Need to throw out the disclaimer now that this is definitely not a quick meal prep recipe whatsoever! This is a Rachel Ray recipe that my dad makes a lot and always turns out amazing, so I gave it a try. We both use coconut milk instead of normal milk, and I opted for sweet potato glass noodles (found at Wegmans in the Asian aisle) instead of bucatini noodles. I also thought this meal could use some vegetables, so I threw in some zucchini noodles as well. Besides those swaps, below is the recipe as-is, which serves 4 people - yes, I had to increase some ingredients for my meal prep. You can tell from the picture that my Bolognese is more meat based and that's because I used about the same sauce ingredients and just significantly increased the beef amount. I also used less EVOO then suggested, but that was just to keep the fat content of each meal a little lower for my needs. Although this took a little more prep then I would have liked, it was all worth it to eat this amazing meal all week long! If you have the time to give this recipe a try, whether for meal prep or just dinner one night for the family or friends, I highly recommend it! This homemade Bolognese sauce is full of only whole-food ingredients and turned out absolutely amazing! Pair it with whatever "noodle" that fits your needs and enjoy! 

Roasted Tomato Bolognese and Sweet Potato Noodles
Ingredients

• 32 cocktail tomatoes (they’re a little larger than cherry tomatoes) or 3 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 Tablespoons thyme leaves stripped from stems
• EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for liberal drizzling (4 tablespoons or so)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 pounds 80% lean ground beef
• 1 small onions, finely chopped
• 1 cup chicken or veal stock
• A handful of parsley, chopped
• A handful of basil, torn
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 pound sweet potato glass noodles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. On a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, arrange tomatoes, garlic and thyme. Drizzle with EVOO and toss to coat. Roast 30 minutes until the tomatoes burst. Slide everything into a food processor and purée.
3. Heat a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, and beef. Season with salt and pepper, and brown and crumble. Add onions and cook until soft; add stock. Add tomato purée and stir in parsley, basil and milk. Simmer 30-40 minutes to thicken. 
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and noodles, and cook to al dente. Reserve 1 cup starchy water then drain noodles and return it to the hot pot. Toss noodles with starchy water, half the sauce and a drizzle or two of EVOO to coat. 
5. Serve pasta topped with more sauce.

​
Original recipe found here

​​I seriously love the one-pan recipes! I mean throwing everything on one pan and placing it in the oven is too easy. Not only does it make for a simple meal prep, but also a quick clean up too. I am someone who falls into the routine of prepping and eating broccoli and cauliflower rice a lot, so anytime I find a new recipe with a different vegetable then I am definitely trying it out. I pretty much doubled this recipe below (minus the olive oil, I kept that the same), then increased the chicken amount a little more to get even more meals out of it. Also, instead of doubling the carrots I just added 1½ pounds of asparagus instead since someone I cook for does not enjoy carrots so much. For such a simple list of ingredients I thought this meal turned out tasting really good. Mixing it up and cooking with chicken thighs is always really tasty too, so don't let that dissuade you from trying this recipe. Not much prep besides cutting the vegetables and chopping the rosemary, which you can totally do the night before if you want to save time in the kitchen the following day. I definitely recommend this is as a "beginner" meal prep recipe, and also to those more advanced meal preppers if they want an easy day in the kitchen and delicious meals all week! 

One-Pan Roasted Chicken with Carrots
Ingredients:

• 4 chicken thighs
• 1½ pounds carrots, peeled and trimmed
• 1 large onion, peeled and cut into eighths
• 1 head of garlic
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Arrange the carrots and onion in a single layer on a greased baking sheet.
3. Slice the top off a head of garlic; discard the top and place on the tray.
4. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the vegetables; season with the rosemary, and salt and pepper.
5. Top with the chicken thighs. Rub each thigh with 1 teaspoon olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
6. Roast in the oven until the chicken skin is golden and the carrots are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
7. To serve, divide the vegetables and chicken thighs among four plates.

Original recipe found here

I love these kinds of recipes because I can add in a ton of different vegetables and get more of a variety of nutrients in my life then I typically consume. Plus, this one was absolutely delicious and refreshing! If you ever suspect that your body is rejecting certain foods, experiencing inflammation or any other unwanted symptoms, then AIP (autoimmune protocol) recipes like this one are great meals to start incorporating into your life. They are certainly not a cure, but a good starting point with eliminating a lot of known foods to cause inflammation and gut issues. Worth trying out to see if it helps your body! Anyways, I adjusted some of the ingredients below to make more food for my meal prep this week, so check out the original recipe link below for comparison if you need to. I left out the butternut squash/sweet potato because I threw this meal over a mixture of rice and cauliflower rice instead. However, I think adding the butternut squash/sweet potato would only enhance this meal, so next time I won't skip out on it. This one is definitely worth a try and one that I will most certainly be making again! ​

Turkey Apple Breakfast Hash
Ingredients:
For the meat:

• 3 lb ground turkey
• 1-2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• sea salt, to taste

For the hash:

• 1-2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 large onion
• 1 large or 2 small zucchini
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 2 cups cubed frozen butternut squash (or sweet potato)
• 2 large apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 4 cups spinach or greens of choice
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 ½ teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• sea salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a skillet over medium/high heat. Add ground turkey and cook until browned. Season with cinnamon, thyme, and a pinch of sea salt. Move to plate.
2. Drop remaining coconut oil to the same skillet and sauté onion for 2-3 minutes, until softened.
3. Add in zucchini, carrots, apple, and frozen squash. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until veggies have softened.
4. Add in spinach and stir until wilted.
5. Stir in cooked turkey, seasonings, and salt and turn off heat.
6. Enjoy this hash fresh from the skillet or let cool and refrigerate to eat throughout the week. The hash will keep for about 5-6 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Original recipe found here