Meg's Meal Planning

steak

Marinated Carne Asada with Spicy Cucumber Salsa Verde

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Trader Joe’s carne asada is the star ingredient in these easy Mexican Tacos. The cucumber salsa verde sauce is spicy and adds the perfect amount of crunch. 

Tacos with salsa verde

The moment I started searing Trader Joe’s carne asada in the pan, my husband yelled from the other room “that smells delicious!” I wish I could somehow bottle up the wonderful aroma this cut of meat produced. The well-trimmed, hand-butterflied beef sirloin is marinaded in a northern-Mexico-inspired blend of citrus & spice. Because of the thin meat, it cooks quickly on the stove top.

Salsa Verde is a great staple to have in every kitchen. It consists of roasted tomatillos, onion, cilantro, and other spices. I used a pre-made salsa verde from Trader Joe’s and added cucumbers and jalapeño peppers for an additional kick.

Marinated carne asada

Marinated Carne Asada with Spicy Cucumber Salsa Verde
 
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Trader Joe's carne asada is the star ingredient in these easy Mexican Tacos. The cucumber salsa verde sauce is spicy and adds the perfect amount of crunch.
Author:
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
  • Trader Joe's carne asada meat
  • ¾ cup salsa verde
  • 1 English cucumber, sliced in half length-wise, then each piece sliced in half length-wise again, and chopped into tiny pieces
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, deseeded and minced
  • Cilantro
  • 1 lime, quartered
  • Tortillas
Instructions
  1. Cook carne asada according to package directions. Set aside and let rest 10 minutes. Slice into thin strips.
  2. In small bowl, mix together salsa verde, cucumber, and jalapeño pepper.
  3. Heat tortillas according to package directions.
  4. Layer tortillas with carne asada, salsa verde mix, cilantro, and squeeze juice of 1 piece of lime on top.

 

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Spicy cucumber salsa verde

 

Six healthy and easy sheet pan meals

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Six easy and healthy sheet pan meals the whole family will love. Roast chicken, pork, steak, salmon, vegetables, and potatoes all at once!

sheet pan fish

Preparing dinner for a family is no easy task, forget worrying about making something healthy for them. What if you could make an easy and healthy dinner that cooks all at the same time? Oh, and clean up is also a breeze. Would you believe me?  You better because that’s what I’m sharing with you today. Five easy and healthy sheet pan meals, plus a sheet pan breakfast.

Until recently, I had no idea there was a difference between a sheet pan and what is more commonly used, a jelly pan. Both are similar in size and shape, but a jelly pan is thinner and can’t withstand the high temperatures that sheet pans can; they warp during cooking. Have you ever heard a loud bang when your pan is in the oven? If you answered yes, you have a jelly pan, not a sheet pan.

A sheet pan is made of aluminum and can withstand high temperatures. It can be used for anything from baking cookies to roasting vegetables. I purchased this inexpensive sheet pan from Amazon and so far I’m loving everything about it.  Another must have when cooking with sheet pans is a silicone baking mat to prevent food from sticking. This is the exact mat I use; it prevents the use of butter, oil, or spray and replaces parchment paper.

sheet pan eggs, potatoes, and chicken sausage

Why sheet pan dinners are the greatest ever: 

  1. All your food cooks together
  2. Keeps clean up to a minimum
  3. No scrubbing pots and pans
  4. Most ingredients can be prepped before hand

Have I convinced you yet? If not, try making one of the following dinner ideas and you will be sold!

  1. Sheet pan balsamic vinegar chicken with roasted Brussel sprouts and prosciutto
  2. Sheet pan steak fatijitas
  3. Sheet pan salmon and roasted vegetables
  4. Sheet pan pork and potatoes with butternut squash
  5. Sheet pan chicken nachos
  6. Sheet pan eggs, potatoes, and chicken sausage

 

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6 sheet pan dinners

 

[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 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]

Easy Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

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Beef stroganoff is a creamy and delicious dinner the whole family will love!

Set it and forgot it – who doesn’t love using a crockpot!? There is nothing better than coming home after work and walking into a house that’s filled with the aroma of tonight’s dinner!

This is one of my favorite go to recipes for not only my family, but when we have guests over as well! You can either cook the noodles in a pot on the stove or add them to the crockpot. Just be careful to not overcook the noodles in the crockpot!

Easy Crockpot Beef Stroganoff
 
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Recipe type: Crockpot
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
  • 1-1½ lbs stew beef
  • 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
  • ½ cup water
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • Salt and pepper
  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • 1 bag of egg noodles
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients except the noodles to a crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours.
  2. Before you are ready to serve, cook egg noodles according to directions on package

 

 

 

Steak with Grilled Summer Vegetables

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Savory steak with grilled summer vegetables like cherry tomatoes, zucchini, squash, and corn drizzled in a balsmic vinaigrette.  

