🍋 August Meal Plan

Hello friends, and happy August!!! I am soo excited to be back in my little corner of the internet! I have a ton of new recipes to share- many of which we've experimented with this summer, so I know they're good! I cannot actually believe school starts in two weeks, but I'm also looking forward to a routine. I hope you enjoy some of these meals! If you try them, please be sure to tag me! I love seeing those! :)

1. Sausage Kebobs

2. Teriyaki Zucchini Noodles (can use store bought zoodles, and I plan to add rotisserie chicken for protein)

3. Spicy Ranch Chicken Tacos

4. Rosemary Garlic Steak Kebobs

5. Air Fryer Monterrey Chicken

6. OUT or leftovers

7. Buffalo Turkey Burgers with Bleu Cheese Slaw

8. Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles (I always have the best luck with fresh peeled/deveined shrimp- its harder to overcook vs. frozen)

9. Bruschetta Chicken

10. Sausage & Zucchini Skillet

11. Our last day of summer! OUT

12. First day of school! Spaghetti + meatballs

13. Leftovers

14. Baked Cheeseburger Sliders

15. Chicken Spaghetti

16. Crispy Lemon Chicken 

17. Jalapeno Popper Beef Taquitos

18. Sweet Potato Frittata

19. Beef Ramen Stir Fry

20. OUT or leftovers

21. Quesadilla Burger

22. Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan 

23. Fish Tacos

24. Jalapeno Popper Chicken Salad Sandwiches

25. Texi-Cuban Quesadillas

26. Chicken Alfredo with Zucchini Noodles

27. OUT or leftovers

28. Grilled Eggplant with Feta

29. Avocado Grilled Chicken

30. Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

31. Lemon Ricotta Zucchini Pasta

🍋 May Meal Plan

1. chicken & veggie foil packets

2. shrimp & veggie sheetpan

3. sweet potato frittata 

4. crockpot lemon chicken

5. breakfast

6. meatball subs

7. OUT or leftovers

8. avocado ranch chicken burgers

9. Mother's Day- mama ain't cooking ;)

10. beef & cheese manicotti

11. beef ramen

12. kung pao chicken

13. BBQ chicken stuffed potatoes

14. OUT or leftovers

15. pulled pork sandwiches

16. bacon carbonara 

17. italian beef sandwiches 

18. sausage & veggie sheetpan

19. orange chicken

20. chicken parm zucchini boats

21. OUT or leftovers

22. quesadilla burgers

23. greek turkey burgers

24. buffalo chicken meatballs

25. lasagna roll-ups

26. broccoli & rice stuffed peppers

27. beef & broccoli stir fry

28. OUT or leftovers

29. kielbasa kabobs

30. garlic parm pork chops with mashed cauliflower

31. gnocchi sheetpan

🍋 April Meal Plan

I can hardly believe it's April already! This year has been flying by! I've received so much positive feedback on my meals to inbox service. If you haven't already signed up, you can do so here.

Hope y'all enjoy these meals! :)

1. Bang bang shrimp served with rice and veggie of choice
2. OUT or leftovers
3. Jalapeno turkey burgers with homemade fries
4. Sheetpan Easter dinner (absolutely love this idea!)

5. Sheetpan sausage & veggies

6. Turkey taco burrito bowls

7. Chicken salad sandwiches

8. Skinny chicken & rice casserole

9. OUT or leftovers

10. BBQ chicken foil packets

11. Ground turkey & black bean enchiladas

12. Chicken sausage pasta

13. Crispy lemon chicken with asparagus and mashed cauliflower

14. Black bean avocado quesadillas

15. Air fryer chicken parmesan with zucchini noodles

16. OUT or leftovers

17. Caramelized onion & gouda burgers with homemade fries

18. Fried rice (I plan on adding rotisserie chicken)

19. Air fryer loaded baked potatoes

20. Beef ramen

21. Whole30 Sloppy Joes

22. Chicken enchilada stuffed sweet potatoes

23. OUT or leftovers

24. Grilled chicken kabobs with grilled veggies

25. Kielbasa veggie sheetpan

26. Meatball subs (I prefer frozen turkey meatballs from either TJ's or Kroger, and Rao's marinara)

27. Crockpot stuffed artichokes

28. Crockpot BBQ chicken sandwiches (I'll stuff a potato with mine)

29.  Mexican Shrimp Diablo

30. OUT or leftovers

🍋 March Meal Plan

Is anyone else wondering where February went?! I cannot believe March is already upon us! I am really looking forward to more sunshine and longer days! This month we start baseball, too, so there are plenty of crockpot meals in this meal plan to get us mamas through those long days. Plus, I've included some yummy grilled options for warmer weather. 

