A Grateful Meal

Meal Prep

Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs Recipe

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These Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs are quick and easy to make, not to mention super tender and flavorful! This is a great all-purpose recipe that can be used in multiple dishes.

Everyone loves meatballs. They’re so versatile! You can put any type of sauce you want with the meatballs, and it seems like you have an entirely different food. Use them in marinara, and it’s the classic Italian spin, or you can use teriyaki sauce, and it’s got a bit of an Asian flair. You can use them as an appetizer or a main dish to pair with sides.

These Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs are a great all-purpose recipe. They make 12 larger meatballs, but you can certainly roll them into 24 mini meatballs that you can use for soups like Italian Wedding Soup or as an appetizer. Plus, these meatballs are made in the air fryer, which you know how much I love my air fryer.

Ingredients:

Ingredients for air fryer turkey meatballs in a yellow bowl on a white background.

Ground turkey: Turkey is one of my favorite meats to make meatballs, but you can certainly substitute other ground meats if you prefer.

Egg: This helps bind the meatball together.

Panko breadcrumbs: This kind of breadcrumb is much bigger than regular breadcrumbs, giving the meatball a less dense and more airy texture.

Parmesan cheese: Parmesan cheese makes everything better, am I right? I’m all for easy swaps and buying pre-cut things whenever needed, but grating the parmesan yourself yields a superior taste, in my opinion, compared to pre-grated parmesan cheese.

Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, and Worcestershire sauce are my go-to seasonings for meatballs.

Olive oil: Since ground poultry is relatively lean, I like to add a little bit of fat back into the meatballs with some olive oil. Fat helps with feeling satisfied from food, which is one of the Intuitive Eating principles. You can skip the olive oil though if you swap for a fattier cut of ground meat like pork or beef.

A black air fryer basket with 4 turkey meatballs inside.

How to Make Air Fryer Meatballs

You can put all of the ingredients in one big bowl. I typically mix everything together with my (clean) hands as it’s much easier to get all of the ingredients evenly distributed rather than using a mixing spoon or spatula. No one wants to bite into a chunk of breadcrumbs because the ingredients weren’t evenly mixed. Also, don’t overwork the mixture. When you’re mixing together all of the ingredients, be careful not to overmix. If you do, the meatballs might become tough. Mix just long enough for the ingredients to be evenly distributed.

I usually use a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop to scoop out the mixture from the bowl to get uniform meatballs. They will cook more uniformly when they are uniform in shape.

I preheat my air fryer so that when I put the meatballs in the air fryer, they’ll get a light sear on the bottom. After cooking them for about 10 minutes or until they reach 165 degrees F internally, the air fryer turkey meatballs are ready to be tossed in your favorite sauce.

White plate of air fryer turkey meatballs on a white background with a blue and white napkin on the side.

Why use the Air Fryer for Meatballs?

Air frying works so well because it uses very hot air that circulates rapidly around the food. This allows the food to crisp or sear quickly. When we sear meat, we lock in the moisture. When moisture seeps out, we can get dried out meatballs, which aren’t pleasant. Air fryers is just a small convection ovens, but they are an incredibly easy and efficient way of cooking, which is exactly why I have so many air fryer recipes on my site.

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Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs

White plate of air fryer turkey meatballs on a white background with a blue and white napkin and a white bowl of tomato sauce on the side on the side.
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These Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs are quick and easy to make, not to mention super tender and flavorful! This is a great all-purpose recipe that can be used in multiple dishes.

  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 12 meatballs (or 24 mini meatballs) 1x
  • Category: meatballs, dinner, appetizer
  • Method: air fryer

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat air fryer at 400 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl until all is evenly distributed.
  2. Divide the meat into 12 (or 24 for mini meatballs) equal balls. Place in air fryer basket and cook for 10-12 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees. Serve with your favorite sauce. 

Keywords: meatballs, dinner, appetizer

Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls

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These Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls are the perfect crowd-pleasing dinner and are super easy to meal prep for the week.

