Porcupine Meatballs made easy with uncooked rice, ground turkey, eggs and without tomato sauce. Then bake, cook in slow cooker or Instant Pot, or freeze for later.

I can’t decide which I love better! These meatballs, my Thai meatballs or Mexican meatballs.

I grew up eating porcupine meatballs. My mom always made them in a clear sauce with broth and spices. Also she made meatballs large, so you eat only one or two meatballs.

This slow cooker porcupine meatballs recipe is amazing! Meatballs hold their shape while being flavorful and tender. And so juicy, saucy and filling because of brown rice and turkey’s high fiber and protein content.

Ingredients for Porcupine Meatballs

• Ground turkey: I use extra lean ground turkey because it is healthier. You can use any meat like extra lean ground beef, ground pork or ground chicken.
• Rice: We use brown rice because it contains bran and fiber. You can use white rice. The key is to use long grain rice so it sticks out. But you can use any, to be honest.
• Eggs: Eggs act as a binder although you can skip them. I tried and porcupine meatballs do not fall apart.
• Broth: Meatballs actually cook in a broth because we use uncooked rice. You can use homemade chicken broth or vegetable broth, Instant Pot chicken broth, broth from a carton or organic bouillon cubes mixed with water.
• Cornstarch: For the slurry to thicken the sauce.
• Simple seasonings like Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

How to Make Porcupine Meatballs in Slow Cooker

This recipe yields 10 large porcupine balls. You can make 20 small ones.

I decided to make porcupine meatballs in slow cooker because I thought they make a perfect candidate for “dump and go” crockpot recipe. Even brown rice is uncooked!

• Shape the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, rice, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix very well and then shape into 10 large meatballs and place at the bottom of large crock pot.
• Slow cook: Cook for 4 hours on high heat or for 8 hours on low heat. While rice is slowly expanding it acts as a binder along with eggs to keep ground turkey shaped into meatballs.
• Thicken the sauce: At the end, whisk cold water with cornstarch, add to the slow cooker, cover and cook on High for 10-20 minutes or until thickened.

How to Make Porcupine Meatballs in Instant Pot

I am absolutely in love with my Instant Pot! No surprise, I cook meatballs in Instant Pot as well.

To cook porcupine meatballs in Instant Pot:

• Follow the recipe to form the meatballs.
• Pressure cook on High pressure for 15 minutes in 8 quart Instant Pot or for 20 minutes in 6 quart Instant Pot.
• You can release pressure using Quick Release method. Open the lid and separate meatballs from each other, if necessary.
• Press Saute, whisk in a slurry and cook until sauce has thickened a bit. It helps to remove a few meatballs and then add them back.

Can I Bake Them?

Yes. Bake porcupine meatballs in a baking dish while covered in preheated oven to 375 degrees F for 45 minutes. Check for doneness and if rice is ready, uncover and pour the slurry into the liquid spots. Bake for another 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

Tips for Best Results

• Don’t overwork the meat mixture: Once all ingredients are incorporated with ground turkey, stop mixing. This will ensure your porcupine meatballs turn out light and fluffy.
• Use cold ingredients from the fridge: The colder is meat and eggs, the easier it is to shape the meatballs. They also turn out more juicy because the fat melts during cooking and not before.
• For easier rolling: Dip your hands into a bowl with water in between rolling each meatball.
• Do not open the lid: During slow cooking do not lift the lid and peek inside to check on meatballs. Every time you do that, the steam escapes and cooking time increases. It’s OK to check on meatballs towards the end though.

What Do I Serve Porcupine Meatballs with?

Porcupine meatballs are a meal on their own including the meat and rice. However, if you’re super hungry you could serve it with extra starch like healthy mashed potatoes or Instant Pot mashed potatoes.

I usually make super simple cucumber and tomato salad or garlic green beans to go with meatballs. They also pair well with cabbage like this braised cabbage and apples.

On lazy days, it is a green smoothie or just some crusty bread for mopping up the sauce!

How to Store

Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Freeze cooked: Fully cook, cool completely, and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw porcupine meatballs in a refrigerator overnight. Reheat in a microwave or in the oven at 375 F for 10 minutes.

Or freeze uncooked: Form the meatballs, place on a baking sheet and freeze for up to 2 hours. Then transfer to a Ziploc bag and store in a freezer for up to 3 months.

When ready to cook, I would recommend to bake them from frozen with extra 10 minutes. For Instant Pot, no changes are necessary. And for slow cooker, you have to thaw meatballs first and then cook as per recipe.

FAQs

More Dinner Recipes to Try

• Healthy turkey meatballs
• Turkey meatball soup
• Slow cooker turkey meatloaf
• Cranberry turkey meatballs

You might also love to browse all of my healthy ground turkey recipes!

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Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs

Porcupine Meatballs made easy with uncooked rice, ground turkey, eggs and without tomato sauce. Then bake, cook in slow cooker or Instant Pot.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 12 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 12 minutes minutes

Servings 10 meatballs

Calories 193kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Slow cooker

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground turkey chicken, beef or pork
• 1 cup brown rice uncooked, rinsed & drained
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or 1/2 tsp dried basil + 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth low sodium
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons green onions, parsley or dill finely chopped (for garnish)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, add ground turkey, rice, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix just enough to combine.
• Form 10 large meatballs a size just a bit shy of a tennis ball’s size. Or you can make 20 or so smaller meatballs.
• Place in a single layer on a bottom of large slow cooker. Meatballs will fit snuggly. Just pack them gently and tight. Pour broth gently over the meatballs.
• Slow cook on Low for 7-8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours.
• In a small bowl, whisk cold water with cornstarch. Pour slurry over the meatballs, cover and cook on High for 10-20 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Serve warm.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely, and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in a refrigerator overnight. Reheat in a microwave or in the oven at 375 F for 10 minutes.
• In Instant Pot: Pressure cook on High pressure for 15 minutes in 8 quart Instant Pot or for 20 minutes in 6 quart Instant Pot. Release pressure right away and separate meatballs. Press Saute, whisk in a slurry and cook until sauce has thickened a bit.
• In the oven: Bake porcupine meatballs in a baking dish while covered in preheated oven to 375 degrees F oven for 45 minutes. Check for doneness and if rice is ready, uncover and pour the slurry into the liquid spots. Bake for another 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

Nutrition

Serving: 1meatball | Calories: 193kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 292mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

The post Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Healthy Quinoa Stew recipe filled with all your cozy favorites like tender beef, vegetables, protein rich quinoa, and savory spices. Sprinkle with fresh dill for a flavorful comfort meal!

We also love chicken chickpea stew and Mediterranean ground turkey stew during the cooler months.

I grew up with grandma’s steaming bowl of stew. It is an Eastern European traditional dish that fills your house and clothes with a stew smell.

I had all intentions to make traditional beef stew with potatoes, just to find out I was out of potatoes. Quinoa stew it is and it was amazing! Originally posted in 2015, this recipe is even easier now. Updated with new photos, tips and tricks as well.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One pot meal: Quinoa stew with beef is easy to make, ready in 1 hour, and made in one pot!
• Gluten free: All ingredients are naturally gluten-free making this quinoa dinner recipe perfect for the entire family and guests.
• Healthy: Beef and potatoes are often found together in many soup and stew recipes, but I loved swapping in quinoa. It adds plant-based protein, all nine essential amino acids, and fiber, keeping you full longer.
• Flavorful: I carefully selected spices, herbs, and vegetables to make this an unforgettable healthy dinner that does not skimp on flavor. Your house will smell amazing too!

Ingredients for Beef Quinoa Stew

This quinoa stew will be your newest winter staple packed with simple ingredients, protein, and cozy flavors.

• Beef: Use any beef stew meat such as beef chuck roast or rump roast cut into 1″ cubes. Or if you’d like you can use pre-cut stew meat.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic cloves add cozy flavor and aroma.
• Vegetables: Onion, carrots, and peas. Feel free to use fresh or frozen peas.
• Olive oil: Sautéing with extra-virgin olive oil also enhances the dish with extra flavor.
• Cornstarch: We’ll coat the beef in cornstarch to help thicken the stew and deepen the flavor.
• Broth: I was out of beef broth so pictured is chicken broth. Of course, low sodium beef broth would be the best.
• Quinoa: Uncooked, rinsed, and drained quinoa. I had white quinoa but you can use whichever color you have. Note red quinoa stew will be more hearty and chewy.
• Spices: A blend of salt, pepper, and bay leaves.
• Fresh herbs: I stirred in some fresh dill but fresh parsley is good too.

How to Make Beef Quinoa Stew

Here’s a quick and easy overview of how to make homemade quinoa stew in one pot.

There’s a full recipe card below.

• Sauté vegetables: Heat a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot on medium heat and coat it with oil. Sauté onion, garlic and carrots for 3-4 minutes, then transfer to a medium bowl.
• Sear beef: Add remaining oil to the large pot, then add beef and sprinkle with cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes while stirring a few times.
• Add broth: Pour in broth and deglaze the pot by bringing mixture to a boil. Scrape the bottom to remove any stuck bits and cook for a few minutes. 

• Add veggies: Mix in previously cooked veggies, remaining salt and pepper, and bay leaves. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Cook quinoa: Add quinoa, stir, cover and cook for15 minutes. Turn off heat and let stew sit covered for 5 minutes.
• Add peas and herbs: Add peas and dill, gently stir and enjoy a delicious bowl of quinoa stew.

Tips for Best Results

Make this one of the most tastiest quinoa recipes by following these tips and tricks.

• Adjust the thickness: The ingredients in this stew are absorbing. After a few hours or next day, feel free to add more beef broth, chicken broth or vegetable broth. Or if you like a more soupy stew in general.
• Beef doesn’t have to be very brown: Saute the beef but do not expect it to have charred, caramelized edges mostly because we use a high-walled pot which doesn’t allow moisture to evaporate. So, don’t wait for that and overcook the meat.
• Deglaze the pot: All those caramelized bits on the bottom of the pot hold so much flavor, you don’t want to leave them behind.
• If you love garlic: I love adding a bit of freshly grated garlic at the end. It adds a depth of flavor, different from cooked garlic. But you don’t have to, if you prefer very mild garlic taste.

What to Serve Quinoa Stew with?

This is the best time of year for beef quinoa stew! I like serving it as is sprinkled with more fresh dill or parsley. You can also add freshly grated Parmesan cheese or mozzarella cheese.

Make it a meal and serve with a simple salad like brussels sprouts salad, arugula salad, or a healthy Caesar salad. Sometimes I’ll keep it extra simple and have diced avocado on the side.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Transfer any leftover stew to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freeze: Allow stew to cool completely, store in an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat for a healthy lunch.

Make a healthy freezer meal: Sauté vegetables and beef stew meat and transfer to a large resealable Ziploc bag or airtight container. Add quinoa and freeze for up to 3 months. When you want to make it, just defrost the freezer meal in the fridge overnight and combine in a pot with broth. Cook as per recipe. At the end add peas and dill.

Reheat: Add to a pot along with a splash of broth or water, cover, and simmer on low heat until warmed through.

FAQs

More Beef Recipes to Try

• Instant Pot beef stew
• Korean inspired ground beef and rice bowls
• Beef stir fry
• Instant Pot beef barley soup
• Healthy beef and broccoli

More Quinoa Recipes to Try

• Black bean quinoa casserole
• Ground turkey quinoa casserole
• Instant Pot ground turkey quinoa bowls
• Chicken quinoa skillet
• One pot chicken quinoa
• Quinoa chili

Print

Beef Quinoa Stew

Healthy Quinoa Stew recipe filled with all your cozy favorites like tender beef, vegetables, protein rich quinoa, and savory spices.

Course Soup and Stew

Cuisine North American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6 servings

Calories 393kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Dutch oven

Ingredients

• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves minced
• 3 large carrots sliced
• 1.5-2 pounds beef stew meat cut into 1″ cubes
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
• 3/4 teaspoon salt divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
• 3 cups beef broth or chicken broth low sodium
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 1/4 cups quinoa uncooked, rinsed & drained
• 1 cup peas fresh or frozen
• 1/3 cup dill or parsley finely chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot on medium heat and swirl 1 tablespoon of oil to coat. Add onion, garlic and carrots, cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
• Return pot to the stove and add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add beef and sprinkle it with cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir and cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times.
• Add broth and deglaze the pot by bringing mixture to a boil and cooking for a few minutes, scraping the bottom. Then add previously cooked veggies, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bay leaves. Stir, cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add quinoa, stir, cover and cook stew for another 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes.
• Add peas and dill, gently stir and serve stew hot.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
• Reheat: On a stovetop with a splash of broth or water, covered, on low heat.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 608mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g

The post Beef Quinoa Stew appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

This meat-free Mushroom Bean Soup is hearty, healthy and packed with flavor. Even better, you can make it on the stove, in a slow cooker, or using an Instant Pot and it can be a freezer meal.

