Category: Meal Prep

  • Barbacoa Sauce

    It’s a smoky, spicy addition to your tacos or fajitas. Make a batch and freeze because a little goes a long way. Blend all of the ingredients (except oil) in a food processor until smooth, then add to a skillet with the oil over low heat and cook until thickened and flavors have deepened. Mix…

  • BBQ Seasoned Turkey Tacos

    We love Taco Tuesday at our house, so we are documenting our weekly taco recipes. Similar to leftover ham after Christmas, we generally find ourselves with a lot of left over turkey after Thanksgiving. So much so that I have taken to portioning and freezing turkey meat when I am putting the leftovers away to…

  • Homemade Pesto

    It is quick and easy to make homemade pesto, if you have a food processor and a few simple ingredients: Add all ingredients to a small food processor except for the olive oil. Pulse until well processed and blended. Then add the olive oil and pulse to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. You…

  • Homemade Corn Tortillas

    We have started making our own corn tortillas. While it takes a little practice to become proficient (notes below), it is a fun and tasty way to upgrade your tacos. Mix the ingredients well until there are no dry spots left. If your masa harina is more a more coarse grind (like corn meal), you…

  • Ground Beef

    In the past 10 years or so, I have begun doing our own ground beef for several reasons: Equipment This will require some special equipment, so that can be prohibitive. My preferred meat grinding machine is to use the Kitchen Aid with the stainless steel meat grinder attachment. We used the plastic one for years…

  • Cooked Shredded Beef Prep

    Similar to how I prepare pork (method here: https://mangiavita.com/2023/08/17/pork-prep/ ), I like having ready-to-go meat in my freezer at any given time. Sometimes the meat is raw, but it is faster to make a lot of meals if the meat is already cooked and just needs to be reheated. I buy large packs of beef…

  • Pork Prep

    I like having ready-to-go meat in my freezer at any given time. Sometimes the meat is raw, but it is faster to make a lot of meals if the meat is already cooked and just needs to be reheated. I buy large packs of pork meat from Costco, typically boneless spareribs are the easiest to…

  • Ham

    This is less a recipe and more the way I work with a cooked ham. Holiday hams are great but I often find they are way more than my family can eat in one sitting. Additionally, hams can go on great sales during the non-holiday season and I love to take advantage of a good…