I had this grand idea of searching through past LiveSqueezy posts for meal prep inspiration and found this Vaca Frita that I remember loving. I decided to make this again with a little twist by serving it with Riced Veggies Cauliflower & Sweet Potato and Barnana’s Himalayan Pink Sea Salt Plantain Chips (paleo, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, amazing). I made the chicken recipe as is below, but only used 2 Tbsp of bacon fat (divided), so I could reserve some more fat for those Barnana Plantain Chips. Click here to find a store near you that has these chips. (Note: Although all the Barnana Plantain Chips say "paleo", the Himalayan Pink Sea Salt is the only one without added sugar and maltodextrin, so I recommend sticking to that flavor!). Anyways, back to this ridiculously amazing meal. The chicken is packed with flavor that the riced cauliflower and sweet potato didn't need anything extra - I just heated that up and mixed it on in with the chicken. My mom was a BIG fan of this one, mostly because of the plantain chips, but I also looked forward to eating this all week. Let me know if you give it a try and what you think! 

​Instant Pot Chicken or Turkey Vaca Frita
Ingredients:

• 4lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or turkey breasts
• 1 cup bone broth
• ¼ cup tallow or bacon fat (divided)
• 3 large sweet onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 lemons
• 3 tsp pink Himalayan salt
• 1 cup minced cilantro

Directions:

1. First you need to cook your chicken breasts. Open your pressure cooker, add in my chicken and broth and set to poultry (20 min, high).
2. While the chicken cooks get prep the rest of the ingredients; peel and slice all the onions and the garlic. Juice the lemons and mince the cilantro. Once the chicken is done, release the pressure manually. Remove the chicken from the pressure cooker and place in a bowl. Shred with two forks and set aside.
3. Empty the bowl of your pressure cooker. Heat, with the lid open on sauté mode, medium or low heat. When it comes to temperature add in 2 tbsp. cooking fat and all the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes until the onions are very tender, translucent and sweet.
4. Remove half of the onion from the pot and add in half of the shredded chicken, one tbsp. fat, sprinkle in some salt and set the saute heat to high. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5-8 minutes until crispy bits begin for form. Add in half of the lemon juice and a handful of cilantro. Stir well and remove from the pressure cooker. Next add in the remaining fat, onions, chicken and repeat. Same with the remaining salt, lemon and cilantro.
5. Once it’s all done, mix it all together and toss well and let it sit for 5 minutes. Mix again, make sure you scrape and crispy bits from the bottom of the pot. Then you’re ready to serve! Garnish with remaining cilantro. This is great over cauliflower rice, with plantain chips or over greens! Buen Provecho!

Original recipe found here

Talk about super delicious and super easy! Well, there was a lot of cutting of vegetables, but other then that this meal was simple to throw together. I ended up doubling this entire recipe, so I actually had to bake the chicken separate from the veggies. I think baking everything together though would have only given this meal more flavor, so let me know if you make this one as the recipe says below! As for the vegetables, I subbed out the white potatoes for Brussels just to add some more greens into the mix, and it seriously came out AMAZING. If you have a hard time finding ways to eat vegetables, and actually enjoying them, then definitely give this one a try. I could eat these roasted harvest vegetables all day. 

​Sheet Pan Chicken and Roasted Harvest Vegetables
Ingredients:

• 8-9 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (I used boneless)

Marinade Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
• sea salt and pepper

Vegetables

• baby potatoes
• sweet potatoes
• shallots
• zucchini
• 1 Honey crisp apple (or other sweet apple) cut in 3/4 inch slices
• fresh or dried thyme and rosemary
• sea salt and pepper
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Whisk marinade ingredients together. Pat chicken dry and place in a Ziplock bag. Pour marinade over all, close bag tightly and massage the marinade into all the chicken pieces. Set aside.
3. Prepare a large sheet pan (with sides) by either lining it with foil or lightly coating it with oil or cooking spray.
4. Chop vegetables so they are of uniform sizes. Leave apple unpeeled, remove the core and slice into 3/4 inch chunks. If they are thinner, they cook too quickly and become too soft.
5. Arrange vegetables on sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. Chop bacon into 1-inch pieces and arrange randomly on the vegetables.
7. Place chicken pieces on top of the vegetables and drizzle with remaining marinade.
8. Bake at 425°F for 30 minutes or until chicken registers at least 165°F on a meat thermometer.
9. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve.

