Cook Once, Eat ALL Week Meal Plan

Do you meal prep? Or like meal plans? I sure do!!!  I love this meal plan combo because the big prep day takes less than an hour (as you can see here in REAL time) and then with minimal prep time we’ve got 5 meals!!! Make sure you scroll to the bottom for your Free Bonus  ?

This week’s meal plan: Cook ONCE, Eat ALL week!

1. Meal 1 – Roasted Chicken, Rice Pilaf & Steamed Broccoli
2. Meal 2 – Glazed Meatloaf, Yogi Kale Salad & Marinated Veggies
3. Meal 3 – Chicken Divan
4. Meal 4 – Tater Tot Casserole and Marinated Veggies
5. Meal 5 – Chicken Salad (as a salad over lettuce or as a sandwich) with a side of grapes

Day 1: Prep for the Week & Roasted Chicken, Rice Pilaf and Steamed Broccoli for dinner

Here’s the low down in a nutshell:

• Roast 2 chickens
• Make meatloaf
• Chop veggies, marinate & bag them up
• Wash, chop, massage, marinate & bag kale (for Yogi Kale Salad)
• Make rice pilaf 
• Steam broccoli (McGyver steam hack at bottom of post)

STEP 1

Start by roasting 2 chickens.  Why roast 1, if you can roast 2 in the same time.

Teach someone to cook 1 chicken, they’ll eat for a day.  Teach them to cook, 2 chickens… they’ll feed the family for a week!

Ok, maybe that’s not exactly the way the saying goes, but you get my point!

Easy Hack: Pick up 2 rotisserie chickens instead of roasting your own.  Rotisserie chickens are usually cheaper than whole raw birds and have TONS of flavor.

THEN WASH YOUR HANDS

When working with raw chicken, wash your hands and anything else that has come into contact with it or your hands.  Cook smart, stay safe!

STEP 2

Once your chicken is in the oven, start on the meatloaf and the glaze.  Don’t skip the glaze.  It keeps it moist, has a touch of sweetness and good punch of pizzaz!

STEP 3

Then chop a small head of cauliflower, 1 (red, yellow or orange) bell pepper, and 1 cup of cherry tomatoes (cut in 1/2) into bite size pieces.  If you want to add 1 or 2 carrots and/or a small head of broccoli to this mix, go for it!

You’re looking for tough fibrous veggies that will slowly soften as they sit in the marinate for several days.  Soft vegetables like lettuce and zucchini will quickly turn to mush.

Put all the veggies in a large ziplock bag, add 1 1/2 cups of your favorite store bought or homemade vinaigrette.  Seal and refrigerate until later in the week.

STEP 4

Wash a medium bunch of kale and remove the tough spines.  Chop the kale into bite size pieces.  Massage the kale with 1/4 cup vinaigrette dressing with your hands until the leaves are tender.  Bag in a large ziplock and refrigerate until later in the week.

STEP 5

Now it’s time to start on the rest of tonight’s dinner: rice pilaf and steamed broccoli.  However, these 2 sides can also be made a day or 2 ahead as well.

The rice pilaf recipe link is super tasty with mushrooms, white wine, and fresh herbs.  It’s one of my favorites!  Here’s another version that’s not quite as complex but still packs amazing nutty buttery flavor.

Basic Rice Pilaf

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil) in pot and add 1 cup medium grain rice (like basmati or jasmin)
• Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
• Stir over medium heat until rice starts to turn translucent and herbs become fragrant
• Add 2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock and bring to a boil
• As soon as it starts to boil, stir again, lower heat to low & simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 20 minutes
• Remove lid and fluff with a fork

STEP 6

Cut 2 large heads of broccoli into bite size pieces and steam for 7-10 minutes until bright green and crisp tender.

McGyver Steam Hack

For the life of me, I have no clue where my bamboo steam basket are.  I have don’t something incredibly clever with them, I’m sure.  If you don’t have a steam oven or a bamboo steam basket here are some tricks that will steam things up really well.

• Microwave!  In a shallow dish, add 1/2 inch water, broccoli, and lightly cover.  Nuke on high for 4 minutes & check.  Repeat at 2 min intervals until done.
  • This is my LEAST favorite method because it makes the whatever you’re steaming a little on the tough side.  But it’ll do in a pinch.
• In a large soup pot, place a trivet OR make a 12 inch long by 1 inch diameter rod out of tin foil.  Coil it into a spiral and place it in the pot.  Fill with water until coil or trivet is just covered.  Put a cake pan on top of the coil/trivet, cover with a lid and boil the water.
• When the water is boil (you’ve created quite the steam bath!), put your broccoli in the cake pan and steam until bright green and tender, about 7-10 min.

Prep Complete!

