Paige Kimball from ChopChop Girlshared with us her step-by-step meal prep guide.
Shopping List
Ingredients for Berry Overnight Oat Parfait Jar (5 servings):
- Gluten free oats (30 oz)
- Almond milk (22 oz)
- Yogurt (Greek, almond, or 20 oz)
- Berries, any combination (20 oz)
- Almonds (5 oz)
- Chia, and or toasted coconut (5 oz)
Ingredients for Grilled Southwest Chicken Jar (5 servings):
- Zucchini (1.25 lbs.)
- Red bell peppers (5 oz)
- Cherry tomatoes (5 oz)
- Organic Chicken Breast (40 oz)
- Pico de Gallo (10 oz)
- Quinoa (10 oz dry)
- Southwest Marinade (one bottle)
Other Ingredients:
- Flavorings for oats-vanilla extract
- Flavoring for yogurt-berry
- Mix-in for quinoa: Small can or bag of frozen southwest veggie blend
- Olive Oil
- Sea Salt/Black Pepper
Materials
Now that you have purchased your groceries AND a set of pint-sized glass mason jars (16 oz each), it's time to make sure your kitchen is clean and stocked with the right tools for prepping.
Do You Have...
- A tenderizer for pounding chicken?
- A large bowl for soaking oats?
- A colander for rinsing berries?
- A small fry pan for toasting almonds?
- A large mixing spoon for stirring yogurt and spooning ingredients into jars?
- A wide mouth funnel to help sides of jars stay clean?
- A grill or preheated oven for cooking chicken?
- Metal or silicone tongs for turning meat?
- A second large bowl for marinating chicken?
- A rice cooker or sauce pan with lid for cooking quinoa?
- A steamer or pan insert for steaming zucchini?
- A baking sheet for roasting veggies?
- Extra spoons for stirring: wooden, metal
- Nice but not necessary: large ladle for transferring quinoa, yogurt and oats into jars
Instructions
1. Get It Wet! (Best If Done The Night Before)
- Pound raw chicken while still in package with meat tenderizer, transfer to large bowl and pour just enough southwest marinade to completely coat chicken; cover and set aside
- Pour almond milk over dry oats and add vanilla flavoring and a pinch of sea salt; set aside
- Add water to quinoa and turn rice cooker ON or begin cooking according to instructions
- Wash and drain produce (zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, berries)
2. Dry It Out!
- Get that chicken grilling! (You have 6-8 minutes per side so roasting and toasting can be done between sides)
- Roast veggies by chopping red peppers into 1' chunks and zucchini into .5 inch disks and coating with a little olive oil and sea salt (30 min in 400 degree oven); stir once
- Toast Nuts in fry pan, continually stirring over medium heat till brown
3. Flavor It!
- Flavor Yogurt by stirring flavor directly into yogurt containers
- Take chicken off grill and if desired toss in some fresh marinade from the bottle; let it rest while arranging jars for filling
4. Contain It!
- Place clean, two sets of ten open mason jars on counter.
- Place all ingredients in order of filling for each recipe on counter in assembly line fashion:
- STATION ONE: Ten jars>Soaked oats>flavored yogurt>dry berries>toasted nuts/coconut/chia near first ten jars
- STATION TWO: Ten jars>Cooked quinoa>cubed chicken>pico>roasted veggies
- Using wide mouth funnel, place measured amount of each ingredient in jar in succession
- When jars are filled, wipe rims with warm wet cloth and screw on lid; label if desired
