Who is ready for the big day!? The excitement is building every day as we look forward to our trip to Tucson to see all of Travis’s family. We even have an audiobook on hand to make the drive more bearable (Travis says that is debatable…he is more of a podcast kinda guy 😉 )
We will be hitting the road on Wednesday, so on Sunday morning during my normal meal planning/ shopping list making time, I decided to challenge myself to use as many of our pantry staples and purchase as few items as possible. Fortunately, I did overbuy a little last week, so I still had a lot of produce in the crisper, plus I have a little stockpile of meat in the freezer. So I guess it wasn’t that much of a challenge…but regardless, I am stoked to have saved on our grocery costs this week!
I filled out my  Weekly Menu PDF with 3 of our favorite quick, easy, and healthy meals.  Then I made the list of the few things I needed (Bagels for Travis, fruit for our lunches, and tortillas for Tuesday’s meal) and my shopping trip was extra quick and brainless! Of course, I couldn’t quite stick to getting just those 4 things, but I was close 😉
Sunday:Â 
“Pasta Primavera” (and Artichokes)
I’m not quite sure if what I make is technically Pasta Primavera, but that’s what I’m going to call it 🙂 Some version of this meal makes its way into our dinner rotation almost every week. It is so easy and I always have the ingredients on hand (because you can use so many different ingredients!)
Here’s the deal:
- I saute a bunch of veggies in some butter or avocado. This week will include bell pepper, zucchini, and tomatoes, but I have also been known to use asparagus, chopped broccoli, spinach, etc.
- Set sauteed veggies aside, and add more oil/butter to the pot. Chop the chicken sausages and add them to the pan. You could also use Italian sausage, or leftover grilled/roasted chicken.
- Boil water and cook brown rice pasta according to package instructions (until al dente).
- Add everything to a big bowl and top with shaved parmesan cheese if that is your kind of thing!
It ends up looking a little something like this: (Please excuse the harshly lit photo)
Pasta Primavera is a great way to use up any veggies and leftover protein (so it’s a great meal to have at the end of the week). I try to always have chicken sausages in the fridge (they keep for quite a while or you could stash some in the freezer) because they are such a quick and easy way to add protein to any meal. I also try to always have Brown Rice Pasta in the pantry too. Quick, easy, and delicious!
Monday:Â 
Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries and Roasted Brussels Sprouts
You can’t go wrong with burgers, right!? I had 2 pounds of ground beef in the freezer, and I decided burgers sounded like the best way to use it up! This is really more of Travis’s forte…he is a masterful burger maker, but I will do my best to fill in. We usually chop up then fry a few pieces of bacon, and add the bacon along with the grease to the raw beef before making them into patties. It sounds pretty intense, but it just adds a little extra juicy-ness and flavor.
If Travis makes it home from work before I starve, he will be on grill duty for the patties.We always like to top our burgers with caramelized onion, pickles, avocado, and the standard ketchup and mustard.
I will roast the sweet potato fries and sprouts in the oven at 400º with Avocado oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder for about 25 minutes.
Tuesday:Â 
Crock Pot Shredded Chicken Enchiladas
Another short ingredient list, this meal is ALWAYS welcome in my house. I try to keep a bag of chicken breasts (individually frozen, from Trader Joe’s) in my freezer because if I miscalculate or drop the ball on meal planning, they always come in super handy! This week, I plan on cooking them in the crockpot with a jar of salasa…that’s it! Just throw the breasts into the crockpot, top with salsa, set it for 8 hours, and go to work!
When I get home, I will shred the chicken, grate the cheese, and begin assembling my enchiladas using organic corn tortillas (corn is not Paleo but it is something I will eat on occasion…like in enchiladas!) I use this Frontera Enchilada Sauce because the ingredients are pretty clean, and the taste is perfect.
If you are avoiding corn, or would just like to try an AMAZING spin on enchiladas, I have an enchilada “stack” recipe that uses sweet potatoes instead of tortillas as well as a stuffed enchilada recipe…there is something about the combo of sweet potatoes with the enchilada sauce that just rocks my world!
I also plan on making a little side salad for something green.
Can’t wait for Enchilada Night!
The rest of the week will be made up of delicious Thanksgiving food, of course, plus some of my favorite Tucson local eats that I can’t miss out on while in town!
If you are still looking for something delicious and healthy to add to your menu or to bring to a gathering, don’t forget about:
Bread-Less Thanksgiving Stuffing
Twice Baked Potato and Cauliflower Casserole
Gooey Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars
Pumpkin Spice Grain-Free Granola
I’ll be back next Monday with another week of healthy meals for your post-Thanksgiving healthy menu!
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