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My Go-To High Protein Meal Ideas

Jaren — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 10:45:00 +0000

Whether you’re counting your macros or just trying to eat healthy, I’m sure you know that focusing on high protein meals is huge right now. Adding more protein to your day can help aid in weight loss and help regulate blood sugar. I try to make a few of these easy recipes every week to help me meet my protein goals. Check them out and let me know which one of these High Protein Meal Ideas you want to try!

High Protein Meal Ideas

Skinny Stuffed Peppers

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Protein Squares

White Bean Chicken Soup

Mexican Chicken, Black Bean, & Sweet Potato Soup

Taco Spaghetti Squash

Instant Pot Chicken, Bean, and Kale Soup

Skinny Cauliflower-Crusted Chicken

Low Carb Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

Skinny Pepper Nachos

Skinny Meatza Pizza

Skinny Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

Easy Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies over Quinoa

Skinny Chicken Vegetable Soup

Instant Pot Mexican 16 Bean Soup

Low-Carb Tuscan Chicken

You can find more MAIN DISH RECIPES HERE. You can find ALL RECIPES HERE. For more ideas, follow me on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER. Get FREE recipes delivered to you by email: SIGN UP HERE!

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Mini Monkey Bread Muffins

Jaren — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 10:30:00 +0000

Mini Monkey Bread Muffins are a fun breakfast treat idea. They are easy to throw together and bake up quicker than traditional monkey bread!

I’ve told you guys before how much I love making breakfast treats!! I hope that is one memory my kiddos will always have and possibly carry on with their families. These Mini Monkey Bread Muffins are fun and easy to make and so delicious!!

I’ve always loved Monkey Bread, but the traditional monkey bread makes quite a bit and it takes longer to bake in a bundt pan. This mini version is the perfect size for our family. Plus, we love anything with cinnamon sugar! Those are always a hit. And once you make a homemade icing and see how easy it is, you will do it all the time!!

You only need a few ingredients to make these Mini Monkey Bread Muffins:

canned Grands homestyle biscuits
granulated sugar
light brown sugar
cinnamon
butter
powdered sugar
milk
FULL RECIPE IS BELOW!

This recipe is fun for kids to make too! It would make a great breakfast for slumber parties, holidays, and vacations. I plan on making them for our vacation in a few weeks!

Other Breakfast Treats You Might Like:

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Mini Monkey Bread Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

Mini Monkey Bread Muffins are a fun breakfast treat idea. They are easy to throw together and bake up quicker than traditional monkey bread!

Ingredients

1 can Grands Homestyle biscuits
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
6 Tbsp butter, melted

Icing:

2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 6 tbsp butter over low heat while you move on to the next step.
Cut biscuits into 9 pieces each. (I make 3 cuts down biscuit one direction, and then turn them and make 3 cuts the other directions)
In a plastic storage bag, add biscuit pieces, both sugars and cinnamon, and melted butter (making sure it is not too hot before you add it). Toss it around to evenly coat the biscuit pieces.
Spray muffin tin with cooking spray. Add coated biscuit pieces to muffin cups spreading out evenly over 12 cups.
Bake for about 15 minutes.
While muffins are baking, make the icing by mixing 2 tbsp melted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, and 1 tbsp milk.
Spread icing over warm muffins and serve.

Weekly Family Meal Plan #179

Jaren — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 21:08:26 +0000

Weekly Family Meal Plan- Featuring several main dishes, a side dish, an appetizer, a breakfast, and desserts!

Summer is speeding by for us so quickly! We just need it to SLOW DOWN! I still have so much reading and relaxing I want to do :), but I keep creating projects for myself. Anyone else like this? And of course, I am always thinking of recipes! This week’s menu plan has some great ones! Hope you enjoy!

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Main Dishes

Taco Cornbread

Steak Kabobs with Basil Mint Chimichurri

Loaded Cheesy Chili Dogs

Slow Cooker Sausage and Sauerkraut Sandwiches

Baked Salmon with Corn and Red Pepper Relish

Side Dish

Cheesy Pesto Monkey Bread

Appetizer

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Breakfast

Blueberry Lemon Almond Coffee Cake

Dessert

Crescent Apple Cheesecake

Peach Crumb Pie

Thanks for checking out our Weekly Family Meal Plan! Have a great week!! Brought to you by:

Diary of a Recipe Collector | Neighborfood | Melanie Makes | Garnish and Glaze | Little Dairy on the Prairie

Looking for more? You can find ALL RECIPES HERE.

