Happy Sunday, meal preppers! This week is another summery meal plan, but I gotta tell you…fall is coming out to play at all the stores and I’m pumped. Maybe I bought two fall scented candles at World Market yesterday. You know, just in case I burn through the rest of my summer candles in short order 😉
Anywho, I’ve been started to transition over to fall recipes here at PBF HQ. It’s a weird thing to make and eat chili when it’s 95°+ out, but hey, we do what we gotta do. What kind of fall recipes do you want to see this year?
Now, on to the meal prep. If you’ve never been here before, welcome! My meal prep posts go a little something like this: 1) meal plan (use any or all of it!), 2) snack ideas, 3) links to the containers you see here, and 4) recipes and nutrition info. You can jump straight to the recipes by clicking the “Jump to Recipes” link above, or click the direct link to the individual recipe you want below. Otherwise, just keep scrolling down!
Here’s a quick peek at this week’s recipes. Just click the button below to jump straight to the one you want! Note: the links in the meal plan below will take you to individual recipe pages (separate from this post), but the big teal buttons will take you to the recipe embedded in this post.
The Meal Plan
Day 1
- Breakfast: Blueberry Oat Crumble Muffins
- Lunch: Pesto Salmon with Butternut Squash and Asparagus
- Dinner: Mason Jar Chicken Cobb Salad
Day 2
- Breakfast: Blueberry Oat Crumble Muffins
- Lunch: Pesto Salmon with Butternut Squash and Asparagus
- Dinner: Caprese Chicken Pasta Salad
Day 3
- Breakfast: Blueberry Oat Crumble Muffins
- Lunch: Pesto Salmon with Butternut Squash and Asparagus
- Dinner: Mason Jar Chicken Cobb Salad
Day 4
- Breakfast: Blueberry Oat Crumble Muffins
- Lunch: Pesto Salmon with Butternut Squash and Asparagus
- Dinner: Caprese Chicken Pasta Salad
Day 5
- Breakfast: Blueberry Oat Crumble Muffins
- Lunch: Mason Jar Chicken Cobb Salad
- Dinner: Caprese Chicken Pasta Salad
Day 6
- Breakfast: Blueberry Oat Crumble Muffins
- Lunch: Mason Jar Chicken Cobb Salad
- Dinner: Caprese Chicken Pasta Salad
The Snack Ideas
- Trail mix
- Popcorn
- Celery with peanut butter
- Blueberries and strawberries
- Protein shakes
- Hard boiled eggs
The Containers
Here are the direct links to the containers you see pictured in this post. Note: these are Amazon Affiliate links.
The Recipes
Blueberry Oat Crumble Muffins
Ingredients
Muffins
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (120 grams)
- 2/3 cups all purpose flour (84 grams)
- 1/2 scoop Dymatize Elite Vanilla Casein Protein Powder (17 grams)
- 1/2 scoop Cellucor Whipped Vanilla whey protein powder (15 grams)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup blueberries (160 grams)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (4 fl oz)
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar (67 grams)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (2 fl oz)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 2 eggs, room temperature (100 grams)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Crumb Topping
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (67 grams)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cold (45 grams)
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour (42 grams)
- 1/3 cup rolled oats (27 grams)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 425°.
Make the crumb topping: Add all ingredients to a medium bowl and cut the butter into the mixture using your fingers or a fork. It will take a few minutes for everything to come together, but be patient because it's worth it! Keep the mixture as large crumbles and do not over-mix. Set aside.
Make the muffin batter: Pour almond milk over rolled oats and set aside.
Mix all remaining dry muffin ingredients together and set aside.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time and beat until well combined. Then, with the mixer set to low, slowly add coconut oil until well combined.
Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in blueberries, then divide evenly into 14 non-stick baking cups.
Add crumbles to muffins: Using your hand or a spoon, divide the topping among the 16 muffins and gently press into the tops of the muffins so it sticks.
Bake: Bake at 425° for 5 minutes, then lower heat to 350° and bake for 20 minutes or until tops of muffins begin to brown slightly and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Recipe Notes
Click here or scan the barcode below to log this food in My Fitness Pal.
