Broke Keto aka Keto Sheet Pan Meal Prep

[omuhiwis]

For Broke Keto I do meal preps as a slow bake “sheet pan” recipe, which is typically:

1. Start with a 9×13 glass cake pan
2. Add a layer of low carb veggies and sauce or broth
3. Add a layer of your chosen protein (meatballs, sausages, chicken thighs, shrimp, …)
4. Sprinkle your favorite spices on top – smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, ground ginger, umami powder, curry powder, chili powder, …
5. Bake for a couple of hours at 200 to 250 degrees F, usually covered
6. Turn over meat, add more spices, maybe some grated Parmesan cheese
7. Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees, usually uncovered

Dish up into containers for fridge and reheat in microwave

The veggie layer can be any combination of canned, fresh or frozen low carb veggies – mushrooms, cauliflower (florets or riced), cabbage (“steaks” or shredded), broccoli, green beans, bell peppers, sugar snap peas, asparagus, quartered radishes, celery, artichokes, onions, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, …

I often do this whenever chicken thighs are on sale for under $1 a pound. I can fit 5 or 6 pound of thighs into that cake pan. When pre-made meatballs were on sale, I did 3 pounds of them.

My veggie layer was two cans of artichoke hearts, a jar of whole mushrooms, a sliced onion, and a can of Ro-tel tomatoes and peppers. My sauce was Rao’s marinara sauce. I even considered topping with some eggs in the final bake, like a kind of shakshuka recipe.

I’ve also done a mix of chicken gizzards/hearts and another with a roll of sausage, sliced up into patties. They were both on sale. 🙂

I do the slow cook method because I can’t spend an extended time in the kitchen. This takes about 10 minutes before it goes into the oven, and then I can come back to it later. Usually during that last 20 minute bake, I make a number of cheese crisps in the microwave — I can convert a 12-slice package of cheese into crisps in less than 10 minutes (4 batches, 3 slices per batch, 2 minutes per batch).

I usually do my “sheet pan” meal preps based on whichever proteins are on sale, waiting for prices like these (Phoenix, AZ, USA):

Eggs under $1/dozen
Chicken (whole or parts) under $1/#
Ground beef under $2.50/#
Pork loin or shoulder under $1.50/#
Pork sausage under $2/#
Cheese under $3/#
Frozen veggies under $1/#

You can also check out any dollar-type stores near you. Or ask the butcher departments when they put out the marked-down meats.

That doesn’t mean I have to eat that particular meal prep item for the next 5 or 6 days. I can put 2 in the fridge, than the rest in the freezer for next week or the week after. After a few such meal preps, there would be a good variety available.

I currently have some with chicken thighs, some with meatballs, some with sausage, some with chicken hearts and gizzards… I was gonna get some short ribs last week ($1.49 per pound), but I don’t have any more room for meal prep containers. 🙂

Grocery store prices I was looking at from ads on one week:
Pork shoulder butt is $1.49 a pound
Pork back ribs are $1.79 a pound
Pork sausage rolls are $1.23 a pound
Eggs are $1 a dozen
Bone-in chicken thighs are $1.26 a pound
Shredded cheeses are $4.98 for 2-pound bags (I usually save the cheese for when I reheat)
Many frozen veggies are $1 for a 10-oz bag
Frozen sugar snap pea stir fry is $1 for a 20-oz bag
Fresh Jalapeno peppers are $0.58 per pound
Green bell peppers are $0.50 each
Cabbage at $0.33 a pound
Onions at $0.48 a pound
Carrots at $0.64 a pound (they fit my macros OK)

So I could make up a few different sheet pans bakes based on that variety.

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[TopazAngela]

This is great, just what I need to be able get some meals for me in the freezer since rest of the family is not Keto. Thanks!

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