For more ideas, follow me on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER.

Get FREE recipes delivered to you by email: SIGN UP HERE!

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Weekly Family Meal Plan #143

Jaren — Sat, 21 Jul 2018 12:47:21 +0000

Weekly Family Meal Plan- Featuring several main dishes, a side dish, an appetizer, a breakfast, and desserts!

Oh my! Am I loving this week’s menu plan or what? It is easy ideas for your week. I’ve got my eye on those Fudgy Cherry Bars too! Plus, I included a few of my new recipes for Basil Pesto Chicken Alfredo and Cilantro Dip that you guys apparently like, which is why we are friends, right?
Got a busy week and no time to cook? Be sure to pin them for later!!

Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest too where I’m always pinning yummy recipes!

Follow on Instagram for More Recipes and Fun!!

Main Dishes

Chicken Taco Pizza (20-Minute Dinner)

Basil Pesto Chicken Alfredo

Baked Salmon with Corn and Red Pepper Relish

Quick & Easy Ravioli and Spinach Lasagna

Best Veggie Sandwich

Side

Greek Pasta Salad with Feta

Appetizer

Cilantro Dip

Breakfast

Almond Crusted French Toast

Dessert

Fudgy Black Forest Bars

Strawberry Poke Cake

Thanks for checking out our Weekly Family Meal Plan! Have a great week!!
Brought to you by:

Diary of a Recipe Collector | Neighborfood | Melanie Makes | Garnish and Glaze | Little Dairy on the Prairie

Looking for more? You can find ALL RECIPES HERE.

For more ideas, follow me on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER.

Get FREE recipes delivered to you by email: SIGN UP HERE!

The post Weekly Family Meal Plan #143 appeared first on Diary of A Recipe Collector.

Weekly Family Meal Plan #121

Jaren — Sat, 17 Feb 2018 14:17:36 +0000

Weekly Family Meal Plan- Featuring several main dishes, a side dish, an appetizer, a breakfast, and desserts!

I’m so glad it’s the weekend folks! Today our #3 turns six! We celebrated with a little party last night, and today will be her breakfast in bed when she wakes up. It’s a birthday tradition that starts around 4 years old around here, and they love it! Her breakfast request is quite easy on me though 🙂 She wants a chocolate covered birthday donut. So her daddy will go get her one in a few! Soooo now we have one that’s 11, 9, 6, and 3. Time is flying folks, but I’m so happy with the stages that my kids are now in, and we are almost completely potty-trained around here. #nomorepullups #beenchangingdiapersfor11years #momanddadneedabreak

And now I just need everyone to be a proficient swimmer…. 🙂
So onto this week’s menu! We’ve got some comforting February foods for you folks!

Got a busy week and no time to cook? Be sure to pin them for later!!

Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest too where I’m always pinning yummy recipes!

Main Dishes

Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup

Shrimp and Corn Soup

20 Minute Swedish Meatballs

Chicken Reuben Sheet Pan Nachos

Asian Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

Side Dish

Beer & Cheese Skillet Bread

Drink

Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate

Breakfast

Chai Quinoa Breakfast Bowls

Dessert

Oatmeal Chocolate Fudge Chewies Recipe

S’mores Truffle Bites

Thanks for checking out our Weekly Family Meal Plan! Have a great week!!
Brought to you by:

Diary of a Recipe Collector | Neighborfood | Melanie Makes | Garnish and Glaze | A Zesty Bite

Looking for more? You can find ALL RECIPES HERE.

For more ideas, follow me on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER.

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Easy Peach Pecan Skillet Cake

Jaren — Thu, 27 Jul 2017 11:31:37 +0000

Easy Peach Pecan Skillet Cake – A simple and comforting peach dessert with some surprising ingredients in the batter that make this cake divine!

I love skillet desserts! This Peach Pecan Skillet Cake is no exception. My favorite part is definitely the addition of cream cheese and sour cream in the batter! It makes the yummiest cake ever!

I grew up on peach cobbler. It was our dessert many nights. After making this the other day, I came to the realization that I don’t make this enough for my children. This is seriously something I have to change! It’s one of the easiest desserts to make and leaves the house smelling totally comforting and divine.