During the cooler months, we love hearty soups like vegetarian pasta fagioli, Instant Pot ham and bean soup and minestrone soup!

My mom used to make this mushroom bean soup for years. Her trick is to add a can of organic cream of mushroom soup and grate carrots very finely, so the soup gets a nice yellow color.

If you love mushrooms, this is the best bean and mushroom soup to cozy up to this winter. It’s savory and earthy with lots of mushrooms, hearty beans, and a sprinkle of fresh dill.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One pot meal: Another delicious one pot meal for your recipe book, because you can never have too many!
• Affordable: Filled with budget-friendly ingredients, homemade soups are light on the wallet and freezer-friendly for when you need something quick and healthy.
• Hearty and flavorful: White bean mushroom soup is packed with protein and fresh veggies. The aromatics and fresh herbs lend to the amazing smell and taste, it’s so delicious!
• Can cook 3 ways: You have so many cooking options for this bean soup – stovetop, slow cooker, and Instant Pot so no matter what your schedule allows, you can enjoy a hot bowl.
• It’s also a freezer meal: If you’re meal prep obsessed like me, this soup recipe is for you! Just grab it out of your freezer and cook in your Instant Pot or slow cooker.

Ingredients for Mushroom Bean Soup

This mushroom bean soup recipe is brimming with simple ingredients.

• Mushrooms: I used white mushrooms because that’s all my grocery store had. Thinly sliced brown mushrooms would be the best.
• Onion: Finely chopped yellow or white onions add extra umami flavor to healthy soup recipes.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic sautéed with the onion enhances aromatics and flavor.
• Oil: You’ll need a splash of oil for frying, I used avocado oil.
• Vegetables: Chop up 3 celery stalks, and grate 2 medium sized carrots.
• Organic cream of mushroom soup: I use Pacific foods brand. If you can’t find organic cream of mushroom soup, look for a brand with no preservatives and artificial flavors. Or see FAQs for a substitute.
• Beans: Use 3 cans of low sodium cannellini beans or white navy beans, rinsed and drained. If you have dried beans on hand, check out how to cook dried beans.
• Vegetable broth: You can use store-bought low sodium broth or homemade vegetable broth.
• Spices: Salt and pepper to taste.
• Herbs: I added bay leaves for an extra layer of flavor, then garnished with fresh dill. Fresh parsley is also a great choice.

How to Make White Bean and Mushrooms Soup

With minimal prep time and some simmering, this mushroom and bean soup is ready in 35 minutes!

There is recipe card below with full instructions for all cooking methods.

• Cook the mushrooms: Preheat a large pot on medium-high heat. Once hot, add oil and mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a large bowl.
• Sauté vegetables: Add remaining oil, onion, garlic, carrots, and celery to the same pot and reduce heat to medium. Sauté veggies for 5 minutes, stir in the cream of mushroom soup and cook for 30 seconds.
• Combine: Add mushrooms back in along with beans, broth, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Stir to combine, cover, and bring to a boil. Then simmer soup on low heat for 20 minutes.
• Garnish and serve: Turn off heat and add dill. I let my white bean soup rest for 5 minutes so the flavors deepen. Then adjust seasonings to taste and serve.

Tips for Best Results

Here are some easy tips for making the best bean soup with mushrooms.

• Use brown mushrooms: For more flavor, use brown mushrooms or portobello mushrooms.
• To clean mushrooms: You can wipe them with damp paper towel. I like to break the rules of cooking and give them a quick rinse with cold water and scrub dirt off with a knife. They brown in a large pot just fine after this wash.
• Use bean broth, if you have it: Bean broth makes a rich, flavorful base for soups and stews. If you have any leftover broth from cooking dried beans, I highly recommend using it!

Variations

• If using dried mushrooms: Dried chanterelles or dried porcini mushrooms should be soaked for 30 minutes in a bowl with cold water. Don’t sauté them first. Instead, add to the pot with the beans and use the soaking liquid to replace some of vegetable broth.
• Other vegetables to add: Make it your own and sauté red or green bell pepper with the other veggies. Or add cubed parsnips, potatoes or sweet potatoes to the pot.
• Extra seasonings at the end: Add a pat of butter after cooking for extra depth of flavor. You can sauté veggies with butter as well. I also like to add freshly grated or minced clove of garlic at the end. Grated garlic will be more flavorful than minced though.

What to Serve with Bean Mushroom Soup?

Mushroom bean soup is a cozy meal on its own. I’ll add some homemade sourdough croutons on top if I have some, or serve crusty bread on the side.

Of course, you can never go wrong with soup and grilled cheese sandwich, or soup and salad combo. This simple butter lettuce salad or lemon kale salad are the perfect pairing.

Mushrooms are a delicious addition to my healthy green bean casserole, so naturally garlic green beans make a delicious side.

How to Make a Freezer Meal

• Before freezing (slow cooker): Preheat large skillet on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a resealable gallon size freezer bag. Then cook mushrooms until golden brown. Add to the same bag with other ingredients, except broth, to freeze.
• Instant Pot: In a gallon size Ziploc bag, add all ingredients, except broth. Let as much air out as possible, seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen with 7-8 cups of broth on High pressure for 5 minutes with 20 minutes of Natural Release.
• Slow cooker: Cook from frozen with 7-8 cups of broth for 4 hours on High or 7-8 hours on Low.
• After cooking: Add dill, stir and serve hot.

Check out my full list of 20 healthy freezer meals. I’m obsessed!

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Let soup cool, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Freeze: Once cooled, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Reheat: To reheat the soup, I like to do place desired amount of soup in a small pot and simmer on the stove on low heat until heated through. Of course, you can always reheat soup in microwave in individual bowls for 2-3 minutes.

FAQs

More Mushroom Recipes to Try

• Healthy mushroom stroganoff
• Lentil casserole with mushrooms
• Stuffed parmesan mushrooms
• Broccoli mushroom stir fry
• Spaghetti squash quiche with mushrooms
• Parmesan mushroom appetizers

More Soup Recipes to Try

• Slow cooker lentil soup
• Vegetable soup recipe
• Russian cabbage soup

Print

Bean and Mushroom Soup

Meat-free Mushroom Bean Soup is hearty, healthy and packed with flavor. You can make it on the stove, in a slow cooker or in an Instant Pot.

Course Soup and Stew

Cuisine North American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 226kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Large pot
• Box grater

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds brown or white mushrooms sliced
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves minced
• 2 medium carrots finely grated
• 3 large celery stalks diced
• 2 tablespoons oil for frying
• 11 ounces can organic cream of mushroom soup I used Pacific Foods
• 3 14 ounces cans cannellini or white navy beans low sodium, rinsed & drained
• 7 cups vegetable broth low sodium
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/3 cup dill or parsley finely chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

On the Stove

• Preheat large heavy bottom pot on medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add mushrooms and cook for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cream of mushroom soup, stir and cook for another 30 seconds.
• Return sauteed mushrooms to the pot along with beans, broth, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Stir, cover and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer soup for 20 minutes.
• Turn off heat, add dill and let soup stand for 5 minutes, if you have time. Adjust any seasonings to taste and serve hot.

In Slow Cooker

• Saute mushrooms and veggies separately in a skillet. Then add all ingredients to a large slow cooker, cover and cook on Low heat for 4-6 hours or on High heat for 2-3 hours.

In Instant Pot

• Add all ingredients in the order listed above, skipping oil. You don't have to saute the veggies because food cooked under pressure comes out more flavorful, but you can, if you wish. Cook soup on High pressure for 5 minutes with 20 minutes natural pressure release, then release remaining pressure.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
• You can use 2 cups of dried beans with Instant Pot version and pressure cook for 30 minutes.
• If you can’t find organic cream of mushroom soup, look for a brand with no preservatives and artificial flavors.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 577mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 3g

The post Mushroom Bean Soup appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Tex Mex Chicken and Lentil Casserole with veggies, southwest spices, green lentils, and seasoned chicken. This cheesy baked dish is full of flavor and family approved.

If you love lentils, you might also like this chicken lentil soup and green lentil curry.

I have updated this reader favorite chicken lentil casserole recipe to make it better! The flavors are all the same but I have shortened the list of ingredients to make things easy for you. Also lentils come out more firm and casserole is less watery! Hooray!

Chicken and lentils is one of my favorite healthier comfort meals to make at the end of a busy week, it’s been in high rotation for years and makes delicious leftovers. Pair it with a creamy salad and it’s bound to find a spot on your winter rotation.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Balanced meal: My rule of thumb for a healthy casserole is complex carbs in moderation, more lean protein and veggies, and keep cheese to reasonable amounts.
• Healthier casserole: Lentils are a great source of plant-based protein, fiber and complex carbs. Combined with chicken and vegetables, and you have one powerhouse meal.
• Simple ingredients: All ingredients fall into the kitchen staple category, and budget friendly.
• Cleans out pantry and fridge: Cooking casseroles at home is a fun and creative way to use up what you have on hand. Change up flavor, texture, and color by switching vegetables and spices.
• Versatile: This chicken and lentil recipe is the definition of versatility. It’s an easy oven to table recipe, make ahead for meal prep and enjoy throughout the week for lunch or dinner, it’s a crowd pleaser, and freezer friendly. You can even omit the chicken for a meatless dish.

Ingredients for Tex Mex Chicken and Lentil Casserole

The list of ingredients might seem long but really they are mostly spices that repeat themselves. I just broke down the chicken and lentils casserole recipe nicely for you.

• Green lentils: Uncooked lentils will need to be rinsed and drained. Brown lentils are the best substitute if you do not have green lentils.
• Chicken broth: I wanted to add lots of flavor, so I used low sodium chicken broth instead of water. Vegetable broth would work great too.
• Chicken: I like using boneless skinless chicken breasts, but chicken thighs work just as well. You’ll want to chop them into bite size pieces.
• Aromatics: Fresh garlic cloves and onion.
• Bell peppers: You’ll need 2 large peppers chopped. I had yellow pepper and red bell pepper on hand, use what you have.
• Diced tomatoes: Canned diced tomatoes helps create the sauce while adding acidity and texture. I always recommend low sodium to help control sodium levels.
• Corn: Frozen corn or corn drained from a can.
• Green chilies: A small 4 ounces can of diced green chilies for a touch of heat.
• Cheese: Shredded Tex Mex or Colby Jack cheese.
• Spices: A combination of cumin, taco seasoning, salt, and pepper gives this dish its Tex Mex flavor.
• Oil: You’ll need a bit of oil for sautéing the vegetables and chicken, olive oil or avocado oil are my go-to.
• Cilantro: Optional garnish, but fresh cilantro adds the perfect pop of color and flavor.

How to Make Chicken and Lentil Casserole

Here’s a quick overview how to make this chicken lentil casserole. Cook lentils, sauté chicken and veggies, combine and bake. It’s very simple!

There is a recipe card below with full instructions.

• Cook lentils: To a medium pot, add lentils, chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Cook chicken: While your lentils simmer, heat a large skillet on high heat and add oil to coat. Next, add cubed chicken, cumin, taco seasoning, salt, pepper, and cook for 6-7 minutes. Halfway through, drain liquid into a large bowl. Then transfer browned chicken into the same large bowl and set aside.
• Prep your oven: Preheat oven to 375 F.

• Sauté vegetables: Heat the same skillet on medium high heat and add oil. Sauté onion, garlic, and bell peppers with taco seasoning, cumin, and salt for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
• Combine: Transfer sautéed veggies to the bowl with chicken, then add cooked lentils, diced tomatoes, corn, 1/2 cup cheese, diced green chilies, taco seasoning and 1/2 cup cilantro. Mix gently with a spatula.
• Bake: Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish and gently press until leveled. Place in the oven uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese, and bake for another 10 minutes until cheese has melted.
• Rest and serve: Cover casserole with foil and let it stand for 30 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Tips for Best Results

Here are some tips I’ve learned from my many, many times of making chicken and lentils.

