Meals for Kamie

One of the ladies in our class, Kamie, has been going through cancer treatment and another one of our ladies, Lauren, suggested we use our class time to prepare meals for Kamie that can be frozen and then thawed and just thrown in the crock pot or Instant Pot or on a sheet pan.
Here are some of the tried-and-true recipes our class has sent in. We will make 5 of these in class and send them home to Kamie.

SHEET PAN BALSAMIC CHICKEN AND VEGGIES
from realfooddietitians.com
serves 10

6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup avocado or olive oil
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoon brown or Dijon mustard (optional)
6 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped + additional for topping (could also use a mix of fresh thyme and basil)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, tenders or thighs (if large, cut in half)
6 small heads of broccoli, chopped into pieces (about 8–10 cups total)
6–8 medium carrots, peeled and cut into skinny sticks
4 cup button mushrooms, halved or quartered if large
2 small red onion, diced into larger chunks
2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
In a bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, oil, garlic, basil, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk to make the sauce.
Place chicken in zip-top bag or glass container. Pour about half of the balsamic sauce over the chicken. Toss chicken to coat. Seal the bag and flatten.
Chop the broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and onion. Note: For more tender carrot pieces, cut the carrots into skinny sticks.
Place all veggies, except for the tomatoes in another bag. Pour the remaining balsamic sauce over the veggies and toss to incorporate, making sure all the pieces are coated. Use your hands to really massage the sauce into the broccoli florets.
Put the tomatoes in a separate bag.
ON DAY OF COOKING:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Pour the veggies onto the sheet pan and move them around to make space for the chicken. Place the marinated chicken on pan. Discard any remaining marinade used for chicken.
Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the tomatoes to the pan and toss the veggies around so they won’t burn. Return the sheet pan to the oven.
Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. This will depend on the thickness of the chicken. To make sure chicken is done, use a meat thermometer. Once thermometer reaches 165 degrees when inserted in the thickest part of the chicken, remove the sheet pan from the oven.
Top with additional chopped fresh basil. Serve and enjoy!
NOTES
If you prefer cooked carrots to be tender with just little crunch, cut them into skinny sticks. If you prefer cooked carrots to have a slight crunch, cut them into larger chunks.

SHEET PAN SAUSAGE AND VEGGIES

Amanda Cooks & Styles
Serves 8

2 12 oz. Kielbasa sausage, cut into 1" chunks
2 lb. chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1" chunks
6 Russet potatoes, cut into 1" chunks
6 carrots, cut into 1" chunks
2 onion, cut into 1" chunks
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons parsley

Prepare all ingredients and put in a large zip bag.

ON DAY OF COOKING:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan (a rimmed baking sheet) with parchment paper.
Pour contents of bag onto sheet pan and spread into an even layer. Cover sheet with foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes covered.
Carefully remove foil from sheet and place back in the oven uncovered for 15 minutes.
Using a spatula, flip everything over and place back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.
When done, remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.

SHEET PAN CHICKEN FAJITAS
Serves 8

6 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into thin strips
2 green peppers, sliced
2 red peppers, sliced
2 yellow peppers, sliced
2 purple onions, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 to 6 tablespoons fajita seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil

12 8-inch flour tortillas
Optional toppings: chopped cilantro, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, shredded cheese
Prep the ingredients by cutting the chicken breast into strips, slicing the peppers and onions, and mincing the garlic.
Combine the prepared chicken, peppers, onions, garlic, seasonings, and olive oil in a large resealable freezer bag.
Seal the bag and massage it to combine all the ingredients.
Open the corner of the bag and squeeze to remove the excess air, then reseal, and freeze.
ON DAY OF COOKING:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan (a rimmed baking sheet) with parchment paper.
Spread all the ingredients in the bag out in a single layer and bake for 20 minutes.
Serve in flour or corn tortillas with optional toppings.

SHEET PAN PORK CHOPS

Serves 8

8 bone-in thick cut pork chops (can also use boneless)
salt and pepper
2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 pound Brussels sprouts, cut in half
2 pound sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
4 tablespoons olive oil
Prep vegetables, season the vegetables and pork chops, and put everything in a zip bag.
ON DAY OF COOKING:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
Pour everything on the sheet pan.
Bake for 15 minutes, then flip the pork over and continue baking for 12-15 minutes or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

TERIYAKI BEEF SHEET PAN SUPPER
Makes 8 servings

1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
8 green onions, halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
12 multicolor mini peppers, stemmed and halved lengthwise
1 large red onion, cut into large chunks
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) teriyaki sauce
3 lbs. flank steak, cut into strips
Grated zest of one lime
Sesame seeds, for garnish
Cilantro leaves, for garnish
Put meat and veggies in a zip bag. Drizzle the teriyaki sauce onto the meat and veggies.
ON DAY OF COOKING:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil.
Place all the veggies on the sheet pan.
Cook until part of the sauce starts to caramelize on the beef. Watch it carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn!
Zest the lime all over the beef and veggies and sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro.
Variations
*Mix the teriyaki with minced garlic and hot chile oil to bump up the flavor and heat.