Minimalist Meals

When you have a homestead you are most likely going to be very busy. I personally have 3 kids and I homeschool on top of homesteading so I am very busy. But I also care very much about health and want my family to be very well fed. We rarely eat out so that means I have to think ahead and have meals ready to go. We don’t have any food allergies in our house which is nice but for the sake of a well-balanced diet, we try to follow the Trim Healthy Mama plan. I could go on and on about how much I love the plan but I will try to stick to the point of this post!

As I have mentioned in other posts of mine I can and preserve a lot of food…

It seems like so much work up front but I promise it will be worth it in the long run. Not only are you going to save loads of money doing it yourself you will also make meal time that much faster. So as you will see in my meal ideas I will be referring to my already preserved foods quite often. You can still totally make these meals without having your own canned food but just keep it in mind as maybe something you will try for next growing season.

Something I also wanted to mention about my list is that I will be sharing meals that are easy and low in ingredients and are easy to make but I am a foodie so these meals are super yummy as well. I refuse to share anything but the best. I will share the super easy way to make it and then options to make it a little more “extravagant” if you will.

The top 7 delicious minimalist meals

1. Quesadillas

This meal is such a crowd pleaser. And so very easy. I use a jar of chicken that I canned but you can use whatever you have on hand.

Directions

• Put butter in a pan
• place tortilla in the pan
• sprinkle on cheese and chicken
• Place another tortilla on top
• Flip to fry the other side
• Eat with your favorite Mexican toppings

Ingredients

• Tortillas
• Chicken
• Cheese
• Toppings

I love this meal because we can make it super simple with just chicken and cheese or we can go all out and make coleslaw, rice Etc.

2. Alfredo

I know what you’re probably thinking how in the world is chicken alfredo an easy minimalist meal? I know I thought the same thing. But When I ran across this recipe my mind was changed. I could not believe I could make such a yummy “fancy” meal so quick and easy. I actually am taking it to a friend tonight was just had a baby. It is so easy to make it that it is my go to when I need to take something somewhere. And my kids absolutely love it. They are always begging me to make it. Again, you can keep it very simple or add in things you love in your alfredo. I do both depending on how crazy the day is.

Directions

• Melt Butter, Heavy cream, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, & Garlic in a pan
• Cook noodles
• Bake or fry up chicken (if using)
• Mix together and devour

Ingredients

• 1 Stick of butter
• 16 oz heavy cream
• 3 oz cream cheese
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 box of noodles
• Chicken

See I told you it was super simple. I usually fry up my chicken in a little butter and Italian seasoning and it is good to go. You can also add in mushrooms, broccoli, spinach or whatever you have on hand. I bet once you make this you will stop going to your favorite Italian restaurant. It is really that good. And you can change it up however you would like. Try different cheeses, bake it with some cheese on top…The options are endless. Make sure you send me your creations in the comments. I always love seeing new food creations.

3. Drumsticks

Drumsticks are a favorite in our house because you can do so many things with them and they are like the cheapest piece of meat ever. You can bake them or grill them. We love to put a dry rub on them and them BBQ sauce as they are cooking. But you can really season them any way you want.

Directions

• Make Dry Rub
• Rub Chicken in Rub
• Grill (or bake)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp Salt
• 1 tbsp Chili Powder
• 2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 1 tbsp Paprika
• Chicken
• BBQ sauce

The above recipe is for multiple servings. This is what makes this meal so easy. Once you make the rub safe the rest in a mason jar and the next few dinners you literally just have to rub the chicken and grill. Boom! Dinner is done. And the flavors will blow you away. If you are baking you can run the chicken in malted butter first to give the chicken a little more of a fatty flavor. Totally not necessary though.

You can also do this same thing on any piece of chicken, but like I said chicken legs are just so cheap we like to use those the most. As far as side dishes you can throw some baked potatoes in the oven and throw a jar of veggies on the stove. This meal will take you hardly any time at all and the taste will make it seem like you were in the kitchen all day.

4.Salads

I love salads because the options are endless. If you grow lettuce in your garden you can easily throw on some yummy toppings and you have yourself an amazingly delicious meal. Our two favorite salads in our house our Greek and Cesar. I will share both with you.

Greek Salad

Ingredients

• Lettuce
• Olives
• Beets
• Boiled eggs
• Chicken
• Greek dressing

These are the ideal toppings for a greek salad but if you don’t have all these toppings just make it with what you have. What nice for me is that I have chickens who lay eggs, so I always have eggs around and I grow lettuce in my garden. So In the summertime, I have the base ingredients for this meal always on hand. I love salads in the summertime. They are so light and refreshing.

