Meg's Meal Planning

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Oven Baked Pork Schnitzel

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Super easy oven baked Pork Schnitzel is an easy week night recipe. Pair it with potatoes and a salad for an easy and satisfying dinner.  

Pork Schnitzel

Looking to get in the fun of celebrating Oktoberfest? Then try this easy oven baked Pork Schnitzel. It’s healthier than pan frying, but tastes just as delicious. It also is a great make ahead meal and stores well in the freezer.

Pork schnitzel is a popular German dish prepared by breading and frying thin pork cutlets. Although there are many varieties of schnitzel like chicken, veal, and turkey. Pork is one of my personal favorites. The key to a good schnitzel is a meat mallet. You need to pound the pork very thin.  Skip the gym and have this be your arm work out!

Baked port schnitzel

Oven Baked Pork Schnitzel
 
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Super easy oven baked Pork Schnitzel is an easy week night recipe. Pair it with potatoes and a salad for an easy and satisfying dinner.
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 boneless pork chops, pounded until ¼ inch thick
  • ½ cup flour
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp roasted garlic powder
  • 2 eggs whisked
  • 1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425.
  2. Combine flour and spices in shallow bowl. Eggs in another, and breadcrumbs in another
  3. Dip each piece of pork into flour, shaking off excess. Then dip into egg, then bread crumbs. Place pork on a lightly oiled wire rack over baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip and bake another 5 minutes.

 

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Healthy oven baked pork schnitzel

The 50 Best Items From Trader Joe’s

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In honor of Trader Joe’s opening in my hometown, I’m sharing my list of the 50 best items from Trader Joe’s. Appetizers, condiments, coffee, desserts, dinner ideas, snacks and more can be found in this extensive list. Comment below with your favorite!

Trader Joe's Shopping trip

Appetizers

1. Mac and cheese bites – If you buy anything from this list, this should be it. Darn delicious!

2. Arancini bites – Bite-sized rice balls filled with just the right amount of oozy, melted cheese.

3. Chicken and beef mini tacos – These make a great finger food when hosting family or friends. Heat in the oven and serve. Easy and simple.

Black bean dip4. Black bean dip – I always keep one of these jars handy. It’s an easy appetizer when hosting family or friends.

5. Spanakopita – An authentic spinach and cheese filled pie. Trader- Joes greek spanakopita

6. Pastry bites with feta cheese and caramelized onions – What’s not to love?!

7. Unexpected cheddar cheese – One of Trader Joe’s most famous products. Hints of Parmesan, which provides an unexpected yet sophisticated flavor. Try it on sandwiches, eggs, pasta, or just on its own.

8. Spinach and cheese stuffed mushrooms – Whole mushroom caps, piled high with spinach and cheese filling and topped with crispy breadcrumbs.

Snacks

9. Veggie and flaxseed tortilla chips – These are my family’s favorite tortilla chips. The flavors are carrot and tomatoes, spinach and garlic, and red beet and onion.

Trader Joe's snacks 10. Trader Joe’s Salsa Authentic – Pair with the tortilla chips and you have an A+ snack.

11. Dark chocolate covered raisins, almonds, blueberries. TJ’s has them all and you will eat them by the handfuls, like these peanut butter dark chocolate cover cups. 

12. Almonds – I usually buy the unsalted, but I’ve had the salted before as well. They are addicting. The entire nut section is pretty impressive. Every kind you could want.

13. Ranch seasoned crispy chickpeas – A great, healthy snack!

14. Icelandic plain Greek yogurt – The texture is smoother and creamier than regular Greek yogurt. Try making these raspberry lemon yogurt bites. Use Trader Joe’s Icelandic yogurt or regular greek yogurt. Raspberry lemon greek yogurt bites

 

Pantry items

Where do I even start?! Every item in this store is absolutely amazing, but some of my favorites to stock up and always have in my pantry are:

15. Sun-dried tomatoes

16. Marinated artichokes

17. Whole grain Dijon mustard – For those of you who follow Whole30, you can eat this mustard. It has 0 added sugars.

18. Three-seed beet crackers – I’ve also had the sweet potato crackers and they are just as good.

19. Everything but the bagel seasoning – You NEED this in your life. Try it on avocado toast or a fried egg!

20. Champagne pear vinaigrette –Champagne pear vinaigrette This is my all time favorite salad dressing. My husband and I actually fight over it, it’s that stinkin’ good. Try it out on top of this quinoa bowl with strawberries, kale, roasted chickpeas, and feta cheese. 
Tahini

21. Organic tahini – For only $3.49, it’s much cheaper than any other grocery store. Try this lemon tahini dressing with your next salad or quinoa bowl.

