Meal Prep #5: More Overnight Oats ~ Creamy Tomato Soup ~ Slow-Cooker Balsamic Beef and Veggies (recipes included!)

Meal prepping for the win! Here we are at number five! On the menu this week...

• Overnight Oats (I will mix it up soon, I promise...these are just so darn good!)
• Creamy Tomato Soup (Super-simple and quite yum)
• Balsamic Beef with Vegetables (Chop, sear, slow-cooker, done!)

First off...

Lunch

Our creamy tomato soup! I was looking for a simple, cheap, comforting soup recipe and this was the answer to my lunch cravings/prayers. Delicious and cozy, but not too-too filling for a mid-day munch. I got some fresh basil, quality cheese (from my "motherland," Wisconsin, of course), and crusty bread to have along side this creamy soup.

I used this recipe from Serious Eats (<<< click to view!) and doubled the recipe. That means you'll need...

• 2 sticks of butter (this seems like a lot but it makes it so rich!)
• 2 lbs of carrots (I think I used a bit more)
• 4 medium yellow onions (I used 3 large)
• 6-28oz cans of whole tomatoes
• 8 cups chicken stock (I used my homemade veggie stock, click here for the recipe!)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda (I've never heard about using this to make the soup less acidic, but it really made a difference!
• 2 cups of heavy cream
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne

With this one I was honestly just going for something that was cheap and easy to toss together, but it ended up being my favorite meal of the week: really delicious! And now that I have an immersion blender, I can't wait to make more pureed soups during the cold winter - I mean, "cozy food" - months (the bright side, my friends)!

Dinner

This recipe seriously couldn't be easier. Chop those veggies, mix those flavorings, sear that beef, and dump it all in!

(makes the house smell divine!)

Here's a link to the recipe from The Magical Slow Cooker (love that name). I always end up using extra veggies to make it last a few more days. Always a good idea to toss in some green beans after you turn the cooker off and keep 'em in there for about 30 minutes to soften up.

Breakfast

Aaand again, for a third week, we have our Brown Sugar Cinnamon Slow-Cooker Oats with Apples. Here's a link to the recipe, we use 1/4 per week, portioning out the dry ingredients and butter beforehand to make it an easy dump and go recipe. We also chop the apples in advance and preserve them in a big tupperware with lemon juice.

Dry ingredients for each portion are...

• 1/2 cup steel-cut oats
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar (I use dark, but light brown sugar will work too)
• 1/2 Tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Toss in with dry ingredients each night...

• 3/4 - 1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup milk (we use almond milk)

Toss it in, let it brew on low for 8 hours! Warm, comforting, and ready the moment you wake up!

~

Hope you enjoy! Happy prepping!