Growing up, we always had our cobblers with whipped cream, but after I met my husband, he introduced me to vanilla ice cream. Oh. my. word. That takes a warm dessert to a whole other level for sure! When I made this the other day, I took a picture with my phone and sent it to him with a text that said, “You may want to grab some ice cream…just sayin’.” And that he did!

If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can find them here. You can certainly use a casserole dish as well. I recommend using a 9 x 9 or something close to that size.
Fresh peaches can also be used 🙂

Easy Peach Pecan Skillet Cake

Yield: 6

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup sour cream
1 15 oz. can sliced peaches in heavy syrup

Topping:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Optional: Vanilla Ice Cream or Whipped Topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
In a mixing bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, and sugar until well combined about 1-2 minutes.
Add egg and beat again another minute.
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until well combined.
Mix in sour cream until combined.
Pour half of the batter into greased 10 inch black iron skillet or a greased casserole dish (9 x 9). Spread batter to edges. Pour drained peaches on top. Top with spoonfuls of remaining batter (no need to spread).
For topping: Using a fork, mix sugar, flour, cinnamon in a small bowl. Add butter and mix into dry ingredients until it forms small bits. Stir in pecans and sprinkle on top of batter.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and center is just set.
Serve with ice cream or whipped topping.

Weekly Family Meal Plan #83

Jaren — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 12:18:12 +0000

Weekly Family Meal Plan- Featuring several main dishes, a side dish, a soup, a breakfast, and two desserts!

I am celebrating the simple things this weekend guys. I am so happy we do not have one single thing to do. It’s been MONTHS since we’ve had a dull few days. I am so ready for it! I’m still recuperating and playing catch up from my little blogging conference at the beginning of the week. It was so much fun, and the food in Austin was fabulous! You can see a few pictures from my trip on my Instagram.

Hope you enjoy this week’s menu! No time to make some of these this week? Be sure to pin them for later!

Be sure to follow me on Pinterest too where I’m always pinning yummy recipes!

Main Dish #1 – Grilled Chicken & Bacon Pizza with Garlic Cream Sauce
(This is one of my most popular recipes!)

Main Dish #2 – One Pan Broccoli Alfredo Pasta

Main Dish #3 – Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad

Main Dish #4 – Open Faced Steak Sandwiches with Parmesan Avocado Cream

Main Dish #5 – Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas

Appetizer – Spicy Cheddar Sausage Balls

Side – Dyed Deviled Eggs

Breakfast – Egg Crepes

Dessert – Cornmeal Olive Oil Cookies with Lemon and Thyme

Thanks for checking out our Weekly Family Meal Plan! Have a great week!!
Brought to you by:

Diary of a Recipe Collector | The Grant Life | Melanie Makes | Fake Ginger | Cooking and Beer

Looking for more? You can find ALL RECIPES HERE.

For more ideas, follow me on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, AND PERISCOPE.

Get FREE recipes delivered to you by email: SIGN UP HERE!

The post Weekly Family Meal Plan #83 appeared first on Diary of A Recipe Collector.

Weekly Family Meal Plan #71

Jaren — Sun, 15 Jan 2017 16:13:40 +0000

Weekly Family Meal Plan- Featuring several main dishes, a side dish, a soup, a breakfast, and two desserts!

Happy Sunday folks! Hope you all are having a good weekend. I am super excited ours will continue through tomorrow! Love me some 3 day weekends! I am spending my Sunday getting caught up on my blog work and grading some papers while one kiddo is at my mom’s and one is fishing with his Daddy. So that leaves me with the oldest and the youngest, which means I may accomplish a little more today…maybe.

Hope you enjoy this week’s menu, and don’t forget to download the free grocery list printable here.

Main Dish #1 – Hot-Pressed Chicken Caprese Wraps
These are made with the help of your slow cooker!

Main Dish #2 – Turkey & Mozzarella Monte Christo Sandwiches with Maple Mustard Sauce

Main Dish #3 – Chicken Fajita Salad

Main Dish #4 – Hamburger Hotdish

Main Dish #5 – Chicken & Biscuits

Soup – Vietnamese Meatball Pho Soup

Side – Cranberry & Almond Broccoli Salad

Breakfast – Healthy Blueberry Scones

Dessert #1 – Banana Cake with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting

Dessert #2 – Peanut Butter Mocha Poke Cake

Brought to you by:

Diary of a Recipe Collector | The Grant Life | Melanie Makes | Fake Ginger | Cooking and Beer

Looking for more? You can find ALL RECIPES HERE.

