8 Pre-Made, Freezer Bag Meals to Make Your 24 Day Challenge Easier!

Alright!  My Challenge begins on Sunday and I prepped my 8 meals this morning!  So far, I bought all ingredients that I could ahead of time, including meats (to freeze), canned goods, etc.  So now the only things I will have to buy each week are the produce and any additional things I need for breakfast or snacks.  The meals I am providing for you are just dinners... though I am generally able to feed 3 people with each dinner and then I eat leftovers for my lunches.  Generally I eat fresh fruit or vegetables for my daily snacks and either eggs or a meal replacement shake for breakfast.

The full grocery list and menu plan are available at the links below:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0eAYnf1W4h8bFVURFNFYnUxOWs/edit?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0eAYnf1W4h8M21Gdi1KaXhiVDg/edit?usp=sharing

Cost Thusfar: $145.00     (Keep in mind this is most ingredients except produce and a few meat purchases)
Prep Time: 2 hours... which considering how much time it'll save when school starts, not bad at all!

Meals prepped:
Taco Turkey over Dirty Rice
Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Basil and Cherry Tomatoes
Winter Chicken Bake
Turkey Burgers
Chicken Fajitas (This one is so good we're having it twice!)
Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Vegetables and Mushroom Gravy
Roasted Chicken, Potatoes and Vegetable Medley with a Mushroom Gravy







Now, I believe that eating healthy and restrictively can be absolutely delicious so I have careful chosen all of the dishes for my 24 challenge based on personal experience!  So... Get your bags ready!






I started out with making the mushroom gravy because I needed that to cool before I could put it in the freezer bag.

Savory Mushroom Gravy 
This recipe is my own version of SparkRecipes.com's Savory Vegetarian Mushroom Gravy

***since I put gravy in 2 pre-made recipes I doubled the recipe***
2 c. mushrooms (sliced)
2 medium onions (chopped)
4 c. vegetable broth (low sodium)
2 t. soy sauce (liquid aminos)
2 T fresh rosemary
2 t thyme   (if you don't have fresh... you can substitute rosemary and thyme and use an italian seasoning)
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
4 T whole wheat flour

Directions:
In a large saute pan, spray no fat, no calorie cooking spray.  Add onions and cook about 5 minutes, until they turn clear.  Add mushrooms, garlic, soy sauce and herbs.  Saute for about 5 minutes, until onions start browning.  Add flour and stir well. When flour turns light brown- add broth slowly, stirring well.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Continue stirring until mixture coats the back of the spoon, about 5-10 minutes.  I then emulsified my gravy... but you certainly don't have to- I've done it both ways and it's delish no matter what!

Next was mostly just cutting up vegetables and chicken and putting them in bags, with measuring a few spices here and there.


1. Taco Turkey Over Dirty Rice (Rice will be made the day of)

1 package 99% fat free ground turkey
1 Onion, diced
2-3 Tbs.  Low Sodium Taco Seasoning (Recipe on blog) 
2 cans Low sodium Black Beans, drained
1 (14.5oz) can low sodium tomato sauce (I used diced tomatoes and just emulsified them for a few seconds)
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
Combine all ingredients and put in freezer bag










2. Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Basil and Cherry Tomatoes 
This recipe I am making on Day 2... the only prep needed thusfar was to cut the chicken and freeze... on the day of you boil the chicken, add the tomatoes and basil and roast with balsamic vinegar... super easy!

3. Winter Chicken Bake
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts trimmed of fat
1 sweet potato
1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 medium apple - peeled, cored, and chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 TBSP Sugar Free BBQ Sauce (ex: Walden’s Farms)

4. Turkey Burgers

Mix a pound of ground turkey with 1 T minced onion, 2 garlic cloves (minced), and 1 T soy sauce.  I went ahead and split the burgers into sandwich bags this way they are grill-ready... they will be served with a salad and frozen sweet potato fries on Day 6!

5 & 6. Chicken Fajitas (The recipe is not doubled... but I made two of these because we love them!)
3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (cut into strips)

1 large red onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 can Rotel
2 tsp. Chili Powder
1 1/4 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Lemon Juice

Combine all ingredients in freezer bag... ready for the oven!

 7. Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Vegetables and Mushroom Gravy
1 pork tenderloin (these always go BOGO at Harris Teeter so I already had a ton on hand!)
1 sweet potato (cubed)
1 large onion, sliced
3 carrots, diced

Combine potatoes, onion and carrots in freezer bag along with 1/2 of the mushroom gravy you made earlier.  The tenderloin is kept separate because I like to get a little crust on the outside of it before roasting.  I also had some mushrooms leftover from making the gravy... so I sliced and added those as well.

 8. Roasted Chicken with a Vegetable Medley and Mushroom Gravy
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 sweet potatoes, cubed
1 onion, sliced
3 carrots, diced

Add all ingredients in freezer bag along with the other half of the mushroom gravy.

 And there you have it!  8 meals prepped and ready to go.  As I cook the dishes I will post more photos of the finished products along with the full recipes, should you like to cook these meals without freezing them ahead of time!