The heavy lifting of this meal plan is done!!! When the chicken reaches an internal temp of 165F at it’s thickest part (right around the thigh area), the juices run clear and it’s done (about 1 hour & 15 minutes) … it’s time to plate up dinner!

Serve up this juicy tender bird with crispy golden brown skin with a side of rice pilaf and steamed broccoli.

Day 2: Glazed Meatloaf, Yogi Kale Salad & Marinated Veggies

I’m following this meal plan this week too and I made glazed meatloaf, yogi kale salad and marinated veggies for dinner last night.  It took me only 7 minutes to put it on the table!

Steps 1,2, 3… & 4

1. Take out meatloaf (we made on Day 1) and reheat in microwave or oven
2. While meatloaf is reheating, make Yogi Kale Salad: add dried cherries (or cranberries), toasted nuts, fresh blueberries, 1/2 chopped red onion, and 1/2 cup chopped sweet bell pepper (I picked some out from our marinated veggie bag) and mix with the marinated kale.  DONE!
3. Take out marinated veggies from refrigerator.
4. Plate it up!

Day 3: Chicken Divan!

I’m writing this post on day 3.  Keep coming back this week as I update with pictures and feedback on how the rest of the meal plan plays out.

Tonight we’re having Chicken Divan!  My mom used to make this when I was a kid and I could never get enough!

Steps 1, 2, 3, 4 &… 5

1. Debone the roasted chickens.  Reserve the veggies, liquid and bones if you want to make some of the BEST chicken stock you’ve ever tasted.  Chop it into bite size pieces.
2. In a small casserole dish, layer the leftover rice pilaf, chicken, and broccoli.
3. Make 4 cups creamy mushroom sauce and pour 1/2 of it over broccoli. (2 easy mushroom sauce recipes below) The other 1/2 we’ll save for tomorrow! ?
4. Top with a layer of Swiss cheese and bake at 350F until cheese is melted and starts to brown. (Note about packaged cheese: if you want gooey gorgeous cheese out of the oven, shred your own.  Prepackaged cheese has a light coated of potato starch that keeps it from sticking to itself in the package.  This coating also keeps it from giving you that cheesy-melty-ness that’s sooooo good!)
5. Plate it up!

 

2 Easy Mushroom Sauces (makes 4 cups)

Campbell’s Mmmm-Mmm Good Mushroom Sauce

• Mix 3 cans mushroom soup, 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup sour cream over medium-low heat in a small pot.  Stir until hot and bubbling!  Add salt and pepper to taste.  If you have it, add a little ground nutmeg.
  • This dish brings back so many wonderful childhood memories. ❤️

Easy Homemade Mushroom Sauce

• Wash and chop up 8 ounces button mushrooms (white or baby bellas) and these to a skillet with 1 tablespoon melted butter.  Cook over medium high heat until the mushrooms release their liquid and brown.
• Put liquid and mushrooms in a bowl and add 3 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup sour cream.
• In that skillet, melt 3 tablespoons butter.  Then sprinkle in 3 tablespoons flour.  Stir it for 1-2 minutes.
• Whisk the mushrooms and all the liquid back into the skillet.  Keep whisking to make sure the sauce is smooth.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

Day 4: Tater Tot Casserole

We’re coming into the home stretch!  This dish comes together in less than 30 minutes.

Steps 1-6

1. Preheat oven 400F, break up leftover meatloaf and spread it out in a casserole dish.
2. Pour remaining mushroom sauce over meatloaf.
3. Cover lightly with frozen tater tots (should be big gaps in between tots)
4. Sprinkle generously with shredded cheddar cheese
5. Top with more frozen tater tots and bake at 400F until tots are hot, crispy and golden brown (about 15-20 minutes)
6. Bon Appetite!

Day 5: Chicken Salad with a side of green grapes

A chicken salad sandwich is plush and pillowy until you get that crunch from the toasted pecan and celery.  And a chicken salad is vibrant and fresh!  You can’t go wrong with either one.

Savory Chicken Salad

1. Mix together 2 cups chopped chicken, 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1/4 cup toasted pecans.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste and more mayo if it seems too dry.

Use your favorite bread to make a sandwich and plate it up with a few seedless grapes or serve a generous scoop on a bed of lettuce.

Lakeside Table’s 1st Meal Plan!

What’d you think?  Do you use meal plans?  Do you make your own?  Was this helpful?  Would you like to see more healthy meal plans like this?

BONUS: SHOPPING LIST

To make your grocery shopping easier, I created this grocery list for you.  Next to each item, I’ve listed how they are used in the meal plan and if they can be substituted.  Most of these ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Thanks again, for hanging out with me here.  I hope this makes cooking easier for you and helps you have FUN in your kitchen! ❤️