Lollygag Learning

Healthy Toddler Cup Recipes

I’m so excited to share this week’s Monday Meal Ideas with you! Over the weekend I made a HUGE mess in my kitchen and I whipped up some new recipes for my busy mamas who don’t have a lot of time during the week. I made a few different muffin pan recipes that you can make ahead and then freeze for quick defrosted meals.

On Saturday I cleaned my kitchen and set everything up for some fast meal prep. I’d rather make one big mess and deal with it at once than all throughout the week. It’s easy to rinse out a mixing bowl and cutting board with hot water and move on to the next recipe. Imagine doing that every day of the week, over and over again. I think this make ahead cooking is worth the investment! I set out my trash can, dish towels, ingredients, cutting boards and opened the blinds so I could watch the snow. Baby Babe played in her Go Pod for a little bit and Daddy played with her until nap time. I recommend eating out on the night that you do freezer cooking. After all of the work you deserve to have someone cook and clean for you!

I made 3 different Healthy Toddler Cup Recipes for the Freezer: Quinoa Kale Chicken Cups, Veggie Quiches and Easy Cheesy Brown Rice Chicken Cups.

I started out by cooking two chicken breasts in a pan with olive oil. I also got the brown rice going (it takes 45 minutes). For each recipe I used silicone muffin liners. This made it so easy to pop the muffins out without them breaking apart.

Quinoa Kale

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast cooked and shredded
1 cup of quinoa
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1- 1.5 cups of shredded cheese
1 bunch of chopped kale
4 beaten eggs

Directions: Bring stock to a boil. Add quinoa, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add all of the kale, cover and simmer for another 5-10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and the quinoa “sprouts”. (When raw quinoa looks like a tiny bead. Once it is cooked, you will see a little sprout uncurl from the grain.) Allow quinoa to cool completely. Stir in cheese and eggs until incorporated. Scoop mixture into muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes or until set and slightly golden.

Veggie Omelette

Ingredients:

6 eggs
1/4 c of water
1/2 roasted red pepper
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup chopped sautéed mushrooms

Directions: Beat eggs with the water, then mix in veggies and cottage cheese. Pour into muffin cups and bake for 20-30 minutes or until eggs are set.

Cheesy Brown Rice Chicken

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast cooked and shredded
1 cup of shredded cheese
3 beaten eggs
1/2 c cottage cheese
1 c frozen peas and carrots
3 cups of cooked brown rice

Directions: Be sure that the chicken and rice have cooled completely before mixing all of the ingredients gently in a large bowl. I rinsed the frozen veggies to wash away any ice crystals and speed up the baking time. Scoop mixture into a muffin pan and bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until slightly golden and set. (I live at about 5,000 ft so it might take you less time to bake.)

I allowed all of the cups to cool completely then I placed them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and put them in the freezer. One frozen solid I put the cups in gallon sized freezer bags. Now it will be so east to defrost the cups for our meals! I call them “Toddler Cups” but I will definitely be eating them, too! So yummy!