as good as they are when you same day make and bake. So this change is included, too. :)

Appetizers: Shrimp Eggrolls and Edamame

Sides: Bowl of White rice, Bowl of Brown Rice and Asian Vegetable Stirfry

Main Dishes: Szechuan Chicken and Rice and Spicy Sesame Noodles with Chicken

RECIPES

Eggrolls
Makes 10 egg rolls

10 egg roll wrappers
1 bag of cole slaw mix
1 can of mushrooms
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp fresh ginger
1 tablespoon of soy sauce, more to serve
salt and pepper
cooking spray
small bowl of water
1 cup of alfalfa sprouts
1 can of tiny shrimp
Dipping sauce: Soy sauce mixed with rice vinegar

Preheat oven to 375. Put cole slaw in a large microwave-safe bowl, cover, and microwave 3-6 minutes. Chop mushrooms and add to mixing bowl. Add optional fillings. Splash in 1 tbsp soy sauce. Add garlic and fresh ginger, and sprinkle in dried ginger. Now, cole slaw mix should be cooked. Drain it to get out any excess liquid, then combine cole slaw mix with the rest of the ingredients. Place a row of filling in the center of each wrapper. Fold in two of the corners. Put a bit of water on the top edges with your finger. Fold up the bottom, and roll as tightly as you can to the edge. Repeat for the rest of the wrappers, and place the egg rolls on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray or olive oil. Spray the tops of the egg rolls with the oil, too. Bake 15 minutes, then flip the egg rolls over and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving (this will let the wrappers get a little more crisp too). Serve with soy sauce mixed with rice vinegar. (do NOT make the night before! :))

Edamame
1 pound edamame
Salt
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add edamame and continue boiling until the beans are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Start checking for doneness after 7 minutes. When done, run cold water over. Drain well and pat excess moisture off. Sprinkle with kosher salt to taste (start with ½ tsp).

Szechuan Chicken and Rice

22 ounces chicken
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup ketchup
2 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
4 1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 1/2 tsp honey
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon minced ginger, jarred
1.5 tbsp canola oil
4 1/2 tsp minced garlic, jarred

In a small bowl mix together water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, crushed red pepper flakes and ginger. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add chicken and toss to coat with oil. Heat for 3-4 minutes. While it’s still a bit pink, pour in sauce. Heat until sauce is thick and bubbly, 3-4 minutes, then reduce heat to simmer and cook until chicken is no longer pink. Serve over white rice.

Spicy Sesame Noodles with Chicken

3 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
½ tbsp of Sriracha chili sauce
½ tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
8 oz. of spaghetti, cooked per instructions
16 oz. chicken, diced and cooked on nonstick spray with ½ tbsp soy sauce and ½ tsp minced garlic
1 cup red bell pepper, sliced
3-4 green onions, sliced
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
sesame seeds, for garnish

Combine vinegar, soy sauce, canola oil, sesame oil, Sriracha sauce, garlic and ginger. Mix well and set aside for 30 minutes to allow flavors to mingle. Cook spaghetti per instructions. Cook chicken per instructions above until no longer pink. Drain noodles and return to pan along with now-cooked chicken, bell peppers, green onions and the sauce; toss until noodles, chicken and vegetables are evenly coated with sauce. Remove from stove then add the basil and cilantro and toss to combine. Serve immediately with sesame seeds for garnish.

Easy Asian Vegetable Stirfry

1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp water
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
3 tbsp nonfat chicken broth
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 bags frozen Asian vegetables

In a large skillet or wok, combine oil, water garlic and ginger. Cook on medium heat for 1 minute. Add stir fry and cook for 4-5 minutes until vegetables are cooked. Whisk together broth, soy sauce and cornstarch; add to vegetable mixture and stir fry for two minutes.

White Rice and Brown Rice

2-3 cups of each, microwavable

2-3 cups of water

Cook per package instructions.

