Meg's Meal Planning

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Sheet Pan Balsamic Vinegar Chicken

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One pan dinner ready on the table in 30 minutes. Sheet pan chicken with balsamic vinegar, roasted Brussel sprouts and prosciutto sounds fancy, but it is very easy to make! 

Balsamic vinegar chicken

I was never a fan of Brussel sprouts! Even the name does not appealing, and it was one of those veggies your parents would force you to eat as a child. I think this is the main reason why people hate them as an adult. A few years ago I decided to give Brussel sprouts another go. If you’re not a fan, have you tried them with bacon or prosciutto? And if you are a fan already, you need to try this recipe.

This sheet pan balsamic chicken and roasted Brussel sprouts is an easy dinner and gets the dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes. If you like this meal, check out my other sheet pan recipes by clicking here!

sheet pan chicken

Sheet Pan Balsamic Vinegar Chicken
 
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Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
  • 3-4 chicken breasts, pounded thin or 3-4 chicken cutlets
  • 12 oz Brussel sprouts, washed and cut in half
  • ¼ cup red onion
  • 3-4 slices of prosciutto, rolled and sliced into tiny pieces
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray sheet pan with non stick spray or use baking mat.
  2. If using chicken breast, pound until thin, making sure it is even throughout.
  3. Place chicken on the sheet pan and season both sides with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Arrange Brussel sprouts, red onion and prosciutto on sheet pan. Drizzle everything with olive oil and add more salt and pepper to Brussel sprout mixture.
  4. Bake for 15 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal tempature of 160 F. Then switch to broil for four minutes; be careful not to burn the Brussel sprouts.
  5. Remove from oven and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

 

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Balsamic vinegar chicken

 

 

Sheet pan steak fajitas

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Sheet pan steak fajitas are juicy, tasty, and an easy weeknight meal. Serve with your choice of side like rice and beans or roasted corn and cotija cheese.

sheet pan fajitas

Fajitas are one of my favorite weeknight meals. They are easy to make and you can add whatever you want to them! To avoid getting bored with the same old same old, change up the protein with options like chicken, shrimp, and even tofu.  These sheet pan fajitas used flank steak seasoned in a fajita seasoning from Penzeys Spices.

Serve with your favorite side; I made Trader Joe’s Mexican-style roasted corn with cotijas cheese. And by made, I mean heated up and sprinkled cheese on top!

steak fajitas

Sheet pan steak fajitas
 
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Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 lb flank steak
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp Fajitas seasoning
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • ½ small onion, chopped
  • Sour cream
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Tortillas, warmed
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Season steak with salt, pepper, and fajitas seasoning. Place in large plastic bag and add olive oil and soy sauce. Let steak marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  3. Add baking mat to sheet pan and place peppers and onions around outter edge. Place steak in middle.
  4. Cook for 12-15 minutes, then broil for additional 2 mniutes. Use a meat thermometer to check that its cooked to your preference. About 140 for medium rare and 150 for medium.
  5. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes. Cut steak against the grain.
  6. Spread sour cream down center of tortilla, then top with steak, peppers and onions, and cilantro.
  7. Add any other favorite toppings!

 

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Easy sheet pan steak fajitas

[This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on the link and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting Meg’s Meal Planning]

Sheet pan salmon and roasted vegetables

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Healthy sheet pan salmon and roasted vegetables. Full of flavor, you’ll love this easy weeknight meal! 

sheet pan fish

Of all the sheet pan dinners, this one is definitely the quickest and the veggies are easy to prep in advance.  I don’t recommend cooking fish in advance; buy salmon the day you are going to cook it. You can substitute different veggies like Brussel sprouts or carrots for the broccoli.