For more ideas, follow me on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, AND PERISCOPE.

Get FREE recipes delivered to you by email: SIGN UP HERE!

The post Weekly Family Meal Plan #71 appeared first on Diary of A Recipe Collector.

Crescent Chicken Taco Pinwheels

Jaren — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 11:27:07 +0000

Crescent Chicken Taco Pinwheels – An easy appetizer recipe filled with diced chicken, cream cheese, taco seasoning, and green chiles. It’s perfect for when you need a quick snack or dinner idea too!

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PIN HERE!

These past few weeks have worn me out. I know I’m not alone. Don’t you just love the simplicity that the new year brings? It always feels so good to stop all the excess of the holidays and trim down in all areas of life. I often find myself thinking about what rooms I can clean out or what things I’d like to change. It really is a great feeling to start fresh.

With our busy school schedule, one of the must-dos is to keep our suppers simple around here. And sometimes the planning is half the battle. Well I love these Crescent Taco Chicken Pinwheels because they are made with ingredients I almost always have on hand. This is perfect if you are like me here lately and need a quick idea because you just can’t make it to the store that day.

For us, this is a Thursday night kind of meal. That’s the night where we are usually out of leftovers and need something small to make for just that one night. If you are only serving a small family, go ahead and half the recipe.

And if you need a quick snack or appetizer idea, these little beauties are the perfect answer! They really are perfect for parties. Who doesn’t love a crescent roll and cream cheese? In fact, I’ve never met a recipe with a crescent roll that I didn’t like. And I never turn down anything Mexican! With only a few ingredients, you’ve got one good little snack!

The recipe makes quite a few, so I made one batch with chopped black olives and one without them. That way everyone is happy around here. Enjoy this super simple little recipe next time you need a simple snack or supper idea!

Crescent Chicken Taco Pinwheels

Yield: 30 pinwheels

Crescent Chicken Taco Pinwheels - An easy appetizer recipe filled with diced chicken, cream cheese, taco seasoning, and green chiles. It's perfect for when you need a quick snack or dinner idea too!

Ingredients

2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls
1 8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 taco seasoning packet
2 cups diced cooked chicken*
1 4 oz. can green chiles (do not drain liquid)
Optional: 2 tbsp diced black olives, juice of 1/2 lime

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375.
Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, and taco seasoning packet in a bowl with an electric mixer.
Mix in diced chicken, green chiles, and optional black olives and lime juice.
Unroll 1 crescent dough onto cutting board being careful not to separate into triangles. Press seams together to make one sheet of dough while spreading dough to about a 9 x 12 rectangle.
Spread half the chicken taco mixture onto dough. Spread a thin layer to the edges on each side. Beginning on the long side, roll up dough. Slice into 3/4 inch slices and place on a baking sheet.
Repeat with other can of crescent rolls and remaining chicken mixture.
Bake at 375 for 14 to 16 minutes or until crescent rolls become golden brown. Serve warm with sour cream.

Weekly Family Meal Plan #70

Jaren — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 15:03:01 +0000

Weekly Family Meal Plan- Featuring several main dishes, a side dish, a soup, a breakfast, and two desserts!

Hello all! We’re finally back with our menu plan posting after a little break for the holidays. Hope you all had a wonderful New Year! It’s back to reality over here too. School, work, after school stuff, etc. And everyone seems pretty good with that. We are just a family that thrives in a solid routine. We only had a 3 day school week, so that always helps! And now it’s birthday season and Mardi Gras around here for the next few months. I know I’ll be ready for spring break after this for sure!!

Hope you enjoy this week’s menu, and don’t forget to download the free grocery list printable here.

Main Dish #1 – Chicken Parmesan Panini

Main Dish #2 – Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Beer Horseradish & Pilsner Mushrooms

Main Dish #3 – Bacon Tortellini Bake

Main Dish #4 – Southwest Quinoa Casserole

Main Dish #5 – Chili-lime Chicken Drumsticks

Soup – Cheesy Southwest Chicken Soup

Side – Bulgar Salad with Chickpeas, Pomegranate Seeds, & Almonds

Breakfast – Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Dessert #1 – Strawberry Sugar Cookies

Dessert #2 – Peanut Butter & Chocolate No Bake Cookies

Brought to you by:

Diary of a Recipe Collector | The Grant Life | Melanie Makes | Fake Ginger | Cooking and Beer