This recipe for hibachi-style shrimp rice bowls is based on American Japanese steakhouse restaurant-style food. This recipe certainly isn’t authentic Japanese food, but I do enjoy it.  Shrimp and vegetables sautéed in soy sauce with fried rice and creamy yum yum sauce? Yes, please.

Three white bowls side-by-side filled with fried rice, yum yum sauce, and hibachi shrimp and vegetables

Ingredients

Butter: The butter is divided up to cook the shrimp, vegetables, and rice separately. Given how salty soy sauce is, I would recommend unsalted butter as to have more control over the salty flavor.

Shrimp: I usually will get the EZ peel raw shrimp. It’s a reasonable price, and as the name implies, it’s very easy to peel. Plus, all of the shrimp are already deveined.

Soy sauce: I don’t find much taste difference between regular soy sauce and reduced sodium. In an effort for gentle nutrition that doesn’t compromise on taste, I usually go for the reduced-sodium version.

Vegetables: You’ll need a medium zucchini and onion. You’ll also need frozen peas and carrots too. You don’t need to thaw the frozen vegetables first – they’re small, so they cook quickly from frozen.

Egg: The egg is used for frying the rice.

Rice: Use any rice you prefer, but I like to use the microwave rice packets for a quick hack. After I cook it in the microwave, I pop it in the freezer while I work on the rest of the dish. Cold rice fries up better than hot or warm rice. You don’t want to spend 30+ minutes cooking rice and then have to allow time for it to cool down. Go for the 90-second packets; you’ll thank me.

Sauce ingredients: Mayo, ketchup, garlic powder, paprika, and a few dashes of hot sauce are all you need to make an easy yum yum sauce. If you don’t want to bother, you can totally just use the store-bought yum yum sauce.

Close up of the hibachi shrimp and vegetables in a white bowl.

How to Make Hibachi Shrimp and Vegetables

Hibachi shrimp is very easy to make. Ensure that the shrimp are patted dry with paper towels, so they get a nice sear in the skillet. The pan should be quite hot over medium-high heat. You first melt the butter, then add the shrimp in a single layer, preferably. After a minute or so, you’ll flip the shrimp and add 2 tbsp. of soy sauce. Allow the soy sauce to evaporate mostly. The shrimp are done when they are mostly pink, and their tail and head have coiled towards each other. You’ll set aside the shrimp and wipe the pan if necessary, then repeat the same process for the onion and zucchini. You don’t want to pile everything on at the same time in the skillet as the vegetables sweat out moisture that would affect the shrimp’s sear.

Close up of a hibachi shrimp rice bowl with yum yum sauce on top and a gray napkin and fork on the side.

How to Make Hibachi Fried Rice

In the same large skillet, you’ll add more butter and fry an egg, breaking the yolk and scrambling. You’ll then add the cooled rice along with the frozen peas and carrots, followed by 2 tbsp. of soy sauce. Keep moving the food around the skillet until everything is hot.

How to Make Yum Yum Sauce

You simply need to mix all of the ingredients and set the sauce aside. If you’re working ahead, I would make this in advance and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. The flavors will have more time to marinate and create a better flavor.

How to Prepare Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls for Meal Prep

After you prepare each component (shrimp, vegetables, rice, and sauce), keep everything in separate containers until you’re ready to use. If you’re going to pack the shrimp bowls for a to-go meal or lunch, then I would combine the vegetables and rice together in the same container to reheat in the microwave. I would keep the shrimp in a separate container and put the cold shrimp on top (shrimp don’t taste or smell great microwaved) after the vegetables and rice are reheated. Lastly, keep the yum yum sauce in a separate container and pour on top right before eating.  

