This was an awesome Memorial Day recipe to make! I opted for grilling the burgers instead of using a cast iron skillet as the directions call for. Also, it was a first for me throwing bacon in the food processor, but I see myself using that idea again in the future! For the side I threw some brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes on the same pan I used to bake 6 slices of bacon on for the Four Layer Beef & Bacon Casserole I also made this week, so the veggies soaked in the leftover bacon fat. I added some salt and roasted for 10-15 minutes at 375 degrees F. I then mixed everything around and roasted for another 10 minutes and served with the the burgers. And don't forget to top with avocado! Delicious, easy, and quick meal for prepping or making for family and friends.

Garlic Bacon Avocado Burgers
Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lb ground beef
• ½ lb bacon (look for a paleo brand & check ingredients!)
• 6 large cloves garlic
• ¼ teaspoon pink himalayan sea salt (I just used regular sea salt)
• ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• 3 avocados

Directions:

1. Using a food processor, pulse the bacon strips until they are ground.
2. Crush or mince the garlic and place in a large bowl. Add the ground beef and bacon into the bowl. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the meat. Using your hands, combine the meats, garlic, and seasoning until well disbursed.
3. Divide the meat into ¼ pound sections and shape into patties.
4. Heat a cast iron skillet (or a frying pan) to medium/high heat. Once the skillet is heated, add the patties in batches and sear for about 3-4 minutes per side (i heat my burgers to medium).
5. Serve with a few avocado slices on top of each burger!

Original recipe found here

Another really yummy meatball recipe! Since I already bought almond flour for a previous recipe, I decided I should put it to use before I forget about it. I subbed out the turkey sausage for ground beef, but I am sure turkey sausage would only of made these meatballs even tastier. Also, I opted for pairing the meatballs with spaghetti squash since I haven't made that in a while. I forgot how incredibly fast and easy spaghetti squash is to make! Check out this link for directions on how to make it. Anyways, this meal turned out amazing and is definitely a good slow cooker recipe to have ready for when life gets busy!

Slow Cooker Paleo Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 lb turkey sausage (I used ground beef instead)
• 1 tsp basil
• ½ tsp oregano
• ½ tsp rosemary
• ½ tsp thyme
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ cup almond meal
• 1 egg, beaten
• 24 oz San Marzano crushed tomatoes
• ½ large onion, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Begin by heating a large skillet to medium high.
2. In a large bowl, mix together both ground turkey and sausage until well blended.
3. In a separate small bowl, mix together basil, oregano, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and almond meal. Add mixture to the meat.
4. With your hands, mix together the spices and meat until well incorporated. Add in beaten egg and continue to mix well.
5. Form meat mixture into large meatballs (about 1.5-2 inches in diameter).
6. Grease your skillet, and add meatballs. Cook each meatball about 1 minute per side until the meat is browned (but not cooked through). Add meatballs to slow cooker.
7. Top meatballs with tomatoes, onion, garlic, and vinegar.
8. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
9. Serve plain with fresh basil, or with spaghetti squash.

Original recipe found here

I should have made this last week because it's a perfect Cinco De Mayo kind of meal. I was a little skeptical if I would enjoy this recipe at first because the bunch of cilantro really smelled up the kitchen, but this meal turned out awesome! I cut the Avocado Salsa down to about ¼ of what the recipe called for because you just can't meal prep guacamole. So I made salsa for two meals and will just prep more two more times this week. This recipe was super easy and fast to make and the weather was perfect for grilling, so I really enjoyed prepping this meal! Also, I found a new cauliflower rice recipe that called for under five ingredients and still tasted yummy. That is a win. Hope you enjoy this one!

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa
Ingredients:
Cilantro Lime Chicken:

•  1.5 lb. boneless chicken breast
•  ¼ cup lime juice
•  2 tablespoons olive oil
•  ¼ cup fresh cilantro
•  ½ teaspoon ground cumin
•  ¼ teaspoon salt

 Avocado Salsa*:

•  4 avocados, diced
•  ½ cup fresh cilantro, diced
•  3 tablespoons lime juice
•  ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
•  ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
•  1 garlic clove, minced
•  salt to taste
• Some chopped tomatoes 

* I only made about ¼ of this salsa recipe

Directions:

1. To a small bowl, add ¼ cup of lime juice, olive oil, ¼ cup of fresh cilantro, ground cumin, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Whisk until mixed.
2.  Add chicken and marinade to a large ziplock bag. Let chicken marinade for 15 minutes.
3.  Preheat grill to medium high heat (about 400 degrees). Place chicken on grill and grill each side for 4-6 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink. Remove and let sit.
4.  To make the avocado salsa: add avocado, ½ cup fresh cilantro, 3 tablespoons lime juice, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, garlic clove, chopped tomatoes and salt to a small bowl. Gently toss to mix.
5.  Top Cilantro Lime Chicken with fresh Avocado Salsa.

