Itasca Meal Planning 101: High Protein Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Guide #9
Lighter Tater Tot Breakfast Bake
Jaclyn’s favorite comfort food is tater tot hotdish, so she was thrilled to stumble upon this recipe and sent me a text saying guess what I’m making. I guessed wrong (pizza) and should have known better!
Ingredients
1 package Canadian bacon, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
6 eggs
1 cup egg whites
1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt (optional)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1.25 cup reduced fat cheese
2 scallions, chopped
12 oz tater tots
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Chop the Canadian bacon into bite-sized pieces. Dice pepper and onion.
3. Saute the diced pepper and onion.
4. Add the Canadian bacon.
5. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick spray.
6. Add the cooked pepper, onion and Canadian bacon mixture to the bottom of the casserole dish and spread it out on the bottom to cover the entire area.
7. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, egg whites, (yogurt), garlic powder, and kosher salt.
8. Whisk the mixture together to get rid of any clumps and add 1 cup of the cheese (reserve 1/4 cup for the top) and the chopped scallions.
9. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bacon, pepper and onion mixture.
10. Add the still-frozen tater tots to the top of the casserole, covering the entire surface area.
11. Add the remaining cheese on top.
12. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the egg is set up.
13. To reheat from the fridge: microwave to warm through (the tater tots might still be crispy this way) and then use the air fryer, toaster or oven to get it crispy again if needed.
Kale Salad with Quinoa and Chicken
This recipe was quick and easy and worked well for leftovers (sometimes prepared salads do not make great leftovers; the integrity of the kale helps).
Ingredients:
4 c chopped kale
2 c cooked chicken or turkey (canned or Rotisserie would also work great)
1/4 c roasted red peppers, chopped
1/4 c Greek salad dressing (we made our own)
1 oz crumbled feta (optional)
Instructions:
1.) Place kale in large mixing bowl; pour dressing onto kale and massage until tender.
2.) Add chicken, peppers, and feta (if using). Toss.
Shredded Pork Tenderloin (to be used in conjunction with cucumber olive dill salad recipe, listed below)
We used this meat to make "bowls" and used brown rice as the grain; you could easily use millet or quinoa instead. We topped it with cucumber, olive, and dill salad. It made a perfect summer meal and delightful leftovers.
Ingredients:
2 pork tenderloins
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano (double if using fresh)
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 c bone broth
Olive oil or cooking spray
Instructions:
1.) In a small bowl, mix dried spices.
2.) Rub spices onto pork.
3.) Heat oil in large pan or Dutch oven. Add pork and brown on all sides.
4.) Pour broth into crockpot, add minced garlic and stir. Then add browned pork.
5.) Cook on low all day.
6.) Remove meat from crockpot and place on large cutting board. Shred using 2 forks.
Cucumber, Olive, & Dill Salad
Ingredients:
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp dried or 2 Tbsp fresh dill
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
3 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/2 c red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
Instructions:
1.) In a pint jar, combine vinegar, dill, salt; lid and shake.
2.) In a large mixing bowl, combine cukes, red onion, and olives.
3.) Pour vinegarette over veggie concoction and stir.
4.) Chill at least 2 hours.
Rachel Oppitz, ND
&
Jaclyn Rebekah Roberts, NBC-HWC, CIHC