Two hibachi shrimp rice bowls on a white background and in white bowls. On the side there is a pan of shrimp and vegetables as well as yum yum sauce with a white spoon.
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Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls

Close up of hibachi shrimp rice bowl and other bowls in the background.
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  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner, lunch, meal prep, seafood
  • Method: stir-fry
  • Cuisine: Japanese-American

Ingredients

Scale

Yum yum sauce

  • ½ cup mayo
  • 2 tbsp. ketchup
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. paprika
  • Few dashes of hot sauce or to taste (optional)

Shrimp and vegetables

  • 3 tbsp. of unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 lb. of raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and patted dry
  • 4 tbsp. soy sauce, divided
  • 1 medium zucchini, sliced
  • 1 small-medium onion, chopped

Fried rice

  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups of frozen peas and carrots, unthawed
  • 4 cups of cooked rice, cooled
  • 2 tbsp. of soy sauce

Instructions

  1. Make yum yum sauce by mixing together the mayo, ketchup, garlic powder, paprika, and hot sauce (if using) in a bowl. Set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp. of butter. Cook shrimp in butter for about 1 minute on each side. Add 2 tbsp. of soy sauce and cook until the soy sauce is mostly evaporated. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.
  3. Dry out the large skillet with a paper towel if necessary. Heat another 1 tbsp. of butter in the same skillet and add the onion and zucchini. Saute for about 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent and the zucchini is softened. Add another 2 tbsp. of soy sauce and cook until the sauce is mostly evaporated. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  4. Dry out the large skillet if necessary again. Heat another 1 tbsp. of butter in skillet.  Add egg, breaking the yolk and scrambling it. Add cooled rice and frozen vegetables. Saute for about 2-3 minutes and add 2 tbsp. soy sauce. Stir fry for additional 2-3 minutes or until warmed throughout.
  5. Assemble the bowl by layering the fried rice, vegetables, and shrimp and drizzling the yum yum sauce on top.

Notes

How to Prepare Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls for Meal Prep

After you prepare each component (shrimp, vegetables, rice, and sauce), keep everything in separate containers until you’re ready to use. If you’re going to pack the shrimp bowls for a to-go meal or lunch, then I would combine the vegetables and rice together in the same container to reheat in the microwave. I would keep the shrimp in a separate container and put the cold shrimp on top (shrimp don’t taste or smell great microwaved) after the vegetables and rice are reheated. Lastly, keep the yum yum sauce in a separate container and pour on top right before eating.  

Keywords: hibachi shrimp, rice bowl

Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl

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This Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl is one of the easiest meals you can put together. It’s a great option for meal prep for the week and makes an easy lunch or dinner.

I am so excited to share this Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl. You can make everything just for this meal, or it’s a great way to use up leftover shredded chicken or rice. It’s got the classic buffalo spice, and it’s paired with a cabbage slaw that is coated in a tangy, dill dressing that is very similar to ranch dressing.

Close up of a buffalo chicken rice bowl.

Ingredients

Rice: You can use any rice you like. White or whole grain, go with whatever makes you happy or you have on hand.

Cabbage slaw mix: Any bag of cabbage slaw mix will do. If you want to change it up, you can opt for other types of slaw such as the kale or broccoli slaw mixes – those would taste good as well.

Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt makes an excellent base for a slaw dressing. Just make sure you get the plain and not flavored. It adds a lovely buttermilk like taste to the slaw dressing – making it like buttermilk ranch.

Mayo: Use any kind you like to mix with the Greek yogurt. When I don’t have homemade mayo on hand,  I’m team Duke’s Mayo all the way.

Apple cider vinegar: This adds an extra tang to the dressing.

Honey: Obviously, this adds the sweetness, but you can sub agave nectar if you prefer.

Seasonings: Garlic powder, dried dill, salt, and pepper are the key seasonings to the slaw dressing. They’re the basics for that ranch flavor.

Buffalo wing sauce: I personally like Frank’s Wing Sauce (not the original Frank’s Hot).

Melted butter: The wing sauce has some butter flavor to it, but I like to add a little extra melted butter to add to the sauce for the chicken.

Toppings: A little avocado and cilantro add extra creaminess and a kick of freshness to the rice bowl.

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowls

This recipe is fairly straight forward. You make the rice and have the chicken already cooked and shredded. The biggest part is making the slaw. You’ll make the slaw dressing by mixing the Greek yogurt, mayo, vinegar, and seasonings together and toss the shredded cabbage with the dressing. Then you’ll toss the cooked chicken with the buffalo sauce and melted butter. The only part left is to layer the bowl with the rice, chicken, slaw, and toppings of avocado and cilantro.