I hope y'all LOVE this plan as much as I do! If you're interested in getting this plan sent to your inbox weekly with recipes and a weekly grocery list, click here!

ENJOY!

1. Greek Chicken Bake served with mashed cauliflower

2. Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers (I plan to make the chicken in my crockpot with fajita seasonings and chicken broth, and I will make enough for leftovers for the next night because #baseballlife)

3. Chicken Tacos with leftover meat

4. Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps (can easily serve this over rice noodles, if you prefer)

5. OUT or leftovers

6. Grilled California Avocado Chicken this would be good served with spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles

7. Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

8. Crockpot Mongolian Beef served over rice

9. Turkey Tacos

10. Tex Mex Chicken & Zucchini Skillet served over rice

11. Giant Turkey Meatball Parmesan with a giant caesar salad

12. OUT or leftovers

13. Hobo Foil Packets

14. Lasagna Roll-Ups

15. Shrimp & Sausage Sheetpan

16. Verde Chicken Tostadas (with enough for leftovers for the next night)

17. Verde Chicken Burritos

18. Gnocchi Sheetpan with a giant caesar salad

19. OUT or leftovers

20. Grilled Kielbasa Kabobs served over rice

21. French Onion Soup Burgers

22. Italian Sausage and Veggies Sheetpan (I love Trader Joe's spicy italian chicken sausage for this)

23. Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry (I like shredded beef from either Kroger or Trader Joe's for this)

24. Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme (Trader Joe's has a really good "queso cheese dip" that would be perfect for this! Good macros, too!)

25. Orange Chicken served over rice (double the sauce!)

26. OUT or leftovers

27. Sausage Foil Packets

28. Chili Lime Cod with rice and asparagus

29. Crockpot Italian Beef Sandwiches

30. Jalapeno Popper Zucchini Boats

31. Crockpot Ranch Chicken Tacos

🍋 January Meal Plan

Not sure about y'all, but I absolutely LOVE the start of a new year. My hopes and dreams are fresh, my motivation is usually very strong, and I just get soo excited about the idea of a shiny, brand new year! I'm the same way about Mondays, too.

I am sooo pumped for a new year, and I have some really huge personal goals. One of them is to get my diet back in check. My plan is simple: no alcohol the entire month, lots of fruits and veggies, sticking to this meal plan to a T, and allowing myself one cheat meal each week (you'll see those listed each Friday). 

My hope for this blog, and this meal plan, is that maybe it can provide you with a source of inspiration, easy meal ideas and maybe start you down the path of a healthier lifestyle. One day at a time, friends!

1. skillet pork chops & cabbage with black eyed peas (all the black eyed peas, friends!!!)

2. beef & broccoli stir fry (I like to use shaved beef from Trader Joe's. Double the sauce!)

3. bruschetta chicken with spaghetti squash

4. meatloaf with mini potatoes & green beans

5. sausage & zucchini skillet

6. taco stuffed sweet potatoes

7. sloppy joe bowls

8. out

9. kielbasa & veggie sheetpan

10. hobo foil packets

11. verde chicken tostadas

12. leftovers

13. low carb taco casserole

14. santa fe chicken packets

15. out

16. grilled pork tenderloin with baked potatoes & broccoli

17. air fryer sausage & potatoes with a vegetable

18. turkey sausage lasagna soup

19. chicken scampi with garlic parmesan rice

20. crockpot buffalo chicken potatoes

21. crispy lemon chicken with green beans

22. out

23. air fryer chicken fried rice (I line my air fryer with foil)

24. verde chicken burritos

25. leftovers

26. skinny chicken and rice casserole

27. italian sausage & pepper sub sandwiches

28. crockpot BBQ chicken potatoes

29. out

30. roasted red pepper, mozzarella & basil stuffed chicken with zucchini noodles

31. tortellini chicken noodle soup

🍋 October Meal Plan

I am soo excited that it is officially FALL! The shadows are getting longer, the air is crisper and the crockpot is getting used more. I asked my Instagram followers when is the socially acceptable time to eat soups, and most people said Oct. 1 or when the temps drop below 65. I had a few people message me and say ANYTIME, which I absolutely love! :)  I had fun searching for healthy soup options this month, and I'm excited to hear what y'all think! Here we go...

