Make meal prep quick and easy with these 2 recipes

Written by Sean O'Nan, a registered dietitian at UK Markey Cancer Center.

It can be difficult to find the energy to make a full meal when you are feeling run down. While family and friends can be great resources to help prepare meals and snacks, it is important to take advantage of days when you are feeling up to preparing meals.

Some popular trends in cooking, such as one-pot or one-skillet recipes, can help cut down on the work involved in meal preparation as well as easily prepare large amounts of food at one time.  

The following two recipes are great ways to reduce the work and cleanup involved in fixing some of your favorite foods. 

One-Skillet Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into one inch cubes
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 16 ounce bag frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions:

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, salt, onion, Italian seasoning and black pepper. Cook for about five minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center, then reduce heat to medium.
2. Stir in tomatoes and vegetables and continue to cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Cover with cheese to taste and remove from heat. Enjoy!

Freezer Breakfast Burritos

This recipe can be used to prepare large quantities of breakfast items at one time so that you can have leftovers through the rest of the week.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound breakfast or pork sausage
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cups potatoes O'Brien or frozen diced potatoes
• 6 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons half and half
• 8 medium size tortillas
• 3/4 cup shredded cheese

Directions:

1. In a medium pan, cook sausage until done. Place on a plate and set aside. Wipe off any leftover grease on plate.
2. Set potatoes out to thaw.
3. In the same pan, add a tablespoon of butter and melt.
4. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs with half and half. Season with salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture into the pan with butter. While you gently swirl mixture with a spatula or wooden spoon, cook eggs until they reach desired texture. Remove from pan onto a plate and set aside.
5. Lay out tortillas on a cutting board. Top with equal amount of filling, starting with eggs, then sausage, followed by potatoes. Top with cheese. Fold in sides of the tortilla to the center. Roll up burrito-style. Wrap in a sheet of freezer paper and place in a sealable freezer bag.

Reheating instructions: Unwrap burrito and set on a microwave-safe plate. Heat for 45 to 60 seconds or until heated through. Cut the burrito in half to speed up the process. You can also let the burrito thaw for 30 minutes before heating.

Remember, these recipes are only ideas! Feel free to adjust them to your liking with different proteins, vegetables or seasonings that you prefer. You can also find many other recipes on our Markey Menu blog and by searching for “One-Pot Recipes” or “Easy Meal Recipes” online.