Holiday Helper Recipes

Our favorite freezer-ready helpers are soups, stews, chilis and meatballs. We are sharing them with you today. They are all delicious whole food recipes that are pretty easy. One breakfast, one lunch, one snack, and one dinner to try.

All of these freeze well. Let us know if you like them!

Breakfast: Baked Strawberry-Almond Oatmeal Bake
Serves 4 | Calories 178, Carbs 23g, Fat 9g, Protein 6g

1 ½ cups rolled oats
½ cup sliced almonds
1 lb. strawberries
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups almond milk
3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil large baking dish or 8-inch ovenproof pan. Spread oats evenly in the prepared dish. Sprinkle with almonds and top with strawberries in an even layer. In a bowl, whisk together the syrup, salt, and spices. Add the eggs and whisk to combine. Add almond milk and melted butter and whisk until blended. Pour evenly over the oat mixture. Bake until the oats are very tender and the liquid thickens, 30 to 35 minutes.

Lunch: Herby White Bean Soup
From Well + Good | Serves 4, 1 ¼ cups | Calories 380, Fat 8g, Protein 14g

2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic
3 15oz. cans cannellini beans
2 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth
1 medium zucchini, grated
2 cups spinach, finely chopped
½ lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 pinch crushed red pepper
freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Before you begin, pour one of the cans of cannellini beans (with its liquid) into a blender and purée until smooth. Drain the other two cans of beans. Mince the garlic and add it to a soup pot with olive oil. Sauté garlic over medium for about one minute, or just until the garlic is very fragrant.

Add the puréed cannellini beans, the other two cans of drained beans, broth, rosemary, thyme, crushed red pepper, and some freshly cracked pepper. Stir to combine. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium low, remove the lid, and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Smash the beans slightly to thicken the soup even more. Taste the soup and add salt if needed (I did not add any, this will depend on the salt content of your broth).

Snack: Apple Muffins
Makes 9 muffins | Calories 218, Carbs 16g, Fat 15g, Protein 6g

2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 large apple grated and drained
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 eggs
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease or line muffin tin. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Toss grated apple with lemon juice in medium bowl. Add remaining wet ingredients and combine. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Using a large ice cream or cookie scoop, fill muffin cups ¾ full. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Dinner: Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken Meatballs
Modified from Danielle Walker | 36, serving size 4 | Calories 140, Carbs 2g, Fat 9g, Protein 13g

Pesto (no-dairy version):
1/3 cup toasted walnuts
2 cups chopped basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup olive oil

Meatballs:
2 pounds ground chicken (or sub turkey)
½ tsp salt
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tbsp basil, chopped
¼ cup gf breadcrumbs
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Prep a cooking sheet with parchment paper. Make the pesto: place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth (or buy, in a pinch). Mix the ground chicken, pesto, and the rest of the meatball ingredients. Make balls and bake for 25-30 minutes until the meat is cooked through.

For more healthy seasonal tips and recipes, visit healthynestnutrition.com/blog/. Need a hand finding your personalized nutrition plan? Book a free 20-minute consultation with Healthy Nest Nutrition owner Robin Hutchinson to see if our programs are right for you.