Eating healthier in the New Year does not happen overnight. Small changes make it easier to get your family around the dinner table more often and eating out less. Finding easy-to-prepare dishes takes the guesswork out of “what’s for dinner tonight?” and layered one-dish meals are a great place to start. First, you can make them ahead, add several servings of fruits or vegetables and tailor to your family’s tastes. Here are some recipes to help get you started.
Tex Mex Layered Salad
From the blog, Recipe Girl, this recipe is both savory and fresh with super food ingredients like avocado, bell pepper and black beans. The prep time is about 20 minutes.
Layered Quinoa Salad
Quinoa is becoming a more familiar name in the kitchen and for good reason. Quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids and is one of the most protein-rich foods we can eat. It is also packed with iron, magnesium and fiber. Adding quinoa to meals can help regulate blood sugar levels as well. Here is a unique and colorful recipe featuring quinoa as the star ingredient.
Pioneer Woman’s Layered Salad
Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond shared a simple layered salad recipe on her blog in 2010. Featured in an August post, this recipe can be made throughout the year. Ree says the secret to a good layered salad is the dressing, which “seals in” the ingredients. Using two kinds of lettuce, hard-boiled egg and bacon, this recipe is both satisfying and easy to assemble. To reduce the prep time on this meal, make the hard-boiled eggs and bacon ahead of time and store in the refrigerator.
Citrus Layered Salad
Here is a great recipe for a weekend brunch or simple power breakfast. Layer citrus slices with mint, yogurt and pistachios for a fresh twist on the layered salad. It is high in protein and vitamin C – extra support for a healthy immune system this winter.
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{Photo - Recipe Credit}