Overhead view of the buffalo chicken rice bowl on a white background.

Tips for Prepping Ahead and Adapting

I really like having an easy prepped or pre-made protein and carb source to have around to use in recipes like this throughout the week. I like to make this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken, or sometimes, I’ll buy the pre-shredded chicken from Costco or get a rotisserie chicken and shred it myself. The same goes with the carb source, I’ll make a batch of rice in my instant pot (like this one), but mostly, I’ll get instant rice or the 90-second microwave rice. All of these options work great for recipes like this.

To make this extra easy, I buy the pre-shredded coleslaw mix rather than shredding up cabbage myself. You can do that if you want, but that will add some time. That’s how life is though – sometimes, I have a lot of time to make things myself, and others I need some pre-made items to help me along. No shame in either, and you can still bang out a completely nutrient-dense meal with minimal effort. I love recipes like this for that exact reason. If you opt for mostly the pre-prepped/convenient items, then you’ll only have to mix up the sauces. If you want to it be extra easy, you can also opt not to make the slaw dressing and go with your favorite store-bought ranch. It’s all adaptable to your individual needs and desires.

Close up of two buffalo chicken rice bowl with an avocado and a napkin on the side on a white background.
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Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl

Close up of two buffalo chicken rice bowl with an avocado and a napkin on the side on a white background.
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  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
  • Category: meal prep, dinner

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups of uncooked rice
  • 1 bag of cabbage slaw mix (12–16 oz.)
  • 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup mayo
  • 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. dried dill
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 ½ lb. cooked and shredded boneless, skinless chicken (like this recipe here)
  • Buffalo wing sauce, to taste
  • 1 tbsp. butter, melted                                                          
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 2–3 tbsp. of fresh cilantro (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cook rice to package’s instructions.
  2. Prepare the slaw: Mix Greek yogurt, mayo, apple cider vinegar, honey, garlic powder, and dried dill together in a bowl. Toss dressing with cabbage slaw—season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. In a separate bowl, toss the cooked shredded chicken with melted butter and enough buffalo wing sauce to coat or to taste.
  4. Layer each bowl with a layer of cooked rice and top with slaw, buffalo chicken, avocado, and cilantro

Keywords: buffalo chicken, meal prep, rice bowl

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

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This instant pot shredded chicken is an easy way to meal prep a source of protein for the week and can be used in countless recipes.

I got my Instant Pot about five years ago. I didn’t even know what it was – my brother-in-law got me one for Christmas. I definitely thought I wouldn’t use it. Boy, I was wrong – I use it all the time and will never give it up. This recipe is the one that I probably make the most. Before I got my Instant Pot, I was terrible at remembering to pull out chicken from the freezer a day or two ahead of time then cooking it. With this recipe, you don’t even have to thaw the chicken. It makes a last-minute meal come together in no time.

View of two raw chicken breasts in chicken broth with seasonings in an instant pot to make instant pot shredded chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken: I like skinless, boneless chicken breast the best. You can use bone-in chicken, but I would advise against skin-on as it will probably not be so good. You could sub in skinless chicken thighs if you like dark meat. Sometimes, I’ll use a combination of breasts and thighs. You can use fresh or frozen chicken breast; it just takes a little longer for the instant pot to pressurize with the frozen chicken.

Chicken broth or stock: My favorite is Kitchen Basics Unsalted – it has such a deep flavor for store-bought. I choose the unsalted so I can better control the salt in my food.

Seasonings: If you’re planning on using the shredded chicken in other recipes, you can opt for basic seasonings like salt, pepper, garlic or onion powder, paprika, etc.

You can add other seasonings to the instant pot if you’d like to jazz it up a bit.

For an Italian spin: Add 1 tbsp. of Italian seasoning before cooking. After cooking, squeeze the juice of half of a lemon on top.