22. No boil lasagne noodles – Calling all pasta lovers! These noodles cut down time on a classic family dish. Try my one pot skinny lasagne soup for an even quicker and healthier version of traditional lasagne.

Peanut butter23. Trader Joe’s peanut butters – Made with just 1 or 2 ingredients (depending on if you buy the salted or unsalted version). Both versions available in creamy or chunky.

24. Mexican-style roasted corn with cotijas cheese – The perfect side to tacos or fajitas. Try these sheet pan steak fajitas with the roasted corn as a side.

 

Dinners

Whenever I’m not sure what to make for dinner, Trader Joe’s always comes to the rescue. They have so many quick and easy dinner helpers. Seriously, you can’t go wrong!

25. Frozen green beans – LOVE these when I need to add a veggie side to my dinner; plus you can cook only what you need and save the rest. They are slightly skinnier than fresh green beans you would find in a store and, for whatever reason, my toddler son likes the size of these and gobbles them up.

green beans26. Colorful Carrot Coins – A blend of lightly seasoned orange, yellow, white, and purple carrots. An easy addition to your dinner.

27. Pulled pork in smoky BBQ sauce – Heat up and serve with a bun for sandwiches or make this incredibly tasty BBQ pulled pork enchilada.Pulled pork enchilada with black beans

28. Fire-Roasted Bell Peppers & Onions – In a skillet, heat up strips of chicken or steak then add the frozen fajita mix for an easy week night dinner.

29. Frozen veggie stir fry – I prefer adding my own meat, like their pork tenderloin. Cook it in advance, dice it up, and add to your cooked stir fry.

cheese tortellini salad30. Tortellini and ravioli – TJ’s has the best selection to choose from. Your choice of cheese or spinach tortellini, lobster or meat ravioli. Try my Italian cheese tortellini with artichokes, cherry tomatoes, and a pesto sauce or this turkey meatball and spinach tortellini soup.

31. Cauliflower pizza crust – I don’t eat gluten free, but I wanted to see what the hype was about and I don’t mind trying something healthier either! This crust was crispy and tasty. Try out my pizza recipe with pesto and sautéed cherry tomatoes. Trader Joe's cauliflower crust pizza

32. Cauliflower gnocchi 

33. Chicken dogs – Much healthier than hotdogs. Make a more adult version with this hotdog arugula salad. 

Mandarian orange chicken34. Frozen Mandarin orange chicken – This item is ranked the overall favorite in the Trader Joe’s 9th Annual Customer Choice Awards. So if you don’t want to listen to me, listen to them!

35. Marinated Carne Asada – This meat is tender, juicy, and delicious. It’s Marinated carne asadamarinated with a Mexican-inspired spice blend.

36. Salsa Verde – Add this to my carne asada tacos with a spicy cucumber.

37. Chili lime chicken burgers (frozen) or salmon burgers – Both make an easy week night meal.

 

Drinks

38. Cold brew coffee in 8 oz cans – These are the perfect grab-and-go caffeine fix. They come in either black or French vanilla. I’ve tried the French vanilla flavor and it was delicious! cold brew coffee

39. Trader Joe’s organic strawberry lemonade – Only available in the summer.

40. 100% Kauai coffee beans – Medium roast. Sweet, nutty and full bodied with chocolate notes.

 

Seasonal items 

I wanted to originally keep this list to items that were only available year-round, but there are just too many good seasonal items to not share my favorites!