• Pre-cooking lentils: Rinse them first and do not soak. We want to cook them but not completely, so they still soak up the liquid and flavors during baking as a casserole. After pre cooking, lentils should still be firm and if there is any liquid at the bottom of the pot, drain it.
• Save liquid from chicken: During sautéing most store-bought chicken releases water, some more and some less. Drain it into the bowl in which you will be mixing all casserole ingredients and keep cooking chicken until it is a little bit golden brown. Your chicken will be full of flavor!
• If using other lentils: The baking time and texture can vary, so keep an eye on the casserole.
• Bake uncovered: Leaving your casserole uncovered allows the steam to escape and therefore less liquid, you don’t want your casserole soupy. Baking uncovered also promotes browning and crisping.
• Let casserole stand before slicing: Really you could eat it right away but it’s not ideal. You want your casserole to sit, the ingredients to marry each other and soak up the juices. Then it’s the best!

What Are the Best Lentils to Use?

You can use green lentils or brown lentils, they are similar with a few differences. Green lentils have a slightly more peppery flavor and retain their shape when cooking, making them perfect for this recipe. However brown lentils work too, they contain slightly higher levels of fiber, have an earthy taste, and need less time to cook.

You can also use French lentils or Puy lentils. French lentils are a variety of green lentils that are smaller in size with a darker hue, and have a nutty and peppery, slightly earthy flavor. They hold their shape better than any other type of lentil and don’t turn to mush.

Then you have Puy lentils which are French lentils grown in the Puy region of central France. Because they are grown in a distinct place the taste is more peppery.

You can also use red lentils but casserole will come out more mushy as red lentils fall apart more. I also recommend to pre-cook red lentils only for 10 minutes.

Variations

Here are some creative ways to make this casserole your own.

• Other vegetables: Sauté mushrooms and zucchini with the bell peppers. You could also add right into the casserole as a mix-in up to 1 cup of chopped cauliflower, broccoli, eggplant, sweet potato, peas, green beans or celery.
• Add leafy greens: Spinach, kale, collard greens, or Swiss chard.
• Make vegetarian: Omit chicken and use vegetable broth for a deliciously filling vegetarian recipe.
• Use other spices: Instead of taco seasoning use chili powder to taste or cayenne pepper for more heat.
• Omit diced green chilies: Use chopped seeded jalapeno or poblano peppers instead, or omit and use more dried spices with heat.
• If not a fan of cilantro: I love cilantro but I know it’s not for everyone, you can omit or use fresh parsley instead.
• Lime: Squeeze lime juice on top of finished casserole for an extra burst of flavor.

What Goes Well with Chicken and Lentils?

Casseroles are thought to be an all-in-one-meal, but there are tons of perfect side dishes to serve alongside it.

• Some creamy salads like this cucumber salad or a simple avocado salad. Or other simple salads such as healthy coleslaw, and fresh avocado corn salad.
• Tortilla chips or tortillas. Even crusty bread, almond flour cornbread, or naan would be delicious.

• Serve next to or over a bed of Instant Pot long grain white rice or Instant Pot basmati rice.
• Potatoes, whether they be healthy mashed potatoes, Instant pot baked potato, or roasted potatoes.
• French fries or tater tots would make the kids extra happy.

Can I Make It Ahead?

Yes, you can make it ahead of time and store in the fridge or freezer.

1-2 days ahead: You can keep casserole mixture in a bowl or in a baking dish covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes on a counter, then bake as per recipe.

As a freezer meal: Assemble, tightly wrap with plastic and then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bake as per instructions plus 5 minutes.

How to Store

Store: Transfer cooled leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freeze: You can freeze leftovers in an airtight container for 3 months.

FAQs

More Lentil Recipes to Try

• Red lentil soup
• Lentil casserole with mushrooms
• Instant Pot lentil soup
• Slow cooker lentil soup
• Lentil spinach soup
• Instant Pot dal

Print

Tex Mex Chicken and Lentil Casserole

Tex Mex Chicken and Lentil Casserole with veggies, southwest spices, green lentils, and chicken. It's full of flavor and family approved.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 443kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Baking dish
• Ceramic skillet

Ingredients

For Lentils:

• 1 1/2 cup green lentils uncooked, rinsed & drained
• 2 cups chicken broth low sodium
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

For Chicken:

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin ground
• 1 teaspoon taco seasoning low sodium
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon oil for frying

For Vegetables:

• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves minced
• 2 large bell peppers chopped
• 1 teaspoon taco seasoning low sodium
• 1 teaspoon cumin ground
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon oil for frying

Other Add-Ins:

• 14 ounces can diced tomatoes low sodium
• 2 cups corn frozen or canned (drained)
• 2 cups Tex Mex or Colby Jack cheese shredded & divided
• 4 ounces can diced green chilies
• 1 teaspoon cumin ground
• 1 teaspoon taco seasoning low sodium
• 1 cup cilantro chopped & divided

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a medium pot, combine lentils, chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, preheat large skillet on high heat and add oil. Add chicken, cumin, taco seasoning, salt, pepper and cook for 6-7 minutes, draining liquid into a large bowl halfway through and stirring occasionally. Transfer chicken to same large bowl and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Return skillet to medium-high heat and add oil. Add onion, garlic, bell peppers, taco seasoning, cumin, salt and cook for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
• Transfer to the bowl with chicken along with cooked lentils, diced tomatoes, corn, 1/2 cup cheese, diced green chilies, taco seasoning and 1/2 cup cilantro. Mix gently with spatula enough to combine.
• Transfer mixture to a 9 x 13 ovenproof baking dish and level/press gently with spatula. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for another 10 minutes.
• Remove casserole from the oven, cover with foil and let stand for 30 minutes before serving.
• Garnish with remaining cilantro, cut into 8 slices and serve hot.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freeze: In an airtight container up to 3 months.
• Meal prep: Assemble, tightly wrap with plastic and then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bake as per instructions plus 5 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 506mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 6g

The post Tex Mex Chicken and Lentil Casserole appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Hearty Chicken Chickpea Stew with tender chicken, chickpeas, and vegetables infused in a tahini flavored broth. Make it stove top, Instant Pot, or slow cooker, it’s the perfect meal to warm you up.

Love stew? Try this chicken stew or for hands off dinner make this chicken stew in slow cooker.

I always-always tell people when asked how I manage to cook healthy while raising 2 kids and running a business, that the key to success is to cook big pots of soup and stew, stir fries and other types of throw together one pot meals.

This chicken chickpea stew recipe is easy and flavor packed with tons of protein and fiber. Delicious, comforting, and filling, it’s everything a stew should be!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Budget-friendly: Healthy meals like this chicken and chickpea stew are affordable because many times anything can go in that pot.
• Easy: They are quick because chop-chop and simmer, it doesn’t have to be perfect.
• Leftovers: And because it makes a big batch, you open the fridge or freezer and leftovers are staring at you!
• Healthy: When it comes to healthy chicken recipes, a colorful stew will keep you super satisfied. It’s filled with wholesome ingredients and includes a medley of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Ingredients for Chicken Chickpea Stew

This chicken chickpea stew is great, using the simplest ingredients you could only imagine. See substitutions in FAQ’s.

• Boneless and skinless chicken breast: Just a pound to make meat more of a side rather than main ingredient.
• Tomatoes: You can use fresh cubed tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes. Another option is fire roasted tomatoes to add a smoky flare or kick up the heat with Rotel.
• Quinoa: Uncooked and any color you have on hand.
• Chickpeas: Low fat and a great source of protein, you can use canned chickpeas or Instant Pot chickpeas.
• Tahini paste: That 1/2 cup of tahini changes everything for this stew!
• Onion and garlic: Aromatics include diced onion and minced garlic, use fresh garlic for best flavor.
• Oil: Use a high smoke oil like olive oil or avocado oil for sautéing.
• Bell peppers: Chop 2 pounds of any color you like, I like orange, yellow, and red peppers for their sweeter taste but green peppers work great too. If you’d like to add more veggies I recommend celery, carrots, and potatoes. You could also stir in some fresh spinach towards the end.
• Chicken broth: I recommend low-sodium chicken broth or homemade chicken broth.
• Herbs and spices: Salt, pepper, bay leaves, fresh parsley or basil.

How to Make Chicken Chickpea Stew

Here’s a quick overview how to make easy one-pot chickpea stew on the stove.

There’s a full recipe card below along with instructions for making this hearty stew in the Instant Pot or slow cooker.

• Sauté aromatics: Heat a large Dutch oven on low heat, add oil and swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add vegetables and chicken: Increase to medium heat and add bell peppers to the pot, cook for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally. Next, add cubed chicken and cook for 5 more minutes.
• Combine remaining ingredients: Add tomatoes, quinoa, chickpeas, chicken broth, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and stir.
• Simmer: Cover with lid and cook on low for 20 minutes.

Tips for Best Results

Here are my pro tips to making a flavorful stew.

• Use chicken thighs: If you prefer dark meat feel free to use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
• Where to find tahini: You can find it in any supermarket, most grocery stores where I live have tahini paste. For sure, health food stores will carry it. You could also use ground up sesame paste.
• No need to rinse quinoa: Quinoa comes pre-washed and will get stuck in a mesh strainer. I did not find this stew bitter but some readers have, so rinse if you wish.
• Add other spices: Cater to your taste buds, add fragrance and flavor with spices like chili powder, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, turmeric, coriander, or ground cumin. You can also add fresh cilantro if you like its strong taste.

What to Serve Chickpea Stew with?

A crisp simple lettuce salad, massaged kale salad, or healthy broccoli salad pairs perfectly with this tender stew along with bread, pita, or naan to soak up the rich sauce.

How to Store

Store: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container, pop in the refrigerator, and enjoy within 5 days.

Freeze: Once cooked and cooled completely, store in an airtight container and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat on a stovetop covered on low.

How to Make a Freezer Meal

• Before freezing (slow cooker): Preheat large skillet on low heat, swirl a bit of oil to coat and add onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium, add pepper and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a gallon size resealable plastic bag with other ingredients (minus tahini and herbs) to freeze.
• Instant Pot: Freeze all ingredients (minus chicken broth, tahini and herbs) in a gallon size resealable plastic bag. Cook from frozen with 2 cups chicken broth on High pressure for 20 minutes. Quick release.
• Slow cooker: Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking. Cook with 2 cups chicken broth on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.
• After cooking: Add tahini and herbs, stir and let stand for a couple minutes.

Check out my full list of 20 healthy freezer meals. I’m obsessed!

FAQs

More Stew Recipes to Try

• Healthy white chicken chili
• Ground turkey stew
• Instant Pot beef stew
• Ratatouille
• Quinoa stew

More Chickpea Recipes to Try

• Chickpea avocado salad
• Chickpea tuna salad
• Garlic hummus
• Mediterranean chickpea salad
• Sweet potato hummus

Print

Chicken Chickpea Stew

Quick Chicken and Chickpea Stew Recipe with tomatoes cooked on a stove, in slow cooker or Instant Pot. Plus how to turn into a healthy freezer meal instructions for busy families. So good!

Course Dinner

Cuisine North American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 8 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 53 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 391kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Dutch oven

Ingredients

• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves minced
• 2 pounds bell peppers seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 pound boneless & skinless chicken breasts cubed
• Oil for frying
• 1 pound tomatoes cubed or 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup quinoa uncooked
• 2 x 14 ounces cans chickpeas rinsed & drained
• 2 cups chicken broth low sodium
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup tahini paste
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley or basil finely chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Stovetop

• Preheat large dutch oven on low heat, swirl a bit of oil to coat and add onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium, add bell peppers and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken, cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add tomatoes, quinoa, chickpeas, broth, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Stir, cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.

Instant Pot

• Add ingredients in exact order listed: onion, garlic, bell pepper, chicken, quinoa, chickpeas, broth, salt, pepper, bay leaves and tomatoes. Do not stir.
• Pressure cook on High for 20 minutes and afterwards release pressure with Quick Release method.

