March Meal Plan + Shopping List
Five Things (or More) to Make in March
Five Things (or More) to Make in March
The March meal plan is ready to roll. You can make these recipes all in one week or spread them out over the month when you need ideas. You’ll find all the recipes and a detailed shopping list below. Here’s what’s on tap:
Savory Dutch Baby Topped with Bousin and Bacon with Simple Green Salad
Pollo Asado Tacos
One-Pan Roasted Fish with Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes
Chicken Meatballs with Yogurt and Greek Salad
Pizza Night!
Savory Dutch Baby with Simple Green Salad
In the attached recipe, you’ll find a variety of toppings for the Dutch baby (smoked salmon, chives, dill, etc). We added ingredients for the Boursin and Bacon version for shopping list purposes. Use my Super Simple Salad Dressing to dress the mixed greens or baby arugula.
Chopped Pollo Asado Tacos
Serve in tortillas with your favorite taco toppings or in bowls over salad greens. I would load mine with cilantro, guacamole, pickled jalapeños, pickled red onions and salsa verde—either homemade or store-bought guacamole or avocado slices work. I prefer to use either Central Market or HEB store-made tortillas, Maria & Ricardo’s low-carb tortillas or Siete Almond, Cassava or Chickpea tortillas. I like the flavor of chickpea tortillas better, but the almond tortillas have more protein.
Sheet Pan Roasted Fish with Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes
Use arctic char if you can find it or salmon filets. Simply life and microwave a package of frozen rice to serve on the side.
Chicken Meatballs with Yogurt and Greek Salad
Make these with ground lamb or turkey if you prefer.
Pizza Party
Simple overnight or two-hour pizza dough for the win! I use jarred Rao’s Marinara (use sparingly or it will make your crust soggy), slices of fresh mozzarella and dots of pesto (homemade or store-bought). Before baking, brush the crust with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of Maldon or Diamond Crystal kosher salt. My favorite pizza-making supplies are linked in the recipe. Just preheat your oven nice and hot! The version above has oven-roasted tomatoes, pesto, fresh mozzarella and handfuls of fresh basil.
March Shopping List
One Thing
I’m not a fan of “meal prep,” I want meals cooked when I plan to eat them. They just taste better in my humble opinion. But pick one of these to tackle on the weekend to make life easier during the week.
La Taqueria Sauce that you can use for Pollo Asado tacos (if not, just use jarred salsa)
Pickled Red Onions, for the Pollo Asado tacos
Any Greens Pesto to use as a sauce for fish or on the pizza. To store pesto, place it in a storage container and add a thin coating of extra-virgin olive oil on top. Or you can add some plastic wrap that touches the top layer of the pesto and then seal it with the container’s lid.
Simple overnight or two-hour pizza dough. I use jarred Rao’s Marinara (use sparingly or it will make your crust soggy), slices of fresh mozzarella and dots of pesto (homemade or store bought). Before baking, brush the crust with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of Maldon or Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. My favorite pizza-making supplies are linked in the recipe. Just pre-heat your oven nice and hot!
Freezer Tips
Make a double batch of the meatballs and freeze half for another dinner down the road. Or if you are feeding only 2 to 3 people, make a single batch and freeze half. There are freezer directions in the recipe. I prefer to freeze the meatballs uncooked. You can cook them directly from the freezer, just add a few minutes and make sure the middle of the meatballs reads 165 degrees on an instant-read meat thermometer.
The pizza dough can be divided into smaller portions and frozen in quart containers. I move the dough to the refrigerator the night before I plan to use it. When you plan to cook off the dough, let it sit at room temperature for at least an hour. You want the dough to relax so it doesn’t bounce back at you when you attempt to roll it out.
Leftover Makeover Ideas
The Savory Dutch Baby won’t be very tasty reheated, so just go at it.
Extra chopped chicken can be made into chicken salad or added to a green salad for lunch.
Fish isn’t the best leftover, unless it’s tossed with ingredients for Salmon Salad Niçoise (recipe on page 34 of my cookbook).
Use leftover chicken meatballs in sandwiches. You can place warmed meatballs on a baguette or hoagie bun with melted provolone or in a pita with yogurt and leftover Greek salad. Rewarmed chicken is not always my favorite. If you have a toaster oven, place the meatballs on a small sheet pan and warm them at 300 degrees—the same goes for an oven; it will just take longer. Or warm them in a small nonstick pan with a little olive oil or avocado oil spray.
A note about ingredients:
I use extra-virgin olive oil spray or avocado oil spray that has nothing else in the ingredient list. If you are reading this and still use Pam, it’s time to toss it.
I cook with extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil (instead of “vegetable oil,” which is just soy and/or corn oil).
Use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt for cooking.
Use Maldon Sea Salt for a final sprinkle or finishing a dish.
Consult the dirty dozen list for what you should prioritize buying organic.