41. Pumpkin cinnamon rolls – Can’t go wrong with anything pumpkin; it’s all amazing! Chocolate mousse pumpkin

42. Pumpkin cheesecake

43. Pumpkin spice whipped cream

44. Chocolate pumpkin mousse cookies

45. Dark chocolate-covered peppermint cremes – Pillowy and pepperminty perfection.

46. Popcorn tin – With flavors like Olive Oil, Sriracha Lime, Cheddar and Caramel, and Hot Chocolate. This makes a great holiday gift and is perfect to have at the house when company is over. Bonus: keep the tin and store cookies in it!

47. Dark chocolate sea salt caramels

48. Winter wassail – A classic holiday punch that is mighty tasty on its own or spiked with wine.

49. Candy cane Joe-Joe’s – AKA an Oreo cookie on steroids! Also available as gluten free and dark-chocolate covered.

50. Peaches and cream tarte – Flaky and buttery, sweet cream and sugary peach fill this delicious summer tarte.

 

 

 

Garlic Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

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Garlic roasted cherry tomatoes, perfect for snacking, adding to soups, salads, pasta, or chicken dishes! This easy recipe is also great for freezing and using later! 

garlic roasted tomatoes

Summer is coming to an end, and that means the garden is overflowing with cherry tomatoes. I honestly can’t believe how many I’ve gotten this summer. I’m out there almost every night picking a few handfuls of tomatoes.

Garlic roasting cherry tomatoes is a DELICIOUS way to use up the bountiful pickings from the garden. They are so versatile! You can throw them in nearly anything: soup, salad, quinoa bowl, or a chicken/pasta dish! And maybe most importantly, you can freeze them until fall/winter when your making more hearty meals. Of course, I also just eat them once they’re out of the oven; they are that hard to resist!

garlic roasted cherry tomatoes

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Garlic Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
 
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Garlic roasted cherry tomatoes, perfect for snacking, adding to soups, salads, pasta, or chicken dishes! This easy recipe is also great for freezing and using later!
Author:
Serves: 2 cups
Ingredients
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved length wise
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1.5 tsp roasted garlic seasoning
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Lay parchment paper or use silicone baking sheet on large rimmed baking sheet. Spread cherry tomatoes cut side up on baking sheet.
  3. Drizzle olive oil on top. Sprinkle with salt, Italian seasoning, and roasted garlic seasoning.
  4. Bake 15-20 minutes.

 

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roasted garlic cherry tomatoes

Fluffy Sage and Cheddar Biscuits

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These sage and cheddar biscuits will be your favorite addition to any BBQ, picnic, or get together. They are fresh, flaky, and taste best with warm melted butter.

Biscuits

Sage is a nice, earthy herb that I grow every year.  And I even just learned it’s an annual and will come back every year! One of my favorite foods to make with fresh sage are these sage and cheddar biscuits. I could eat the entire batch; they are that good!  One thing about homemade biscuits is they aren’t the most healthy for you. The recipe I followed called for 1.5 sticks of butter! Woof! I wanted to make it healthier without losing the taste. I had fun experimenting with different ingredients and it was a little trial and error, but I’ve successfully created a healthier version of sage and cheddar biscuits that cuts down on the butter from one and half sticks to only ¼ cup.

Sage biscuits

I also opted not to use buttermilk because it’s one of those ingredients I will buy and use only a little bit and the rest will go to waste. So here it is: your new favorite, heathier biscuit recipe with no buttermilk and less butter!

Cheddar sage biscuits

Fluffy Sage and Cheddar Biscuits
 
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These sage and cheddar biscuits will be your favorite addition to any BBQ, picnic, or get together. They are fresh, flaky, and taste best with warm melted butter.
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Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tbsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese
  • 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
  • ¼ cup butter
  • ¼ cup applesauce
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. In a food processor, add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Pulse, then add cheese and sage and pulse again to combine.
  3. Add butter, applesauce and pulse until the mixture starts to combine and turn coarse.
  4. In a small bowl, mix the milk and vinegar together, let sit for 1 minute, then add to the food processor and pulse until just combined.
  5. Lightly flour work surface and knead the dough. Roll out until ¾ inch thick and use a biscuit cutter to cut out 12 biscuits. If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, a 1 cup measuring cup works well too. (That’s what I use)
  6. Place biscuits on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 12-14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

 

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Homemade flaky sage and cheddar biscuits

 

 

 

Simple Homemade Peach Salsa

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Homemade peach salsa…sweet and simple. Enjoy with chips or on top of grilled chicken, fish, and/or shrimp! 

