Quick & Easy Meal Ideas

Last week, we got prepared, organized, and dressed for back to school. If you missed that blog post, you can check it out HERE. This week, I wanted to continue with back to school preparation and include several quick and easy meal ideas for your early mornings, lunch boxes and make sure you’re prepared for the “what’s for dinner” question.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

Ingredients

• 1/2 banana (mashed)
• 1/2 c. almond milk
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 c greek yogurt
• chocolate chips (to taste)
• mason jar, Tupperware with lid (for storage in fridge overnight)

Directions

• add rolled oats to jar
• add 1/2 c. almond milk and mix till combined
• add banana, greek yogurt, peanut butter and vanilla extract and mix until combined
• place in fridge overnight
• In the morning, drizzle with maple syrup and top with chocolate chips

**Note: I made this without the greek yogurt and it tasted great!

No Bake Cheerio Bars

Ingredients

• 3 c. cheerios (or any cereal in the pantry)
• 3/4 c. peanut butter
• 1 c. maple syrup
• parchment paper

Directions

• Add peanut butter and maple syrup in microwave safe bowl
• Heat peanut butter and maple syrup for 30 seconds (rotate bowl halfway through)
• Mix until combined
• Add cereal to peanut butter mixture. Mix till combined.
• Place parchment paper down in pan and add mixture
• place in fridge
• after 3 hours, remove from fridge and cut into bars

Turkey, Cheese & Apple Rollups

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. turkey deli meat (or any deli meat of choice – ham)
• 1 block cheese – your choice (thinly sliced)
• 1 green apple (thinly sliced)

Directions

• take one slice of turkey deli meat and place 1 slice of cheese and 1 slice apple.
• wrap turkey around cheese & apple like burrito
• serve with pita chips

Cucumber Hummus Snacks

Ingredients

• 1 Cucumber (sliced)
• hummus of your choice
• cracker of your choice
• Trader Joe’s everything but the bagel seasoning (or seasoning of your choice)

Directions

• spread hummus over cracker
• place cucumber slice over hummus
• add seasoning over top and serve!

Kale & Corn Gnocchi

Ingredients

• Trader Joe’s Kale Gnocchi
• Trader Joe’s Mexican Street Corn
• 1 tbsp. Trader Joe’s Avocado Tziki Dip

Directions

• cook kale gnocchi as directed on back of packaging (olive oil, in pan) and place in serving dish
• cook mexican street corn as directed on back of packaging and mix in serving dish with gnocchi
• add 1 tbsp. avocado tziki dip and mix with gnocchi and corn mixture

Crock Pot Baked Chicken Tacos

Ingredients

• 6 corn tortillas
• 6 oz chicken
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1/2 c. shredded cheese
• topping of your choice (sour cream, guacamole, salsa)

Directions

• place chicken in crock pot on low in the morning before work with 1 can chicken broth
• once home from work, remove chicken and shred
• preheat oven to 400 F
• wrap tortillas in slightly damp paper towel and microwave. rotating halfway.
• add shredded chicken to one hand of tortilla and top with cheese
• fold over and press to seal each taco
• place taco on baking sheet and press firmly (this seals taco to prevent taco from opening when baking)
• bake for 8 – 12 minutes
• serve with topping

You’re all set! Let me know if you’ve tried a recipe – I’d love to hear your thoughts!