Healthy Weeknight Recipes
Make your school nights simple with these 5 meal ideas.
Monday: Hidden veggie meatballs
Ingredients: 1 small sweet onion, 4 oz. baby carrots, 4 mini sweet peppers, 1 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs, 1 egg, ½ cup of mild bbq sauce (try Annie’s Organic BBQ sauce), 1 lb of ground turkey
- Place the onion, carrots and peppers in a food processor to chop finely
- Combine the egg, breadcrumbs, turkey and BBQ sauce and mix well
- Form into golf ball sized portions and place them in a baking dish
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes
Serve these over brown rice or quinoa.
Tuesday: One dish chicken and vegetables
Ingredients: 1 lb of boneless chicken breast cut in quarters, 12 petite yellow or red potatoes cut in quarters, 12 oz of green beans, 3 cloves of garlic minced, 1 tablespoon of herbs de Provence, ¼ teaspoon of salt, ⅛ teaspoon of pepper, a drizzle of olive oil
- Place potatoes, chicken and green beans in rows in a 13×9” baking pan with the chicken in the middle
- Drizzle with olive oil and season with herbs de Provence, salt, pepper and garlic
- Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes
Wednesday: Oven fried chicken
Ingredients: 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, 2 cups of panko, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, 3 eggs, ¼ cup of buttermilk, salt, freshly ground black pepper
- In a medium bowl, mix together panko breadcrumbs and garlic powder and season generously with salt and pepper
- In another medium bowl, whisk together eggs and buttermilk
- Pat chicken dry, then dip into egg mixture. Dredge in panko to coat all sides
- Place on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake at 425 degrees for 1 hour until golden and crispy
Thursday: (Almost) Meatless sloppy joes
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ cup finely chopped white onion, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 6 ounces ground sirloin, ½ cup grated carrot, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper, 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes, 1 (15.5 oz) can low-sodium red beans, rinsed, drained, and divided, 4 whole-wheat sandwich rolls, split and toasted
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, and beef to pan; cook 5 minutes or until meat is browned and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to crumble beef
- Add carrot, chili powder, sugar, oregano, and red pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes or until thickened and carrot is tender, stirring occasionally
- Partially mash 1 cup beans with a fork or potato masher. Add mashed beans and remaining whole beans to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.
- Spoon 1 cup bean mixture onto bottom half of each roll
Friday: Simple baked salmon
Ingredients: 2 cloves minced garlic, 6 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, 2 (6 ounce) fillets of salmon
- In a medium glass bowl mix garlic, olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley
- Place salmon fillets in a medium glass baking dish and cover with the marinade
- Marinate in the refrigerator about 1 hour
- Place fillets in aluminum foil, cover with excess marinade, and seal
- Place sealed salmon in the glass dish, and bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes