The Meal Plan #9
Full week of easy high-protein recipes featuring an amazing Turkey Burger!
Hi everyone! Thanks for stopping by to read the ninth edition of The Meal Plan series on Protein Cuizine.
In this edition, I’ve curated a diverse selection of recipes. From a Grits Breakfast Bowl to a zesty Chicken Tortilla Soup, and a mouthwatering BBQ Chicken Flatbread, there’s a meal for every kind of craving. Plus, don't miss out on the bonus meal at the end, a Steakhouse Turkey Smash Burger.
With Memorial day coming up, this will be the last meal plan I release for about a week or so. I will however be releasing more protein-related content for your viewing pleasure in the meantime. Enjoy the rest of your week and holiday!
If you want high-protein meal ideas delivered to your inbox every week for FREE, hit subscribe. Thank you!
Breakfast
Grits Sausage & Egg Breakfast Bowl
31G Protein Per Bowl | 470 Calories | 15 Minutes
Having lived in Georgia 90% of my life, I think I’ve eaten more grits than I have oatmeal at this point. I am glad to have done so because nowadays I live in the Midwest and never see on breakfast menus. It’s a shame really because I think grits should sit comfortably at the top of the hot cereal chain above oat-you-know-what. Fate however has had other plans. Perhaps, the next breakfast renaissance will be led by the humble cereal, but in the meantime we’re going to give it’s due.
This week breakfast gets a Southern-inspired makeover with stone-ground grits seasoned lightly with garlic and onion powder. Then a nice topping of chicken sausage, fresh spinach, and perfectly scrambled eggs. Dive into comforting dish and elevate your morning! Makes 1 serving.
Ingredient List
1/3 cup Stone ground grits
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1/4 tsp Onion powder
1 tsp Light Butter
Avocado Oil Spray
1/4 cup Cottage Cheese
1 Egg
1 Egg white
Dash of Hot Sauce
4 Chicken Sausage Links
Handful of Spinach
Salt to Taste
Cooking Instructions
Cook The Grits 🧅
Bring 1 3/4 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan.
Slowly whisk in the grits, then reduce the heat to low.
Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer for the amount shown on the grits packaging. (Mine took about 5-6 minutes.)
Stir in the butter until melted and combined. Taste and add more salt if needed. Keep warm.
Cook The Toppings 🥚
Slice the chicken sausage links into rounds.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook the sausage until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, add the spinach and cook until wilted. Season with a little salt, then remove and set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together the egg, egg white, cottage cheese, and a dash of hot sauce. Add to the skillet and scramble until cooked to your desired doneness.
To serve, spoon the grits into a bowl. Top with the cooked sausage, wilted spinach, and scrambled eggs. Sprinkle some chopped green onions over it, if desired. Enjoy the taste of the South!
Lunch
Chicken Tortilla Soup
30G Protein Per Serving | 400 Calories | 30 Minutes
Behind many people who have succeeded in losing weight, there is a good soup. When done right, they’re perfect for getting in vegetables, keeping calories low, and most importantly making you feel full. Soups are almost so good at making you full that it can be easy to eat less than intended. That means not only less calories, but potentially less protein unless your stomach is just a bottomless pit of hunger. This wouldn’t be a problem if the broth itself were high in protein, which is exactly the purpose of this recipe.
Similar to my Chicken Miso Ramen recipe, this zesty chicken tortilla soup allows you to enjoy your soup without having to consume something like a sandwich on the side to get the right amount of calories in. It's rich in protein from both the chicken and bone broth. Loaded with delicious fire-roasted corn, onions, and tortilla chips. Top with some avocado or sour cream to make this soup a well-balanced meal. Give this nutritious soup a try and see if it helps you reach your weight loss goals! Makes 6-7 Servings.
Ingredient List
24 ounces Salsa
Tortilla Chips (broken in half)
2 Chicken Breasts
4 1/2 cups Chicken Bone Broth
1 lb Frozen Fire-roasted corn
1/2 cup Pickled Jalapenos
1 Medium Onion, chopped
1/2 cup of Cilantro
Juice of 1 Lime
Avocado oil spray
2 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Paprika
Salt to Taste
Light sour cream (optional)
Avocado (optional)
Cooking Instructions
Cook The Onions 🧅
Spray the bottom of a large pot with avocado oil spray and heat over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion to the pot to sauté until it becomes translucent. Add in the chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and paprika to the pot. Stir and cook for about 15-20 seconds.
Create The Soup 🍲
Add the salsa, chicken bone broth, cilantro, and frozen corn to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Lower the heat to a simmer and add the chicken. Cook for 25 minutes.
Take the chicken out and shred it with two forks. Add back into the soup.
Simmer the soup for an additional 2 minutes. Squeeze in the lime juice into the soup.
Ladle the soup into a bowl, top it with the tortilla chips, and your choice of light sour cream, slices of avocado, or cheese. Enjoy!
Dinner
BBQ Chicken Flatbread
41G Protein Per Flatbread | 594 Calories | 25 Minutes
Ever order a flatbread from a bar or bowling alley and it’s not actually flat?Unfortunately, this has been an all-too-common experience for me, with the exception of one place. Seasons 52. They’ve got to make the best flatbreads I’ve ever had anywhere. It’s honestly addictive enough to the point that I could easily order a couple of them once a week. However, I need to control myself and my budget, so I’ve opted to make a flatbread recipe inspired by Seasons 52. While this recipe isn’t going to be putting them out of business anytime soon, it makes up for it by being simple and quick to put together. By using your choice of a store bought flatbread, lavash wrap, or tortilla you can capture a similar texture to the thin, crispy crust of their flatbreads. Let's dive into the magic of recreating the only flatbread that’s actually flat at home!