Slow Cooker

• Preheat large dutch oven on low heat, swirl a bit of oil to coat and add onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium, add pepper and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Transfer to a large slow cooker along with chicken, tomatoes, quinoa, chickpeas, broth, salt, pepper, bay leaves and stir. Cover and cook for 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low.
• Last Step for All Methods: Turn off heat. Add tahini and herbs, stir and let stew stand for a couple minutes.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on a stovetop covered on low.
• You might need to add less salt if beans and broth you are using are not low sodium or salt free (for example, my cooked beans are unsalted).

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 391kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 641mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 7g

The post Chicken Chickpea Stew appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

These Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups are made with lighter sauce, artichoke hearts and spinach filling, then wrapped in your choice of lasagna noodles. Topped with cheese and tomato sauce, then baked until gooey perfection.

We also love these zucchini roll ups!

What Are Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups?

I’m not going to pretend it’s your next 30 minute dinner idea, but chicken lasagna roll ups are quite easy. That’s why if 12 roll ups is too much, just freeze the leftovers and save time. Plus, most lasagna pasta comes in a package of 12.

Lasagna roll ups turn a layered dinner into individual servings with just as much flavor. The filling is rolled into each pasta sheet, then topped with sauce and bubbly cheese. They’re fun, bake faster, and easier to serve!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Delicious: The mix of pasta, cheese, and meat add layers of flavor everyone will love.
• Extra veggies: I gave this healthy lasagna a vegetable boost with the addition of spinach and artichokes.
• Versatile: Pasta recipes are known for their versatility. These lasagna roll-ups are not only cozy and delicious, but incredibly easy to make your own. From the noodle, sauce, meat, and veggies, the options are endless!
• Can be made ahead: With back to school in full swing, you can never have too many quick and easy meals. These chicken lasagna rolls are a freezer-friendly, healthy dinner you can count on.

My family already loves my Instant Pot lasagna, so I’m not surprised they love this too.

And if you would like to skip pasta but enjoy the taste of lasagna, try my zucchini lasagna!

Ingredients for Chicken Lasagna Rolls

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need to make these fun chicken lasagna roll ups.

• Lasagna noodles: You can choose from regular, whole wheat or brown rice pasta.
• Chicken: I often use Instant Pot shredded chicken breast. You can also use pan fried chicken breast or slow cooked chicken breast, or store bought rotisserie chicken can really save time but I would add less salt to the sauce for that option.
• Artichoke hearts: I used canned artichokes in water. If they are packed in oil be sure to drain well. Frozen artichokes work too, but thaw first.
• Spinach: I recommend fresh baby spinach. You can use frozen spinach, allow it to thaw and squeeze all the excess liquid.
• Aromatics: Onion and freshly minced garlic help make the sauce rich and flavorful.
• Flour: Added to thicken the sauce. Regular, whole wheat or gluten-free flour can be used.
• Milk: Use your milk of choice, regular or plant based.
• Tomato sauce: I used plain tomato sauce from a can. You can also add marinara sauce or another pasta sauce you like.
• Mozzarella cheese: I love mozzarella cheese for this dish, but cheddar cheese works well too.
• Spices: Salt and pepper.
• Oil: Use a neutral oil like avocado oil or olive oil to sauté aromatics.

How to Make Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups

This chicken lasagna roll ups recipe has a few steps to it, but I promise it’s easy! Here’s a quick overview complete with pictures.

There is a full recipe card below.

• Cook lasagna noodles: Follow package instructions and cook lasagna noodles al dente. Drain, carefully lay noodles flat on parchment paper, and cover with a towel. Set aside.
• Make sauce base: Heat a large skillet and coat with oil. Sauté garlic and onion on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, then add flour and stir to combine.
• Finish the sauce: Add milk, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Stir, bring to a light boil then simmer on low until sauce has thickened.

• Add chicken and artichokes: Add artichokes and shredded chicken to the sauce and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes uncovered.
• Stir in spinach: Turn off heat, add spinach, and stir to combine.
• Prep: Preheat your oven to 350 F. Use a spatula to evenly spread 1 cup of tomato sauce over the bottom of a large baking dish. Set aside.

• Add filling mixture to lasagna noodles: Scoop 1/3 cup of chicken artichoke mixture onto one end of each pasta sheet, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of cheese. Repeat with remaining pasta and filling.
• Roll: Starting with the filled end, carefully roll each chicken lasagna roll. Place the roll, seam-side down, tightly in the prepared baking dish. I had 2 rows of 6 rolls each.
• Add toppings: Pour remaining tomato sauce and cheese on top, distributing evenly among all rolls.
• Bake: Leave the dish uncovered and bake for 30 minutes. Then let them rest covered for 10 minutes, serve hot and enjoy!

Tips for Best Results

Here are some pro tips for the best chicken lasagna rolls.

• Don’t overcook lasagna noodles: Boil lasagna sheets until al dente, even slightly undercooked is OK. They will continue to cook in the oven and you don’t want them mushy!
• Be cautious with salt: From sauce, to cheese, to chicken, to artichokes, everything has sodium. Taste test the sauce first and then add salt, especially if you use rotisserie chicken.
• About rolling the noodles: Roll them not too lose so roll-ups fall apart but not too tight so you squeeze out the filling.
• Don’t skip resting: It’s always good to let Italian recipes rest for a few minutes, the sauce will thicken and the noodles will soak up more sauce. For this recipe, resting also allows your roll ups to firm up a bit.
• If you have filling leftovers: You can spread leftover filling on the bottom of the dish around the roll-ups, or cook spaghetti, mix with the filling, and enjoy another delicious meal!
• Using raw chicken: My original recipe called for diced raw chicken. I updated the recipe and shortened the cooking time so you can use pre-cooked chicken or leftover chicken. You can use fresh chicken and cook the sauce for 20 minutes if you’d like.
• Using alfredo sauce: Make chicken alfredo lasagna rolls using my healthy alfredo sauce. It may curdle during prolonged baking because it’s made with yogurt, therefore bake roll ups for only 15 minutes. Let them stand covered longer, about 15 minutes as well.

Serving Recommendations

I love serving these lasagna roll-ups with a simple green salad or roasted vegetables and crusty bread.

For salads, we love the classics like healthy Caesar salad, a simple butter lettuce salad, or cucumber and tomato salad. Or add more Italian flair with an Italian chopped salad.

Green veggies make a great side dish for lasagna. Sautéed broccoli with tomatoes, oven roasted asparagus, and garlic green beans are super easy to make. But really, the sky is the limit so serve with your favorite seasonal vegetables.

Can I Make Them Ahead of Time?

Up to 2 days ahead: Prepare as per recipe but don’t bake, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let it sit for 30 minutes at room temperature and bake. You may need to bake it 10-15 minutes longer since it’s cold.

As a freezer meal: Assemble, tightly wrap with one layer of plastic, then a few layers of aluminum foil. You can freeze them for up to 3 months, then thaw in the fridge overnight and bake as per instructions adding 15 minutes.

How to Store

Store: Cooled roll ups can be placed in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freeze: Leftover lasagna rollups will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

FAQs

Need even more dinner ideas? Check out these roundups with healthy chicken recipes and healthy pasta recipes!

More Pasta Recipes to Try

• Healthy chicken alfredo
• Healthy Tuscan chicken pasta
• Healthy baked chicken parmesan
• Kale turkey pasta bake
• Instant Pot lasagna soup
• Instant Pot white chicken lasagna soup

Print

Artichoke Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups

These Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups are made with lighter sauce, artichoke hearts and spinach filling, then wrapped in your choice of lasagna noodles.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Resting Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12 roll ups

Calories 228kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Ceramic skillet
• Baking dish

Ingredients

• 12 lasagna noodles regular, whole wheat or brown rice pasta
• 2 cups cooked chicken shredded or chopped
• 2 cups artichoke hearts well drained and chopped
• 2 cups spinach chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons flour regular, whole wheat or gluten-free
• 2 cups any milk regular or plant-based
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups tomato sauce divided
• 1 3/4 cups mozzarella cheese shredded & divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil for frying

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Cook lasagna noodles as per package instructions, drain and lay flat on parchment paper. Cover with a towel to prevent drying out and set aside.
• Preheat large skillet on medium heat and swirl oil to coat. Add garlic and onion, saute for 3-4 minutes. Add flour and stir until combined. Then add milk, salt and pepper; stir well and bring to a boil. Simmer it on low heat for 1 more minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.
• Add artichoke hearts and chicken and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer sauce for 2-3 minutes uncovered, while stirring often. You can also add raw cubed chicken and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, add spinach and stir to combine.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1 cup of tomato sauce at the bottom of large 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.
• Fill each pasta sheet with 1/3 cup of chicken artichoke mixture and top with 1 tablespoon of cheese. Repeat with remaining pasta and filling. Roll each chicken lasagna roll and place tightly in a baking dish. I ended up with 6 rolls in 2 rows.
• Top with remaining 1 cup of tomato sauce and 1 cup of cheese, distributing evenly among all rolls. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Then remove from the oven, cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Serve hot with a simple green salad or roasted vegetables and crusty bread.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Freeze: Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
• Freezer meal: Assemble, tightly wrap with plastic, then few layers of foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bake as per instructions adding 15 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 roll up | Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 292mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g

The post Artichoke Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Meal prep 5, 10, 15 or 20 Healthy Freezer Meals with a grocery list and how-to video. It takes 2 hours, most recipes need no pre-cooking, and after you just cook your freezer meal in Instant Pot or slow cooker.

Busy? Expecting mom? New mom? Working a lot? A parent? A human who needs a little help? You need healthy freezer meals in your life! Everyone does!

We combined 4 unique meal preps consisting of 5 freezer meals each, that you can cook in your Instant Pot or slow cooker from frozen!

I started doing freezer meal prep many years ago. Then I went on a business trip and left a few frozen meals for my husband. He kept raving and raving about how easy and tasty each dinner was. He was truly blown away how my easy freezer meals really made his cooking easy. And last time I heard my husband rave like this was about his new truck!

Why You Will Love Making Healthy Freezer Meals

• Save time: You can batch cook 5 recipes in just 2 hours! That’s 5 dinners, all weeknight dinners are taken care of.
• Eat healthy: Healthy dinners made with real food.
• Pick your cooking method: Cook from frozen in Instant Pot or slow cooker (except thaw meat ones first – food safety).
• Save money: Healthy freezer meals are cost effective because you don’t eat out or buy pre-made food.

How to Make Healthy Freezer Meals

Here is a detailed video how I make 5 healthy freezer meals at once. Below I have detailed instruction with photos. Each freezer meal recipe is located below that.

Print recipes and shopping list: Pick Healthy Freezer Meal Prep #1, #2, #3 or all 4 out of 4 freezer meal preps below.

Each meal prep contains 5 recipes with freezing instructions and complete shopping list – click button below each title. That’s total of 20 recipes in this freezer meals post.

I found it takes about 2 hours to meal prep 5 recipes and is the most feasible time for a busy mom. After that, I am tired, but you can do 10 recipes at a time, if you wish.

Gather ingredients: Gather meat, vegetables, cans and sauce jars, and grains on a counter. No spices yet. Label gallon size Ziploc bags with instructions.

Prep meat, veggies and cans: Cut meat, peel vegetables (do not chop yet) and open cans.

Start assembling freezer meals: Fill each bag with tomato products first (if recipe has any and if cooking in Instant Pot), then meat, and stand up right.

Chop vegetables: Chop basic veggies like carrots, celery, onion, garlic, potato etc. for each recipe individually. Then place on top of meat (if any) in each bag. It helps to keep measuring simple.

Add dry ingredients: Measure and add grains, beans and any other dry ingredients.

Add liquids: Add liquids from cans and jars like diced tomatoes or tomato sauce, coconut milk, tomato paste and hot sauce.

Add spices: Pull out spices, measure them out and add to each freezer meal bag.

Prepare bags for freezing: Let out as much air as possible and seal tightly each bag.

Freeze the freezer meals: Stand bags upright and and freeze like that. Round shape is the best. I usually tie 2 corners with a rubber band or a big clip to shape the bag.

What Are the Best Containers for Freezer Meals?

Here are my recommendations for containers for healthy freezer meals in my order of preference.

• Reusable 1 gallon silicone bags: My preferred method and they work!
• Gallon size storage bags: It’s my second choice. It is true you cannot recycle bags in your curbside blue box and that’s the only downside with using them. So, I usually wash, dry and re-use them for other freezer meals or raw meat only.
• Plastic containers: You will need large containers, preferably rounded shape to fit easy into Instant Pot or slow cooker. A good option since they are reusable.
• Glass containers: These are heavy, pricey and will fit only smaller recipes like Instant Pot white chicken chili. Look for large round 7 cup containers.

