Meg's Meal Planning

one pot

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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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]

One-pot Spicy Quinoa Skillet

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A one-pot dinner that is spicy and delicious.  Quinoa, jalapeño chicken sausage, and shrimp blend together to make this your new favorite! 

Shrimp quinoa skillet

I know, I know, another one-pot skillet meal in the same week! In case you missed it, here’s my Healthy Mexican Chicken Skillet. But I couldn’t resist. Not only do I love one-pot meals, I also love using my cast iron skillet. I use a 15 inch seasoned iron skillet by Lodge.

It’s perfect for a variety of dishes like:

  1. Eggs and bacon on a lazy weekend
  2. Cornbread for a side to your chili
  3. Seared salmon or fish tacos
  4. A warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie.

But enough about how great cast iron skillets are, back to the recipe. The jalapeño chicken sausage gives this dish a kick! If you’re not a fan of spicy foods, I suggest using a more mild chicken sausage.

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
One-pot Spicy Quinoa Skillet
 
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Recipe type: Cast Iron
Cuisine: Quinoa
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2-3 jalapeño chicken sauce links, sliced (I used Andouille, which is pre-cooked)
  • ½ yellow onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 pound frozen shrimp, thawed, peeled, and devined
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 2 tsps pepper and salt
  • 2 tsps Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
Instructions
  1. Combine all spices in a small pool and mix.
  2. Heat olive oil in cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper and onion and cook for 3-5 minutes or until soft.
  3. Add chicken sausage, shrimp, and spices, and cook 2-3 minutes or until shrimp are pink.
  4. Stir in quinoa, remove from heat.

 

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One pan spicy quinoa, shrimp skillet

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

One-Pot Chili Mac & Cheese

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One-pot chili mac and cheese is the perfect comfort food and fall meal. Easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner or enjoy on a lazy Sunday. 


There is nothing I love more than a one-pot dish. PERIOD. Especially when it’s a one-pot comfort food dish. This chili mac and cheese, inspired by Sunday Supper, is warm, incredibly flavorful, super cheesy, and will leave you wanting to lick the bowl clean! My husband and I actually fought over who gets the eat the leftovers…who do you think won? ;o)

This version is not spicy despite the jalapeno pepper, so it’s great to feed to little kids, too. Next time, I’d love to kick it up a notch and use spicy sausage instead of the ground chicken. Recipes that are so versatile are the perfect addition for your “go-to” recipes. You can use whatever ingredients you have available in the fridge/freezer. The only ingredient I had to buy for this dish was the onion. Thanks to BJ’s Wholesale Club, I have two pounds of ground chicken in the freezer and my pantry is always full of pasta and beans. For more must-have pantry items and tips on “go-to” recipes, click here. 

One Pot Chili Mac & Cheese
 
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Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • ½ jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ½ cup onion, diced
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • 14½ oz can diced tomatoes (don't drain)
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 15½ oz cans of red beans, rinsed and drained
  • 16 oz of uncooked pasta (shells or elbows)
  • 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat.
  2. Add in ground chicken, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook, breaking up the chicken, until no longer pink and peppers are soft.
  3. Stir in chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, onion powder, tomatoes, beef stock, milk, and beans. Stir and let simmer.
  4. Add pasta, cover pot, and allow pasta to cook for 9-11 minutes or until soft (If not using shells, check the box for cooking time).
  5. Remove from heat, stir in cheese until melted. Top with fresh parsley.

Meal Plan for Week of September 4th 

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Monday – Easy Baked BBQ Ribs

Tuesday – Crockpot cilantro lime chicken


Wednesday – One-pot chili mac and cheese


Thursday – Thai Pork with peanut sauce over rice


Friday – Easy veggie panini with eggplant, mozzarella, pesto, and roasted red peppers