Ground Meat Weekly Meals

1. Beef and Bean Quesadillas
2. Shepherd’s Pie
3. Chili Mac
4. Stir Fry Noodles – Throw Together Meal
5. Naan Pizzas – Busy Night Meal

Grocery List

• 3 # Ground Meat (create your own mix with beef, chicken, turkey, chopped mushrooms, shredded zucchini)
• 4c Onion and Bell Pepper Mix: fresh pre-cut or frozen or 3 onions + 2 red peppers
• 1 Avocado
• 8 oz mushrooms
• Fresh vegetables to dip in ranch- cucumbers and carrot + celery sticks or bag of assorted vegetables
• 1 head of garlic or try paste tubes, jarred minced, or frozen cubes
• Brussel Sprouts, fresh or frozen
• Southwest-style Salad Kit
• 16 oz kale or power green blend with kale, spinach, and swiss chard
• Bag of coleslaw or broccoli slaw mix
• 14 oz can diced tomatoes or tomatoes with chiles
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• Tomato paste, can or look for the tube
• Marinara sauce or pizza sauce
• 14 oz can black beans
• 14 oz can kidney, white, or trio of beans
• 16 oz elbow macaroni
• Asian noodle of choice- chow mein, lo mein, udon, spaghetti or fettucine
• Tortillas (Xtreme Wellness tortillas)
• Naan Bread
• 8 oz Mexican cheese, shredded
• 8 oz Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 16 oz Pizza cheese, shredded
• Instant rice mix or quinoa blend- look in the frozen section
• Taco Seasoning packet (or make your own salt-free)
• Chili powder
• Stir Fry Seasoning packet or bottle of sauce
• Mashed Potatoes- Frozen, pouch, deli, or homemade (look for cauliflower or sweet potato)
• Frozen Mixed Vegetables
• Frozen Corn
• Frozen Lima Beans
• Cauliflower. frozen or fresh
• Frozen Stir Fry or Asian Blend veggies
• Optional for Busy Night: Frozen fish fillets, fish sticks, or chicken nuggets and egg rolls or wontons; chili garlic sauce or sriracha
• Optional for Quesadillas: Sour Cream or plain Greek yogurt, salsa
• Optional for Pizza Night: Toppings of choice

Prep Work

• Sauté mushrooms, onion and bell pepper blend- 3c of mix or 2 onions + 1 bell pepper
• Add 3# ground meat/veggie mix and cook through. Add kale or power greens, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until stems are tender.
  • Instant Pot: Cook on high for 7 minutes. Natural release for 10 minutes.
• Separate into 3 equal amounts and store 2 of them in the fridge or freezer.
• Optional:
  • Mashed Potatoes: Try using half cauliflower or half sweet potatoes (cubed sweet potatoes can be found in the freezer section or pre-cut in the produce department) If using flaked mashed potatoes, throw in cauliflower or sweet potatoes when bringing water to a boil. Simmer until fork tender and mash. Then add flakes, butter, and milk. Off heat, add one beaten egg. Store in a ziptop bag.
  • Extra Mushrooms: Slice or mince as your family prefers. I use a Cuisinart Slap Chopper. Can be frozen in portioned bags for later use.
  • Extra Kale or Power greens: Stick the whole bag straight into the freezer. When frozen, smash into tiny pieces. This can be added to anything! You can also shove a couple handfuls into ziptop bags, squeeze all of the air out, and place in the freezer.
  • Onion and Bell Pepper blend: If using fresh, dice up and mix well.
  • Tomato Paste: If using canned, drop tablespoons of paste into plastic wrap in a row. Roll up the row of paste and twist between each drop. Put in a ziptop bag and save in the freezer.

#1 Beef & Bean Quesadilla Meal

• 1/3 cooked ground meat mixture
• 14 oz can diced tomatoes or tomatoes and chiles
• 2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 14 oz can black beans
• 1 T taco seasoning (or half a packet)
• 8 oz shredded cheese
• Tortillas
• Avocado, sliced or diced
• Salsa and sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Southwest-style Salad Kit, prepared as directed
  • Add garlic, tomatoes, taco seasoning, and beans to ground meat mixture. Stir well and simmer covered for at least 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer until liquid evaporates.
  • Cover tortilla with shredded cheese and spread mixture over half the tortilla. Fold and bake (do this for making several at once) or heat in a skillet.
  • Serve quesadillas with avocado, salsa, and sour cream or Greek yogurt.