Cesar Salad

Ingredients

• Lettuce
• Bacon
• Cheese
• Chicken
• Boiled Eggs
• Cesar Dressing

The same goes for this salad. I usually have the base ingredients around so throwing this together for dinner is a breeze. And as you will notice I put boiled eggs in both salads. Like I said I have chickens who provide me with awesome organic eggs. So I try to eat them as much as I can. I love getting the extra protein in.

5. Burgers

I feel like Burgers are the ultimate easy meal. I mean all you have to do is make them into patties and throw them on the grill. But sometimes they can get boring if they are your go-to easy meal. So I want to share a way to make them a little less boring but still keep the easiness of the meal.

Ingredients

• Ground Meat
• Add-ins ( Cheese, Jalapenos, Bacon Etc.)

My first tip to make this meal super quick and easy is to buy meat in bulk. ( Ideally when it is on sale) and make your own patties. This not only saves you money but also time for your future meals. But instead of just make plain patties add in your favorite burger toppings. You will just put in your add-ins into the meat and make sure you mix it in good and then just make your patties like normal. It’s amazing!

The other tip I wanted to add is that you can save money by using some ground venison. I can’t stand just a plain venison burger because I think venison is too lean of a meat. But I like to add half beef and half venison together. This saves me money because I always have plenty of venison in my freezer and not as much beef. If you are adding bacon into your patties then your fat content will be even better. Again, If you do a little work ahead you can make future meal times SO much faster.

6. Spaghetti

Spaghetti is another one of those meals that you can whip up in a heartbeat. Because I have my meat and pasta sauce already canned, I literally just have to mix the 2 in a pan and make the noodles. But I realize that not everyone has that so I will share the next easiest way to make it.

Directions

• Fry up Ground Meat
• Add in Pasta sauce
• Make Noodles

Ingredients

• Ground Meat (Beef, Turkey, chicken, venison)
• Pasta sauce
• Noodles

You can either buy sauce that has been already seasoned or you can buy just normal tomato sauce and season it yourself with Italian seasoning. Super easy. And remember you can always make extra sauce and freeze it. So that the next time you don’t have time for anything your meal is totally ready to go. You just have to warm it up.

7.Fish

Fish is something that not many people eat but it is so good for you. I am one of those people who never liked fish but tried to make myself eat it for the health benefits. Then once I tried eating fish this way I found that I actually enjoy it. I don’t have to force myself to eat fish anymore. And this is the same as the chicken. You can make the dry rub in bulk and then the next few meals are basically done. You can either fry up your fish, bake it or grill it.

Directions

• Make dry rub
• rub fish
• Bake, Fry or Grill

If you are grilling you can but your fish in foil with some butter and lemon juice. For frying, you will put a little oil and butter in a pan, let it heat up and then fry your fish. If you decide to bake it I would take the same steps as grilling.

As far as what kinds of fish you can really use whatever you like. Our favorite for this run is tilapia or mahi-mahi. But I’m sure whatever you have would work great. You can also use this to make fish tacos. If you make enough you could have it for one meal and then use the leftovers for fish tacos the next day!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste

Keepin’ it Simple

As you probably noticed my instructions are not really detailed. I wanted to show you just how easy these meals can be. If you put to much butter in your pan when making fish its fine. It will taste just that much better. If you don’t put enough that’s fine too. That the thing I love about cooking. You don’t have to have exact measurements and can play around with it a little. If you like things less spicy add less of the spicy seasoning. I like cooking and sometimes I like to make meals that are more extravagant but for the most part, I have to keep it simple. I have 3 kids and they all seem to lose their minds when I am making dinner. So for my own sanity, I have to make things that are easy…But as you will notice I try not to let the quality or taste be sacrificed because of my lack of time. I try to see how amazingly tasty of a meal I can make in the shortest amount of time.

Every one of the meals I have suggested you should be able to make in less than 30 min. (The prep time that is) If you have any more delicious meals that you can make in under 30 minutes please let me know in the comments.

Meal planning

I have found that meal planning is very important. If I don’t take the time to plan I will just wing it that day and end up with a meal that was not thought through and is probably not that healthy. You will also spend way more money at the grocery store because you are buying a bunch of food that you do not need and will most likely go to waste. When you meal plan you can also see what you already have in the house and try your best to use what you have.

I have tried different methods of meal planning and have found that for me paper works best…

I also happen to be kinda old fashioned I don’t like doing everything on my phone. But if you like using your phone there are plenty of apps that you can use to make a list and a menu. I just found that for me, paper works is best. You can use an excel spreadsheet if you are super organized but I have found that a simple notebook works the best for me. I actually plan out breakfast lunch and dinner but most people just plan dinner. So you will have to play around with it and see what works best for you. I also happen to love lists so I love menu planning.