For a Cajun spin: Add 1 tbsp. of Cajun seasoning.

For a Latin/Mexican spin: Add 1 tbsp. taco seasoning before cooking. After cooking, squeeze the juice of half of a lime on top.

For an Indian spin: Add 1 tbsp. of garam masala and 1 tsp. of ground ginger.

A glass dish filled with instant pot shredded chicken on a white background with two forks on the side.

How to Make Shredded Chicken in the Instant Pot

First, you add the chicken to the instant pot, followed by the broth and your desired seasonings. You’ll put the lid on and make sure the steam valve is sealed. You’ll cook on high pressure for 15 minutes and allow a natural release for about 5-10 minutes. After you pull the chicken out, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces using two forks. You can season the chicken with additional seasonings or citrus juice, as detailed above.

The chicken will keep in the fridge for about 3-4 days or up to 6 months in the freezer.

How to Use Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

Many recipes, especially soups, casseroles, and meal prep bowls, call for simple shredded chicken breast. Having some of this instant pot shredded chicken on hand makes all of these recipes that much easier. A couple of recipes of mine that work well include:

A glass dish filled with instant pot shredded chicken on a white background.
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Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

Overview of instant pot shredded chicken in the instant pot bowl.
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  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25-35 minutes
  • Total Time: 30-40 minutes
  • Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
  • Category: meal prep
  • Method: instant pot

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2–3 lbs. of skinless, boneless chicken (breast and/or thighs)
  • 1 cup of chicken broth or stock
  • Salt and pepper, to taste and/or other seasonings as desired (see notes)

Instructions

  1. Add the chicken to the instant pot, followed by the broth/stock and your desired seasonings.
  2. Put on the lid and make sure the steam valve is sealed. Cook on manual high pressure for 15 minutes and allow a natural release for about 5-10 minutes.
  3. Remove chicken and shred into bite-size pieces using two forks. Season chicken with additional seasonings and/or citrus juice if desired.

 

Notes

The chicken will keep in the fridge for about 3-4 days or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Seasoning suggestions:

  • For an Italian spin: Add 1 tbsp. of Italian seasoning before cooking. After cooking, squeeze the juice of half of a lemon on top.
  • For a Cajun spin: Add 1 tbsp. of Cajun seasoning.
  • For a Latin/Mexican spin: Add 1 tbsp. taco seasoning before cooking. After cooking, squeeze the juice of half of a lime on top.

  • For an Indian spin: Add 1 tbsp. of garam masala and 1 tsp. of ground ginger.

Keywords: shredded chicken, chicken, instant pot, meal prep

Turkey Taco Bowl

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This Turkey Taco Bowl is a super easy dinner and does well for meal prep. You can also swap the ground turkey for leftover turkey meat from Thanksgiving dinner.  

Who doesn’t love a good taco bowl? Filled to the brim with warm rice and beans, savory meat, spicy condiments, and creamy toppings, it’s one of my favorite meals. It’s also one of the best comfort foods and so easy to make. This recipe uses ground turkey, which is flavored with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. You can also adapt this recipe to use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving when you’re feeling tired of leftovers. Of course, this works for any type of ground meat or meat substitute as well.

Close up of the turkey taco bowl with avocado, corn, black beans, tomatoes and sour cream

Ingredients

Rice: You can use any rice you like, but to make this recipe even faster – you can use instant rice (brown or white). It’s just rice that is parboiled, so it cooks faster (usually within 10 minutes) on the stovetop.  

Lime juice: You’ll use some of the juice to season the cilantro-lime rice, and you’ll use the remaining juice to season the turkey.

Cilantro: This gives the rice and the turkey a nice fresh taste that goes perfectly with the lime juice.  

Turkey: This recipe calls for ground turkey, but you can also use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving to give leftovers new life. Of course, you could try other ground meat or meat alternatives instead, if you prefer.  

Chipotles in adobo sauce: Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapenos in a richly flavored adobo sauce. These come in a can in the Latin section of the grocery store. You’ll use one pepper from the can as well as a tablespoon of the sauce itself.

