I told my clients that for their Christmas present I was cooking for them all month long...
And while I wish that I was Santa Claus and could be popping into kitchens all over the world, I am giving you the next best thing: 10 one pot wonders to help you fly through the holiday season with 'nary a care in the kitchen.
My hope is that these meal ideas really serve you so that you can have more precious time to devote to joyous things, whether that be with your friends or family, around the table, drinking delicious beverages or just enjoying a few days off to breathe and refocus before the new year.
1) Broccoli Quinoa Casserole from Cookie + Kate. I love the flavors of this and its a great high fiber alternative to mac + cheese.
2) Pasta with Three Cheese -- I used high protein, high fiber pasta for this meal to up the fiber. Serve with a side of steamed vegetables.
3) High Protein Pasta with Marinara Sauce. You know how much I love Barilla Protein Plus brand in the yellow box-- it has tons of fiber as well to keep you full even from a simple meal.
4) Artichoke + Spinach Chicken Bake: in a 9X13 pan, add 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 bag frozen artichoke hearts, 3 cups spinach, 4 seasoned chicken breasts and ½ cup parmesan cheese. Cover and bake at 400 until heated through ~20 minutes.
5) Quick Lentil Soup from my 30 Day Meal Plan this Fall. Try throwing in the slower cooker or Insta pot for even quicker dinner.
6) Black bean skillet dinner like this one, easy enough for kids and adults alike to cook. Black beans are very high in fiber and with the addition of zucchini, its a one-dish dinner, which means less clean up.
7) Steak, Potato + Pepper Skillet dinner: just saute 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped peppers, and 4-5 golden yukon potatoes in a cast-iron skillet until potatoes are cooked through. Add cubed steak and sear on all sides with steak seasoning.
8) Chicken Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner: 5 chicken sausages (precooked), 1 bag prechopped/peeled butternut squash, 1 lb asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic powder. Roast at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
9) Lentil Casserole is the perfect meatless dish, high in fiber, hearty and warm. This is from a classic cookbook called More with Less from the 1970’s that my mom used to make. It is still to this day one of my favorite “comfort” foods. You can even assemble this in the morning and place it in a cold oven and set it to time bake so that all you have to do is put the shredded cheese on it to finish the process.
10) Instapot Quick Beef Stew like this one. I love how you can sear the meat ahead of time and put all the ingredients in and put it on time to start cooking later in the day. Searing the meat does take a bit of time, but beef stew tastes even better the second day... so IMO it's worth the effort to cook once, and eat twice.
Here's to a healthier, happier holiday season. To get more ideas like this sign up for my newsletter! I'd love to share ways that I keep ahead of busy during this time with simple meals in my own household.
TTYL,
Nora
Comments