Meal Plan Week 34 still has us catching up from when Rob was ill a couple of weeks ago. We will be doubling and freezing what soups we can and the falafel patties. Our freezer is running low on prepped meals and It may be a long winter with the way the kids’ classmates are falling sick. I want to make sure the family has food ready in case we are hit again and need to just pull freezer meals out.
Meal Plan Week 34
Monday - Chicken Baked in Tomato Sauce served over Rice with Green Beans
Tuesday - Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup
Wednesday - Carrot Lox on Bagels With A Green Salad
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Fully Loaded Potato Soup
Saturday - Falafel Burgers and Potato Salad
Sunday - Daiya Pizza
Meal Plan Week 34 In-Depth and Top Tips
Monday
Meal Chicken Baked in Tomato Sauce and Rice with Green Beans
This is a super easy dinner. In an enamelled dutch oven, heat some olive oil over medium heat and brown 4- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs to get a nice seared light brown colour.
Remove the chicken and lower the heat to saute 1 medium onion, diced and 4- 5 garlic cloves, minced. Cook until translucent. Then add in 1 can of plain tomato sauce and ½ can worth of water. Stir well.
Add ½ teaspoon each of salt, dried oregano, thyme, ¼ teaspoon each of pepper, dried rosemary, sage, and basil. Stir in 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Add back in the chicken, cover, and bake at 425F for 20 mins. Uncover and continue to bake for 5 mins or until the chicken is 165F internally.
We will make a pot of rice to have with this as this dish reminds Rob of how his mum made pork chops as a kid. She always served it with rice so we serve this dish with rice.
We will have some simple steamed frozen beans as a side with this dinner. Check that the ones near you are not packaged in a plant with allergens as we have found some that are near us.
Brand We Have Found:
Top Tip:
Save the extra sauce if all the chicken is eaten and serve with gluten free pasta as a quick meal. It freezes well.
How to pack it for lunch the next day:
Reheat the chicken and tomato sauce together in a frying pan with a couple of tablespoons of water, if needed. Cover the pan with a well fitting lid and heat over medium heat for 4-5 mins. Remove the lid and let any remaining water cook off, about 2 -3 mins. Make sure the chicken is heated through properly. Place the chicken and sauce in a thermos that has been warmed by hot water and drained.
To heat this meal up if a microwave is available, send the meal in a microwave safe container. When heating, open the container or place it loosely over the dish to vent. Microwave for 1 minute 20 seconds, check it is all heated through and heat by 25 seconds longer, as needed.
The chicken can also be eaten cold in the sauce. If doing this, pack an ice pack to keep the chicken chilled.
We don’t reheat rice as it can lead to food borne illness. Instead we will send a toasted gluten free bun.
Don’t forget the fork.
Tuesday
Meal Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup
We will be making Roasted Pepper Soup. We usually make it with yellow peppers but this time we found a bag of mixed sweet peppers at the produce discount store that we will be turning into this soup.
Brand We Have Found:
Top Tip:
You can roast the peppers when they are in season in the fall and freeze them to make this soup. Thaw them before adding to the base.
How to pack it for lunch the next day:
Warm up a thermos by filling it with hot water.
In a pot on the stove over medium-high heat bring the desired amount of soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes. Dump the warm water out of the thermos and pour the hot soup into it instead. Seal the thermos and send it with a gluten free roll and a spoon for lunch.
It is important to make sure the kids can open the thermos themselves and that the soup isn’t too hot when they open the thermos, for safety.
Wednesday
Meal Carrot Lox on Bagels With A Green Salad
This Carrot Lox is a dish I will start in the morning or night before as I like it well marinated. It can be done quicker if needed. We will toast a few gluten free bagels and put a bit of dairy free cream cheese and layer on the carrot lox. To top we will use capers, red onion, and fresh dill, if we have any on hand.
A green salad will be whichever lettuce is cheapest at the market, a few tomatoes, a bit of sweet bell peppers diced and if we have dill for the bagels, a bit of that in the salad. For the dressing the kids will be clamouring for Ranch, whereas Rob and I will probably opt for a plain olive oil and wine vinegar.
Brand We Have Found:
Top Tip:
When toasting bread for those with allergies make sure to use a separate toaster that has not been in contact with allergens or toast in the oven on a cookie sheet under the broiler.
How to pack it for lunch the next day:
Thursday
Meal Leftovers
My favourite meal to cook as it takes so little effort and time. It is also one of my favourites as it helps us to reduce our family’s food waste and keep our budget down.