Seasonings: This recipe uses garlic cloves, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt/pepper. All of which are the basis of many Latin/Mexican-inspired dishes.

Toppings: Use whatever toppings you like. Some of my favorites are black beans, corn, cheese, sour cream, jarred salsa, avocado or guacamole, fresh tomatoes and/or peppers, and extra limes for squeezing on top of the bowl.

Close up of the turkey taco bowl with avocado, corn, black beans, tomatoes and sour cream

How to Make Turkey Taco Bowls

Once you have your rice cooked according to its package’s instructions, you’ll season it with lime and cilantro. To cook the meat, you’ll start by sauteing the garlic and the chipotle pepper in its adobo sauce. You’ll then add your ground turkey to cook and break it up with a spoon until it’s thoroughly cooked. If you’re using already cooked leftover turkey meat, you’ll just need to cook it long until to become warm. The meat is also seasoned with garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano while it cooks. Once it’s done, you’ll squeeze the rest of the lime juice on top. After layering the rice in the bowl with the meat on top, you’ll layer on any toppings you want to use. And that’s it – you have a Turkey Taco Bowl!

How to Meal Prep a Turkey Taco Bowl

If you’re using this recipe for meal prep, I would layer the rice, turkey, black beans, corn, or anything you would want to reheat up in the bowl when the time comes. I would put any dairy (like cheese or sour cream), avocado (or guacamole), jarred salsa, fresh tomatoes, and extra limes in a separate container to be added to the taco bowl once it’s reheated. Of course, you’ll store everything in the fridge until you’re ready to reheat.

overview of turkey taco bowl with tomatoes, cilantro and avocado on the side on a white background.
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Turkey Taco Bowl

overview of turkey taco bowl with tomatoes, cilantro and avocado on the side on a white background.
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  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
  • Total Time: 25-35 minutes
  • Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
  • Category: meal prep, dinner, lunch

Ingredients

Scale
  • Cilantro Lime Rice
    • 1 cup of rice
    • Juice of 1 lime
    • Handful of cilantro chopped
  • Chipotle Turkey
    • 1 tbsp. olive oil
    • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
    • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, chopped
    • 1 tbsp. adobo sauce (from the can of chipotles)
    • 1 lb. of ground turkey (or leftover turkey meat, chopped)
    • 2 tsp. chili powder
    • 1 tsp. cumin
    • ½ tsp. dried oregano
    • Salt/pepper, to taste
    • Juice of half a lime
  • Toppings of your choice like black beans (drained and rinsed), corn (drained and rinsed), cheese, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), jarred salsa, avocado, fresh tomatoes, and extra limes

Instructions

  1. Make rice according to packages instructions. Once the rice is done, squeeze the juice of half of a lime and fold in cilantro. Set aside.
  2. While rice is cooking, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, add garlic, chipotle pepper, and adobo sauce. Saute for about 1 minute. Add ground turkey (or leftover turkey meat) and season with chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt/pepper. Sauté until ground turkey is cooked through (breaking it up as it cooks), or the leftover turkey meat is warmed. Squeeze the remaining half of lime juice over the meat and remove from heat.
  3. Layer a bowl with rice, meat, and toppings. Serve.

Notes

If you’re using this recipe for meal prep, I would layer the rice, turkey, black beans, corn, or anything you would want to reheat up in the bowl when the time comes. I would put any dairy (like cheese or sour cream), avocado (or guacamole), jarred salsa, fresh tomatoes, and extra limes in a separate container to be added to the taco bowl once it’s reheated. Of course, you’ll store everything in the fridge until you’re ready to reheat.

Keywords: thanksgiving leftovers, turkey, chipotle, taco bowl

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

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This post contains links that pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

This Creamy Chicken Enchilada soup is warm, slightly spicy, and so comforting. It’s loaded with veggies and chicken in a creamy enchilada broth.