Original recipe found here

It's Thanksgiving week, which means yes, I still meal prep, and yes, I like to make Thanksgiving types of food for the whole week. ​This year is especially busy though, so I pulled some recipes I've already posted to make this meal. I actually haven't made the Crockpot Chicken with Butternut Squash, Pears, and Cranberries​ since January of 2016 (one of my first blog posts), and this time I actually made the Rosemary Mashed Root Vegetables as the recipe calls for. When I made that mash last time I used butternut squash, tri-colored carrots, and more sweet potatoes, so using less sweet potato and adding white potatoes and regular carrots instead turned out for a completely different taste, but still tasty! I did have higher expectations for this meal, if I am being honest, but I still enjoyed having something different this week. I recommend cutting the chicken breasts in half and rubbing the seasoning on them before placing in the crockpot, just to make sure the chicken is more flavored. Also, for the Rosemary Mashed Root Vegetables I recommend using a canned coconut milk since it packs way more flavor then the boxed coconut milks, which I accidentally used. I also think adding a tablespoon or two of ghee would really hit the spot as well, but that's just my opinion! I know, I know, I am probably not selling anyone on these recipes, but they were still tasty and easy to whip together! Let me know if you give either a try.
​
Crockpot Chicken with Butternut Squash, Pears, and Cranberries
Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash (1.5 lbs.), cubed
• 2 sweet onion, sliced
• 2 bosc pear, sliced
• 2 cup raw cranberries
• 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into halves or quarters)
• 1 cup veggie or chicken broth
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tsp Sea salt
• 2 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Layer squash cubes at the bottom of the crockpot.
2. Put half of the onions, pears, and cranberries on top.
3. Add 1 bay leaf and some spices.
4. Arrange a layer of chicken on top of the spices.
5. Add another layer of spices and the second bay leaf on top of the chicken.
6. Add the remaining onion, pear, and cranberries.
7. Pour the broth over the mixture.
8. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Original recipe found here

Rosemary Mashed Root Vegetables
Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 4 white potatoes, unpeeled and chopped
• 16 baby carrots or 2 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2/3 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk beverage (Coconut milk or Almond milk)
• 2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped finely
• 2 teaspoon dried chives
• 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Place the sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and carrots in a pot, and cover with water.
2. Place the pot over medium-high heat, and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let bubble until the vegetables are fork tender. This usually takes 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and drain the vegetables.
4. Place the vegetables into a medium bowl, and add the milk beverage, rosemary, chives, salt (to taste), and pepper. Mash the ingredients together with a potato masher or lightly blend with a hand mixer to combine. (I used a food processor to make mash smooth.)

Original recipe found here

Between not having power to the oven and stove top, to being out of electricity all together, meal prep has been quite the struggle the last couple weekends! Since skipping meal prep is clearly not an option though, I found this new slow cooker recipe to try, utilized my trusty Instant Pot, and moved my meal prep to where there was power (thank you to Debbie if you are reading this!!). This Crockpot Garlic Honey Chicken is pretty similar to the Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken recipe I’ve posted before, but this one has some added vegetables to it, aka more nutrients! I used boneless chicken thighs for this one and thought the meal turned out really well! My only complaint is that thickening the sauce up in the slow cooker seemed impossible. After about 45 minutes I decided to just throw it on the stove top on high instead, which worked much better. I served this over straight up plain cauliflower rice (seriously just used the frozen bag you can pop in the microwave) since there was plenty of sauce to go on top, but feel free to serve over rice, a mixture of cauliflower rice and regular rice, or whatever you please. This meal was delicious, super easy to throw together, and will most likely go into my rotation of weekly meal prep recipes! 

Crockpot Garlic Honey Chicken
Ingredients:

• 8 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin removed)
• 1/3 cup balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
• 2 bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), sliced
• 1 yellow onion, sliced into thick pieces
• 1 zucchini, Cut into 2-3" spears
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch/flour (just a thickening agent, you don't need to do this step if you don't want to!)
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Place the chicken in the base of a crock pot. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and chili flakes. Pour over the chicken. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 3 hours.
2. Add the onion, sliced peppers, and sliced zucchini to the crock pot. Cook for one more hour.
3. Mix the arrowroot powder and water together to form a smooth mixture. Pour into the crockpot and mix into the cooking liquid by tossing around the chicken and vegetables. Let cook for another 10 minutes, or until liquid thickens enough to coat the chicken and vegetables. Add cilantro to the chicken and toss to distribute.
4. Serve alone or with your favorite side.
5. Serves 6-8

