Awhile back, the kind folks at OXO shared this nifty box of LockTop Containers with me. They are BPA-free and can be frozen, refrigerated and microwaved. They are spill-proof and airtight. They are the perfect container for pre-packing meals to grab on the go.
I had this idea that I was going to do all of my cooking for the upcoming week on Sunday, split my lunch and dinner into single portions and refrigerate them in these containers for easy reheating in the microwave. It turns out I’m not good a planning a menu for the entire week and I enjoy cooking and baking so much that I don’t want to do it just one day a week. I failed at my original plan.
But I really do need help getting through the holidays, help managing my food intake and making sure I have healthy food ready to grab when I’m in a hurry. For the next few months, I’ll be sharing more non-sweet recipes with you, gluten-free and vegetarian meals that can be prepared ahead, stored in the fridge or freezer in these handy OXO containers and re-heated in the microwave.
I’m trying to lose the “last few pounds” of my multi-year weight loss journey and am counting calories to do that. Calorie counting works well for me, and while I won’t share with you how many calories a day I am eating (I am very active, attend several fitness classes a week plus running and cycling and have a physically demanding job, my needs might not be the same as someone with a desk job or someone who is training for an endurance race), I will be sharing with you the approximate number of servings and calories in recipes such as the one below. The numbers I’m sharing are based on the brands I use in my kitchen. If exact numbers are essential to you, you may want to do your own calculating. Plus I’m not that slick with math…
So here we go…my first Make-Ahead Meal, Chile Relleno Casserole.
(By the way, my recipe was inspired by THIS RECIPE from the Green Cattle Blog. I found it via my friend Diane of The Whole Gang, she pinned it on Pinterest. Don’t you just love Pinterest?)
Chile Relleno Casserole
Serves 6, approximately 309 calories per serving
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 generous cup chopped baby bella mushrooms
8 oz. tempeh (I used tempeh with flax), coarsely grated
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2- 4 oz. cans whole green chiles
1- 4.5 oz. can chopped green chiles
2 cups Daiya cheddar style shreds
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In large skillet, brown onions and mushrooms.
When onions are transparent, add grated tempeh. Add salt, pepper and cayenne.
In a 9 x 13 casserole dish, place both cans of whole green chiles on the bottom. I split mine open to lay them out flat.
Top with 1 cup of Daiya.
Top Daiya with all of the onion, mushroom and tempeh mixture.
Add remaining 1 cup of Daiya and chopped green chiles to the top.
In a mixing bowl, mix 4 eggs, milk and flour until well combined. Pour over the dish.
Bake at 375 for 50 minutes or until set.
I had one serving for dinner, my husband had two. I refrigerated the remaining 3 portions and had one for lunch today. This is one of those casseroles that might be even better the next day, it reheated nicely and was every bit as creamy as it was hot from the oven. Enjoy!
Disclosure: The OXO containers were provided to me at no charge. The opinions expressed are my own.
I'm jealous you got some OXO containers 🙂 I sometimes find these exact kinds at Marshall's and HomeGoods, so I'm always holding out for a discount!
Great recipe too!
@Every Little Thing–this recipe is really yummy, I hope you'll try it! Like you, I find some terrific deals on OXO containers and other accessories at Marshall's and TJ Maxx. You'll see some of them in pics soon, I'm getting organized with my make-ahead plan, loving these containers!