1. unstuffed pepper skillet

2. OUT

3. sausage foil packets

4. chicken parmesan zucchini boats

5. skinny chicken fajita soup

6. taco stuffed sweet potatoes

7. teriyaki turkey bowls

8. leftovers

9. OUT

10. buffalo ranch sandwiches

11. chicken & rice casserole

12. chicken tortellini soup

13. leftovers

14. sesame chicken & veggies sheetpan

15. leftovers

16. OUT

17. cheesy ranch tacos

18. hamburger soup

19. leftovers

20. verde chicken tostadas

21. beef & broccoli stir-fry

22. sheetpan meatloaf & green beans

23. OUT

24. roasted poblano quesadillas

25. sausage & gnocchi soup

26. kielbasa & pepper kabobs

27. turkey tacos

28. ground turkey & sweet potato skillet

29. hobo foil packet

30. chili

31. pizza & trick-or-treating!

As always, if you have questions about any of these recipes or, if you try one and love it, I'd love to hear from you!!

Enjoy!
Kate

🍋 September Meal Plan

What a doozy the last half of August was! Amiright?! Virtual school has thrown my entire house for a loop, add in baseball, and the LAST THING I want to do is cook dinner! WOW! But, I have goals and I know I'll be SO MUCH HAPPIER if I cook healthy meals, and stick to my macros.

Good news is we only have a few days left of virtual school (#praisehands); however, we have tons of weeknight baseball this month. So, this meal plan is going to include a lot of leftovers, crockpot meals and meal prep. HERE WE GO!

1. verde chicken burritos

2. skinny orange chicken

3. leftovers

4. OUT TO EAT

5. meatball burgers with homemade fries & okra

6. grilled pesto chicken & tomato kabobs with rice

7. turkey tacos (+ enough for leftovers)

8. turkey burritos

9. kung pao chicken with rice noodles (I like to quarter the zucchini and saute it with the veggies, and serve it over rice noodles)

10. gnocchi sheetpan

11. OUT TO EAT

12. hamburger foil packets

13. keilbasa kabobs with rice

14. BBQ chicken sandwiches (+ enough for leftovers)

15. BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes

16. air fryer chicken parmesan

17. breakfast tacos

18. OUT TO EAT

19. fajitas with rice & beans

20. rigatoni with sausage, tomatoes & zucchini

21. beef short rib pasta

22. leftovers

23. crockpot chicken chili tacos

24. leftovers

25. meatball subs (I prefer Trader Joe's turkey meatballs with Rao's marinara)

26. OUT TO EAT

27. honey mustard chicken kabobs with rice & veggie

28. beef & broccoli stirfry (I plan on using shaved beef)

29. verde chicken tostadas

30. leftovers

🍋 August Meal Plan

I can't believe it's almost AUGUST! We are on our way home from the beach right now, and will quickly be gearing up for school. Wowzer! When school and sports start ramping up, these meal plans will really help us stay on track without thinking too hard. Winning! Currently loading all my groceries in my Kroger cart for grocery pickup.... :)

1. Hamburger foil packet
2. Summer cavatelli with corn, tomato & zucchini (I'll also add chicken sausage)
3. Kung pao chicken
4. Grilled kielbasa kabobs with a balsamic honey glaze
5. Turkey black bean enchiladas
6. Air fryer chicken "fried" rice
7. Southwestern stuffed chicken breasts with rice & veggie
8. Chili lime turkey burgers with okra
9. Turkey taco burrito bowls
10. Buffalo sweet potato & chicken casserole
11. Chili lime cod with rice & veggie
12. Sesame encrusted chicken with potatoes & veggie
13. Taco stuffed zucchini
14. Kielbasa sheetpan
15. Meatball burgers
16. Spaghetti with meat sauce over spaghetti squash
17. Air fryer garlic parmesan pork chop with baked potatoes & veggie
18. Taco casserole
19. Grilled pesto chicken & tomato kabobs with rice
20. Sausage & veggie foil packets
21. Lobster rolls
22. French onion soup burgers
23. Poblano pepper quesadillas with guac and mexi rice
24. Margarita pizza grilled cheese with cesar salad
25. Fish florentine with rice and veggies
26. Green chile chicken enchiladas (use my verde chicken)
27. Tomato pie
28. Pork carnitas bowls
29. Bacon & bleu cheese burgers
30. Air fryer chicken parmesan
31. Breakfast

Shrimp pesto packets

I originally got this recipe from Kathleen over at Carrie Bradshaw Lied. Her mom introduced us to these last summer, and its become a staple in our home! Unfortunately, it's not on her website! So, I decided to publish it here for quick reference.

