Meg's Meal Planning

cast iron

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

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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

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Healthy Mexican Chicken Quinoa Skillet

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A healthy weeknight dinner that makes meal prep a breeze. This easy dinner is packed full of cheese and protein. 

Healthy mexican chicken quinoa skillet

Meals that can be prepared in advance are the greatest thing ever! “I want to spend all night in the kitchen cooking and cleaning” said no one ever. Just like cans of beans, pasta, and peanut butter are must haves for your pantry, a collection of easy recipes are a necessity as well.

Food items you can prep in advance

  • Chicken can be marinated in the fridge overnight.
  • Quinoa can be cooked in advance.
  • Peppers and onions can chopped beforehand.
  • Just about everything in this recipe can be prepped when you have the time, making this a perfect weeknight meal.

Healthy Mexican Chicken Quinoa Skillet

 

Healthy Mexican Chicken Quinoa Skillet
 
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Recipe type: Cast iron
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 lb chicken breasts, chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 tbsps lime juice
  • 3 tbsps olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 yellow bell peppers, diced
  • ½ red onion, diced
  • ½ cup uncooked quinoa
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
  • 1½ cups salsa
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Scallions, chopped
Instructions
  1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  3. Meanwhile, combine the chicken, lime juice, 2 tbsps olive oil, garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder, and red pepper flakes in a bowl or large zip lock bag and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
  4. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken mixture, marinade included, and saute until fully cooked. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
  5. Add the peppers and onion and saute until soft. Add chicken back to skillet and toss to combine.
  6. Add cooked quinoa to the skillet, season with salt and pepper. Add 1½ cups shredded cheese and salsa. Stir to combine. Top with the remaining cheese.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Garnish with scallions.

 

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Healthy Mexican Quinoa Skillet

 

Chicken drumsticks

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Easy and healthy chicken drumsticks seasoned and seared in a cast iron skillet and then baked in the oven.

Another dinner win with the cast iron! If you don’t own one by now, please go purchase one and then come back to this recipe. If you haven’t figured out yet, I love cooking with my cast iron…just look at all my other yummy blog posts!

This chicken is no exception. The cast iron is able to elevate a simple chicken dish by searing the outside and allowing it to finish baking all in the same pan.

Healthy Baked Chicken Drumsticks
 
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Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 lb chicken drumsticks
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp seasoned salt from Penzey's Spices
  • ½ tsp Italian seaoning
  • ½ tsp roasted garlic spice from Penzey's Spices
  • 2 tbsps olive oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Rub chicken with 1 tbsp olive oil, season with all spices.
  3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
  4. Place chicken in skillet and brown each side for a couple minutes.
  5. Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes.