Three Prep-Ahead Dinners for Back-to-School
Prepping ahead is the secret ingredient when it comes to making sure everyone is fed, happy, and healthy every day. Making big batches on the weekend and freezing in individual or family-size portions can be a real time-saver throughout the week.
Get your FREE Back to School, Back to Routine e-Book HERE.
Now that you’re in on the secret, let’s explore great options for reheating and eating on busy weeknights.
#1 | Pulled Chicken
Serve on tacos, nachos, baked potatoes, beans and rice, or pizza.
Prep Time: 3 hours & 5 min (3 hrs slow cook time)
Serves: 16
Cost per serving: $1.29 CA/ $1.02 US
Perfectly Balance Your Plate: Serve with 2 small tortillas, 3 tbsp prepared Guacamole or dip and 1 cup veggies.
Ingredients
1 pkg Pulled Chicken Seasoning (Pack of 3)
1 cup ketchup
1⁄2 cup vinegar
1⁄4 cup brown sugar
3 lbs (1.5 kg) boneless, skinless chicken
Preparation
1. In a slow cooker, combine seasoning with ketchup, vinegar and brown sugar. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and cook 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high.
2. With two forks, pull chicken into shreds. Stir into sauce.
Nutritional Information
Per serving (1/2 cup): Calories 130, Fat 2 g (Saturated 0.5 g, Trans 0 g), Cholesterol 45 mg, Sodium 240 mg, Carbohydrate 9 g (Fiber 0 g, Sugars 8 g), Protein 17 g.
#2 | Butter Chicken
Make it vegetarian: Swap chicken with 4 cups chickpeas or 2 lbs (900 g) cubed firm tofu.
Prep Time: 20 min
Serves: 8
Cost per serving: $2.26 CA/ $1.88 US
Perfectly Balance Your Plate: Serve with 1 cup steamed green beans or broccoli florets and 1 cup rice.
Ingredients
1 large onion
1 tbsp butter
1 pkg Butter Chicken Seasoning (Pack of 3)
1 can (14 oz/398 ml) coconut milk
1⁄2 cup crushed tomatoes
2 lbs (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1⁄2 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
Preparation
Dice onion. Place in Multipurpose Steamer with butter and seasoning. Cover; microwave on high 2 min.
Stir in coconut milk, tomatoes, and chicken. Cover; microwave on high 6–8 min or until chicken is cooked through.
Remove from microwave and stir in yogurt.
Nutritional Information
Per serving: Calories 260, Fat 15 g (Saturated 11 g, Trans 0 g), Cholesterol 65 mg, Sodium 120 mg, Carbohydrate 7 g (Fiber 2 g, Sugars 3 g), Protein 26 g.
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#3 | Cha Cha Chili
Chili is the perfect one-dish dinner for weeknights, potlucks, and those all-important game days. Great for lunches, too!
Prep Time: 20 min
Serves: 4
Cost per serving: $2.30 CA/ $1.89 US
Perfectly Balance Your Plate: Serve with 1 cup mixed greens or steamed veggies and 1 tbsp Epicure salad dressing.
Ingredients
1 lb (450 g) lean ground beef, ground chicken or turkey
1 can (19 oz/540 ml) kidney beans
1 pkg Cha Cha Chili Seasoning (Pkg of 3)
1 can (28 oz/796 ml) diced tomatoes
1⁄2 cup water
Preparation
Cook beef in a large fry pan over medium heat using Ground Meat Separator to break up chunks, until beef is browned, 3–4 min. Drain excess fat.
Meanwhile, drain and rinse beans.
Stir in seasoning, beans, tomatoes, and water. Simmer 12–15 min, stirring occasionally.
Nutritional Information
Per serving (1 ¾ cups): Calories 330, Fat 6 g (Saturated 1.5 g, Trans 0 g), Cholesterol 60 mg, Sodium 460 mg, Carbohydrate 38 g (Fiber 12 g, Sugars 13 g), Protein 31 g.
Looking for even more inspiration? Get the ‘Back to School, Back to Routine’ e-Book here.