Original recipe found here


​Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower (I used two heads)
• 1 lime
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 handful chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Remove the leaves from the cauliflower, and cut the head in half. Remove the cauliflower from the core so you only have the florets. Place half the cauliflower into the processor and process until only small pieces remain. Remove from the processor and place into a pan. Process the remaining cauliflower repeating the steps.
2. Mince the garlic and add to the cauliflower in the pan. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. When cauliflower is slightly toasted, and garlic cooked, remove from heat.
3. Toss with cilantro and juice from the whole lime.

Original recipe found here

Another busy weekend for me, so I looked around for a quick stuffed sweet potato recipe to make and came across this taco one. I am a fan of any taco recipe that provides the ingredients to make your own taco seasoning because the ones over the counter usually have sugar in them. Anyways, baking sweet potatoes is pretty simple and the taco meat took no longer then 15 minutes to make. I decided to add some spinach into the meat instead of adding fresh lettuce, but that is just my preference (and a way for me to sneak some extra veggies in my life). I also adjusted some of the ingredient amounts from the original recipe so that I could get enough food for 6 meals. You can check out the link for the original recipe below to compare. This was another great meal that I recommend anyone who loves sweet potatoes to try!

Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
 Ingredients:

•  2 lb ground beef
•  6 sweet potatoes
•  1 onion, diced
•  1 tomato, diced
•  2 bell peppers, diced
•  1 cup fresh lettuce, shredded (I opted for spinach)
•  ½ cup chopped green onions
•  Fresh salsa

 Taco Seasoning:

•  1 tbsp. chili powder
•  1 tsp. ground cumin
•  ½ tsp. paprika
•  ½ tsp. dried oregano
•  ½ tsp. garlic powder
•  Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F.
2. Scrub and pat potatoes dry. Pierce potatoes all over with a fork and bake in the oven, directly on rack, until soft (about 40 to 45 min. depending on the size of your potatoes).
3. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the taco seasoning.
4. Melt some cooking fat in a skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Add the onions and cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook until browned.
7. Sprinkle the taco seasoning onto the beef, and stir to combine. You may want to add 1 or 2 tbsp. of water if the meat is too dry or the seasoning is not mixing well.
8. Cook the ground beef another minute or two and set aside.
9. Using a sharp knife, make a lengthwise slit in each potato and push ends of each potato toward each other to open.
10. Fill the potatoes with the ground beef and top with all the remaining vegetables.
11.  Serve with fresh homemade salsa.

Original recipe found here

So this past weekend I was out of town. Usually when I say I am out of town that means I'll get home on a Sunday evening and either prep something really quick that night and finish the rest on Monday, or just prep everything on Monday. Well my flight this weekend was super delayed and I ended up getting home into the wee hours of Tuesday morning, so this was a new meal prep challenge for me. Luckily I had already ordered 5 lunches through Power Supply, so all I had to do was make one quick and easy recipe for the other meal for the week. Since I didn't make it home in time on Monday to cook, I opted for a slow cooker recipe that I could make while I was at work on Tuesday. My best advice for people who travel a lot or have little time to meal prep is to make your meals (and health) a priority. We make time for what we truly want, so want this for yourself and your life! It is not always easy and it can be a pain in the butt at the time, but it is so worth it knowing at the end of the week that you ate the right food choices everyday.

Now about this chili, I ended up roasting more sweet potatoes to add to each meal, which I do not mention in the ingredients or directions below. If you want to add more carbs to this meal, I would suggest either also roasting additional sweet potatoes (I roasted 5 more) or just adding a couple more sweet potatoes to the crockpot. This chili turned out amazing though! It was super easy and you should definitely add it to your crockpot rotation!
​
Slow Cooker Jalapeño ​Popper Chicken Chili
Ingredients:

• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 jalapeños, seeds removed
• 1 large sweet potato, 14 oz
• 1 lb 93% lean ground chicken
• 1 lb 95% lean ground beef
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 (14 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
• chopped scallions, for garnish
• 8 oz diced avocado (from 2 small haas), for garnish

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients (except the scallion and avocado) in the slow cooker and cook on low 8 hours.
2. When done, break up the ground meat with a wooden spoon.
3. Serve garnished with scallions and avocado on top.

​Original recipe found here