a really simple meal plan v.5
quick and cozy meals + the perfect NYE meal!
I hope everyone had an excellent holiday and is now enjoying a cozy and lazy Lost Week, aka the week between Christmas and New Years Eve where absolutely nothing gets done and you start to wonder if you'll ever wear structured clothing again.
For our December really simple meal plan, we’re starting and ending on cozy notes, with a handful of quick, easy, delicious meals in between. As always, I’ve written this plan with careful consideration for the order of things — you’re not repeating proteins, you’re getting a wide range of nutrients, you’re not cooking two taxing meals in a row, etc. But also like always: take what you want from it!!! Sub a meal for pizza delivery or your go-to frozen meal (in our house, that’s potstickers with peanut sauce) if ya want. Double a recipe to have it for dinner two nights in a row or to stock your freezer. Do your thing.
And to make the cooking even easier, tune out and listen to this week’s episode of So Into That while you cook!
A really great plan would be to arrange your meals so that you can cook the short ribs for NYE! Add a really good salad, like the one from my holiday menu spectacular, and you’re good to go.
Let me know of any questions, and if you cook some or all of the below!
xx
Caro
Download the full grocery list — organized by section in the grocery store — below.
PS you can find all past meal plans in the index.
DINNER #1: Sheet-pan chicken and squash
This is a cult fave sheet-pan meal from the archives and is perfect for winter. Delicata squash is still plentiful in stores right now, but if you can’t find them, try to find pre-cubed butternut squash to make things easy!
LUNCH #1: Chicken + squash salad
Throw your leftover chicken and veggies in the microwave for 30 seconds, toss them with 2 cups of mixed greens and a few tablespoons of this apple cider vinaigrette. Chop it up. Garnish with some extra arils, goat cheese, and chopped nuts if you have them. A 10/10 salad!
DINNER #2: Dankest taco salad
Greens, beans, and lots of other veggies mix with lean turkey taco meat for a salad that will satisfy everyone at the table — even if you’re feeding someone who’s skeptical that salad counts as dinner. Double the turkey taco meat and crema dressing to make quesadillas for lunches this week.
LUNCH #2: Quesadillas
Make quesadillas using your leftover turkey taco meat. You’ll need 8 (or however many!) 10-inch tortillas, the leftover turkey filling, and the rest of that block of shredded cheddar. To make them: sprinkle a tablespoon or so of shredded cheddar on half a 10-inch tortilla. Top it with 3 tablespoons turkey taco filling, and another tablespoon-ish of cheese. Add it to a skillet (either a cast-iron or nonstick — no need to grease it) over medium heat. Once the cheese on the bottom is melty, flip and cook for a few more minutes, until the other side’s cheese is melted, and the tortilla is golden. Serve with leftover crema dressing and leftover pico de gallo for dipping! You can freeze the extras, or save them for lunches later on this week.
DINNER #3: Starbucks egg bite copycat frittata
In this episode of So Into That, Deb Perelman told me that omelettes are one of her go-to meals when she doesn’t feel like cooking. Brilliant. B4D is always a good idea. Let’s channel that and cook a frittata. If you’re looking to do the bare minimum, skip the sweet potato hash and serve the frittata with sweet potato fries like these.
LUNCH #3: Frittata with a simple salad OR quesadillas
If you have leftover frittata and are in a brunchy mood, go with that and a simple salad (2 cups mixed greens + more of this apple cider vinaigrette + pistachios or pepitas or any other nut you may have in your pantry). You can eat the frittata cool, at room temp, or lightly reheated in the oven or microwave — just don’t overheat it as the eggs will get rubbery.
If you want to have leftover frittata for breakfast the rest of the week instead (also a solid move), plan on quesadillas for lunch!
DINNER #4: Thai tofu soup
A cozy, delicious, and simple vegetarian soup. It comes together in 30 minutes and only requires 15 minutes of active cook time. I LOVE THIS SOUP. If using red curry paste, start with just 1 tablespoon at first as different brands spiciness varies hugely.
LUNCH #4: Leftover soup
Like all soups, Thai tofu soup is even better the next day. Just add a splash of stock while reheating it as the noodles will absorb the liquid.
DINNER #5: Short ribs and grits
This is the ultimate cozy meal that feels super fancy but is actually very easy to make. After a minimal amount of prep, you’ll throw everything in a pot, let it crank for a few hours, then enjoy an absolutely amazing meal.
HEADS UP!! It’s definitely not a must, but, if you can, season the ribs up to 2 days in advance (so season them the same night you make the frittata).
LUNCH #5: Brussels sprout hash
Throw a bag of shredded Brussels sprouts into a skillet over medium-high heat with a big scoop of the fat that’s hardened on the surface of your leftover short ribs and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté until the Brussels are tender, then stir in 1/2 cup of leftover shredded short ribs (or however much you have!) until warm (or you can crank the heat way up to crisp the short ribs up!) for an insane Brussels sprouts hash situation. If you can’t find pre-shredded Brussels, you can just throw a 1 pound bag into your food processor and pulse to chop. Top it all off with freshly grated Parm.
How had I never thought of using the food processor to shred my Brussels sprouts?! Genius
I just finished making the recipes from this meal plan and can't thank you enough! I'm pregnant with my 2nd and dealing with gestational diabetes, and the constant counting of carbs/protein has really taken a lot of joy out of cooking. I was able to make every one of these recipes with minor modifications (like swapping the cheesy grits for cheesy cauliflower mash) and they were all so delicious!