Caprese Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups dry short cut pasta (I used Radiatore but fusili would work well too) (330 grams)
- 8 oz Ciligiene mozzarella balls (226 grams)
- 1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes (230 grams)
- 1/4 cup rough chopped or torn basil
Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil (2 fl oz)
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (2 fl oz)
- 1/4 cup chopped shallot (40 grams)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (1 fl oz)
- 1 tbsp honey (0.5 fl oz)
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp Flavor God Garlic Lover's Seasoning
- 1 tsp salt (add more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Juicy Air Fryer Chicken
- 1 1/2 lbs raw chicken breast
- 3 tbsp homemade brine mix
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Flavor God Garlic Lover's Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp each: salt, pepper, chili powder
Instructions
Juicy Air Fryer Chicken
Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add brine mix and stir until dissolved. Pour over ice in a flat bottomed resealable container. Add chicken, then add additional water until chicken is submerged. Brine for at least 5 hours or up to 12 hours.
Remove chicken from brine and rinse with cold water. Pat dry on a paper towel, then pound down the thicker end of the chicken breast until they are even thickness across.
Rub the chicken with 1 tsp olive oil until evenly coated. Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, and Flavor God seasoning.
Air fry the chicken at 380 degrees for 11 minutes, flipping halfway through until the internal temperature reaches 165°. Set aside to cool for about 5 mintes before slicing. (Note: you can also grill the chicken at 400° for 6 minutes, then flip and grill another 5-6 minutes depending on thickness).
Prepare Pasta Salad
Whisk all dressing ingredients together vigorously or shake them together in a dressing container like this.
Boil pasta in salted water to al dente texture (mine took 9 minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water, then toss in a bit of the dressing to avoid sticking.
Toss all ingredients together with dressing before serving.
Recipe Notes
Click here or scan the barcode below to log this food in My Fitness Pal.
Mason Jar Chicken Cobb Salad
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 6 slices Oscar Meyer Center Cut Bacon, pan-fried and chopped (39 grams cooked)
- 4 hard boiled eggs, sliced (200 grams)
- 7 oz green leaf lettuce, chopped (about 8 cups chopped)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (170 grams)
- 1 cup English cucumber, chopped (150 grams)
- 1/2 cup Marie's Creamy Avocado Poblano Dressing (116 grams)
- 1 small avocado, chopped (150 grams)
Juicy Air Fryer Chicken
- 1 lb raw chicken breast
- 3 tbsp homemade brine mix
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Oh My Spice! Lemon Pepper Dill Seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Juicy Air Fryer Chicken
Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add brine mix and stir until dissolved. Pour over ice in a flat bottomed resealable container. Add chicken, then add additional water until chicken is submerged. Brine for at least 5 hours or up to 12 hours.
Remove chicken from brine and rinse with cold water. Pat dry on a paper towel, then pound down the thicker end of the chicken breast until they are even thickness across.
Rub the chicken with 1 tsp olive oil until evenly coated. Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, and Oh My Spice! seasoning.
Air fry the chicken at 380 degrees for 11 minutes, flipping halfway through (sometimes I up the temp to 390 degrees after flipping the chicken for crispier edges). Set aside to cool for about 5 mintes before slicing.
Assemble
Divide dressing, chicken, bacon, cucumber, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, avocado, and lettuce into 4 mason jars. Dump into a bowl and mix before serving.
Recipe Notes
Click here or scan the barcode below to log this food in My Fitness Pal.
Pesto Salmon with Asparagus and Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 1.1 lb salmon sliced into 4 filets (only 1 lb if using skinless)
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed (300 grams)
- 3 1/2 cups butternut squash, cubed (568 grams)
- 5 tbsp Buitoni Reduced Fat Pesto with Basil (78 grams)
- 1 tsp olive oil (4.5 grams)
- 1/2 tsp Oh My Spice! Lemon Pepper Dill Seasoning, divided
- 1/2 tsp Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Seafood Magic Seasoning Blends
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400°. Line 2 large baking sheets with foil.
- Toss squash in olive oil and arrange in a single layer on baking sheet. Season with Oh My Spice! Seasoning. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Arrange salmon filets on baking sheet, skin down. Season with seafood seasoning. Bake for 12 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.
- Add asparagus to a microwave safe glass dish (I like using a rectangular Pyrex dish). Cover with a very damp paper towel and microwave for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until asparagus is bright green and tender crisp. Immediately remove to an ice bath to stop the cooking, then pat dry and chop into large pieces.
- Serve salmon, butternut squash, and asparagus with generous 1 tbsp pesto per serving.
Recipe Notes
Click here or scan the barcode below to log this food in My Fitness Pal.
This is amazing!!!