Normally, I try to plan 2 weeks at a time since I like to grocery shop every 2 weeks. But, I totally understand that every family is different and you will have to play around with it and see what works best for you family. I have a young family so we don’t through much food. But if you have a bigger family there might not be any way for you to go that long without going to the store. That is totally okay! You have to do what works for your family. I am just sharing what works for mine.

Whats your “why”?

I know this seems like a silly question, but you obviously looked up minimalist meals for a reason. You might be stressed out when it comes to meals, maybe you are looking to simplify your life when it comes to food Etc. Whatever your reason is to write it down! If you are not a person who likes to be planned and organized this will be hard for you. I know it seems dumb but I promise if you can stay organized all of your meals can be minimalist. If you spend a little time at the beginning of the week to get organized you will be spending less time at the grocery store, less time in the kitchen and more time doing what you want.

My “why” is so that I can spend more time with my kids and less time in the kitchen. Like I said I love cooking but at my stage of life meal time is miserable. My kids are tired by that time of the day and all seem to have meltdowns at the same time. If I can spend only 30 minutes in the kitchen our whole evening goes so much smoother. My whole idea of this blog is to simplify life on the homestead and this is one way I have found to do that.

But on the other hand, I care very much about health and feeding my family right. So as I have mentioned I am not willing to sacrifice the quality of the food. My goal in planning ahead is to find ways to still make amazing delicious and healthy meals but spend as little time as I can In the kitchen. It sometimes serves to be a challenge but It is fun to see what I can come up with!

Get Organized

Okay, Becuase I am an organized freak I am going to harp on this again. I just want to remind you that if you are not organized you will not be able to pull off minimalist meals. Even if you have the best recipes at your disposal it does not matter. You have to have your plan in place and do the shopping in order to be successful. I know it sounds boring and more time consuming than just throwing meals together but seriously it will save you time and will save your sanity for the rest of the week.

It will also save you money if you plan ahead…

If you are constantly running to the store you will spend so much more money. I know I do. I try my hardest to only run to the store twice a month. It seems crazy but if I plan ahead I can do it. I can actually prove it to you. Normally I go twice a month and spend $400 a month on groceries. This month I have gone every week or more because it is summer and we have had unplanned BBQs and parties. ( Which is totally fine. I am okay when life happens and we get to spend time with our loved ones.) BUT that being said I have spent almost double on groceries this month! That’s crazy! I could not believe it when I saw how much we spent this month.

It just proves to me that when I spend that little bit of time being organized I can save myself so much time and money. And to be honest you can come up with your menu in less than 30 minutes. I grab my favorite cookbooks and plan out my week while I wast my lunch or nurse my baby. Again, I love to do it. And I realize not everyone loves to plan like me but once you start doing it you will just add it into your day and get used to it.

Writing a list and sticking to it

Once you have your menu written out take a few minutes to see what you already have in the house. If you can or preserve food you will most likely have a decent amount of the things you will need in the house. Check your freezer, pantry, and fridge. This step in itself will save you money. So many times I will buy things just to get home and realize I already had it. I will sometimes even make my menu around what I have. I have found that if I just keep buying what I need my freezer will get so full and then the contents never get used!

Once you figure out what you have, write your grocery list. At this point, you are ready to get your groceries. My one tip is to STICK TO THE LIST. I will sometimes buy things thinking I will use them…But if my menu is already made then when will I use that item? The answer is I won’t and it will just go to waste. If you can stick to the list you will save yourself so much money.

Don’t Waste Food

Eat your leftovers people! I hate when people waste food. If your family won’t eat leftovers then try your best to make only what you will eat that day. If your family will eat leftovers plan to make enough so that you can eat leftovers for lunch the next day. I almost never make something different for lunch. We almost always eat leftovers. This is a great way to save time and money. If you really plan ahead you can make your dinner into two meals. For example, you could make the fish for one dinner and then use leftover fish for fish taco’s the next night.

You can do this with a lot of different meals. For example, you could make chili one night and make chili dogs the next. Or A whole roasted chicken one night and Fahitas the next night. I could go on and on but you get the idea. As you do your menu planning just look ahead and see how you can repurpose food to go farther. And as You can see you can make leftovers yummy. No mystery casserole at our house. If you get good your family might not even realize they are eating leftovers.

Final thoughts

As you can see there is a little bit of work that will go into your minimalist meals. But as I have harped on this whole post if you put in a little bit of work up front you can really make all of your meals minimalist. How exciting is that? My goal is to make all my meals in under 30 minutes. I understand that is a very big challenge but I am always up for a good challenge. As always I love to hear from you guys so please leave me a comment with your favorite 30-minute minimalist meals!

Happy Homesteading!

~Courtney