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Two-Week Meal Prep Under $50

Jen Paleracio
The recipes on this blog are for the first week of meal prep. Week two will be posted next week. These are easy and delicious meals that won't break the bank.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Filipino, Latin American

Equipment

  • baking sheet pan
  • Pot/Dutch oven
  • Skillet/Wide pan
  • knife
  • cutting board

Ingredients
  

ONE PAN-BAKED CHICKEN AND VEGGIES

For the spices:

  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

For the chicken:

  • 2 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in, and skin-on cut each thigh into 4 pieces
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

For the veggies:

  • 4 medium size yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 2 medium size carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 bell pepper, remove seeds and cut into chunks
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon combined spices

FOR THE CHICKEN ADOBO

  • 2 1/2 pounds chicken drumsticks, cut into 2 pieces
  • 8 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 4-5 dried bay leaves

FOR THE PICADILLO

  • 4 medium size yellow potatoes, diced
  • 2 medium size carrots, small diced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bell pepper, deseed and diced
  • 1/2 pound ground pork
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins

FOR THE ROTINI PASTA WITH MEAT SAUCE

  • 1 lb. rotini or any short pasta, cook according to the package instructions
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 pound ground pork
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 24 oz. jar of pasta sauce
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese
  • chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions
 

ONE PAN-BAKED CHICKEN AND VEGGIES

  • Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet pan with foil or parchment paper. In a small bowl combine all the spices and brown sugar.
  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Sprinkle a tablespoon of combined spices, and add the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. Toss to coat the chicken.
  • Place all vegetables on the prepared baking sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle a tablespoon of combined spices. Toss to coat, and spread the veggies in a single layer for even baking.
  • Place the chicken on the baking sheet pan with the veggies. Sprinkle the remaining spices. Bake for 55 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (165ºF internal temperature) and the potatoes are fork-tender.

FOR THE CHICKEN ADOBO

  • Place the chicken in a pot. Add garlic, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and bay leaves, and stir to combine.
  • Cover the pot and simmer over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until it starts boiling. Uncover and lower the heat. Cook the chicken through and let the sauce reduces and thickens (165ºF internal temperature).

FOR THE PICADILLO

  • Turn the stove over medium-high heat, and heat the pan with oil. Add the potatoes and carrots, and cook until fork tender. Remove from the pan and set them aside.
  • Use the same pan, and add more oil to the pan if it starts drying up. Saute the onion until tender, add the garlic, and continue sauteing until fragrant.
  • Add the bell pepper and cook until crisp-tender. Add the ground pork, and cook until no longer pink.
  • Season with smoked paprika, salt, and ground pepper. Add tomato paste, honey, and dried cranberries, and stir to combine.
  • Add the potatoes and carrots back to the pan, stir, and cook until well heated.

FOR THE ROTINI PASTA WITH MEAT SAUCE

  • Turn the stove to medium-high heat, and heat the pan with oil. Add the onion, and saute until tender. Add the garlic and continue sauteing until fragrant.
  • Add the ground pork, and cook until it's no longer pink. Season with Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, sea salt, and red chili pepper flakes. Add the brown sugar and honey, then stir to combine.
  • Add the pasta sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cooked pasta, and toss to coat. Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan cheese and garnish with parsley before serving.

Video

Notes

NOTE 1: The ground pork can be substituted with any ground meat. 
NOTE 2: Use any vegetable you like for the Baked Chicken and Veggies. Options are, zucchini, asparagus, squash, and sweet potato instead of yellow potatoes. 
NOTE 3: For the Chicken Adobo, you can add more meat, or combine it with pork. Here's another recipe for Chicken Adobo with grilled pineapples. 
NOTE 4: I use chicken thighs and drumsticks then cut them into pieces. Cut the chicken thighs into four pieces, and the drumsticks into two pieces. You can stretch your meal by cutting the meat into smaller pieces and adding more vegetables. Potatoes are very filling. 
 
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Keyword adobo spice, budget meals, chicken adobo, meal planning, meal preppping, meals under $50, menu planning, one pan baked chicken, picadillo, rotini pasta, weekly meal prep