Meal Prep and Meals on The Fly

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It’s been quite some time since I’ve had the time or taken the time to type up a recipe to share, or even to share a life update.  I find myself promising to take the time to share doing what I love doing, which is cooking. Life has been a whirlwind, as it always is when summer hits, and typically I just get exhausted from running, AirVenture, and spending as much time as I can with my family.  In the grand scheme, time with my family is more important than sitting in front of a computer screen typing.  That needs to change!  I post pictures on my Instagram or Facebook and when people ask for the recipe, I never actually take the time to do it, so here we are! 

This is a double whammy! I made up a big batch of meatballs to use for the recipe that I will share, along with stocking the freezer.  The best investment I’ve made is my Food Saver.  Buying meat in bulk and vacuum sealing it for the freezer, has been such a game changer, especially with how expensive groceries are now.  

Onto the good stuff.  This meatball recipe is one I’ve been using for years!  It's so versatile!  I use these for spaghetti and meatballs, Salisbury Steak Meatballs, and now, this new random thrown-together recipe that will be a staple in my house for sure!

MEATBALLS:

Bake Temp: 400 degrees                Recipe Yields: 40-45 meatballs     

Time: 30 minutes total - 10 minutes prep         18-20 minutes – cook time

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs – Ground Beef*
  • 1 Large Onion – diced
  • 3 Eggs – Beaten
  • ¾ cup – Panko Breadcrumbs*
  • 1 tbsp – minced garlic – I just the jarred garlic from Costco
  • 1 tsp – Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp – Onion Powder
  • Salt and Pepper

 

Directions:

  1.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper
  2. In a small bowl, crack your eggs and lightly whisk.
  3. In a large bow, combine the rest of the ingredients, including the eggs.
  4. Mix all ingredients until well combined.
  5. Once combined, form your meatballs. When I make them, they are about a tablespoon to a tablespoon and a half in size.
  6. Place your meatballs on your prepared baking sheet.
  7. Bake the meatball for 18-20 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
  8. Once the meatballs are done, let them cool before you put them in a freezer-safe bag or vacuum seal them.


 

*Notes:

  •  Ground Turkey can be substituted for ground beef.
  • Plain or Italian-style breadcrumbs can be substituted for the Panko Breadcrumbs.
  • When I vacuum seal these for the freezer, I do it by portion size.  For me and my two girls, it's about 10 per bag.

 

Those meatballs are honestly so easy, and so helpful when you’re in a pinch for dinner!  Pull out  a bag of those meatballs, put them in a pot with some spaghetti sauce and within 15-20 minutes, dinner is ready!

Now onto the recipe that took me by surprise!  I had found a recipe on Pinterest for a creamy rice and meatball dish that looked amazing, however, turns out I did not have all the ingredients. So, I took what I did have from the recipe, which was meatballs and rice, and ended up with a dinner that, as mentioned before, will be a staple meal for us.

 

MEATBALLS AND RICE SKILLET:

Ingredients:

  • 10-12 Meatballs (from prior recipe)
  • 2 tbsp – Olive Oil
  • 3 cups – beef broth
  • 1 ½ cups – uncooked rice*
  • ½ yellow onion – diced*
  • ½ tbsp – mince garlic – I use the jarred garlic from Costco
  • 1 packet – Lipton onion soup mix
  • 1 bag – frozen veggies – peas or green beans work best.
  • ½ tsp – Garlic Powder
  • Graded or Shredded Parmesan to top
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions: 

  1.  In a large skillet, heat your olive oil.
  2.  Add your onions and cook until translucent. Then add your garlic until fragrant.
  3.  Add in your rice and cook it with the onions and garlic for about a minute.
  4. Add in your beef broth, Onion soup packet, and garlic powder and mix well.
  5. Add in your meatballs and bring to a boil.
  6. When it begins to boil, turn it down to a medium heat
  7.  Cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed.
  8.   Microwave your frozen veggie of choice and combine it with your meatballs and rice. *
  9.  Add salt and pepper as needed
  10. Top with grated or shredded parmesan cheese and enjoy!


 

*Notes:

  • You can use minute rice if you don’t want to wait as long for the rice to cook.  Just remember that minute rice is a 1:1 ratio.
  • The onion is optional since we are using the Onion Soup mix.
  • Grated parmesan is also optional.  If you have mozzarella, that will work as well.
  • I added my frozen peas about halfway through the rice cooking.  They did not end up mushy and saved me an extra step!


 As always, if you try it, let me know! I love the feedback and opinions!

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