If you want, you can serve this with rice, but I didn’t and we were all plenty full.

sheet pan salmon and veggies

Sheet pan salmon and roasted vegetables
 
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Healthy sheet pan salmon and roasted vegetables. Full of flavor, you'll love this easy weeknight meal!
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Recipe type: Sheet pan
Cuisine: American
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 cup teriyaki sauce
  • 1 lb salmon
  • 2 cups broccoli, washed and chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, washed and sliced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
  1. Marinate salmon for 1 hour in teriyaki sauce in fridge. Reserve marinade.
  2. Preheat stove for 350 degrees.
  3. Place baking mat on sheet pan and place salmon in the center. Arrange broccoli and red bell pepper slices around salmon.
  4. Drizzle marinade and olive oil on top of salmon and veggies.
  5. Bake for 15 minutes or until salmon is flaky.

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Sheet pan veggies and salmon

One pan penne sausage and kale

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One pan penne, sausage, and kale is an easy week-night dinner. The pasta is cooked in the same skillet as the sausage and tastes amazing! 

one pan pasta

I need to start writing down all my one pan dishes because they are just AMAZING. If you haven’t learned my style of cooking yet, one pan dishes pretty much sums it up.  Some of my favorite one pan dishes are spicy quinoa and shrimp and one pot chili and Mac and cheese. 

Have you ever cooked pasta a different way besides boiling water? Cooking pasta in the same pan you cooked another item, like sweet Italian sausage, gives the pasta UBER amounts of flavor! Plus in this recipe, instead of using water the penne cooks in chicken broth, which of course adds more depth to any dish.

one pan penne and sausage

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One pan penne sausage and kale
 
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One pan penne, sausage, and kale is a easy week night dinner. The pasta is cooked in the same skillet as the sausage and tastes amazing!
Author:
Recipe type: One pan pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 gloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 box penne pasta
  • 4 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes
  • 6 cups kale, washed and chopped
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute, careful not to burn.
  2. Add sausage, breaking up large pieces, and cook for 8-10 minute or until cooked through. Remove from skillet.
  3. Add chicken broth and pasta. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for 11 minutes. (The pasta will be al dente). All the chicken broth should be absorbed, no need to drain.
  4. Add 4 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes and cook for additional 2 minutes.
  5. Turn off heat and add sausage and kale. Stir until the kale is cooked down.
  6. Top with parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes (optional) if you like a little extra kick.

 

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kale, sausage, penne

Boneless Seared Pork Chops and Apples

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Boneless pork chops with a beautiful sear paired with seasoned apples and roasted Brussel sprouts is a one pan dinner you are sure to love!

Boneless seared pork chops

Weeknight meal – what does that mean to you? To me, it means quick cooking and even quicker clean-up. That’s what this boneless seared pork chops with apples and Brussel sprouts is all about. It all cooks in the same pan, making clean-up a breeze.

The pork chops get a beautiful sear and finish in the oven along with the apples and Brussel sprouts. Not a fan of meat and fruit together? Don’t include the apples. Don’t like Brussel sprouts? Replace them with your favorite green.

It’s important to use a quality cooking thermometer when cooking pork chops; they can easily over cook and become extremely dry. I LOVE using this one by OXO. You stick the probe into the food while it cooks in the oven and the display stays on the counter, so there is no need to take the food out of the oven constantly to check the temperature. A warning alert goes off once the food comes within 10 degrees of your desired temperature. Anyone else guilty of running up stairs to put clothes away only to come back down and find your food overcooked? Yeah. It’s no fun.

 

Boneless Seared Pork Chops and Apples
 
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Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 12 oz Brussel sprouts, washed, sliced in half and ends cut off
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3-4 1 inch boneless pork chops
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 apple, sliced into 8 pieces
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add Brussel sprouts and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until they start turning light brown. Stir often. Set aside.
  3. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to skillet. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Add pork chops and sear for 3 minutes/side. Set aside.
  4. Add 1 tbsp butter. When melted, add apple slices and cook for 2 minutes/side.
  5. Add sage, pork chops, and Brussel sprouts to skillet. Bake for 10 minutes or until pork chops reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

 

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boneless pork chop and apples

[This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on the link and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting Meg’s Meal Planning]

Simple Sirloin Steak Buddha Bowl

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Get your protein and veggies in this simple steak and quinoa buddha bowl.

Sirloin and veggie buddha bowl

In case you missed my little intro into buddha bowls from last week’s meal plan, click here to read about it. This week’s buddha bowl is full of protein-rich steak and quinoa and packed with veggies like broccoli, red pepper, and edamame. It’s easy to prep in advance and eat the night you need it.