These packets are super easy, fresh and light for summer evenings. I enjoyed it over Banza chickpea noodles, but Kathleen suggested linguine.

Ingredients for 1 packet
1.5 lbs. jumbo shrimp (I use a bag of frozen, cooked shrimp)
1 tbsp. pesto
1/3 cup grated parmesan
4 thin lemon slices
4 small green olives
lemon juice

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 500.
2) Spray inside of parchment paper with non-stick spray.
3) Lay 8-10 shrimp overlapping in each pack. Top with pesto, parm, lemon and olives. Sprinkle with a little pepper and squeeze a little lemon juice on top.
4) Cook on 500 for 7-10 minutes.
5) Serve over noodles of your choice with another squeeze of lemon and more parm.

ENJOY!

Verde Chicken Enchiladas

I've had a lot of requests for this recipe after posting a sneak peek of my September meal plan on Instagram. Unfortunately, I hadn't actually made it before to share the recipe quickly. HA! My family loves verde chicken and enchiladas, so I thought - let's combine them!! So, I actually tried two different combos of sauces and I loved them both equally, so there's actually two versions here...

   

  

Ingredients
2lbs. chicken breasts
2, 16oz jars of verde salsa (my family prefers the Joe T's verde salsa)
Can of red enchilada sauce
10 corn tortillas
Mexican cheese, shredded

For the filling
Follow my verde chicken tostada recipe for making the filling. Cooking your chicken in the crockpot makes it SO EASY, tender and effortless. Once the chicken has simmered for 4-6 hours, shred with a hand mixer and set aside.

For the enchiladas
1) Preheat oven to 350, spray 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick spray, and warm corn tortillas in microwave for 30 seconds to make them soft.
2) Fill each corn tortilla with the shredded chicken.
3) Roll tortilla up and place seam side down in dish.
4) Continue to do this until you've filled your dish. Pour salsa or enchilada sauce on top of enchiladas (depending which you prefer, or do both!), and top with cheese.
5) Bake on 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.
6) Top with diced green chilies, pico de gallo or even guacamole.

ENJOY!

A few pointers...
This is the enchilada sauce I used. It didn't taste so great right out of the can, but it was delicious on top of the enchiladas!

            

This is about how much filling you want in each tortilla:

Verde Chicken Tostadas

I'm always on the hunt for crockpot meals that are easy, delicious and healthy. My sweet friend Kamber shared this with me a year ago, but I never made it until a few weeks ago! Kinda sad I waited that long because this meal is AWESOME! So awesome I've made it 3 times in 3 weeks! Ha!

I like to serve my verde chicken on tostada shells, but you can do tacos and salads too. The chicken isn't nearly as runny as some chicken taco meat I've made in the crockpot, so it makes delicious tacos and burritos.

Ingredients
2lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
16oz. salsa verde
garlic powder
cumin
oregano
salt/pepper

Directions
1) Place chicken on bottom of crockpot, sprinkle with all 5 seasonings.
2) Pour jar of salsa verde over top the chicken.
3) Cook on low for 6 hours.
4) Shred and enjoy! (don't forget my easy shredding method using the hand mixer!)

I told y'all it was easy, and I promise its delicious!

Beef Stir Fry

One of my family's favorite weeknight meals is beef stir fry. This is in our weekly rotation and we love it!

Ingredients
1 lb. Trader Joe's shaved beef
20oz. fresh stir fry veggies (I prefer fresh because it keeps some of the crunch)
3 cups rice of your choice
1/2 cup Trader Joe's general tsao stir fry sauce (can also use the TJ's sweet chili sauce)

Directions
1) Start rice according to directions on box.
2) Throw stir fry veggies in a wok or frying pan with 1/4 cup water on medium-high heat, cover and let steam for 10-15 mins or until snap peas are bright green and densest veggie is soft (usually carrots).
3) Brown beef on stove top for about 5-10 minutes until cooked thoroughly.
4) Once all these ingredients are cooked, you can assemble bowls. I prefer to assemble them this way vs. dumping it all in a pot together because then you can pick how much of each ingredient you get. I generally do 4oz. of beef, 1/2 cup rice, 1 cup vegggies and 1/4 cup of sauce. Toss all together and ENJOY!

Air Fryer Chicken Fried Rice

I'm always looking for easy ways to use my air fryer, and this chicken fried rice is seriously easy! I like to use a rotisserie chicken for this because it makes it THAT much easier!

Ingredients
3 cups cooked rice
1 package frozen peas and carrots
6 tbsp tamari sauce (can use soy sauce)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups diced chicken (I prefer using a rotisserie chicken for this)
1/2 cup onion, diced

Directions
1) Cook rice according to instructions. Can use minute rice.
2) Line air fryer basket with foil about half way up. (See images below) Preheat air fryer to 360*.
3) Add remaining ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.
4) Once rice is cooked, add to bowl and mix well.
5) Pour rice mixture into the pre-heated air fryer. Cover with foil and cook for 15-20 minutes.
6) Chicken fried rice should be nice and warm with a slight crunch.

Some tips I've learned along the way:
- Insert your foil in the basket of the air fryer BEFORE you heat it up. I've made this mistake and that sucker gets HOT!
- Only line the basket about half way up, otherwise the warm air cannot get into the fried rice and it takes a long time to cook.
- Be sure to cover the fried rice with foil as well, or the top layer will get super crunchy.

ENJOY!

Chicken Fajita Bowls

Basically anything mexican is a huge hit at our house, and this was no exception. I love that this was a sheetpan meal because let's face it, mama don't like dishes, and it comes together very quickly!

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
2 cups of cooked white or brown rice
1 poblano pepper, sliced thin
1 red pepper, sliced thin
1 small onion, sliced thin
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of corn, drained
1 packet of fajita seasoning
1 tbsp olive oil

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 400*, and spray baking sheet with oil.
2) Slice peppers and place on baking sheet, and spray with a little more oil.
3) Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place each breast individually in a foil packet.
4) Sprinkle chicken and veggies with fajita seasoning. Wrap up chicken in foil packets and place on baking sheet.
6) Bake for 20 minutes, remove chicken from foil packets and bake another 15 minutes.
7) While chicken is baking, prep rice, black beans and corn.
8) Assemble bowls with rice, black beans, corn, veggies and lots of chicken! Top with  shredded cheese sour cream, avocado, salsa.

ENJOY!
XO

Stovetop Sloppy Joes

Does anything scream childhood like sloppy joes? Well, maybe hotdogs, but sloppy joes are a close second! I love them, but sadly store bought seasoning packets just aren't that great for you.

Insert this amazingly easy and delicious recipe from The Real Food Dietitians. I changed the recipe a bit because I like mine a little more sloppy, and a little less meaty. Here we go...

Ingredients
2 lbs ground turkey
1 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
12oz no-salt added tomato paste
1 cup water
3 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp tamari (or soy sauce) **I believe tamari is NOT allowed on Whole30, can use fish sauce
1/2 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 sweet potatoes

Directions
1) In a large dutch oven or pasta pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and pepper and saute until soft.
2) Add turkey and brown.
3) When turkey is cooked, add in remaining ingredients (minus the sweet potatoes) and simmer for 10 minutes.
4) Once the sloppy joe mix is simmering, you can pop your sweet potatoes in the microwave. I loved eating this as an open-face spud, but you could totally peel/slice the sweet potatoes, like the original recipe says, and roast them for a bit for "sandwiches."

ENJOY!!
XO

Skinny Chicken Fajita Soup

I adapted this recipe from A Spicy Perspective mainly because I don't like running my stove for a long time, and I prefer cooking soups in the crockpot all day to let the flavors marinade. You could easily stick to the original recipe though if you don't have a crockpot.

Ingredients
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 cups unsalted chicken stock
3 bell peppers (I used red, yellow & orange), seeded and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
15 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 packet fajita seasoning
2 cups white rice
1 cup water

Directions
1. Place your chicken breasts in the bottom of your crockpot and cover with chicken stock.
2. Saute the bell peppers, onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft.
3. Add pepper, onion, garlic mixture into the crockpot.
4. Add remaining ingredients (tomatoes, beans, fajita seasoning, rice and water).
5. Cook on high for 5 hours, or low for 8 hours.
6. Before you are ready to serve, take out the chicken and shred (I like to use a hand mixer for this), then put chicken back in crockpot and mix together.
7. Serve with avocado, cheese, cilantro, tortilla strips, etc.

Enjoy!
XO