Spanish Rice

• Rice blend
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1 c corn kernels
• 1T taco seasoning (or half a packet)
• 1/4 c onion and bell pepper blend
  • Combine all ingredients (plus 1/2 c water per bag, if using Boil in Bag rice). Simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Fluff and serve with quesadillas and salad.

#2 Shepherd’s Pie Meal

• Brussel Sprouts
• 1T tomato paste
• 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 c mixed vegetables
• 1/3 prepared meat mixture
• 1/4 c flour
• 1 c beef broth
• 1 c lima beans
• 2t thyme
• 2t Worcestershire sauce
• Mashed potatoes, see notes above under “Prep Work: Optional”
  • Preheat oven to 400°.
    • Cut Brussel sprouts in half and toss in olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 minutes or until lightly charred.
  • Sauté garlic and tomato paste until tomato paste darkens.
  • Add mixed vegetables, lima beans, and meat mixture. Stir well. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir until flour turns golden.
  • Add broth while scraping the bits off the bottom of the skillet.
  • Add thyme and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer until gravy thickens.
  • Cut corner off ziptop bag of mashed potatoes and cover evenly.
  • Broil for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes begin to brown.

#3 Chili Mac Meal

• 1/4 c Chili Powder
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 c onion and bell pepper mix
• 28 oz diced tomatoes
• 1T soy sauce or liquid amino acids
• 14 oz can kidney, white, or trio of beans
• 3 c water or beef broth
• 16 oz elbow macaroni
• Cauliflower, frozen or fresh
• 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
  • Sauté onion and pepper blend in oil on medium heat in a Dutch oven until onions are translucent. Add garlic and chili powder. Stir well until chili powder is fragrant.
  • Add soy sauce, beans, and broth to the pot. Stir to combine well scraping the bits off the bottom of the pot.
  • Add tomatoes, macaroni and stir into mix. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cauliflower and simmer for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Remove lid to allow liquid to evaporate, as needed.
    • Instant Pot: Do not add tomatoes to filling mix. Pour pasta over mix evenly. Press into broth. Cover with tomatoes. High pressure for 5 minutes. Quick release.
  • Sprinkle cheese over chili mac and broil until cheese bubbles. Or just put the lid back on the pot until melted, if you don’t want to turn the oven on!

#4 Throw Together Meal: Stir Fry Noodles

• Asian noodles of choice, cooked according to package directions
• Coleslaw mix
• Asian veggie or stir fry mix
• Stir Fry seasoning or sauce mix
• Soy Sauce or liquid amino acids
  • Sauté coleslaw mix and Asian veggie blend on medium-high heat until cooked crisp.
  • Add seasoning or sauce and noodles.

If using fish fillets, fish sticks, or chicken nuggets, cook according to package directions. Cook egg rolls and/or wontons too. Serve with soy sauce or liquid amino acids. Try some chili garlic sauce or Sriracha, if you like spice!

#5 Busy Night Meal: Individual Pizzas

• Naan Bread
• Marinara or pizza sauce
• 16 oz Pizza cheese, shredded
• Toppings
• Fresh vegetables and ranch
  • Preheat oven for 350°. Toast Naan breads for 5 minutes or until crispy.
  • Flip Naan breads, so crispy side is face down. Top with marinara and cheese. Let everyone top their own pizza. I don’t give mine access to the cheese because they get out of control but let your crew control their cheese, if you dare.
  • Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese begins to bubble.
  • Serve with vegetables and ranch dip.

Tips:

• Divide Shepherd’s Pie, Chili Mac, and Asian noodles in half. Freeze for dinner later. Or separate into individual servings and freeze for lunches.
• Prepare remaining Beef + Bean quesadillas and Naan pizzas. Par-cook then freeze with foil to separate.
• Breakfast: Use excess onions, bell pepper, mushrooms, greens, and pizza toppings for frittata or 2-minute microwave mug omelets. -OR- Roll this into meal prep for next week. Make a scramble or casserole with extra meat + veggies for breakfast burritos.