Tomato and peach salsa

 

Picture this: it’s a hot summer day, you’re sitting outside in the shade, maybe with a glass of lemonade or something stronger…. no judgement! And you sink your teeth into a juicy summer peach! That feeling of refreshment is how you will feel with this simple, homemade peach salsa.

Salsa peach

Only five ingredients – tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, onion, cilantro, and of course peaches. You will love this recipe because it changes a traditional food and makes it more fun. It’s great on it’s own or on top of grilled chicken, fish, and/or shrimp!

Homemade tomato and peach salsa

 

Simple Homemade Peach Salsa
 
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Homemade sweet and simple peach salsa. Enjoy with chips or on top grilled chicken, fish, and/or shrimp!
Author:
Serves: 1.5 cups
Ingredients
  • 5-6 plum tomatoes, chopped into tiny pieces
  • 1 peach, chopped
  • ½ jalapeno pepper, minced - I added the seeds for more heat
  • ¼ cup white onion, minced
  • Handful fresh cilantro
  • Salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Add tomatoes to a medium size bowl, add salt, and let sit for 10 mintues to collect the juices. Don't drain!
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until incorporated.

 

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homemade simple peach salsa

 

How to make homemade pesto

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There is nothing tastier than homemade pesto, and nothing smells better in the summer than the sweet, aromatic scent of fresh basil! 

pesto homemade

Basil is one of my favorite herbs to grow in my garden. I dedicate an entire section of the garden just for basil because I buy so many plants! Homemade pesto is perfect for numerous summer dishes-pasta, chicken, paninis, pizza etc. Try my Trader Joe’s cauliflower crust pizza topped with pesto, or this easy pasta with pesto, cherry tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella. 

Homemade pesto

A great way to have homemade pesto in the winter is to freeze the pesto in ice cube trays. My recipe makes 6 “ice” cubes which are 2 oz each. Add pesto to ice cube tray, freeze overnight, then pop out and store in a freezer zip lock bag.

Summer pesto

How to make homemade pesto
 
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Serves: 1 cup
Ingredients
  • 3 cups fresh basil
  • ¼ cup unsalted almonds
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients, except olive oil, to a food processor and blend well.
  2. Slowly drizzle olive oil and continue to blend.
  3. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

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Easy homemade basil pesto

Watermelon Cilantro Margarita

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Sweet and refreshing watermelon cilantro margarita is the perfect Summer drink to cool off with. Enjoy this easy crowd-pleaser while soaking in the sunshine.

Summer watermelon margarita

One of my favorite drinks I’ve EVER had was a strawberry basil vodka lemonade from The Vendue in Charleston, SC. Click here to see my copy cat version. What I loved about this drink was it screamed summer time. It is impossible to not kick back, relax, and fall in love with this fun summer drink.

That’s how I feel about these watermelon cilantro margaritas. The color is the perfect pop of pink; the pink of the watermelon and the green of the cilantro and lime match perfectly. Served on the rocks and made with freshly squeezed lime juice, these drinks are superb!

Margarita

They are great for entertaining – all your guests will be impressed with such a contemporary cocktail. But do yourself a favor. No one wants to be squeezing limes while your friends or family is over, so make up a batch in advance and store in a pitcher. It will keep well for 24 hours. Trust me, I know from experience.

Summer margarita

Watermelon Cilantro Margarita
 
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Sweet and refreshing watermelon cilantro margarita is the perfect Summer drink to cool off with. Enjoy this easy crowd pleaser drink while soaking in the sunshine.
Author:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of seedless watermelon
  • 1 sprig of cilantro-leaves and stem
  • ¼ cup of freshly squeezed lime juice, about 4 limes
  • ½ tsp honey
  • Ice
  • 2 tbsp tequila
Instructions
  1. Add watermelon, cilantro, lime juice, and honey to a blender or NutriBullet and puree until smooth. Remove foam from top.
  2. Fill a martini shaker with ice and add watermelon mixture. Add tequila. Shake well.
  3. Add salt or sugar to rim of margarita glass (optional).
  4. Pour margarita into glass.