Top Tip:
We find the best way to serve this meal is by buffet. It is often one where we put the storage containers on our kitchen island and have the kids choose their favs. Heating the food up in pans on the stove or in the oven depending on what they choose.
How to pack it for lunch the next day:
We don’t send already warmed up leftovers as lunch as we follow the food safety recommendation that food be reheated only once. One of our kids has EoE and has always struggled with food. The last thing we need is for him to get sick from our reheating and chilling and reheating and chilling the food. We tend to be a bit on the conservative side due to their other medical issues and how long it took to have them eat a variety of foods.
Friday
Meal Fully Loaded Potato Soup
One of our kids asks for this Fully Loaded Potato Soup all the time. I think it is because they LOVE bacon bits and it is brimming with them. It can be made with crumbled bacon, if you prefer. It all depends on what is safe allergy-wise and fits your budget.
Brand We Have Found:
Bacon
Dairy Free Sour Cream
Follow Your Heart/ Earth Island
Top Tip:
We top this as you would a baked potato. Lots of dairy free cheddar, green onions, and the kids love more bacon bits.
How to pack it for lunch the next day:
Start by warming up a thermos by filling it with hot water.
Over medium-high heat, in a pot on the stove bring the desired amount of soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes. Pour the warm water out of the thermos and put the hot soup into the container instead. Close the thermos and send it with a gluten free roll and a spoon for lunch.
It is important to make sure the kids can easily open the thermos themselves. The soup should be warm but not too hot so it burns them when they open the thermos, for safety.
Saturday
Meal Falafel Burgers and Potato Salad
We will be making our falafel patties in the air fryer in the size of a burger patty for Rob and I and keep the regular size for the kids as sliders. The toppings we enjoy on these are homemade pickled red onions, pickles, lettuce and a bit of tzatziki.
The Creamy Potato Salad is a great side dish I am so looking forward to. We eat it year round, not just in the summer or at picnics and BBQs.
Brand We Have Found:
Burger Buns
Little Northern Bakehouse Dinner Rolls
Little Northern Bakehouse Burger Buns
Promise White Rolls (some contain egg)
Top Tip:
To make sliders use the Little Northern buns dinner rolls as they are smaller than a burger bun. Always use dried chickpeas to make falafels. Canned ones will not hold together in a patty properly.
How to pack it for lunch the next day:
We will send this as we would any sandwich but leave the sauces and toppings on the side for the kids to add at school. If they are on the bun from home the bun gets soggy. The kids eat the cooked falafel patties cold.
Sunday
Meal Daiya Pizza
It has been a long 3 weeks and I am so tired. We cannot order dinners in so this is as close as it gets for us. This is my short cut meal, like Daiya Mac and Cheese. One so easy a babysitter can make it. I like to call it a break for Rob and I meal. I don’t feel badly about it. Our kids eat pretty well most other nights. We do it only every now and a agin as these frozen pizzas aren’t cheap.
Brand We Have Found:
Daiya Pizza
Plain Pizza Crusts
Top Tip:
Use a plain crust to make your own if you have allergies to the Daiya pizzas or prefer another kind of pizza. We at times will use gluten free bagels or buns as the pizza crust.
How to pack it for lunch the next day:
We send the slices cold. Our kids don’t have microwaves at school and are happy to have cold pizza for lunch. If you have access to a microwave be sure to pack the pizza in a microwave safe container as the microwave will be used for cooking allergens and poses a risk of cross contact.
We Love Feedback!
Did you make any of the meals from the meal plan week 34? Please let us know! What is on your meal plan this week? Drop a comment on this post or tag us on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok.
- Vegan Lemon Meringue Pie - GF/DF/EF, Top 8 & 9 Free
- Gluten Free Tabouli (Tabbouleh) - GF/DF, Vegan, Top 9 Free
- Tomato Free Pasta Sauce - GF/DF, Top 9 Free
- Mashed Oven Roasted Acorn Squash - GF/DF, Top 9 Free, Vegan
- Gluten Free Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb - GF/DF, Top 8
We have to remind everyone that we are not medical professionals or dietitians, so these meal plans are not balanced for nutrition, they are for information purposes only. Please discuss any dietary concerns, changes, or proper meal plans with your medical team.
Always check the labels for any products to make sure they are right for you. We also encourage you to contact the manufacturers in addition to checking that the process of manufacturing is also safe for you, and that there aren’t shared lines. One product or ingredients may be safe for one person but not another. Always check the products and ingredients before purchasing.
Have you made this recipe? Please leave a comment and us know how much you liked it.