Tips for Best Results

Here are my top tips for the best healthy freezer meal prep from the first try!

• Container size. Pick your container with the amount of ingredients in the recipe in mind. “Will they fit to freeze?” And the size of your preferred cooking appliance in mind. “Will my frozen meal fit into Instant Pot or slow cooker?”
• Round shape is the best. With both slow cooker and Instant Pot. Use round containers or place filled bags in round bucket and freeze until shape forms.
• Thaw for 2 minutes. Place your freezer meal in a container in a sink or large bowl with hot water and let defrost for 2-5 minutes to help slide out easily. You can also let it thaw longer and break frozen food into a few pieces, if necessary.
• “Scrape” the walls. If any spices left on the walls of a container and recipe calls for water, rinse container with it and then add to cook.
• Appliance to use. To cook healthy freezer meals, you need to own at least 6 quart or 8 quart Instant Pot, or large slow cooker.
• Cook from frozen. For all Instant Pot and vegetarian slow cooker freezer meal recipes.
• Tomatoes go on top in Instant Pot. If cooking freezer meal in the Instant Pot and it contains anything tomato, make sure they are on top. Otherwise it will burn.
• Meat in slow cooker. For slow cooker freezer meals with meat you have to thaw freezer meal in the fridge for 24 hours before slow cooking.

FAQs

Healthy Freezer Meal Prep #1

Buffalo Chicken Chili

INGREDIENTS TO FREEZE:

• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 3 large celery stalks, chopped
• 2 x 15 oz cans cannellini beans, low sodium, drained & rinsed
• 1/2 cup Frank’s red hot sauce
• 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 lbs chicken breasts, skinless & boneless
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes, low sodium

INGREDIENTS TO SERVE:

• 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles or cream cheese
• Cilantro and/or green onion
• Lime
• Tortilla chips

• INSTANT POT: Pressure cook with 1 cup broth on High from frozen for 30 minutes with Quick Release.

• SLOW COOKER: Sauté onion, garlic, carrots and celery before freezing with other ingredients. Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours (food safety thing), then add to a large slow cooker with 1 cup broth and cook for 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low.
• AFTER COOKING: Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks. Return to the pot.

CONTAINER LABEL

Instant Pot – 30 mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Thaw 24 hrs. Low 8 hrs, High 4 hrs. Before – 1 cup broth. After – shred chicken.

Green Lentil Curry

INGREDIENTS TO FREEZE:

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp coriander, ground
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 14 oz can coconut milk, full fat
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 2 cups green lentils, uncooked & rinsed

INGREDIENTS TO SERVE:

• Cilantro and/or green onion
• Greek yogurt
• Avocado

• BEFORE FREEZING (SLOW COOKER): Pan fry onion and garlic with spices sauteed for 30 seconds at the end. Transfer to a gallon size Ziploc bag with remaining ingredients.
• BEFORE COOKING: Add 3 cups of water.
• INSTANT POT: Cook from frozen on High pressure for 25 minutes with Quick Release.
• SLOW COOKER: Cook from frozen on Low for 9 hours or on High for 5 hours.

CONTAINER LABEL

Instant Pot – 25 mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Low 9 hrs, High 5 hrs. Before – 3 cups water.

Butter Chicken

INGREDIENTS TO FREEZE:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 inch ginger root, minced
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 14 oz can coconut milk, full fat
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 3 – 3.5 lbs chicken drumsticks or thighs

INGREDIENTS TO FINISH & SERVE:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 4 tbsp cornstarch
• Brown rice
• Cilantro

• BEFORE FREEZING: Swoosh it all around with your hands to make chicken breasts separated with other ingredients.
• BEFORE COOKING: Add 2 cups water.
• INSTANT POT: Cook from frozen on High pressure for 30 minutes with Quick Release.
• SLOW COOKER: Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking. Cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.
• AFTER COOKING: Open the lid, add butter and press Sauté (cancel Keep Warm if it’s on). In a small bowl, whisk water and cornstarch with a fork. Pour over chicken and stir gently. Cook for a few minutes until sauce has thickened a bit. Serve with cilantro over a bed of brown rice and with naan/pita bread.

CONTAINER LABEL

Instant Pot – 30 mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Thaw 24 hrs. Low 8 hrs, High 4 hrs. Before – 2 cups water. After – 2 tbsp butter, 1/4 cup cold water +4 tbsp cornstarch, Saute until thick.

Lentil Soup

INGREDIENTS TO FREEZE:

For 6 quart Instant Pot. For 8 quart, check the recipe.

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 2 small celery, chopped
• 2 cups green lentils, rinsed & drained
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• 28 oz can diced or crushed tomatoes, low sodium

INGREDIENTS TO SERVE:

• 11 oz box of spinach
• 1 large garlic clove, grated
• Parmesan cheese, for serving

• BEFORE COOKING: Add 2 bouillon cubes + 10 cups water or 10 cups low sodium vegetable broth.
• INSTANT POT: Cook from frozen on High pressure for 20 minutes with Quick Release.

• SLOW COOKER: Cook from frozen on Low for 10 hours or on High for 5 hours.
• AFTER COOKING: Add spinach and garlic. Stir and serve hot garnished with Parmesan cheese.

CONTAINER LABEL

Instant Pot – 20 mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Low 10 hrs, High 5 hrs. Before – 10 cups broth. After – 1 box spinach and 1 grated garlic.

Healthy Chicken Wild Rice Soup

INGREDIENTS TO FREEZE:

• 1.5 lbs any chicken pieces
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
• 3 large celery stalks, diced
• 2 large potatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup dried mushrooms or 1 cup fresh, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups wild rice
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp thyme, dried
• 2 1/4 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste

INGREDIENTS TO FINISH & SERVE:

• 2 cups whole milk
• Small bunch parsley, finely chopped

• BEFORE COOKING: Add 9 cups water or low sodium chicken broth.
• INSTANT POT: Cook from frozen on High pressure for 35 minutes. Quick Release.
• SLOW COOKER: Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking. Cook on Low for 10 hours or on High for 6 hours.
• AFTER COOKING: Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks. Blend a bit with an immersion blender until desired consistency. Add chicken and parsley. Stir and serve hot.

CONTAINER LABEL

Instant Pot – 35 mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Thaw 24 hrs. Low 10 hrs, High 6 hrs. Before – 9 cups water/broth. After – shred chicken, puree soup, 1 small bunch parsley.

I also have Instant Pot chicken wild rice soup you can freeze.

Healthy Freezer Meal Prep #2

Thai Chicken Soup

INGREDIENTS TO FREEZE:

• 1.5 lbs chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
• 5 large sweet potatoes, skin on & cubed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 14 oz can coconut milk, full fat
• 6 oz can tomato paste, low sodium
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp red curry paste
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 kaffir lime leaves (optional)

INGREDIENTS TO FINISH & SERVE:

• 1 cup peanuts, chopped
• 2 limes, juice of
• 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
• 1-2 bell peppers, chopped (optional)

• BEFORE COOKING: Add 6 cups water or low sodium broth.
• INSTANT POT: Cook from frozen on High pressure for 20 minutes, wait 10 minutes and do Quick Release.
• SLOW COOKER: Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking. Cook on Low for 6 hours or on High for 3 hours.
• AFTER COOKING: Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks. Using an immersion blender, puree soup right inside the pot. Return chicken back to the pot along with peanuts, lime juice, cilantro and bell peppers (optional). Stir and serve hot.

CONTAINER LABEL

Instant Pot – 20 mins, 10 mins NPR, after QR OR Slow Cooker – Low 6 hrs, High 3 hrs. Before – 6 cups water. After – shred chicken and puree soup, 1 bunch cilantro, 2 limes, 1 cup peanuts.

Crispy Coconut Chicken

INGREDIENTS TO FREEZE:

• 1.5 lbs boneless & skinless chicken breasts
• 1 egg, large
• 2/3 cup long or short coconut flakes, unsweetened
• 1/4 cup any flour (I used whole wheat)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste

• HOW TO FREEZE: Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch wide strips. Dip both sides of each chicken tender into an egg wash, then coat in coconut flakes, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper mixture. Freeze coated but uncooked fingers on a baking sheet for a few hours, then transfer to a Ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
• BEFORE COOKING: Spray chicken fingers with cooking spray.
• OVEN: Bake from frozen at 425 degrees F for 30-35 minutes, possibly turning in the middle (depends on the oven – just keep an eye on them).

CONTAINER LABEL

Bake frozen at 425 F for 30+ mins (maybe turn).

Chicken Chickpea Stew

INGREDIENTS TO FREEZE:

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 lbs bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 lb boneless & skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 lb tomatoes cubed or 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 2 x 14 oz cans chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 bay leaves

INGREDIENTS TO FINISH & SERVE:

• 1/2 cup tahini paste
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley or basil, finely chopped

• BEFORE FREEZING (SLOW COOKER): Preheat large skillet on low heat, swirl a bit of oil to coat and add onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium, add pepper and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to the bag with other ingredients to freeze.
• BEFORE COOKING: Add 2 cups water or any low sodium broth.
• INSTANT POT: Cook on High pressure from frozen for 20 minutes. Quick release.
• SLOW COOKER: Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking. Cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.
• AFTER COOKING: Add tahini and herbs, stir and let stand for a couple minutes.

CONTAINER LABEL

Instant Pot – 20 mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Low 8 hrs, High 4 hrs. Before: 2 cups water. After: 1/2 cup tahini, 1/2 cup parsley.

Vegetarian Quesadillas

INGREDIENTS TO FREEZE:

• 8 whole wheat large 8” tortillas
• 14 oz can black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 cup corn
• 1 large bell pepper, diced
• 1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup red onion, minced
• 2 tsp cumin
• Pinch of salt
• 2 2/3 cups cheese that melts well, shredded (cheddar, mozzarella)

• HOW TO FREEZE: For each quesadilla, assemble and then wrap in plastic wrap as tightly as possible without compromising its shape. Lay flat in a gallon size Ziploc bag, squeeze as much air out as possible, seal and freeze for up to 3 months.
• OVEN: Bake from frozen in preheated to 350 degrees F oven for 25-30 minutes.
• PANINI PRESS: Grill from frozen until ready.

CONTAINER LABEL

Bake – 25-30 mins at 350 F or Panini Press.

Bean Mushroom Soup

INGREDIENTS TO FREEZE:

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, finely grated
• 3 large celery stalks, diced
• 1.5 lbs white or brown mushrooms, sliced
• 1 can 11 oz organic cream of mushroom soup (I used Pacific Foods)
• 3 x 14 oz cans white navy beans, drained & rinsed
• 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 bay leaves

INGREDIENTS TO FINISH & SERVE:

• 1/3 cup dill or parsley, chopped (for garnish)
• 2 tbsp butter or extra virgin olive oil

• BEFORE FREEZING (SLOW COOKER): Preheat medium skillet on low – medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a large resealable bag. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic; sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to the bag along with other ingredients to freeze.
• BEFORE COOKING: Add 7-8 cups low sodium vegetable broth.
• INSTANT POT: Cook from frozen on High pressure for 5 minutes. 20 minutes Natural Release.
• SLOW COOKER: Cook from frozen with 7-8 cups of low sodium vegetable broth for 4 hours on High or 6-8 hours on Low.
• AFTER COOKING: Add dill or parsley, stir and serve hot.

CONTAINER LABEL

Instant Pot – 15 mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Low 6-8 hrs, High 4 hrs. Before: 8 cups water. After: Add 2 tbsp olive oil/butter, dill/parsley.

Healthy Freezer Meal Prep #3

Turkey Taco Soup

INGREDIENTS TO FREEZE:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 x 15 oz cans tomato sauce, low sodium
• 2 x 15 oz cans low sodium red kidney or pinto beans, drained & rinsed
• 2 cups corn frozen or canned (drained)
• 1 1/2 tbsp taco seasoning
• 2 tbsp onion powder or flakes
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
• 1 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste

INGREDIENTS TO FINISH & SERVE:

• 1/2 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped
• Yogurt, cheese, lime and tortilla chips

• BEFORE FREEZING: Preheat medium skillet on low – medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Saute meat until small pieces. Transfer to the bag with other ingredients to freeze.
• BEFORE COOKING: Add 3 cups water or low sodium broth.
• INSTANT POT: Cook from frozen for 20-30 mins on High pressure. Quick release.
• SLOW COOKER: Cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.
• AFTER COOKING: Add cilantro. Stir and serve hot with yogurt, cheese, lime and tortilla chips.

