HAPPY NEW YEAR! New year, new resolutions! Meal Prepping is a great resolution to shoot for! Once you get into and start meal prepping consistently, it becomes super easy! Once of my favorite things to meal prep is a simple chicken and veggie bowl! I am going to give you all of my tips and tricks for having a successful meal prep! By the end of this post, you will be a meal prepping expert!
First thing when it comes to meal prepping is to do the grocery shopping. When I meal prep a recipe, I typically shoot for 6 bowls. Some weeks, I'll make 2 different meal prep recipes giving us 12 bowls. It depends on our schedules and how many meals we will be eating at home. So, the first thing to think about is how many meals you want prepped. 4-6 is a great place to start. Once you have that number nailed down, you can begin to make your grocery list. I'll include all of my exact ingredients for these bowls below. For this recipe you will need, about 2 pounds of cooked chicken (1/3 pound per bowl), 3 cups broccoli, 1 1/2 cups carrots, and 3 cups of cooked brown rice. Super simple!
When I meal prep, I like to buy my ingredients at Costco because the portions are larger and they go further. I buy the prepared and packaged Rotisserie Chicken from the deli section. It's great because it's removed from the bone shredded, and fully cooked! You can literally open the package, and place the chicken right into your meal prep containers. I also buy the big bag of broccoli at Costco, along with a large bag of brown rice. We go through a lot of rice so I typically take home the 12 pound bag and it'll last a couple of months. The carrots and sauce for this recipe I will grab at either Trader Joes or Smith's.
Once I get home, I immediately start the rice because that takes the longest. I cook my rice in the Instant Pot. Here is the link for How to Make Brown Rice in the Instant Pot. I also preheat the oven to 375 to roast the veggies. I like roasted veggies for meal prep because the process doesn't add extra water that will make the veggies soggy. If you steam or boil the broccoli and then place it in bowls, the broccoli will become mushy after a day or two. I then place the broccoli and carrots on a baking sheet and drizzle a little olive oil and seasoning salt over the top and give it a toss. I then roast the veggies for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are golden but not burnt. The chicken comes already cubed, but I like to give it a little extra chop. I feel that when I am heating the meals back up, smaller pieces of chicken cook more evenly.
Once everything is done cooking and ready, I load up my containers. I got a lot of questions about what containers I use. Here is the link to the exact ones I purchased on Amazon https://amzn.to/2VpYSru You don't have to use "meal prep" specific containers. For a long time, I just used tupperware of various shapes and sizes. As long as it is airtight and microwave safe, it will work! Place the prepared meals in the fridge and store for one week.
For Reheating: When I am reheating the bowls, I put a tiny amount of water in the bottom of the bowl. Nothing more than a tablespoon. Then, I microwave the meal for 2 minutes. That small amount of water will bring moisture back to the rice and help "steam" the veggies. Then, I top the rice and chicken with a small amount of sauce because I don't like plain chicken. I will do Island Soyaki from Trader Joes or Liquid Aminos.
I have a whole category on my blog called MEAL PREPPING that I have dozens of meal prep recipes! Everything from spaghetti squash, to burrito bowls, and so much more! Make sure and check those out! MEAL PREP RECIPES
Meal Prepped Chicken & Veggies
Yields 6 bowls
2-3 pounds chicken, cooked and cubed
3 cups brown rice, cooked
3 cups broccoli
1/2 cups carrots
Olive Oil
Seasoning Salt
Prepare the rice in the Instant Pot.
Preheat oven to 375.
Place broccoli and carrots on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and seasoning salt and toss to coat. Bake for 12-15 minutes until broccoli is golden and carrots are soft.
Cube the cooked chicken and set aside.
Begin filling up meal prep containers. Place rice, chicken, and veggies in containers and store in the fridge until ready to eat.
To reheat, add 1 tablespoon of water to the bowl, and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Top with sauce of choice and enjoy.
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