Gluten-Free Meal Plan: 7 Flavorful Weeknight Dinners #1

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. 
• Heat the meatballs and marinara sauce in a large sauce pan. Cover and heat on medium-high for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
• While the sauce and meatballs are heating, toast the bread in a toaster to slightly brown. Add each slice of toasted bread to the prepared baking sheet.
• When the meatballs and sauce are finished heating, top each slice of bread with desired amounts of meatballs and sauce. Sprinkle your desired amount of cheese on top of each open faced sandwich. Bake for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Garnish with fresh parsley and optional Parmesan cheese. 
• Best eaten with a fork and knife:-). 

• Cook the rice according to instructions, usually about 20 minutes covered.
• Drain and rinse the beans and gently heat in a small saucepan.

Prepare the vegetables

• Slice off the ends of the red bell peppers. Remove the seeds inside and rinse off too get any extra seeds out. Slice into thin slices lengthwise.
• Slice off the top of the onion and peel away the skin. Cut in half for a large onion then into thin slices. If the onion is smaller you can cut it into thin rings without halving it first.
• In a large sautee pan add the olive oil, red bell peppers and onions. Turn the heat to medium high and heat for 10 minutes until the onions become translucent and mixing throughout the cooking process so it cooks evenly and does not burn. If it starts to burn turn the heat down slightly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
• While the onions and rice cook chop the rest of the ingredients: green onions, cilantro, avocado and slice the lemons into wedges or rings.
• When the rice and peppers are finished cooking assemble a large serving bowl or plate with half of the rice on one side and the beans on the other side. Top in the center with the cooked peppers and onions. Garnish with green onions, fresh cilantro, avocado and a splash of lime. Add salsa or any other toppings of choice. Add any salt and pepper to taste.

• Cook the noodles according to the box directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the water for use in the sauce if needed. Drain and rinse the cooked noodles then transfer them back to the pot.
• Pour the cheese and milk over the noodles and mix until the cheese is melted. Turn the heat to low to help the cheese melt. Add the Greek yogurt and a bit of the reserved water if needed. Add salt to taste.

• In a large saucepan all of the ingredients. Cover and turn the heat to high until the edges of the soup start to bubble. When they start to bubble turn the heat down to medium and cook covered or about 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Wash and prepare the vegetables: Peel the carrots and slice them and the sausage into thick circles. Slice the peppers into 1" squares and the red potatoes into 1/2" cubes.
• Make the marinade or dressing: in a small bowl add the olive oil, basil, oregano, onion powder, garlic salt and pink salt. Mix well.
• Spread the prepared sausage and vegetables on the sheet pan. Pour half of the marinade on top. Using your hands toss to coat them. Spread the sausage and vegetables evenly (not overlapping) on the baking sheet.
• Bake for 15 minutes, flip everything and bake another 10-15 minutes until slightly browned.

• Dissolve 1 package of yeast in 1 cup of lukewarm water and let it set for 5 minutes. In a small bowl add the eggs, olive oil, apple cider and maple syrup and set aside. In a large bowl add 2 cups of gluten-free flour, arrowroot flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, milk powder and salt and mix to combine. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the egg mixture and yeast mixture and mix in with the flour. The mixture will be slightly watery. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and set aside for 2-3 hours to rise. After 2-3 hours have parchment paper ready for the dough and add a dash of gluten-free flour on top of parchment paper (so it does not stick) then place the dough on top (flour prevents sticking so use as much as needed) and form the crust with fingers to flatten into 1/4 crust. Roll over the edges to form the fluffy crust.
• For Pizza:
• Heat the oven to 500 degrees F. Add a pizza stone or baking sheet to the oven to heat for 30 minutes. Transfer the rolled out dough to the heated pizza stone or if using a baking pan keep the pizza on the parchment paper before transferring. Add marinara sauce, cheese and extra toppings and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the crust is slightly browned.

• Add the chicken to the slow cooker with 1 cup of barbecue sauce on top. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 2-4 hours. Shred the chicken using two forks.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds in the center with a spoon. Add a drizzle of olive oil and flip the halves upside down on a baking pan. Add a splash of water to the bottom of the pan. Bake for 35-45 or until it is soft when poked with a fork. When it is finished cooking, let it cool enough to handle. Scrape the sides with a fork to fluff the noodles.
• Add ¼ cup of cheese to each boat, then divide the shredded chicken to each boat. Sprinkle with peppers, onions and cilantro on top.
• Eat it right away or bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes to cook the onions and crisp the top slightly. Garnish with the remaining ¼ cup (or less) barbecue sauce and cilantro.