TO-DO LIST

Weekend Before

1. Make grocery list and buy all ingredients you need.
2. Make sure you have plenty of plates, napkins, silverware, etc. - especially if you're using paper products

Day Before

1. Mix sauce for spicy sesame noodles with chicken
2. Make sauce for Szechuan chicken and rice
3. Slice green onions, red bell pepper and cilantro
4. Measure out microwavable white rice and brown rice (2-3 cups of each); get bowls ready
5. Defrost chicken and Asian vegetables.
6. Make eggroll mixture and store in container (do not roll egg rolls)
7. Get out all serving dishes you plan to use, and place on counter how you want them displayed
8. Make sure dishwasher is empty (especially if you're not using paper products)

Day Of

1. Remove egg roll mixture from refrigerator. Preheat oven to 375; roll egg rolls and coat them in canola oil; cook eggrolls for 15 minutes; then flip for another 10 – 15 minutes. Mix dipping sauce (soy sauce + rice vinegar)
2. Dice chicken.
3. Set pot of water to boil and boil edamame for 10 minutes (15 minutes total). Run cold water over them and then sprinkle with kosher salt.
4. Cook white rice in microwave for 8 minutes and 30 seconds. Leave wrap on.
5. Cook brown rice in microwave for 8 minutes and 30 seconds. Leave wrap on.
6. Cook chicken for spicy sesame noodles. Remove from heat.
7. Cook noodles on stove. Drain.
8. Make Szechuan chicken; add to server; cover with foil
9. Make Spicy sesame noodles; add to server; cover with foil
10. Make vegetables; add to server; cover with foil
11. Add egg rolls to server; cover with foil
12. Once everyone starts arriving, remove foil and serve.

Spicy Potato and Bacon Breakfast Casserole

Spicy Potato and Bacon Breakfast Casserole
Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites
Makes 4 Servings

4 c. Southern/country-style hash browns (cubes), completely thawed
12 strips turkey bacon
4 oz. Cabot 50% reduced fat jalapeno cheese
3 stalks green onions, finely diced
3 eggs
1 cup fat-free milk
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp siracha sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Begin cooking bacon on stovetop (not microwave). While bacon cooks, place potatoes in a deep-dish 9″ pie plate. Sprinkle cheese over potatoes. When bacon is done cooking, remove from pan but leave any drippings. Add onions to pan in the drippings for 2-3 minutes. Spread onions over cheese, dice bacon and then sprinkle top with bacon. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper and siracha sauce, whisking constantly, pour egg mixture evenly over the potato mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until cheese is bubbly but not brown.

Nutritional Information: 308 calories, 27 carbs, 12 fat grams and 22 protein grams.

Review: Pretty fabulous! I loved how the flavors went together and the siracha was awesome. I will say that I took the black pepper down (called for 1 tsp) - I got one too-much-pepper bite so I may even suggest saving that and sprinkling on so it doesn't concentrate in one area - just a thought. But really easy, pretty (in my humble opinion) and made very healthy sized servings. Especially for 300 calories - I felt more like it tasted like a 400-calorie meal! It's a keeper, and I think you could really make it your own with more veggies, too!

one slice - yum!

Spicy Orange Chicken

Spicy Orange Chicken
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound chicken, diced
1 tbsp cornstarch
¼ cup orange juice
1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
1 ½ tbsp honey
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp siracha
1 ½ tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/3 cup chopped green onions
4 servings basmati rice

Make rice per package instructions. Add chicken to medium bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch; toss well to coat. Set aside. Combine juice, soy sauce, honey, vinegar and siracha. Stir with a whisk and set aside. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic; stir fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add chicken and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add juice mixture and onions; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and chicken is no longer pink. Divide rice into 4 servings; divide chicken mixture into 4 servings and serve over rice.

Nutritional Information: 372 calories, 49 carbs, 7 fat grams and 30 protein grams.

Review: Yes - another Asian-inspired winner! The cornstarch made the chicken so thick and juicy - loved that addition, and the sauce got just thick enough to cover the rice and give each bite the sauce's unique flavor- which was citrusy and spicy. The siracha gave it the spice on the aftertaste rather than the front - it was great though, subtle but had a kick. If you're timid about spicy, just reduce the amount of siracha! I love this recipe and will absolutely make it again. I think it would taste great over an Asian salad too rather than rice!

Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken Curry

Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken Curry
Makes 4 Servings
Adapted from Salt & Paprika

½ cup onion
1 small green bell pepper, seeded & quartered
½ tbsp minced garlic
1 small can tomato paste
1 can light coconut milk
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp Garam Masala
1 pounds chicken breasts, cut into big chunks
Salt & pepper
1 tbsp water
3/4 tbsp cornstarch
4 servings jasmine rice, cooked per package instructions

Place onion and bell pepper into a food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add in garlic cloves, tomato paste, coconut milk, salt, curry powder and garam masala, then process until smooth. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Combine with sauce and cook in a crockpot on low for 4 hours. After 4 hours, stir water and cornstarch together then add into the crockpot. Keep the lid cracked and cook on high for 10-15 minutes. Serve over a bed of rice.

Nutritional Information: 419 calories, 49 carbs, 9 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

Review: Okay, this is officially the best curry I've ever made. And probably one of the easiest too. Austin is a fan of thick curry, but that's still has a lot of sauce. A lot of curries are thick, but not saucy, or are saucy but thin. This one is PERFECT. And it has so much flavor - the garam masala with the curry powder adds a lot, and it's not too spicy (although you could make it spicier by slow cooking it with some dried red chiles.) It also had a nice creamy consistency; it tasted like it was cooked with whipping cream even though it wasn't. Next time I plan to double the recipe and freeze half of it - I have no doubt it will reheat fabulousness. If you want to try an Inidian recipe or a slow cooker one I strongly suggest this one - and yes, it's too bad it's not prettier in photos! :( **Edited to add: we froze half in a plastic container and a week later, just made rice and defrosted it - awesome!

Breakfast Ham Sliders

Ham sliders
Adapted from Say Cheese
Makes 4 Servings

8 small potato/slider buns
8 servings Oscar Meyer black forest ham, sliced
4 slices Jarlsberg light Swiss cheese, cut in half
4 tbsp reduced fat chive and onion cream cheese
2 tbsp light butter with canola oil
1 tsp died onion flakes
½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp parmesan cheese

Slice rolls in half, place bottoms in a baking dish. Layer ham and cheese on each roll. Spread ½ tbsp cream cheese on each roll top and complete sandwich. Melt butter and stir in Parmesan, Worcestershire and onion flakes. Brush on top of sandwiches. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Heat oven to 350, cover baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 412 calories, 35 carbs, 13 fat grams and 37.5 protein grams.

Review: Love these little guys! The cream cheese and swiss cheese mix so well together, making this a very tasty little sandwich. I also love how the ham, worcestershire and onion work together, adding a lot of flavor and a nice salty kick. You could serve these as appetizers, but I really liked it as a great, filling breakfast with lots of flavor and lots of protein.

Thai Basil Chicken

Thai Basil Chicken
Recipe adapted from Sweet Tea in Texas

Makes 4 Servings

2 cups thai basil leaves, divided
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp siracha
2 ½ tbsp fish sauce, divided
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp splenda
1 tsp white vinegar
1 pound chicken, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
¾ cup onion, diced
4 servings basmati rice

Place garlic, 1 cup basil and the siracha sauce in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, scraping bowl one time. Transfer 1 tbsp of this mixture to a small bowl with 1 ½ tablespoon fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and vinegar. Stir and set aside. Place remaining garlic/basil mixture into 12" skillet and set aside. Place chicken in a bowl with the remaining fish sauce and refrigerate for 5 minutes. Add add olive oil and onions to the skillet, and sauté over medium heat until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, stirring constantly, until it’s no longer pink. Add garlic/basil sauce mixture that you made previously. Cook for 1 minute. Meanwhile, dice remaining basil, add to the pan and cook 1 additional minute until basil wilts. Serve over rice.

Nutritional Information: 348 calories, 38 carbs, 8 fat grams and 30 protein grams.

Review: Yum! So glad to find another go-to Asian-inspired recipe. This one tasted wonderful, and I was so happy to use the Thai basil Austin has been growing in the backyard! The splenda is once again a great substitute for sugar, and I left out the oyster sauce since I didn't have it on hand - worked great for me. The onions and the sauce went a long way, and while it's not a huge serving, it's filling, healthy and definitely curbed my appetite for wanting to order out! I also thought it was a pretty simple, short ingredient list - I had everything on hand without planning! I'll make this one again for sure but be forewarned, this one, like the pad thai that used fish sauce, does smell funny when you cook it but then tastes amazing and the smell goes away - so weird!