Just a heads up, I used an air fryer to roast the chicken but of course you can use the oven. I’d use this chicken recipe if you plan to use that instead. Makes 4-5 servings.
Ingredient List
Flatbread or Lavash Wrap
Light Mozzarella Cheese
2 Chicken Breasts
Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce
Chopped Green Onions
Chopped Cilantro
Barbecue Seasoning
Avocado Oil Spray
Cooking Instructions
Cook The Chicken 🐓
Preheat an air fryer for 5 minutes at 390 degrees. Beat and tenderize the chicken breast using a mallet or pot.
Lightly spray your chicken with avocado oil and season both sides generously with barbecue seasoning.
Add the chicken to the air fryer and cook for 17 minutes. Flip halfway through and let them rest for 5 minutes after cooking.
Prep The Flatbread 🍕
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spread 5 tbsp of sugar-free barbeque sauce across the flatbread leaving the edges of the flatbread without sauce.
Sprinkle a little more than 1/4 cup of lite mozzarella on top. Slice the chicken and place about 3-4 ounces of it across the flatbread.
Add the chopped green onions on top and include some of the whites.
Add the flatbread to the oven and cook for 6-8 minutes. The cook time my vary depending on which flatbread you choose, but the cheese should be melted and edges of the flatbread golden brown.
Top it off with the chopped cilantro and enjoy!
Alternate Meal
Steakhouse Turkey Smash Burger
40G Protein Per Burger | 496 Calories | 15 Minutes
As a certified burger aficionado, I’ve recently been debating with my girlfriend on what the best burger chain is. Two of the places we were going back & forth on are Shake Shack and In-N-Out. She prefers In-N-Out while I prefer Shake Shack with us both having valid reasons for our choice. Although I think she’s entitled to being wrong about In-N-Out, the truth of the matter is that all these places are overrated. They’re all making a smash burger that can easily be replicated at home by anyone. While I absolutely enjoy doing that on occasion, it’s not something I’d recommend doing on the regular if you’re trying to get in shape for summer.
There is however a rather delicious alternative that will hold you over until your next cookout or Shake Shack visit. This turkey smash burger features grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms, and a creamy A1 sauce that will make you forget you’re not eating a full-fat burger. The real key to making this lower-calorie burger pop is using a good bun. Grab a fresh Kaiser roll or Brioche Bun from your local grocery store bakery and I promise it’ll make your burger 2x better.
Ingredient List
3 lb Ground Turkey
Kaiser Rolls
2 lb Baby Bella Mushrooms, Sliced
5 Medium Onions, Thinly Sliced
American Cheese or Sliced Cheese of Choice
A1 Steak Sauce
Light Mayo
3 tbsp Ghee
Avocado Oil Spray
Steak Seasoning
1/2 Tsp Dried Rosemary
1/2 Tsp Dried Thyme
2 tsp Garlic Powder
Salt to Taste
Cooking Instructions
Sauté The Mushrooms 🍄
Add ghee to a pan and preheat it over medium heat.
Add your sliced mushrooms to the pan. Season with garlic powder. Cook for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the dried herbs and salt to taste over the mushrooms and cook for an additional 1 - 2 minutes. Take mushrooms out of the pan and set aside.
Prep The Sauce & Bun 🥣
Mix together 10 tbsp of light mayo with 2 1/2 tbsp of A1 Steak Sauce in a bowl.
Slice the Kaiser roll in half, coat lightly with butter spray, and toast under the broiler until golden brown.
Cook The Turkey 🦃
Form the ground turkey into 3 oz balls.
Preheat a pan over medium-high heat and spray with avocado oil.
Place two of the balls in the hot pan and smash them flat with a spatula.
Season generously with the steak seasoning. Add a handful of onions on top of each patty. Season the onions with a pinch of salt.
Cook the patties until the bottom develops a golden brown crust. Spray the onions lightly with avocado oil.
Flip the patties. Top one of them with a slice of cheese. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Place the patty without the cheese on top of the other patty. Take out of the pan.
Repeat steps 7-12 with the rest of the ground turkey balls.
Assemble The Burgers 🍔
Spread the sauce on the bottom bun. Top with the two patties followed by the sautéed mushrooms. Bon Appetit!
Dessert
Protein Pancakes with Apricot Preserves
9G Protein Per Two Pancakes | 202 Calories
I recently had real pancakes from a brunch place, which I haven’t had since last year. I legitimately forgot how good pancakes can be when they’re super fluffy and drowning in maple syrup. Having those pancakes did something to my palette because I haven’t been enjoying how these protein pancake mixes taste anymore. It’s sort of like when you get used to drinking black coffee, but then you have an awesome full-fat latte. You just can’t go back to the bitter abyss. Knowing I can’t have real pancakes anytime I want, I became desperate to find a high-protein, healthier alternative. As I was searching around, I stumbled upon this greek yogurt based recipe by Kelly Senyei which blew me away. For the first time in a while, I didn’t feel the need to adjust a recipe because it’s perfect as is. I highly suggest you check out her recipe and website as a whole.
Instead of using maple syrup, I topped my pancakes with low-sugar apricot preserves just to get some sweetness in. Give these a try for your next dessert or breakfast!
If you’ve made it this far, you’re the best! Thanks for being here. I hope you enjoyed reading this newsletter as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Check out my last newsletter for more meal ideas which includes this lower calorie, high protein Charcuterie Board.
Eat Well,
Marcus Matkins