I love making soups. They’re fabulous for meal prep because they’re so easy to double and save some for leftovers for later. They freeze well too! Sometimes when I’m strategizing with my clients, we talk through practical ways to plan for the week ahead. We’ll discuss what’s on the schedule and what barriers there might be in making sure that they have satisfying meals for the week ahead. One of those ways is to make something once and eat it multiple times throughout the week. Soup like this Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup is perfect for this type of challenge. Plus, it only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.

Close up of creamy enchilada soup with a spoon in the bowl

Ingredients

Onion and garlic: These are the basis for all good soups. If you’re really short on time, buy the pre-cut onions and minced garlic to save some extra time chopping.

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: These are my favorite thing to add to Latin-inspired dishes. They’re smoked jalapeno peppers in this rich, smokey sauce. You can buy them in a can or jar – I like the resealable jar personally because you can close them back up easily and put them in the fridge for when you need more. A little goes a long way with these peppers.

Chicken stock: My go-to stock brand is Kitchen Basics Unsalted Chicken Stock. I posted about it recently on my weekly grocery finds on my Instagram account.  

Enchilada sauce: If you have homemade, that’s fine, but I used a canned variety from the grocery store. It was perfect.

Black beans: Just one can will do, but you could add two to pump up the protein and fiber. If you want to help cut the sodium, give the beans a good rinse before adding them to the pot.  

Corn: I used a small can of corn, but you can also use frozen corn.  

Seasonings: I used cumin, chili powder, and oregano for flavors. I skipped adding salt since there was plenty in the canned enchilada sauce and black beans.  

Cooked, shredded chicken breast: I like to make shredded chicken to have on hand throughout the week, and this is a perfect way to use it up. If you’re in a hurry, you can buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred it to add to the soup instead.

Cream cheese: This is what gives it the creaminess. Adding things like cream cheese to dishes may not be seen as “healthy,” but adding fun ingredients like this can help us feel more satisfied with our food. Finding satisfaction is one of the principles of Intuitive Eating. Grab my free ebook on this topic to help you discover a more satisfying way of eating and approaching health.

Toppings: This is another way you can add satisfaction and variety to this soup. Pick your favorites: crunch tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, creamy avocado, or tangy sour cream all go really well in this soup.  

How to Make Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

This soup is on the table in less than 30 minutes, thanks to the pre-cooked chicken. First, you’ll saute the onions for a few minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients except for the cream cheese and 1 cup of the stock. About 5 minutes before the soup is done, you’ll blend the remaining stock with the cream cheese and add it to the soup to simmer for the last 5 minutes. Boom. Dinner is less than 30 minutes.

Overview of creamy enchilada soup with a spoon in the bowl on a white countertop

Creating Satisfying Meals

One of the reasons that I love this recipe is that it combines so many of the flavors and textures that I love. It’s a great recipe to have in my back pocket when time is tight, and I need something satisfying quick. Learning how to do that is a skill that has been so helpful in Intuitive Eating – listening to my body’s desires and preferences for food while still giving myself the nutrition that I need.

Close up of creamy enchilada soup with a spoon in the bowl on a white countertop
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Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

Overview of two bowls of creamy enchilada soup with a spoon in the bowl on a white countertop
Print Recipe
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
  • Category: Soup, Tex-Mex, Chicken
  • Cuisine: Soup

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp. chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
  • 3 cups of chicken stock, divided
  • 1 (10 oz.) can of enchilada sauce
  • 1 (15.5 oz.) can of black beans
  • 1 (8.5 oz.) can of corn
  • 1 tbsp. cumin
  • 1 tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 lb. of cooked, shredded chicken breast
  • ½–1 block of cream cheese
  • Toppings of choice: sliced jalapenos, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in large soup or stockpot over medium-high heat. Saute onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and chipotle peppers and saute for 1 minute longer.
  2. Add 2 cups of chicken stock, enchilada sauce, black beans, corn, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and cooked/shredded chicken breast. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, and cook for about 20 minutes.  
  3. About 5 minutes before ingredients are done, blend cream cheese and remaining 1 cup of chicken stock together in a blender. Add to soup and cook for about 5 minutes longer. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Keywords: Soup, Enchilada, Chicken