Buddha bowls are also great left overs, so double your batch and save some for lunch at work or dinner another night.  What is your favorite ingredient to add to a buddha bowl?

simple sirloin buddha bowl

This recipe calls for 30 minutes of cooking time, but you can easily cut that down by cooking the quinoa and steak at the same time.

Simple Sirloin Steak Buddha Bowl
 
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Get your protein and veggies in this simple steak and quinoa buddha bowl.
Author:
Cuisine: Buddha Bowl
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 lb petite sirloin
  • 1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1.5 cup broccoli, washed and chopped
  • Olive oil
  • 1 large red bell pepper, washed and thinly sliced
  • ¾ cup frozen edamame, thawed
  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds
  • For the dressing
  • ½ cup red wine vinegar
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 3 tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
  1. Cook quinoa according to package directions.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub steak with soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Let the steak stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
  3. Heat large skillet over medium high heat, add steak, and cook 5 minutes or until browned, turning once half way through. Transfer steak to a baking sheet and cook in oven for 7 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees for medium rare. Transfer steak to cutting board. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
  4. While steak is resting, cook broccoli. Set oven to broil. Place broccoli on small baking sheet, season with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and broil for 10 minutes, tossing once.
  5. Slice steak across the grain. Divide quinoa among bowls, then add broccoli, bell pepper, edamame, and sunflower seeds.
  6. Mix together dressing ingredients and pour on top.

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sirloin steak buddha bowl

Sweet Potato, Spinach Buddha Bowl

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If you are looking for a healthy, filling lunch or dinner, this buddha bowl with sweet potato, spinach, avocado, and crushed walnuts will keep you full and satisfied. 

Sweet potato, spinach buddha bowl

Buddha bowls are a healthy way to get a balanced meal and an even better way to clean out your fridge.  The last few weeks, on Thursday or Friday I’ve made a buddha bowl using whatever was left in my fridge from the week. The beauty of this meal is you can add any kind of ingredient.

How to make a buddha bowl

First, start with your grain – try brown rice, lentils, or quinoa. Next, add greens/roasted vegetables – spinach, green beans, peas, Brussel sprouts, the possibilities are endless.  Finally, finish it off with nuts or seeds and your choice of dressing.

buddha bowl

Last weeks buddha bowl with quinoa, green beans roasted potatoes, sunflower seeds, and green onions

I make a very basic red vinegar/olive oil dressing. My favorite toppings are green onions because I love the taste they give, avocado, and any kind of nut. Try it out for yourself; you will quickly fall in love with buddha bowls!

Sweet Potato, Spinach Buddha Bowl
 
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If you are looking for a healthy, filling lunch or dinner, this buddha bowl with sweet potato, spinach, avocado, and crushed walnuts will keep you full and satisfied.
Author:
Recipe type: Buddha Bowl
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • ½ cup uncooked quinoa
  • ½ roasted sweet potato, peeled and cubed
  • ½ avocado, cubed
  • ¼ cup walnuts crushed
  • ¼ cup fresh spinach, chopped
  • For the dressing:
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
  1. Cook quinoa according to package directions
  2. Add quinoa to a bowl and add the sweet potato, avocado, walnuts, and spinach
  3. In small bowl mix together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, and mustard
  4. Pour over buddha bowl, stir and serve

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Sweet potato, spinach, avocado buddha bowl

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

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Mediterranean quinoa salad is low in fat, high in protein, and the perfect dish to welcome spring with.

Quinoa chickpea salad Happy March! Although this month in New England can be pretty dreary and winter can easily and quickly make an appearance again. March brings hope of the first signs of spring and warmer weather!

This colorful and healthy quinoa dish will help you look forward to the warmer weather! Vegetables like cucumbers and red and yellow peppers make this dish pop! It has tons of protein thanks to the chickpeas and quinoa. And the leftovers taste just as fresh as the first day.

