You know what’s hard work? Meal planning. It takes time, requires motivation and sometimes your family doesn’t even eat the meal-let alone thank you for it! But sitting down for meals matters. You are having connections and conversations with your family, modeling table manners and eating behaviors and you are making an impact in the teenage years. Wait? Teenage years?
According to a number of reports issued by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University(CASA), “children who eat at least five times a week with their family are at lower risk of developing poor eating habits, weight problems or alcohol and substance dependencies, and tend to perform better academically than their peers who frequently eat alone or away from home.”
This week I have a really simple crock pot recipe for you. It’s one of our family favorites and a perfect one to make when you don’t have a lot of time. Keep up with your meal planning-it really does matter! And if you are just getting started with meal planning, try and give yourself one new goal a month (use up three things from the freezer, make one new recipe, only one pizza night a month). Good luck and let me know how it’s going!
Ingredients:
1 bag Frozen Cauliflower, Brocolli and Carrots Blend (defrosted)
1 lb ground Turkey
1 package Trader Joe’s Steamed Lentils (17.6 ounces)
1 can Tomato Paste (6 ounces)
1 package McCormick Sloppy Joes Seasoning Mix (1.31 ounces)
1 1/4 cup water
Sandwich Buns
Directions:
Chop the cauliflower, brocolli and carrot blend into small pieces. Add vegetable blend and all remaining ingredients to a crock pot, stir to combine and cook on high two hours. Serve on buns.
Serves 8
Love it! I do a version of this but have never thought to add the cauliflower blend – thanks for a great idea!
Sneaking in the veggies! I also don’t feel as guilty when I eat the sloppy joes with chips!
Do you cook the ground turkey before putting it in the crockpot???…love you and your recipes on TCL…thanks…
Thanks, Rae. You just put the turkey in raw and it cooks in the crock pot.