Menu
BreakfastUse whole milk to make Cinnamon Sugar Donut Bread. Whole milk enhances the flavor and moisture of this quick bread. Slices of Cinnamon Sugar Donut Bread are moist and topped with cinnamon and nutmeg sugar to mimic the flavor and texture of glazed donuts.
Snacks & AppetizersMake caramel apple bark using four common supermarket ingredients and a microwave. Most of the work in making this recipe involves microwaving and cooling each bark layer. Fresh green apple slices provide tartness in this no-cook dessert made with pretzels and milk chocolate and caramel.
DinnerPreheat the tofu by freezing and thawing it. Press and keep it in vegan chicken broth until needed for breading. This tofu recipe yields a vegan version of KFC chicken nuggets with a cornmeal and cornstarch breading and a more meaty texture.
LunchServe these vegan chicken strips at a family meal or cook multiple batches for other recipes. Steamed seitan strips with tofu, cannellini beans, miso, and vital wheat gluten can be torn or shredded after soaking in a wine and miso solution.
LunchMake shrimp ceviche ahead of time to serve at parties, either in individual servings with tortilla chips or in salads or small cups. This ceviche recipe includes cooked shrimp and lemon and lime juice with other ingredients such as cilantro, red onion, tomato, and avocado to create a creamy taste.
DinnerThese recipes are suitable for use as appetizers or main courses at home. Boneless chicken strips marinated in buttermilk and pickle juice and coated with seasoned gluten-free flour are fried to provide a crispy exterior and juicy interior like restaurant-served chicken.
DinnerFor a weeknight meal, this chicken chow mein recipe features bouncy noodles, marinated chicken, and cabbage and carrots cooked in oyster sauce and Shaoxing wine and soy sauce. This Chinese takeout dish can be made in a single pan. The noodles need to be briefly boiled before cooking.
DinnerServe these at Halloween parties or as a quick Halloween meal. To make Air Fryer Mummy Dogs, place a hot dog inside a crescent roll that has been cut into strips. Leave some dough on the roll to create openings for pieces of candy to represent eyes. Air frying takes 6 to 8 minutes to brown the crescent dough.
DinnerPrecook four servings of breaded chicken to use during the week or freeze the finished skillet meal for easy weeknight meals. One dish you might prepare is Chicken Piccata, which uses breaded chicken with Parmesan and flour and a sauce made with white wine, lemon, capers, and butter.
LunchThis cold tomato gazpacho recipe can be incorporated into a summer meal plan with 20 minutes of preparation time and a blender. Olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, garlic, and basil make a tasty soup.
DinnerTo make this dish in advance for dinner, cook a 16-ounce box of rigatoni and save some of the pasta cooking water and rigatoni to mix with Parmesan cheese and butter when serving later. This Gigi Hadid pasta recipe is a tomato-based pasta recipe that includes sautéed tomato paste, crushed red pepper for a hint of heat, and fresh basil.
LunchThese bowls of hot honey chicken are enough to serve four people as meal prep meals. All components except the sauce (the rice, chicken, sweet potatoes, and broccoli) can be cooked ahead of time and portioned into serving sizes. The sauce can be cooked ahead of time and added when serving the chicken.
DinnerI use this recipe to make one 9x13 pan of dumplings to feed four people if I plan to eat some right away and have leftovers for later meals. I add frozen dumplings to a 9x13 pan and cover them with peanut sauce to flavor the pleats. This is a simple one-dish meal.
DinnerUse 28 ounces of canned crushed San Marzano tomatoes for the Italian gravy. The cooked gravy will have a reddish color. I like to fry Italian-style sausage by cutting up whole sausage links into big chunks and adding a Parmesan cheese rind to the cooked tomatoes for extra flavor.
BreakfastI make this mocha chia pudding for meal prep so I can have breakfast in the fridge. Make the chia pudding ahead of time and chill single servings as needed. The rich mocha taste of coffee and chocolate is present in the pudding, and the chia seeds help the pudding set to a spoonable consistency.
LunchPulled pork with barbecue sauce is the main ingredient in these mac and cheese wrap sandwiches. This recipe is a convenient option for a one-dish meal using two prepared ingredients. Select a prepared pulled pork product and wrap it with mac and cheese in a flour tortilla. The crunchy edges and pulled pork filling appeal to me.
Sauces & DipsUncooked, hard fresh garlic cloves give the milk and butter-based pizza sauce a garlicky taste. I make this sauce as an alternative to classic pizza sauce. Parmesan cheese and oregano provide additional savory and creamy flavors to the pizza sauce.
LunchBuy 80/20 chuck beef and keep it cold. As the chuck beef cooks on a hot surface, the fat will render and crisp the edges of these double cheeseburgers. Suggested toppings include toasted brioche buns, pickles, and an orange sauce. This is a messy sandwich.
Side DishesDressings and corn have been made ahead of time. Other vegetables have been added to the Mexican-style salad at serving time. Six servings: A buffet or lunch or dinner side dish; grilled corn kernels have been combined with a cold chili-lime dressing (my preference).
LunchGreek chicken gyros make four filled pitas. To save time on the day you serve them, I chop vegetables and warm the pita bread right before serving. Other ingredients are Greek chicken and garlic and dill tzatziki sauce.
Side DishesFresh pineapple with firm, yellow-fleshed fruit works well in this coconut pineapple rice recipe as a side dish. This pineapple rice recipe also works well with jasmine rice when you want moist, shiny rice. Other ingredients in this recipe include red pepper and herbs to add small sweet bites to the dish and herbs to enhance flavor.
DinnerBone-in, with-skin chicken thighs are the type I use in my crockpot chicken and potatoes recipe. I pat the chicken dry before cooking in the crockpot. The chicken and potatoes cook in garlic and herb sauce. The savory juices can be spooned over dinner. The potatoes are below the chicken in the crockpot.
BreakfastOld-fashioned rolled oats are included in these energy cookies. Toasted oats and roughly chopped almonds add nutty flavor to soft cookies. Dried cranberries add tart flavor contrast with the maple and almond butter flavors. Oats stay chewy in baked and cooled cookies.
Side DishesRoast a whole cauliflower for four servings and cut some roasted pieces to eat throughout the week. Serve the meal on the first night with the baking pan. The cumin spice blend on the cauliflower has a smoky flavor and a touch of cinnamon. I like the darker parts of the cauliflower.