These simple meal prep recipes were huge hits in our Prep Dish community! If you're looking for easy gluten free recipes, perfect for quick healthy family meals, these favorites are a great place to start.
Happy New Year!
Is anyone else excited for a brand new fresh start this year?
2020 was not the easiest year. I have to say though, I love the way the Prep Dish community came together to support each other. I loved seeing how you traded tips and helped other meal preppers find creative ways to make healthy family meals, even amidst grocery shortages and having kids home All. The. Time.
Before we totally say goodbye to 2020, I wanted to share the favorite Prep Dish recipes from last year. These come straight from our subscribers!
These 8 simple meal prep recipes are easy to make and totally delicious. They're also super healthy! If you're looking for a health refresh this January, this is a great place to begin.
I hope you find a new favorite for your own family!
1. Chai Spiced Zucchini Muffins
These muffins were an instant hit and it's easy to see why!
They're made entirely with healthy, real food ingredients that you can feel good about. These muffins are also highly meal prep friendly. Make them at the start of the week to enjoy all week. Alternatively, make a batch for the freezer and heat and eat whenever you're short on time.
Made with coconut flour and almond flour, these are relatively low carb muffins and are gluten free & Paleo as well!
Muffins are of course a great breakfast option, but this easy gluten free recipe is also perfect as part of a packed lunch! Simply pair with a soup, salad or with a hard boiled egg, berries and chopped veggies with hummus for more of a snack plate style lunch.
2. Vegetable Chowder
One thing I'm passionate about as an RD and chef is helping people eat more healthily, without feeling deprived.
For a variety of reasons, many of our subscribers don't eat dairy. The transition away from dairy can be quite challenging for many! This is why I've developed a variety of dairy free recipes that are still rich, creamy and super satisfying.
My vegetable chowder is completely dairy free and gets all of its creaminess from cashew cream! (If you're looking for more dairy free recipes, make sure to check out my video on 10 Dairy Free Alternatives to Your Favorite Foods!)
3. Taco Soup
Taco soup is a quick healthy family meal that's super popular with both adults and kids in our Prep Dish community!
It has all of the irresistible flavor of tacos, in a super healthy soup form. Our version is made with ground turkey but you can of course use ground beef or ground bison if you prefer.
If you prep ahead by chopping the veggies, this comes together super quickly.
You can also make the whole thing ahead, it's just as good leftover! This is one of those simple meal prep recipes you'll find yourself making again and again.
4. Chicken Spezzatino Soup
The name sounds fancy but I promise, this is a simple one your family will love.
Using skin-on, bone-in chicken makes all the difference so please don't change that part!
If you love soups and stews but are getting tired of your go-to recipes, this is a great one to try. It doesn't have any “weird” ingredients that picky family members might not like but it does have a unique, nuanced flavor from the artichokes and herbs de Provence.
5. Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken
This recipe always makes me smile because it was one of Ivan's very favorites when he first started baby led weaning.
The chicken is very tender, making it perfect for little ones, but all of the spices also give it a wonderful flavor the adults at the table will enjoy.
The recipe is written for the slow cooker but make sure to scroll down for Instant Pot instructions if that's your go-to method or you're short on time.
My Moroccan chicken is also Whole30 compliant so for any of you out there doing a Whole30 this January, this one is perfect!
6. Maple Mustard Chicken
My maple mustard chicken recipe is very similar to the maple mustard pork tenderloin recipe you may have seen.
For the marinade, you simply whisk together 1/2 cup grainy mustard, 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Then marinate 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs for 30 minutes-12 hours.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, discarding the excess marinade. Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with your favorite veggie side!
7. Pesto Pork Tenderloin
I'm a huge fan of pesto. Not only does it add a ton of flavor, it's super versatile. You can use a variety of herbs and nuts and add cheese…or not!
One of my favorite pesto recipes is my dairy free cilantro pesto, but the version included in our 2020 October Paleo menus was also super popular.
For this one, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 T chicken broth, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1 oz. parmesan, 1/2 peeled garlic clove, 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, 1-1 1/2 T fresh lemon juice and salt to taste in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
For pesto pork tenderloin, simply brush 1-2 T pesto on a pork tenderloin and bake in a preheated 400 F oven for ~20 minutes or until pork reaches 145 F.
Pesto is also delicious on salmon or chicken! It's a wonderfully healthy and simple way to add flavor to a variety of proteins.
8. Chinese 5-Spice Short Ribs
Slow cooker meals are perfect for those busy weeks when you simply have zero time to cook when you get home.
Fresh ginger and garlic, along with the Chinese 5-spice blend, give this crock pot short ribs recipe a ton of flavor. It's super versatile – serve with any veggies you like!
If you'd prefer to use the Instant Pot, this recipe is easily adapted so make sure to scroll down in the post for instructions.
Looking for more simple meal prep recipes?
If you're looking for even more simple meal prep recipes, make sure to check out our roundups below:
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