Summer is hanging on for dear life here in New England; we are still experiencing unseasonably high temperatures. This past weekend it was 90 degrees! I can’t wear my flannel shirts and boots in that weather!! What’s a suburban girl to do?! This recipe reminds me of summer, and I usually make it around the end of August when my garden is still producing produce. But seeing how it still feels like summer, I decided to make it later this year.

There are two nice things about this recipe: 1) It can use up lots of fresh garden vegetables! Does anyone else have out of control tomato plants? 2. It’s versatile – don’t have a squash? Fine, use only zucchini. Use any color of bell pepper you have on hand. I’ve also changed up the steak before.

Steak with Grilled Summer Vegetables
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 3 tbsps olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary and thyme
  • Kosher salt and ground pepper
  • ½ lb skirt steak
  • 2 tbsps chopped fresh basil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 medium clove garlic, minced
  • 1 red or orange bell pepper, seeded and quartered
  • 1 small yellow summer squash, sliced on a sharp diagonal ½ inch thick
  • 1 small zucchini, sliced on a sharp diagonal ½ inch thick
  • 1 ear of corn, husked
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
  1. Combine 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper in a baking dish or zip-top bag large enough to hold the steak. Add the steak and marinate for at least 1 hour.
  2. Heat grill to medium-high heat.
  3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make the vinaigrette by combining 1 tbsp of the basil, 1 tbsp of the olive oil, vinegar, parsley, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
  4. Brush the peppers, squash, zucchini, and corn with 1 tbsp olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill, turning occasionally, until tender with nice grill marks, 10 to 15 minutes. Arrange all but the corn on a large platter and drizzle half of the vinaigrette on top.
  5. Remove the steak from the marinade, season generously with salt and pepper, and grill, flipping once, until grill marks form on both sides and cooked to your liking, about 3 minutes per side for medium rare (135°F). Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
  6. Cut the corn from the cob and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the tomatoes and the remaining vinaigrette. Season with salt and gently toss. Spoon the corn and tomato mixture over the other vegetables. Slice the steak with the grain into 4- to 5-inch pieces, then slice thinly against the grain and arrange over the vegetables.

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Sirloin Stir Fry

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This dinner combines lots of left over ingredients from other dinners this week: steak, kale, and brown rice.  The only new ingredient is mushrooms!


Sirloin Stir Fry with Kale and Mushrooms

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsps reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Sriracha
  • 2 tbsps sesame oil
  • 4 1/2 tsps sherry
  • 1 cup left over brown rice, heated
  • 3-4 strips of left over steak, cut into 1 inch pieces 
  • Kale bunch 
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 8 oz package mushrooms, washed and sliced
  • 1 tsp honey
  • Red pepper flakes

Steps

  1. In medium bowl, mix together soy sauce, Sriracha, 1 tbsp sesame oil, and sherry. Add steak to marinate. 
  2. Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in wok over medium heat about 1 minute. Add ginger, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes.  
  3. Turn heat to low and add kale, steak/marinade, and honey. Cover and cook until kale has wilted, about 7 minutes.
  4. Serve over brown rice. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes for an extra kick!
 

Sirloin steak with riced parmesan cauliflower and roasted Brussel sprouts

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Grilled steak with two easy and healthy side dishes that can be prepped all together to put dinner on the table in 30 minutes. 

The hubby and I don’t buy steak often, but every time we do I thoroughly enjoy it! Steak and a nice glass of red wine = a happy chef! What’s that saying? Happy wife, happy life?….jk! I paired the steak with roasted brussel sprouts and riced parmesan cauliflower!

The sides can be prepped ahead of time if needed or everything can be cooked at the same time. The meal comes together in 30 minutes!

 

Sirloin steak with riced parmesan cauliflower and roasted Brussel sprouts
 
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Grilled steak with two easy and healthy side dishes that can be prepped all together to put dinner on the table in 30 minutes.
Author:
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
  • 16 oz Brussel sprouts, washed, ends cut off and cut in half
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ⅛ tsp roasted garlic seasoning
  • 1 lb sirloin steak
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups riced cauliflower
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 gloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese
  • 1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Place the Brussel sprouts on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, roasted garlic seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Bake for 15 minutes, giving a toss halfway through cooking.
  4. While Brussel sprouts are cooking, preheat grill over medium heat.
  5. Season steak with salt and pepper
  6. Place on heated grill and cook about five minutes on both sides for medium rare.
  7. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice against the grain.
  8. While steak is resting heat coconut oil and minced garlic in a wok over medium heat.
  9. Cook garlic 1-2 minutes, don’t let it burn.
  10. Add cauliflower and cook 5 minutes or until starts browning.
  11. Remove from heat and add parmesan cheese and parsley