Vegetarian salad

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
 
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Mediterranean quinoa salad is low in fat, high in protein, and the perfect dish to welcome spring with.
Author:
Recipe type: Mediterranean
Cuisine: Quinoa
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • For the salad
  • ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
  • 2 15 oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 3-4 mini cucumbers, chopped
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 cups uncooked quinoa
  • For the dressing
  • 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Cook quinoa according to package directions, once cooked move to a large bowl.
  2. Meanwhile prepare the dressing. In a small mixing bowl combine all dressing ingredients and stir together.
  3. Add to bowl with quinoa the red onion, chickpeas, parsley, bell peppers, cucumber, and feta cheese.
  4. Pour dressing on top, toss to combine.

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Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Vegetarian, Cheesy Quesadilla

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A protein-powered lunch, dinner, or snack with spinach and quinoa that both adults and kids will enjoy eating. 

Vegetarian, cheesy Quesadilla

 

I love to make a large batch of quinoa at the start of a week. It’s so versatile. You can throw it on top of a salad, add to a soup, or mix with other ingredients for a quinoa salad. Today, I made my first vegetarian, cheesy quesadilla with spinach and quinoa.  Since my toddler loves carbs (rolls, muffins, bread, and wraps, especially quesadillas), I knew this recipe would be perfect for him!

Quinoa for a toddler can be messy! But when it has melted cheese and is packed into a tortilla, you won’t even need to break out the vacuum after the meal!  The following recipe is for one quesadilla; it only calls for a little quinoa, so make sure you have other quinoa meals planned like spicy shrimp with garlicky parmesan quinoa, southwest fiesta quinoa salad, or chicken sausage quinoa stuffed peppers.

 

Vegetarian, Cheesy Quesadilla
 
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A protein-powered lunch or snack with spinach and quinoa that both adults and kids will enjoy eating.
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Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 whole wheat tortilla
  • 2 tbsp cooked quinoa
  • 1 tbsp frozen chopped spinach, thawed
  • ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Cook frozen spinach according to package directions.
  2. Heat skillet over medium-low heat.
  3. On half of the tortilla, add the quinoa, spinach, and cheese. Fold in half.
  4. Place quesadilla in skillet and cook over medium low heat until browned. Flip and repeat.
  5. Remove from pan, cut into wedges, and serve.

 

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Vegetarian Cheesy Quesadilla

 

 

One Pot Skinny Lasagna Soup

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Warm, cheesy, skinny lasagna soup that is tastier and healthier than your Italian grandmother’s version! Even better – it’s a one pot meal! 

One Pot Skinny Lasagna Soup

Are you a lasagna lover? The thought of homemade sauce simmering on the stove for hours make your mouth water? Well, unless you are that Italian grandmother, who the heck has time to throw together a meal as in depth as that?!

That’s why you will love this soup! It has the same hearty and cheesy taste as traditional lasagna, but less calories. Plus, it’s a one pot meal! That’s right, one pot! Use no-boil lasagna noodles and cook them in same pan as the sauce. For this recipe, you will need to use an Italian herb mix like Tuscan Sunset from Penzey’s Spices. The soup stores great in the fridge and is just as good reheated.

One Pot Skinny and Cheesy Lasagna Soup

 

One Pot Skinny Lasagna Soup
 
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Serves: 5-6
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • ½ yellow onion, diced
  • 4 garlic gloves, minced
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 2 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2½ tbsp tomato paste
  • 16 oz tomato sauce
  • 1½ tsp dried basil
  • ½ tsp dried rosemary
  • ½ tsp Italian herb mix, like Tuscan Sunset
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 no boil lasagna noodles, broken into bite-size pieces
  • 8 oz ricotta cheese
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
  1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ground turkey, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Set aside.
  2. Heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in pot, add onion and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add in garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
  3. Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, basil, rosemary mix, Italian herb mix, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir together and add ground turkey back to pot.
  4. Bring to a boil. Add broken lasagna noodles and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until noodles are soft.
  5. When ready to serve, ladle soup into bowls, add a dollop of ricotta cheese, and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.

 

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One pot skinny lasagna soup

 

[This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on the link and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting Meg’s Meal Planning]