We are in week 3 of Plan to Eat’s Make Ahead Meal Plan Challenge, the 30-day challenge to help you start your own meal planning routine. This challenge will show you how you can make freeze-ahead meals for an entire week’s worth of dinners, with extras in the freezer, and it’s not too late to join!
We put together this quick video that shows you what week 3 looked like for us:
Click here if you are unable to see the above video
Aunt Vicki’s Gumbo
provided by 100 Days of Real Food
If you are participating in the challenge, all of these recipes are available to you directly in your Plan to Eat account.
We made two entrees of four servings each of this gumbo. One of them we ate right away and the rest went into the freezer. The great thing about this gumbo is that the recipe is written for seafood, but it is flexible enough that you can substitute ingredients that you already have (turkey, chicken, or almost any other protein). We gave our gumbo a little kick by using a spicy chorizo sausage. Yum!
Homemade Chicken Nuggets
provided by 100 Days of Real Food
It’s great to have a few “safe” recipes that even the most fickle of eaters will enjoy. This recipe is definitely “safe”, simple to make, can be eaten right away or frozen for later, and is made using wholesome ingredients.
If you are making these for the freezer, place the breaded chicken nuggets into a bag and place in freezer. When you are ready to eat, thaw the nuggets and brown in a pan over medium until cooked through.
Chicken Curry Casserole
provided by 100 Days of Real Food
This recipe does require a little advanced planning to cook the rice and the chicken, but it is still extremely easy to make. Simply follow the directions to make the sauce, drizzle it over the chicken, broccoli, and rice, and bake in the oven until it’s done. This is comfort on a plate, without the cream of mushroom soup!
This casserole can be frozen by following the instructions until you reach the baking step. Cover with clear wrap and foil and place in freezer. When you are ready to eat this meal, let the casserole thaw for at least one half hour. Remove clear wrap and bake at 400 for about 1 hour.
In 2 hours we made 6 entrees using these recipes that can be pulled out of the freezer and cooked whenever we need them! Now our stressful weeknight dinners are easy, all thanks to meal planning and a little make ahead prepping!
Join us!
If creating and following a meal plan feels impossible to you, this the perfect opportunity to make 2017 the year that meal planning becomes a part of your life!
The Make Ahead Meal Plan Challenge is Plan to Eat’s 30-day challenge to help you start your own meal planning routine, and it’s completely free.
You can also join our Make Ahead Meal Plan Challenge Facebook Group to connect with other challengers, exchange recipes, and get freezer cooking tips!
What’s a challenge without a $400 prize package at the end?!
Everyone who joins the challenge by friending Make Ahead Meal Plan Challenge in your Plan to Eat account will be entered into a huge giveaway with a $400 prize package! The drawing will be held on January 31st and the winner will receive:
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- ($200) KitchenAid 13 Cup Metal Food Processor (your choice of color!)
- ($39) 1 free year of Plan to Eat
- ($19) a Plan to Eat canvas shopping bag
- ($15) a copy of the book Fix, Freeze, Feast
- ($23) Komax Oven Safe Glass Food Containers
- And over $100 of other tools to get your kitchen set up and running efficiently!
FAQ’s
- How do I add the challenge as a friend? Click here to add the menus and recipes for the challenge.
- Do I have to use the meals Plan to Eat chose? No, you do not have to use the recipes we have chosen. You can use any recipes that you prefer and that suit your eating preferences and needs. This challenge has been put together to help you and motivate you to get started meal prepping and planning. Please customize the challenge to fit your needs!
- How do I see the Menus? Navigate to your Plan tab and click on the Menu‘s button in the left hand column. Choose Make Ahead Meal Plan Challenge from the Your Friends Menu’s drop down list. You will then be able to see the list of our saved menus. If you do not see the challenge on the drop down menu, you will need to add the challenge as your friend. (See FAQ #1)
- How do I enter the giveaway? If you have connected as “Friends” on Plant o Eat with Make Ahead Meal Plan Challenge, you are entered! That’s it!
Great freezer cooking tips from other blogs
- What NOT to Freeze
- Freezer Meals for Beginners
- How long can food last in your Freezer?
- Tips for Prep Day