CONTAINER LABEL

Instant Pot – 20-30 mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Low 8 hrs, High 4 hrs. Before: 3 cups water. After: Add cilantro.

White Chicken Chili

INGREDIENTS TO FREEZE:

• 1 lb (2 large) chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 x 15 oz cans cannellini white or great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups corn, fresh or frozen
• 4 oz can diced green chiles
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste

INGREDIENTS TO FINISH & SERVE:

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt fat 2%+ (or sour cream)
• 2 oz cream cheese
• 1 lime, juice of
• Small bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
• Tortilla chips, avocado, more yogurt, limes, for serving

• BEFORE COOKING: Add 1 cup water or low sodium chicken broth.
• INSTANT POT: Cook from frozen on High pressure for 20 minutes. Natural Release for 10 mins, Quick release after.
• SLOW COOKER: Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours (food safety thing), then add to a large slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low.
• AFTER COOKING: Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks. Return to the pot along with cilantro, 1/2 cup yogurt, cream cheese and lime juice. Stir well.

CONTAINER LABEL

Instant Pot – 25 mins, NPR 10 mins, after QR OR Slow Cooker – Low 8 hrs, High 4 hrs. Before: 1 cup water. After: Shred chicken, add cilantro, 1/2 cup yogurt, 2 oz cream cheese, lime juice.

Almond Crusted Chicken

INGREDIENTS TO FREEZE:

• 1.5 lbs chicken breasts (3 large) or tenderloins, boneless & skinless
• 1 1/4 cups ground almonds (almond flour or almond meal)
• 1 tbsp garlic or onion powder/granules
• 1 tsp oregano or basil, dried
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs

• HOW TO FREEZE: Cut chicken into 1/2 inch thick strips lengthwise and pound to make tender. Dip each strip into an egg mixture, then coat completely in almond, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper mixture. Freeze coated but uncooked fingers on a baking sheet for a few hours, then transfer to a Ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
• OVEN: Bake from frozen at 450 degrees F for 30-35 minutes, turning once.

CONTAINER LABEL

Bake frozen for 30-35 mins at 450 F.

Ground Turkey Tacos

INGREDIENTS TO FREEZE:

• 1 lb ground turkey, 93% lean
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp taco seasoning, low sodium
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin ground
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 oz tomato paste, low sodium
• 1 tsp any sugar (I used maple syrup)

INGREDIENTS TO FINISH & SERVE:

• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 10 corn or whole wheat flour tortillas
• Avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, cotija cheese, red onion and lime

• BEFORE FREEZING (SLOW COOKER): Preheat medium skillet on low – medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add onion, garlic, taco seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, and saute for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add ground turkey and saute for 5 minutes, stirring and breaking into small pieces with spatula often. Transfer to the bag with other ingredients to freeze, and swoosh things around to mix tomato paste with turkey to prevent burning.
• BEFORE COOKING: Add Slow Cooker – 1 1/4 cups, Instant Pot – 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth.
• INSTANT POT: Cook from frozen on High pressure for 12 minutes. Quick release.
• SLOW COOKER: Cook from frozen for 3 hours on High or 6 hours on Low.
• AFTER COOKING: Whisk 2 tbsp cold water with 2 tbsp cornstarch and add to Slow Cooker/Instant Pot. Press High heat or Saute, stir and cook (covered in slow cooker) until taco meat has thickened.

CONTAINER LABEL

Instant Pot – 12 mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Low 6 hrs, High 3 hrs. Before: Slow Cooker – 1 1/4 cups, Instant Pot – 1/2 cup broth. After: 2 tbsp cornstarch +2 tbsp cold water, cook to thicken.

Instant Pot Rice and Beans

INGREDIENTS TO FREEZE:

• 2 cups brown rice, rinsed
• 1 cup dried black beans, rinsed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes, low sodium

INGREDIENTS TO FINISH & SERVE:

• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• Hot sauce, optional

• BEFORE COOKING: Add Slow Cooker – 2 cups, Instant Pot – 4 cups water or low sodium broth.
• INSTANT POT: Cook from frozen on High pressure for 22 minutes. Quick release.
• SLOW COOKER: Use 2 X 14 oz cans of beans (rinsed & drained) instead of dried. Cook from frozen for 4-5 hours on Low. Check after 4 hours, stir and if needed add 1/4 cup of water more.
• AFTER COOKING: Add cilantro. Stir and serve hot.

CONTAINER LABEL

Instant Pot – 22 mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Low 4-5 hrs. Before: Slow Cooker – 2 cups, Instant Pot – 4 cups. After: Add cilantro.

Healthy Freezer Meal Prep #4

Chicken Burritos

ADD TO COOK IN INSTANT POT:

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice, rinsed & drained
• 1 cup dried black beans, rinsed & drained
• 2-3 large chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
• 2 tbsp taco seasoning, low sodium
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups water or low sodium broth

INGREDIENTS TO WRAP:

• 1 cup salsa
• 2 cups corn, frozen or cooked
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1 bunch green onion, chopped
• 12 oz any soft cheese, shredded
• 2 cups green or red cabbage, thinly shredded
• 17 large whole wheat tortillas

• TO COOK IN INSTANT POT: Add all Ingredients to Cook and Cook on High pressure for 20 minutes with Quick Release after.
• STOVETOP: This recipe is not meant for a slow cooker. For stovetop version, please check original chicken burrito recipe.
• AFTER COOKING: Shred chicken using 2 forks right in the pressure cooker and add remaining Ingredients to Finish (except tortillas).
• TO WRAP & FREEZE: Tear 17 sheets of aluminum foil. Place tortilla on top of foil, add 3/4 cup of filling below the center and near to the edge closer to you. Top with some shredded cabbage and cheese. Fold up the bottom to almost cover the filling, then fold up the edges, roll up tightly and then roll again in foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. 
• TO REHEAT: Thaw overnight in the fridge. Bake at 450 F degrees for 20-25 minutes or broil for 10-15 minutes. You can also warm burritos up in a microwave without tin foil – 2-5 minutes.

CONTAINER LABEL

Bake at 450 F – 20-25 mins, broil for 10-15 mins, microwave no foil – 2-5 mins.

Ground Turkey Pasta Bake

INGREDIENTS TO ASSEMBLE AND FREEZE:

• 1 lb ground turkey, extra lean
• 3 cups (10 oz) whole wheat penne/fusilli pasta, uncooked
• 4 – 5 cups kale stems, removed & chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
• 1 tbsp oregano, dried
• 1 tsp rosemary, dried
• 1 tsp basil, dried
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 28 oz tomato sauce, low sodium
• 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup pasta water
• 2 cups 6 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded & divided
• 1/3 cup Italian parsley, chopped
• Cooking spray

• TO ASSEMBLE: Cook pasta in a pot. In a skillet, saute onion and garlic 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Saute oregano, rosemary, basil, pinch of red pepper flakes, salt and pepper for 30 seconds, stirring a few times. Add ground turkey and cook for another 5-7 minutes, breaking meat into pieces and stirring occasionally. Add tomato sauce, honey, balsamic vinegar and pasta water. Stir, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Add kale and stir to combine. Now add cooked pasta and stir to combine more.
• TO WRAP & FREEZE: Transfer half of the mixture in previously prepared baking dish and sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Add remaining pasta meat mixture and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Wrap tightly with plastic and aluminum foil on top.
• TO COOK: When ready to eat, remove from the freezer and warm up on a counter for 30 minutes to prevent dish from shattering in the oven. Bake from frozen in preheated 350 degrees F oven for 40 minutes.

CONTAINER LABEL

Counter – 30 mins, bake frozen at 350 F – 40 mins.

Healthy Black Bean Burgers

INGREDIENTS TO FREEZE:

• 1 cup white or brown rice, cooked (measured after)
• 2 x 14 oz cans low sodium black beans, drained & rinsed
• 2 large eggs 
• 3/4 cup grated zucchini, liquid squeezed out (measured after)
• 1 medium onion, minced or pureed
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced or grated
• 1 cup oat flour for GF version or whole grain breadcrumbs
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili pepper in adobo sauce, minced

• TO ASSEMBLE: Cook rice as per package instructions. In the meanwhile, in a large bowl, add beans and mash with a masher until coarse puree with some bean chunks forms. Add eggs, zucchini, onion, garlic, oat flour, salt, cumin, pepper in adobo, and mix with spatula very well.
• TO FREEZE: Scoop 1/2 cup for smaller or 3/4 cup mixture for larger burgers and form into a patty. Lay patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, freeze completely and transfer to a large Ziploc bag.
• TO COOK: Cook from frozen on preheated large non-stick ceramic or well-seasoned cast iron skillet on low – medium heat with 1-2 tbsp of oil, for 7-9 minutes per side.

CONTAINER LABEL

Pan fry frozen with oil – 7-9 mins/side.

Turkey Chili

INGREDIENTS TO FREEZE:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 cups corn, canned or frozen
• 14 oz can low sodium red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 14 oz can low sodium cannellini or navy beans, rinsed and drained
• 14 oz can low sodium pinto beans or black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano, dried
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes, low sodium
• 6 oz can tomato paste, low sodium

INGREDIENTS TO SERVE:

• Green onion cilantro, cheese, plain yogurt (for toppings)

• BEFORE FREEZING: Cook ground turkey until small pieces for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer to a Ziploc bag with other ingredients (for Instant Pot add tomato products right after meat).
• BEFORE COOKING: Add 1 cup water or low sodium broth.
• INSTANT POT: Cook from frozen on High pressure for 20 minutes. Quick release.
• SLOW COOKER: Cook from frozen for 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low.

CONTAINER LABEL

Instant Pot – 20 mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Low 8 hrs, High 4 hrs. Before: 1 cup water/broth.

Quinoa Falafel

INGREDIENTS TO FREEZE:

• 2 cups quinoa, dry
• 2 14 oz cans low sodium chickpeas, drained & rinsed
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, large
• 2 cups parsley, packed
• 4 tsp cumin, ground
• 2 tsp coriander, ground
• 4 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup water

INGREDIENTS TO FINISH & SERVE:

Tahini sauce:

• 1 cup tahini
• 1 cup water
• 2 lemons, juice of
• 1 garlic clove, large
• 1 tsp salt

• 14 whole wheat pitas for serving
• 1 long English cucumber, thinly sliced for serving
• 3 tomatoes, thinly sliced for serving

• TO ASSEMBLE: Cook quinoa as per package instructions. In the meanwhile, in a large food processor, add chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, sesame oil, cornstarch, salt, water and blend until semi-smooth. In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa and blended mixture, mix with spatula very well.
• TO FREEZE: Using small scoop, scoop falafel mixture, packing it tightly, roll into golf size balls (helps to dip hands in water in between) and place on prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Freeze completely and transfer balls to a large Ziploc bag.
• TO COOK: Spray with cooking spray, bake from frozen in 450 F degrees oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown and crispy, turning once.

CONTAINER LABEL

Spray before baking, bake frozen at 450 F for 35 mins, turn once.

This healthy freezer meals post started with just 5 recipes 3 years ago and now it grew to 20. Everyone loves them! So, if you have any suggestions, ideas or comments, please drop them below in the Comments section. We read and respond to all.

Happy healthy freezer meals prepping, everyone!

Print

20 Easy Healthy Freezer Meals: Lentil Soup

Meal prep 5, 10, 15 or 20 Healthy Freezer Meals with a grocery list and how-to video. It takes 2 hours, most recipes need no pre-cooking, and after you just cook your freezer meal in Instant Pot or slow cooker.

Course Dinner

Cuisine North American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 2 hours hours

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 20 freezer meals

Calories 85kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Silicone bags
• Glass container

Ingredients

Ingredients to freeze:

• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 large carrots chopped
• 2 small celery chopped
• 2 cups green lentils rinsed & drained
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• 28 oz can diced or crushed tomatoes low sodium

Ingredients to finish and serve:

• 11 oz box of spinach fresh or frozen
• 1 large garlic clove grated
• Parmesan cheese for serving

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Before cooking: Add 2 bouillon cubes + 10 cups water or 10 cups low sodium veggie stock.
• Instant Pot: Cook from frozen for 20 minutes with Quick Release.
• Slow Cooker: Cook from frozen on Low for 10 hours or on High for 5 hours.
• After cooking: Add spinach and garlic. Stir and serve hot garnished with Parmesan cheese.

