24 meals for $145

I haven't loved my crock pot the last couple of months because, hello, pregnant and nothing sounds good but also, I've had a lot of trouble stomaching food in the mornings. Now that I'm 16 weeks pregnant, I'd like to say I'm over the morning sickness but, alas, I'm still throwing up most mornings. So, for this round of meals many of them just need to be thawed and cooked at night. Hooray!

For this round, turn this...

Into this:

In less than 90 minutes and for less than $145.

Here it goes...

Menu |

Grilled Caribbean Jerk Chicken on Ciabatta Bread
Chicken Pad Thai
Turkey & Bacon Club Sandwiches
Greek Meatballs on Pitas
Mojito Lime Chicken
Sausage & Potato Bake
Jambalaya
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Roasted Red Pepper & Sausage on Texas Toast
Montreal Round Steak
Brown Sugar Salmon
Simple Spaghetti & Meatballs

(I made 2 of each for a total of 24 meals)

Grocery List |

Meat:
3 bags of chicken breasts
2 packages of smoked turkey breast
2 packages of bacon
2 lbs. ground beef
3 smoked sausage links
1 bag of uncooked shrimp (detailed if they have it)
2 lbs. of ground Italian sausage
1 bag salmon
2 bags of meatballs
2 packages of round steak (the ones I bought had 6 steaks each)

Dairy:
1 small container of feta cheese

Produce:
1 bunch of green onions
2 zucchinis
1 sweet onion
2 carrots (yes, only 2 - you can buy these in the bulk section at Winco)
1 bunch fresh mint
2 limes
1 bunch cilantro
1 celery bunch (the smaller size)
2 green bell peppers
3 lemons

Seasoning & Marinades:
2 Caribbean Jerk marinades
1 bag brown sugar
Lemon Pepper
Parsley
Garlic Powder
Oregono
Cinnamon
Basil
Salt & Pepper
Montreal Steak Seasoning
Lawry's
Smoked Paprika

Sauces & Canned Goods:
1 bottle fish sauce
1 bottle rice vinegar
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 carton chicken broth
2 jars roasted red peppers
1 bottle teriyaki sauce
3 jars of marinara sauce

Dry Goods:
1 bag brown rice
2 packages of dry broccoli cheddar soup mix
2 packages of spaghetti
2 packages rice noodles

Freezer:
3 bags frozen broccoli florets
2 boxes Texas Toast

Bread:
2 packages of ciabatta bread
2 loaves of French bread (sliced)
2 packages of pita bread

Ziploc Bags
Slow Cooker Liners

As always, the easiest way to get through the meals is to lay everything out on the counter and label bags for every meal (note: I used a total of 4 bags for the pad thai meals - 2 for sauce, 2 for veggies and chicken). Then just work through all the ingredients one meal at a time.

Recipes|

Grilled Caribbean Jerk Chicken on Ciabatta Bread

1/2 bag frozen chicken breasts
1 bottle Caribbean jerk marinade
(make two)

Freeze ciabatta with this. Thaw and grill (usually 7 minutes per side on a medium-low grill). Serve on ciabatta bread.

Chicken Pad Thai

Bag 1:
2 chicken breasts sliced thinly
1 large carrot sliced thinly
1 zucchini sliced thinly (season with garlic powder, salt, & pepper)
(make two)

Bag 2: {the sauce}
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
(this is doubled from my original recipe...I like extra sauce)
(make two)

Store rice noodles in pantry. To prepare: soak rice noodles in hot water. Thaw sauce and chicken and veggies. In a small pot, warm sauce. In a large wok or skillet, add 3 Tbsp. olive oil and sauté chicken and veggies until cooked through. Scramble an egg. Drain and add noodles. Toss. Add sauce. Toss. Add a squeeze of lime and top with chopped peanuts.

Turkey & Bacon Club Sandwiches

Freeze turkey, bacon, and bread.
(make two)

Really, that's it. To prepare: thaw errythang. Cook up bacon, toast bread, add turkey and top with tomato, avocado, lettuce, and all your favorite sandwich fixings. I heart sandwiches.

Greek Meatballs on Pitas

In a bowl, mix:
2 lbs. ground beef
1 package feta
1 bunch of mint, finely chopped
2 T flour or bread crumbs
2 tsp oregano
3 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1 tsp salt & pepper
Juice of one lemon

Hands mix and roll into meatballs and divide into two bags. This will make about 26 meatballs total, enough for my family for two meals. If you have a larger family, adjust the recipe. Serve with pita bread and tzatziki sauce (plain Greek yogurt, dill, zest and juice of 1 lemon)

Mojito Lime Chicken

1/2 bag of frozen chicken breasts
1/2 of the chopped cilantro
1 lime, squeeze and drop in
Season with lemon pepper & garlic powder
Drizzle with olive oil
(make two)

Thaw and grill.

Sausage Bake

Freeze smoke sausage with a bag of broccoli florets.
(make two)

To prepare: thaw sausage, add cubed red potatoes, sweet potatoes, frozen broccoli and whatever other veggies you'd like. Drizzle with olive oil, rubbed sage, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss. Bake at 415 degrees for 45 minutes.

Jambalaya

1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 carton chicken broth
1 chopped green pepper
1/2 of the chopped celery stalk
1/2 bag of shrimp
1/2 sliced smoked sausage
A few dashes of Tabasco (or however many you prefer)
1/2 tsp Cayenne or more if you want more kick
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
(store rice in pantry for this)
(make 2)

 8 hours on low in the crock pot. Add 1 cup of rice 30 minutes before it's done cooking, stirring well.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

1/2 bag broccoli florets
1 package broccoli cheddar soup mix
8 cups of water
(make 2)

8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.

Roasted Red Pepper & Sausage on Texas Toast

1 lb. cooked Italian sausage
1 jar roasted red peppers
1/2 jar of marinara sauce
Season with garlic powder and basil
(make 2)

6 hours on low or simmer in a pan. Cook Texas toast according to package instructions and top with red peppers and sausage. Top with parmesan..

Montreal Round Steak

1 package round steaks
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
Drizzle EVOO
1 Tbsp. Montreal steak seasoning
Season with garlic and Lawry's
(make two)

Thaw and grill. These are thin so they cook up fast.

Brown Sugar Salmon

3 Tbsp. Brown sugar
3 Tbsp. Olive oil
3 Tbsp. teriyaki sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. Garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste (I use about 1 tsp. of each)
(make two)

Thaw and bake. About 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Simple Spaghetti & Meatballs

1 jar prepared marinara
1 bag meatballs
(make two)

8 hours on low. Serve with spaghetti noodles.

And there you go! 24 meals, less than $145, and in less than 90 minutes. {Also, please note: I am not a photographer. I take these pictures on my cell phone with poor lighting but hopefully they can give you an idea of what to expect.}