Around the Table with 

Simple Ingredients

 

One thing I’ve learned while feeding our family gluten free is that I do not need a kitchen full of complicated ingredients to make different meals throughout the week.

 

Most weeks, I rely on many of the same basics — simple proteins, rice, potatoes, vegetables, beans, pasta, and pantry staples — and use them in different ways for different meals.

 

Instead of making completely separate grocery lists for every dinner, I try to think about how ingredients can stretch into multiple meals.

 

I often plan meals by choosing a few proteins and basic sides first. Then I think about how leftovers, extra vegetables, or simple seasoning changes can create completely different meals later in the week.

 

I usually try to buy whatever proteins are on sale for that week. Many of these recipes can use different proteins depending on what you have at home.

 

I also try to keep a lot of the same vegetables in my refrigerator. I almost always have onions, celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, peppers, corn, and lettuce. Depending on the season, I also have other veggies available.

 

In my pantry, you will always find rice, quinoa, gluten-free pasta, and various types of beans.

 

 

Simple Kitchen Habits

• Use pinto beans or black beans as a chipolte-style or with cornbread. Turn the extra beans into refried beans.
• Use the eggs as a filler for so many meals. They are great at breakfast as scrambled or boiled eggs. also, use them in fried rice.
• Broccoli is a great side for alfredo or spaghetti.
• Our favorite way to serve cauliflower is spicy and roasted.
• It makes life so much easier when I cut up carrots, onions, and celery together and have them prepped ahead of time.
• Potatoes are one of the easiest foods to use in different ways — fried for breakfast, baked for lunch, and mashed for supper.
• Rice is great made at dinner time, or it actually freezes very well to be used later.

 

Ground Beef

• spaghetti
• tacos/nachos
• korean beef bowls
• chili
• stuffed pepper casserole

Ground beef can easily become several completely different meals just by changing the seasoning, vegetables, or grain served with it.

 

 

Pork or Beef Roast

• roast dinner
• tacos/nachos
• fried rice
• soup
• stroganoff
• shepherd’s pie

A roast is delicious for a special family meal, but the leftovers can also be used in many different ways throughout the week.

 

 

Ground Pork or Chicken

• sausage patties
• sausage gravy
• fried rice
• breakfast for supper
• stuffed pepper casserole
• spaghetti
• meatloaf
• Hoppin’ John

We love making homemade sausage from ground pork or chicken with simple spices. I often make large batches ahead of time and freeze portions for quick meals later.

 

 

Chicken

 

• grilled chicken
• fried rice
• chicken salad
• warm chicken spread
• tacos/nachos
• chicken alfredo

Chicken is frequently on sale, so I like to stock up when I can because it is so versatile.