Video

Notes

Container label: Instant Pot – 20 mins, QR OR Slow Cooker – Low 10 hrs, High 5 hrs. Before – 10 cups broth. After – 1 box spinach and 1 grated garlic.

Nutrition

Calories: 85kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 145mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 2g

The post 20 Easy Healthy Freezer Meals (Instant Pot or Crock Pot) appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Chicken Burrito Recipe for busy people! Meal prep 17 chicken burritos in an hour on the stove or in Instant Pot and freeze for later. Or turn it into shredded chicken burrito bowl.

If you love burritos but don’t feel like rolling, make this chicken burrito skillet or Mexican chicken and rice.

We are huge fans of chicken quesadillas and chicken tostadas but the problem is they are not the best for meal prep.

This recipe yields 17 large chicken burritos. We freeze them for healthy lunches to reduce deli meat consumption, and for easy healthy dinners. We pack them on the road. My kids are obsessed with this healthy chicken burrito recipe.

And so are their and our friends who tried them. Better than Chipotle’s!

Ingredients for Chicken Burrito Recipe

To make this chicken burrito recipe you will need just a handful of simple ingredients.

• Brown rice: Unfortunately, white rice requires different cooking time and amount of liquid than cooked brown rice in Instant Pot. But if you are making chicken burritos on a stovetop, you can use white rice. Use the ratio of liquid indicated on the package.
• Black beans: For Instant Pot version, only dried beans you can use are black beans, black eyed peas, small navy beans or pinto beans. When I make black beans in Instant Pot, they take 12 minutes. All other beans cook much longer.
• Chicken breasts: I use fresh or frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts. If you have cooked Instant Pot shredded chicken breast, add it to the mixture after.
• Salsa: Use salsa with a spice level you like. To add more healthy fats use salsa guacamole.
• Corn: Frozen or canned corn works.
• Cheese: Use any soft cheese that you can shred. It melts better and is healthier without extra preservatives found in store-bought shredded cheese. This time I added a bit of smoked gouda. It was the bomb dot com!
• Chicken burrito seasoning: Low sodium taco seasoning, cumin, garlic powder and salt.
• Chicken broth: You can use homemade chicken broth or Instant Pot chicken broth, bouillon cube diluted with water or chicken broth from a carton.
• Veggies: Cilantro, green onion and cabbage instead of lettuce if making chicken burritos for meal prep. For enjoying chicken burrito recipe right away, you can add any veggies.
• Tortillas: I used 10 inch wide whole wheat tortillas. For best experience, you have to use pliable and soft large flour tortillas. Do not use corn tortillas. Some gluten free tortillas are soft too.

How to Make Chicken Burritos on the Stove

Here is a quick overview how to make chicken burritos recipe on the stove.

• Cook rice and chicken: Cook rice with chicken and spices in the pot on the stovetop first. Add canned black beans that have been drained and rinsed.
• Chop herbs and veggies.
• Add canned beans: In a large bowl, shred chicken breasts. Add 2 x 15 ounces cans of rinsed and drained low sodium black beans, shredded chicken and remaining ingredients. Mix.

How to Make Chicken Burritos in Instant Pot

Your Instant Pot is meant for making a huge Instant Pot chicken burritos batch. Just like with Instant Pot rice and beans, you do not have to soak the beans and can cook rice, black beans and chicken at same time.

• Cook the filling: Add all ingredients including dried black beans (no soaking) to the pressure cooker and cook for 20 minutes on high pressure. Do Quick Release.
• Chop herbs and veggies: While rice is cooking, chop cilantro, cabbage, green onion and shred cheese. Get salsa and corn ready. Tear 17 foil sheets.
• Mix: Shred chicken and combine all ingredients in Instant Pot.

How to Wrap Chicken Burritos

Here are a few tips when it comes to wrapping this chicken burrito recipe.

• Set up wrapping station with 17 torn foil sheets, tortillas, chicken burrito filling, toppings and cheese.
• Place tortilla on top of foil. Add 3/4 cup of chicken mixture below the center and close to the edge near you. Top with a bit of shredded cabbage and cheese.
• Fold up the bottom to almost cover the chicken burrito filling. Then fold up edges.
• Roll up tightly. Roll again in foil.

Tips for Best Results

Here are my top tips for the best chicken burritos in the world!

• Veggies variations: Do not use high water content vegetables like tomato, avocado and lettuce. They do not freeze well and make chicken burritos soggy. Pan fry ingredients like bell pepper, onion and zucchini before adding to a filling.
• Cutting recipe in half for Instant Pot: Sure, you can do so but keep same cooking time.
• Types of rice you can use: For stovetop chicken burritos you can use any rice which package indicates cook time of 30 minutes and more. To my knowledge it would be red rice, black rice, purple rice and yellow rice. Wild rice might have to be soaked however wild rice blend will work.
• Using white rice: I have not tested it but I think this chicken burrito recipe will work with white rice. Just follow the recipe and cook everything in a pot for at least 15 minutes and go from there.
• Chicken thighs: You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs. Cook time remains the same, just your chicken burritos will be more flavorful and fatty.

How to Store, Freeze and Reheat Chicken Burritos

Here are my top tips how to freeze and reheat this chicken burrito recipe. It is perfect for meal prep!

• If frozen, always thaw chicken burritos overnight in the fridge.
• Bake at 450 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. It takes a while for baked chicken burritos to get warmed through and cheese to melt. I was surprised as well.
• That’s why I like to broil chicken burritos for 10-15 minutes.
• You can also warm up burritos in a microwave without tin foil. Keep your eye on it as ovens vary. I would start with 2 minutes.

Check out my full list of 20 freezer meals. I’m obsessed!

FAQs

More Mexican Recipes

• Mexican chicken and rice
• Instant Pot shredded chicken tacos
• Tex Mex rice and beans
• Taco skillet
• Chipotle barbacoa

Print

Chicken Burrito Recipe

Chicken Burrito Recipe for busy people! Meal prep 17 chicken burritos in an hour in Instant Pot or on the stove and freeze for later.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 17 burritos

Calories 374kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Ingredients

Add to Cook in Instant Pot:

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice rinsed & drained
• 1 cup dried black beans rinsed & drained (skip if cooking on the stove)
• 2-3 large chicken breasts boneless & skinless
• 2 tbsp taco seasoning low sodium
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups water or low sodium broth

Add After:

• 2 x 15 oz cans of low sodium black beans rinsed and drained (only for stovetop)
• 1 cup salsa
• 2 cups corn frozen or cooked
• 1 bunch cilantro chopped
• 1 bunch green onion chopped
• 12 oz any soft cheese shredded
• 2 cups green or red cabbage thinly shredded
• 17 large whole wheat tortillas

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Stovetop

• In a large pot, add brown rice, chicken breasts, taco seasoning, cumin, garlic powder, salt and chicken broth or water (everything but black beans). Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 45 minutes or until water is absorbed.
• Shred chicken right in the pot. Add canned black beans, salsa, corn, cilantro and green onion. Stir. Your chicken burrito filling is ready.

Instant Pot

• In Instant Pot, add brown rice, black beans, chicken breasts, taco seasoning, cumin, garlic powder, salt and chicken broth or water. No need to stir.
• Close the lid, turn pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 20 minutes. In the meanwhile, chop cilantro and onion; shred cabbage and cheese.
• After Instant Pot has finished cooking, do Quick Release by turning the valve to Venting. If beans look a bit dry on top, it’s OK. They will soak up more liquid as you stir.
• Shred chicken using 2 forks right in the pressure cooker. Then add salsa, corn, cilantro and green onion. Stir. Your chicken and rice burrito filling is ready.

How to Wrap Chicken Burritos

• Tear 17 sheets of aluminum foil for wrapping the burrito.
• Place tortilla on top of foil. Add 3/4 cup of filling below the center and near to the edge closer to you. Top with some shredded cabbage and cheese.
• Fold up the bottom to almost cover the filling. Then fold up the edges. Roll up tightly and then roll again in foil. Picture tutorial above will help.

How to Reheat Chicken Burritos

• If frozen, thaw first overnight in the fridge.
• Bake at 450 F for 20-25 minutes. It takes a while for chicken burritos to get warmed through and cheese to melt. That's why I like to broil for 10-15 minutes.
• You can also warm burritos up in a microwave without tin foil. Keep your eye on it as ovens vary. I would start with 2 minutes.

Video

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate chicken burritos for up to 2-3 days.
• Freeze: Up to 3 months. Reheat as per instructions in recipe card.
• Veggies variations: Do not use high water content like tomato, avocado and lettuce. They do not freeze well and make chicken and rice burrito soggy. Pan fry ingredients like bell pepper, onion and zucchini before adding to a burrito filling.
• Cutting recipe in half for Instant Pot: Sure, you can do so but keep same cooking time.

Nutrition

Serving: 1burrito | Calories: 374kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 692mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g

The post Chicken Burrito Recipe appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

You can also make Instant Pot butter chicken or yellow chicken curry that’s ready in 30 minutes.

Turn your kitchen into an Indian restaurant by making this crockpot butter chicken recipe! The ultimate Indian comfort food made light, healthy, and as a slow cooker recipe for added convenience. Enjoy!

What Is Butter Chicken?

Butter chicken, also called Murgh Makhani, is an authentic Indian curry with tender pieces of chicken simmered in a creamy sauce made with butter, tomato paste, and warm spices. Of course, this is not authentic butter chicken recipe but so good and pretty close!

We also love this low carb butter chicken spaghetti squash!

I’m a strong believer that anyone can make this easy slow cooker butter chicken at home! Add flavor to your weeknight routine and save money by making butter chicken in a crockpot!

Ingredients for Crockpot Butter Chicken

This restaurant quality crockpot butter chicken recipe uses simple ingredients you have on hand right now. No unique, expensive spices needed.

• Chicken: Use fresh or thawed boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 2″ pieces. Chicken thighs work also, see tips and variations below.
• Onion: A diced yellow onion or white onion adds depth of flavor to the sauce.
• Fresh garlic and ginger: Minced garlic and grated ginger. I do not recommend dried ginger for this recipe but you can use it in a pinch.
• Fragrant spices: Curry powder, chili powder, salt, ground black pepper. See recipe card below for measurements. If you like it spicier, add more spices.
• Garam masala: You can replace garam masala with 1 part cumin + 1/4 part allspice or any combination of coriander, cumin, black peppercorns, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg.
• Unsalted butter: Just two tablespoons used to sauté add a richness to the sauce. 
• Coconut milk: From a can for its consistency. I used full fat Thai Kitchen coconut milk.
• Tomato paste: Should be low sodium or no salt added. If what you have isn’t low sodium, decrease amount of salt.
• Maple syrup or honey: Adds a tad of sweetness. Sugar will work too!
• Cornstarch: To thicken the sauce.
• Fresh herbs: If you love fresh cilantro, it’s the perfect garnish for this crockpot butter chicken.

How to Make Butter Chicken in Crockpot

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide of how to make slow cooker butter chicken. With just 10 minutes of prep you can enjoy a delightful restaurant dish in the comfort of your own home.

• Sauté: Preheat a medium size skillet on medium heat and add butter. Once the butter has melted, add chopped onion, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and be sure not to burn.
• Add spices: To the same skillet, add curry powder, garam masala, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 30 seconds, stirring frequently, then transfer to a large slow cooker.
• Add chicken and sauces: Add your chicken, coconut milk, and tomato paste on top and stir to combine.
• Let it cook: Place the lid and cook butter chicken in crockpot on High heat for 2 hours or on Low heat for 4 hours.

You will need 15 minutes before serving to thicken the sauce. See steps below.

• Mix cornstarch and water: In a small bowl, whisk cold water with cornstarch. Add mixture to the butter chicken in slow cooker and stir.
• Let sauce thicken: Cover with the lid and cook on High for an additional 10 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
• Garnish and serve: Serve butter chicken hot on a bed of Instant Pot long grain white rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Tips for Best Results and Variations

Here are some easy tips that will make this slow cooker butter chicken recipe so good you won’t need to order in.

