Meal Plans for a Stay at Home Order: Volume 4

How’s it going?

Are you cooking more? Or are you over it and ordering in? I appreciate that the occasional curbside pickup can help support local businesses and hopefully keep them on track to stay the course. Tonight we are ordering from our local pizza place. In the meal plan I am giving you options for pizzas to make at home!

I have also been trying to shop for two weeks rather than one, so some weeks you will see more of a reliance on frozen foods and pantry staples, but of course sub in fresh if you have it.

Finally, I have noticed that we are drifting back towards more and more gluten and dairy the deeper we get into quarantine. I guess comfort food tends to have those in abundance.

Saturday: Pizza night

I haven’t made these in ages! I tend to like pizza recipes with non-traditional ingredients. Chicken, red grape, and pesto pizza uses refrigerated dough.

Pizza provencal uses Italian bread, so consider this a fancified version of cafeteria french bread pizza!

Sunday: Taco skillet pie plus salad

This is one of Clio’s favorite dinner, but Eleri doesn’t like it so I have to be strategic about rotation. We often up the beef to around 1.5 pounds for a heartier pie, and if you don’t have taco seasoning you can approximate it with this mix of spices.

Monday: Ham and egg fried rice

We actually tried a new fried rice recipe but it was a lot of work for not a lot of payoff. We have been making this easy one for years. I love the unexpected use of green beans. Also good for breakfast.

Tuesday: Savory butternut squash and simple grilled chicken

The squash recipe, from Cooking Light November 2008 (!) does not seem to be online but it is one of the quickest recipes for squash and a delicious Indian-inspired taste..

Preheat oven to 500. Peel and cube 6 C butternut squash. Toss in oil, season with salt and pepper, bake on a jelly roll pan for 10 minutes or until tender. Toss squash with 1/4 C golden raisins, 1 T honey, 1/2 t. madras curry powder, and 2 T. minced cilantro.

Wednesday: Whole 30 Chili

Endless topping options allow you to customize. Double it to have leftovers for lunch

Thursday: Balsamic roast beef roasted brussels sprouts and rice or potato

This is my go-to crock pot recipe for a roast. Super easy and everyone likes it. Pair it with any vegetables!

Friday: Chipotle rice with shrimp and cilantro

One pot meal. This was a new recipe and a tentative keeper. Easy and good, but a little spicy even though I reduced the chiptle chilis to one and a half and removed the seeds and ribs.

Let me know what recipes you are trying, and if there are winners for your household (or what you tried and DIDN’T like.) I’d love to hear from you!