Dads are super busy these days so why not add some meal prep to your week and take the stress out of dinner time? This week Dan from @Danshomedeli is bringing you a brilliant meal you can make in advance to save you time in the week.
Why is Meal Prep So Great for Family Life?
Everyone is talking about meal prep these days – but do you know why it is a great thing to do? Firstly you’re going to save time in the week by making meals ahead of time. If you can on the weekend, try making dinners and putting them in the fridge for the week. It makes meal times hassle free. Or, you can do bigger batches once a month to freeze.
Meal prep can also help you save money and boost healthy eating. Recipes like spaghetti bolognese, chilli, and stews are all great choices to make in batches. You can use affordable ingredients and pack them full of veggies. Plus by cooking in advance you’re less likely to reach for the takeaway menus mid week!
Meal Prep Chicken and Chorizo Stew
This weeks meal prep recipe is a delicious chicken and chorizo stew. The recipe is full of flavour and is a massive hit in my house. Plus, it is versatile. I’m using chicken thighs which are not only cheaper than the breast, but they’re full of flavour and great for stew recipes.
This recipe also uses chickpeas. But you can use any pulse you like and it works well with butter beans as an alternative.
What You’re Going to Need
These quantities will feed a family of four, just increase the quantities for bigger families or if you’re stocking the freezer!
- 8-10 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
- 3 peeled and thinly sliced onions
- 2 tsp of smoked hot paprika
- 2 cloves of crushed garlic
- 225g of chorizo cut into cubes
- 1g of saffron (optional)
- 125ml of white wine (optional)
- 1 tin of Piquillo peppers sliced
- 1 tin of chopped tomato
- 2 tins of chickpeas
- 1 jar of saffron and piquillo pepper pesto (optional)
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
Remember, preparing your ingredients before you start will make cooking go smoothly. Chop your onions, slice the chorizo into cubes, drain and rinse the chickpeas, crush the garlic and get your herbs and spices measured out ready to go.
Step One – Cook Your Chicken:
Put the chicken thighs into a large bowl with a drizzle of oil and season them with salt, pepper and the paprika. Toss the chicken thighs around to get them well coated.
Warm a heavy bottomed pan over a medium heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. When warm, add the chicken thighs, lie them so they’re flat on the bottom of the pan. We want to sear cook them. To do that, leave them for a couple of minutes until the bottom is golden brown. Then flip them over and repeat. Once the chicken is golden brown on both sides, remove from the pan and set aside.
Step 2 – Veggie Time:
Add the sliced onions and chorizo to the pot. Cover it with a lid and let it cook down until it’s sticky and brown, and the red fat has come out of the chorizo. This is going to give your stew the most amazing flavour! Add the chilli, garlic and saffron (if you’re using it) and let it cook for 2 minutes to release those flavours. Remember to stir the mixture occasionally to keep it cooking evenly.
Add the peppers and chickpeas and give it all a good stir. Then throw in the tin of tomatoes, jar of pesto and wine (if you’re using it) and bring the stew up to boil.
Step 3 – Bring it All Together
Grab the chicken you cooked earlier and put it back in the pot. I like to leave it whole, but you can chop it into cubes or strips if you’d prefer. Stir everything together and leave it to cook on a low heat until you’re happy with the consistency.
Meal Prep Complete!
That is it… meal done! It is really that easy so now you want to get it ready for the fridge or freezer.
You want to cool this down quickly to get it ready to be put away. Pour the stew into a large metal or glass dish and stir it slowly to help it cool down. Portioning out into smaller batches will also help it cool quicker. Once cooled pop the stew into fridge or freezer safe containers or freezer bags and place into the fridge or freezer. And you’re done!
Reheating and Eating!
For best results reheat the stew on the hob. Pop it into a hob safe pan, and heat it over a medium heat to recook. Make sure the stew is cooked through and the chicken is piping hot before serving. Or, pop it into an oven proof dish, and into the oven at 160, or gas mark 5, for around 30 minutes – or until piping hot. You can reheat it in the microwave in a microwaveable dish – but give it a stir half way through to ensure it’s heated evenly.
This stew is delicious on it’s own, but can be served with rice, pasta, potatoes or a nice fresh bread too. I like to serve it with garlic bread and a big, crisp green salad. It goes well with anything and serving it with pasta, rice or potatoes will make it go further.
If the chicken is gone and there is just sauce left – don’t just throw it out! It makes an amazing chunky soup for lunch too.
Don’t forget to let us know how you got on! Show us your creations by uploading a picture to Instagram, remember to tag @Dadvengersofficial and @danshomedeli.
And keep an eye on dadvengers.com to see more great recipes in our Dads Cook series coming soon!