• Make it more spicy or sweet: Using quality spices, fresh make a noticeable difference in taste. You can add more maple syrup if you like sweet butter chicken like they serve at some restaurants. If you like your curry fiery hot, add some red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or chili powder.
• Thicken the sauce without cornstarch: If you prefer not to use cornstarch, let it simmer on high after cooking without the lid.
• Add vegetables: Make crockpot butter chicken a healthy, veggie-loaded dish by adding vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, green beans, sweet potato, or spinach. You can keep it a one-pot meal and cook it all together! I recommend adding any tender veggies towards the end of cooking time.
• Chicken thighs: If using boneless skinless chicken thighs, you will need to add 1 tablespoon extra of cornstarch because chicken thighs can release more juice.
• Avoid thin sauce: Buy quality chicken that has not been injected with water as it can thin out the sauce by releasing water during cooking butter chicken in crockpot. In that case, add 1-2 tablespoons more cornstarch to the slurry.

Serving Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

As for serving suggestions, I would recommend some traditional Instant Pot basmati rice, Instant Pot brown rice or cauliflower rice to go with this butter chicken in crockpot. A warm piece of naan bread is always a favorite.

I also suggest some fresh cilantro or scallions for garnish and sesame seeds, it adds some fresh zest to a rich and creamy sauce.

Some great side veggie options are a healthy cucumber salad that lighten up the meal. Roasted sweet potatoes or garlic green beans add crunch and texture to the dish.

You can add an array of steamed vegetables for a healthy, easy option that helps use up any veggies you have on hand.

How to Store and Make Ahead

Crockpot butter chicken can be frozen, prepared in advance, and makes a great freezer meal!

• Store: Do not leave butter chicken at room temperature longer than 2 hours. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
• Make ahead: Follow steps 1-3, refrigerate in a container for up to 2 days. When ready to cook, start with Step 4 and cook as per further instructions.
• Freezer meal: Follow the recipe up to and including step 3 and freeze uncooked. Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking. Cook on Low for 4-5 hours or on High for 2-3 hours.

FAQs

More Chicken Curry Recipes

• Curry chicken salad
• Thai chicken curry

More Crockpot Chicken Recipes

• Crockpot shredded chicken
• Crockpot chicken breast
• Crockpot chicken thighs
• Crockpot chicken stew
• Crockpot chicken and rice
• Crockpot BBQ pulled chicken
• Crockpot white chicken chili

You can also browse through my entire collection of slow cooker recipes, for more inspiration!

Print

Crockpot Butter Chicken Recipe

Crockpot Butter Chicken Recipe is creamy, rich and packed with Indian flavors. It's a restaurant quality meal made in your slow cooker!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Indian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 229kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Slow cooker

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 2″ pieces
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1-2 tablespoons ginger root grated
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
• 14 ounces can coconut milk full fat
• 6 ounces can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat medium skillet on medium heat and add butter to melt. Add onion, garlic, ginger and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Then add curry powder, garam masala, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Transfer to a large slow cooker.
• Add chicken, coconut milk, tomato paste on top and give it a stir.
• Cover and cook on High heat for 2 hours or on Low heat for 4 hours.
• In a small bowl, whisk cold water with cornstarch, add to slow cooker and stir. Cover with a lid and let butter chicken cook on High heat for 10 minutes or until thickened.
• Serve butter chicken hot on a bed of rice garnished with cilantro.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
• Make ahead: Follow steps 1-3, refrigerate in a container for up to 2 days. When ready to cook, start with Step 4 and cook as per further instructions.
• Freezer meal: Follow the recipe up to and including step 3 and freeze uncooked. Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking. Cook on Low for 4-5 hours or on High for 2-3 hours.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 480mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g

The post Crockpot Butter Chicken appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

You can make Instant Pot Rice and Beans recipe tonight! With dried black beans, no soaking and no sauteing. I have re-tested and updated the recipe in May 2023 as some readers have reported beans were not fully cooked.

Instant Pot chicken and rice and Instant Pot chili are other favorite rice and bean recipes.

Instant Pot Beans and Rice

OK, this healthy Instant Pot rice and beans recipe is a weeknight dinner saver! It’s like Instant Pot black beans meet Instant Pot brown rice and cook together in one pot in under 40 minutes.

There is barely any chopping required and no soaking of dried beans is necessary with this Instant Pot beans and rice recipe. Just like with Instant Pot baked beans, I repeat, you do not need to soak the beans!

And don’t even think about sauteing the onion. Food cooked under pressure comes out more flavorful than cooked on the stovetop. Sauteing is not necessary with many Instant Pot recipes.

Just like you can cook chicken, rice and beans at same time when making chicken burritos.

Are you ready to have healthy dinner on the table in 40 minutes?!

Ingredients for Instant Pot Rice and Beans

This delicious Mexican inspired Instant Pot rice and beans recipe consists of simple ingredients, mostly pantry staples similar to Instant Pot white chicken chili:

• Brown rice
• Dry black beans
• Canned diced tomatoes
• Onion
• Vegetable broth or water
• Spices: Cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and salt.
• Fresh cilantro and green onion (optional)

How to Make Instant Pot Rice and Beans

1. Add All Ingredients to the Instant Pot

1. It is super important to add Instant Pot rice and beans ingredients in the following order to the bottom of the Instant Pot: onion, brown rice, black beans, water or vegetable broth, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and diced tomatoes.
2. Do not change.
3. Do not stir.

2. Cook for 25-30 Minutes

• Close the lid, turn pressure vent to Sealing position and press Pressure Cook on High pressure or Manual for 25 minutes – if you have 8 quart Instant Pot, 30 minutes – if you use 6 quart Instant Pot.
• Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure.
• You can chop cilantro or make cucumber and tomato salad in the meanwhile. It goes amazing with this Instant Pot rice and beans.
• After wait 10 minutes and release remaining pressure using Quick Release method by turning valve to Venting and open the lid.

What If Rice Came Out Mushy or Crunchy?

When it comes to rice cooked in a pressure cooker, it’s a little bit of trial and error method for everyone. Sometimes different varieties of brown rice cook differently. Also rice could be old.

I always use long grain brown rice and buy one brand. Last time my husband bought different brand and it needed maybe 1 more minute cooking. Once you find “your rice” you will know how long it cooks and you can add extra minutes.

If your rice comes out crunchy: Stir, close the lid and let it sit for 20 minutes. It will get there. Also, next time cook Instant Pot rice and beans for 30-35 minutes and let pressure come down on its own. It could be the altitude or rice and beans brand.

Unfortunately, you can’t re-close the lid, cook for extra 2 minutes and say that’ your new cooking time. You have to try recipe from scratch again to find your rice cooking time.

If your rice comes out mushy: Cook a few minutes less next time. Easy-peasy.

Can I Use Natural Release?

You can use Natural Pressure Release where remaining pressure subsides on its own. You can pre-program this recipe and dinner can wait for you on the counter when you get home. Since Instant Pot keeps cooking while releasing pressure slowly, consistency might be a bit more soft. Which is not a big deal. It’s a hearty recipe anyways.

3. Add Cilantro and Stir

• Stir gently. Don’t “attack” Instant Pot rice and beans recipe with a wooden spoon at 100 miles per hour. Husbands are known for that. Stir gently.
• I see some liquid. My beans are “dry”. Don’t panic, just stir. Stirring should take care of extra liquid. If beans or rice is a teeny weeny crunchy, close the lid and let sit for 10 minutes. It will get there.
• Don’t forget to add a small bunch of finely chopped cilantro. It changes everything!

FAQs and Substitutions

Cooking in a pressure cooker is a trial and error method. I test Instant Pot recipes thoroughly because different kinds of rice or beans require different cooking times, for example. For best results, I recommend to follow the recipe.

Below I hope to cover all possible questions about variations and substitutions for Instant Pot rice and beans recipe.

What to Serve Instant Pot Rice and Beans With?

Serve on its own with a dollop of sour cream, squeeze of fresh lime juice on top of the rice and tortilla chips.

• Oven baked chicken breast – lean juicy protein on a side.
• Oven baked chicken thighs – affordable chicken never tasted so good!
• Cucumber and tomato salad – we love the pairing of hearty rice and beans with cool and fresh veggie salad.
• Guacamole – classic, only 5 ingredients, so easy and so much flavor (there is a trick)!
• Air fryer nachos: As a healthy side dish to or even loaded on these cheese air fried nachos!
• Steamed vegetables – Adding vegetables makes these into healthy burrito bowls!

How to Make a Freezer Meal

Instant Pot rice and beans are perfect for meal prep. In a gallon size Ziplock bag, add all ingredients except water finishing with tomatoes on top. Let as much air out as possible, seal and freeze for up to 3 months.

Pressure cook beans and rice in Instant Pot on High pressure from frozen (don’t forget to add water) for 25-30 minutes with Quick Release.

More Rice and Beans Recipes to Try

• Instant Pot long grain white rice
• Instant Pot jasmine rice
• Instant Pot basmati rice
• Instant Pot kidney beans
• Mexican rice and beans with zucchini – great for using up an abundance of zucchini.

More Instant Pot Recipes to Try

• Instant Pot refried beans – with dried beans.
• Instant Pot chicken fried rice – in one pot.
• Instant Pot cabbage rolls – same flavour but without hours spent in the kitchen. Genius!
• Instant Pot chicken wild rice soup – delicious creamy soup without cream!
• Instant Pot jambalaya – one pot weeknight or Sunday dinner.
• Instant Pot mushroom risotto

Print

Instant Pot Rice and Beans

You can make Instant Pot Rice and Beans recipe tonight! With dried black beans, no soaking and no sauteing.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Diet Vegan

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Pressure Up & Down Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 385kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 cups brown rice rinsed
• 1 cup dried black beans rinsed
• 4 cups water or low sodium broth
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 28 ounces can diced tomatoes low sodium
• 1 bunch cilantro finely chopped
• 1/2 cup green onion finely chopped (optional)
• Hot sauce optional

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In Instant Pot, add ingredients in the following order (do not change): onion, brown rice, black beans, water, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and diced tomatoes. Do not stir.
• Close the lid, turn pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual button for 25 minutes – if you have 8 quart Instant Pot, 30 minutes – if you use 6 quart Instant Pot.
• After Instant Pot has finished cooking, wait 10 minutes and release remaining pressure using Quick Release method by turning valve to Venting and open the lid. If you live at altitude 2000 ft and above, use Natural Release to allow pressure subside on its own.
• Add cilantro and green onion (if using) and gently stir. If rice and beans are a bit liquidy or tiny bit crunchy, close the lid and let them sit for 10-20 more minutes.
• Serve warm with hot sauce if desired and our favourite addition – cucumber and tomato salad. We love the pairing of hearty rice and beans with cool and fresh cucumber and tomato salad or guacamole.

Video

Notes

• Recipe retested in May 2023: I have originally cooked this recipe in my 8 quart Instant Pot for 22 minutes and quick release, at a sea level. A few readers have reported that beans were not cooked. I just re-tested the recipe in my 6 quart Instant Pot and it needs 30 minutes cook time with preferably 10 minutes Natural Release. If you live at altitude 2000 feet and above, maybe cook rice and beans in Instant Pot for 30-35 minutes and use Natural Release. Extra time won’t hurt the recipe.
• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
• Freezer Meal: In a gallon size Ziplock bag, add all ingredients except water finishing with tomatoes on top. Let as much air out as possible, seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Pressure cook on High from frozen (don’t forget to add water) for 25-30 minutes with Quick Release. 
• Can I use white rice? No. White rice and brown rice require different amount of liquid and cooking time.
• Beans: Use black beans only, pinto and red beans take longer to cook. No need to soak. Do not use canned beans, liquid ratio will be off.
• Can I add chicken? Yes. Small pieces of chicken breast or thighs added on top of rice will work. No other changes necessary. Kielbasa will too!
• What to do for 3 quart Instant Pot? Cut ingredients in half but keep same cooking time.
• If your rice and beans come out crunchy: Stir, close the lid and let it sit for 20 minutes. It should get there. Also, next time cook for 30-35 minutes and let pressure come down on its own. It could be the altitude or rice and beans brand.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 533mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g

The post Instant Pot Rice and Beans appeared first on iFoodReal.com.