​Original recipe found here

So I combined two recipes into my own idea of a great meal and it honestly turned out really tasty! ​Before you read all the ingredients and think this isn't for me, hear me out. First, I cook for my mom and boyfriend, who both don't like mushrooms, so I simply left those out. For the veggies I picked up some already noodled zucchinis and butternut squash from Wegman's, a pack of sweet peppers (red, orange, and yellow), and a red onion. Since my mom and boyfriend also don't prefer peppers and onions, I just threw those into the food processor to dice up real tiny - you can't even tell they are in the meal! My reason for explaining all of this is so you get creative. Pick some vegetables you like, or be spontaneous and give these ones a try. They were a really good mix and pair with the turkey sausage. Plus, start thinking of it as you're finding ways to add more nutrients into your daily life. Variety is the spice of life... Don't just eat broccoli with every meal. Anyways, I did double the turkey sausage (or maybe triple), just so I had enough protein for everyone's meals, so adjust to your own needs. Be gone the days of boring ground lean meat and give this version of turkey sausage a try! I had made it before with this Whole30 Breakfast Lasagna​ and thought it turned out delicious enough to try in a different type of meal. This was extremely simple to make and you can easily top it over rice for some carbohydrates, if you need. Also, there is a slight kick to this meal, but it's very subtle in my opinion. Definitely worth trying!

Turkey Sausage and Vegetable Skillet
Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp ghee (ghee or olive oil for Whole30)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small red onion, cut into large chunks
• 1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced into moons
• 1 small summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced into moons
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into large chunks
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into large chunks
• 6 cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning 
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Turkey Sausage

• 1 Tbsp ghee
• 1.5 lb ground turkey
• 1.50 Tablespoon chili powder 
• 1.50 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1.50 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp ghee.
2. Add ground turkey, all spice ingredients for the turkey sausage, garlic, and onion to the skillet and sauté for 10 minutes.
3. Remove turkey sausage and set aside.
4. In the same skillet, melt 1 Tbsp of ghee.
5. Add zucchini, squash, bell peppers, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, sea salt and pepper to the pan and sauté for an additional 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender.
6. Mix turkey sausage back in with vegetables and serve.

Inspired by the following two recipes:
Low Carb Chicken Sausage and Vegetable Skillet
Whole30 Breakfast Lasagna

As the name suggests, this was just a simple meal prep recipe to throw together over a very busy weekend. I loved this slow cooker chicken because it had very little prep, and all I had to do was make sure I bought the chicken and red onion ahead of time. I quickly sliced the red onion, then seasoned the chicken, and put everything in the crockpot on high for 4 hours. Easy peasy, and done in under 8 minutes. I made sure to get this in the crockpot before my busy day started, so when I got home it was almost done. This chicken recipe is a great one to prepare in bulk, have ready in your fridge throughout the week, and dress up multiple meals however you please -- top it on a salad; throw it in a casserole, soup, or omelette; heat it up with some rice/riced veggies; dress it with your favorite BBQ, buffalo/hot sauce, mustard, salsa; or make a chicken salad out of it. The possibilities are endless with this basic shredded chicken. Anyways though, since I had this incredibly simple chicken, I decided to find a delicious yet not too difficult vegetable recipe to pair with it. These balsamic brussels sprouts were exactly what I was looking for and they turned out tasting amazing! I will definitely be making these a lot moving forward. Last thing I will note is that I just threw a bunch of sweet potatoes in the oven to bake while I did various chores around the house. If you have a two-hour period at home, then why not throw some potatoes in the oven to bake and have ready for your week!? I just set a timer on my phone, so I'm reminded to get them out of the oven. There you go. A super simple and basic meal prep. 

Simple Slow Cooker Chicken Recipe 
Ingredients:

• 4 bone-in, skin on chicken breasts (I used a little over 2 lb of boneless instead)
• 2 red onions, sliced
• 1 tbsp. chilli powder
• 1/2 tbsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine the chili powder, paprika, and garlic. Season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Rub the chicken breasts with the chili powder mixture.
3. Arrange the onions in a single layer at the bottom of the slow cooker.
4. Place the chicken breasts on top of the bed of onions, and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours.
5. Brush the chicken breasts with the liquid from the bottom of the slow cooker and serve.

Original recipe found here


Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of Brussels sprouts (approximately 4 cups)
• 1 TBSP olive oil *if more liquid needed try 1 TSP of veg or chicken broth!
• 1-2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
• 1- 2 garlic glove smashed
• pinch of hot pepper flakes (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Clean and cut Brussels sprouts in 1/2.
2. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil.
3. Add Brussels sprouts and toss in all other ingredients.
4. Cook at 425 degrees until they are caramel and golden in color.

Original recipe found here