 

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Watermelon cilantro margaritas

Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos

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Sheet pan chicken nachos are incredibly cheesy and have the perfect amount of zing. They make the perfect appetizer or meal! 

I take nachos very seriously. There is nothing more disappointing than eating sub-par nachos or having cheese only on the top layer of chips!! That’s why the most importance step is the layering of ingredients!  But you can’t forgot about key ingredients that bring the dish together. Sour cream, salsa, olives, jalapeño peppers, beans, and guacamole are just a few ways to personalize your nachos to your liking.  If it was up to me, I would use an entire can of olives!

For this recipe I seasoned the chicken with a fajita seasoning. I used this one from Penzeys Spices. Fajita seasoning is basically a blend of a bunch of spices like cayenne pepper, garlic, celery seed, cumin, basil, etc.

Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • Tortilla chips
  • 1.5 cups rotisserie chicken, either shredded or cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 tablespoon fajita seasoning
  • ¼ cup onion, chopped
  • ¼ cup black beans
  • ½ cup queso
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
  • 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Layer chips in a single layer on a large sheet pan or baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray or use a silicone baking mat.
  3. In large bowl, add the chicken and season with fajita seasoning. Arrange chicken on top of the chips. Add the onion and black beans. Drizzle the queso on top, add the Mexican cheese, then top with the cilantro.
  4. Bake for 6-7 minutes, rotate pan then bake for another 6-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted fully.
  5. Top with your favorites - sour cream, guacamole, salsa, etc

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Disclamier: 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.

Southwestern Easy Black Bean Salad

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As summer is winding down, my garden is taking off! This happens every year! I think it must be the climate I live in? This year in the garden, my cherry tomatoes and jalapeno peppers plants are doing the best! I’ve already made lots of fresh salsa! Click here for a peach salsa recipe!

I had fresh cilantro in the fridge left over from steak tacos last week, so I decided to make a black bean salsa using the cherry tomatoes and jalapeno pepper! I enjoyed this meal 3x for lunch! I added crumbled tortilla chips for a little extra crunch!

Southwestern Easy Black Bean Salad
 
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Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 15 oz can of black beans
  • 1 cup corn
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno pepper (less or more depending how spicy you like it)
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • Salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stir together. Serve with tortilla chips.

 

Strawberry Basil Vodka Lemonade

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On a recent trip to Charleston, SC, (Click here to read about the trip) I was inspired by this mighty fine drink at the Vendue Rooftop Bar. It was the perfect cool and refreshing summer drink. Getting a mixed drink in my opinion is risky! Will to be too strong? Too weak? Will I like the mixture? There’s too much to worry about, so that’s why I usual stick to beer or wine at bars.


Something about this drink called my name. I felt like I was in the Pier One commercial and this drink was secretly saying “Megan, Megan, pick me!” Maybe it was the fun color or the perfect summer night and sipping on a lemonade sounded amazing? Who knows, but I’m glad I ordered it! To read about the other bars and restaurants I went to in Charleston, click here.

Strawberry Basil Vodka Lemonade
 
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Recipe type: Drinks
Ingredients
  • 9 cups water
  • 1.5 cups sugar
  • 1.5 lbs strawberries, washed and tops cut off
  • Lemonade mix
  • Handful fresh basil leaves
  • Vodka or gin (optional)
Instructions
  1. Cut 1 lb of the strawberries in half.
  2. Pour 1 cup water and sugar in pot and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
  3. Add the cut strawberries (save the rest) and cook until they soften, about 12-15 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, add the other 8 cups to a large pitcher and add lemonade mixture. Because the strawberry syrup will be sweet, only fill the lemonade measuring cap to the 1 quart line.
  5. Chill the softened strawberries until cool, to speed it up place in freezer.
  6. Slowly pour the strawberry syrup into the lemonade mixture.
  7. Pour desired amount into a glass, add vodka or gin and 1 fresh basil leaf per glass.