Since moving back to Manhattan, I have started meal prepping every Sunday for the rest of the week. Meal prepping has helped me start living a healthier lifestyle and makes the stress of the over-looming question: “What am I going to have for dinner tonight?” disappear.
Last year, the answer to that question would have been chicken fingers and french fries from Schnippers, but this year, I always have something planned and can just heat it up quickly when I get home from class.
All of these recipes come from my new favorite cookbook, America’s Test Kitchen: Healthy Slow Cooker Revolution. I picked this book up at Barnes and Noble at the end of summer and have made so many delicious recipes that are both healthy, satisfying, and made easy for people who have busy lives. Also, crock pot meals are great because you dump everything in and forget about it and come back a few hours later and have a week of meals ready for you!
Who doesn’t love chili on a cool, fall day? I know that I do and the smell of chili filling your apartment is one of the best smells. This recipe is super easy to prepare and absolutely delicious.
Weeknight Chili:
Who doesn’t love chili on a cool, fall day? I know that I do and the smell of chili filling your apartment is one of the best smells. This recipe is super easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. Makes 6 2-cup servings.
To start, you will need:
- 1 pound 93% lean ground beef (I used fat-free ground turkey and it was just as good)
- 2 onions, chopped fine
- 2 red or green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced canned chipotle Chile in adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 1 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed
- salt and pepper
- 4 scallions, sliced thin
OPTIONAL:
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar (if you like a sweeter chili)
How to make it:
- Microwave ground beef (or turkey) in bowl, stirring occasionally, until meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker, breaking apart any large pieces of meat. Microwave onions, bell peppers, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oil, chipotle, and oregano in a bowl, stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.
- Stir tomatoes, beans, and ½ teaspoon salt into slow cooker. Cover and cook until beef is tender, 6 to 8 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high.
- Break up any remaining large pieces of mean with spoon. Stir5 in scallions and optional brown sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Enjoy!
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
I worked at Panera in high school and their chicken and wild rice soup was always my favorite on a cold fall or winter day. This recipe is just as good without the excessive amounts of fat and definitely a keeper. Makes 6 1-2/3 cup servings.
To start, you will need:
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper
- 2 (12-ounce) boneless chicken breasts, skin removed, trimmed of all visible fat
- 1/3 cup long- grain white rice and wild rice blend
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
How to make it:
- Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and carrots and cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to slow cooker.
- Stir broth, fennel, bay leaves, and ½ teaspoon salt into slow cooker. Nestle chicken into slow cooker, cover, and cook until chicken is tender, 3 to 5 hours on low.
- Transfer chicken to carving board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite size pieces using 2 forks; Discard bay leaves. Stir rice into soup, cover, and cook on high until tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Enjoy!
Creamy Cauliflower and Potato Soup
Much like the Chicken and Wild Rice soup, when I think of potato soup, it brings me back to my days of working at Panera. While their soup is chunky (and full of fat), this version of potato soup is a smooth, skinny version that still has all the amazing flavors you hope for in a potato (and cauliflower!) soup. Just as a heads up, this soup requires a blender. Makes 6 1-2/3 cup servings.
To start, you will need:
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- pinch of ground nutmeg
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 6 cups of vegetable broth, plus extra as needed
- 1 large head cauliflower (3 pounds), cored and cut into 1-inch florets
- 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon sherry vinegar
- ½ cup half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
How to make it:
- Microwave onion, garlic, oil, nutmeg, and cayenne in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in broth, all but 2 cups of cauliflower, potatoes, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, 6 to 8 hours on low or 4 to 6 hours on high.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 2 cups cauliflower and cook, stirring frequently, until florets are golden brown and tender and butter is browned and imparts nutty aroma, 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Working in batches, process soup in blender until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Return soup to slow cooker, stir in half-and-half, and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. (Adjust soup consistency with extra hot broth as needed.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top individual portions with browned cauliflower mixture and sprinkle with chives before serving.
- Enjoy!
Country Beef and Vegetable Stew
Whenever I go home for a school break, my mom always asks me what I want her to make for dinner and without fail, beef stew is always my answer. Beef stew is such a comfort food to me and with this recipe, you can have all the comfort sans the guilt that comes with eating your favorite food. Just a heads up, this recipe takes basically a full day to cook—it’s a great one to make on a Sunday morning and eat it while watching football Sunday night. Makes 6 1-2/3 cup servings.
To start, you will need:
- 2 pounds boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed of all visible fat, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
- 2 onions, chopped fine
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
- ½ cup all-purpose flower
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 3 cups chicken broth, plus extra as needed
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper
- 1 pound red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced 1 inch thick
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
How to make it:
- Pat beef dry with paper towels. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of beef on all sides, about 8 minutes; transfer to slow cooker along with remaining beef.
- Add mushrooms and onions to fat left in skillet, cover and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until mushrooms are dry and browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly stir in wine, scraping up and browned bits, and simmer until almost completely evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in 1 cup broth, smoothing out any lumps, transfer to slow cooker.
- Stir remaining 2 cups broth, soy sauce, bay leaves, and ¾ teaspoon salt into slow cooker, then stir in potatoes and carrots. Cover and cook until beef is tender, 9 to 11 hours on low or 6 to 8 on high.
- Discard bay leaves. Stir in peas and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. (Adjust stew consistency with extra broth as needed.) Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to serve.
- Enjoy!
Smothered Pork Chops with Apples
While you can get apples year round, I like to think they taste best during fall. As the leaves are changing and the air gets crisp, any recipe that involves apples is one that I can get behind. This recipe is one of my favorites because while I love pork chops, living in the city and without a grill, I was unsure of how to prepare them. Low and behold, this recipe changed that and it’s now one of my all-time favorites!
To start, you will need:
- 4 (8-ounce) bone-in blade-cut pork chops, ¾ inch thick, trimmed
- salt and pepper
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and sliced ½ inch thick
- 1 onion, halved and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons minced thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
How to make it:
- Season chops with salt and pepper and nestle into bottom of slow cooker.
- Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add apples and onion and cook until softened and well browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour and thyme and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves, then pour apple mixture over chops. Cover and cook until pork is tender, 2 to 3 hours on low.
- Transfer chops to serving platter, tent loosely and let sit for 5 minutes. Using a large spoon, skim any white foam from the surface of the apple mixture. Discard bay leaves. Stir in parsley and vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon apple mixture over chops and serve.
- Enjoy!