Easy Shredded Chicken

If you like to cook in bulk, you'll love this! You can cook up a whole batch of boneless skinless chicken breast and have it shredded and ready to throw on a salad, in soup, or season up for whatever you'd like to eat.

Use your mixer! I use my kitchenaid mixer but a hand mixer will also work. I can throw the hot cooked chicken breasts right in and the mixer shreds them up easily. The key is to do quick bursts of the mixer, don't just turn it on full blast or it'll throw the chicken right out of the bowl. If you're doing a large batch, put just a few breasts in at once, pulse it until you like the level of shredding, then dump it into a large bowl to the side and do the next few breasts. Repeat until it's all shredded.

You can cook large batches of chicken in a crock pot, but it takes hours to cook them. Still better than boiling, but not super fast.

THEN I got my Instant Pot. Hello! Now I don't even have to deal with boiling chicken anymore OR waiting on the crock pot! I can cook 5 lbs of chicken at once - I just throw it in the instant pot with some water, set it to pressure cook for 15 minutes, and walk away.

I actually keep cooked, shredded chicken in my freezer now so I can use it in recipes as needed. I even keep some seasoned with taco seasoning to use on a taco salad or in a lettuce wrap. So convenient!

Some recipes from this blog that you can make with precooked shredded chicken:

Chicken Fajita (P3)
Chicken Apple Slaw (P2)
Chicken Spinach Tomato Soup (P2)
Enchilada (just sub chicken for beef) (P2)
Chicken Soup (P2)
Chicken Chili (P2)
Chicken Salad (P3)

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Preparing Food in Advance for Phase 2 and Phase 3

Most of the recipes in this blog are for a single meal, but many can be made in larger batches and then divided up into multiples meals that will be ready to heat and eat.

Phase 2 is often one of the more challenging times since your portions and ingredients are so restricted that you are probably cooking your own food and then may also be cooking for your family.


You can go ahead and mix up a pound of ground beef into meatballs, and then either cook them all and save them to be reheated, or freeze them raw and then bake them until done for a meal.  The same goes for meatloaf.  I made a batch of chicken soup and saved enough for three more meals.  Chili would work well for that, and even the sauce for zucchini spaghetti.

One of my favorite time-savers is to portion out my meat ahead of time so I can just cook it up without having to weigh it out.

Ground beef is great because you can get a package of it and weight it out, form it into balls or patties and freeze it for later use.  Then take out a couple at a time and put them in the fridge to thaw so they're redy to go when you're ready to cook.

I have also cooked a roast, then shredded it up while still hot so the fat separates easily, and portioned it into containers for individual meals.  The same idea works well for chicken breasts.

I have a hard time getting motivated to make myself a salad - when not on P2 and restricting how many/much goes in, I want a really hearty salad with lots of different things. I like to chop up lots of veggies, but it's time-consuming to get them all out, chop, etc. I don't usually want to do it just for myself. BUT if I can make a bunch of salads at once, it's totally worth it. I saw this idea on pinterest one day and loved it. It works great for me and the salads easily last at least a week in my fridge.

What have you made ahead or in larger portions?

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Salad Jars

Salads are a roller coaster for me. I love them, especially with lots of veggies cut up and a delicious homemade dressing. But they are so much work! I hate having to get out a bunch of different vegetables and the cutting board and knives just to make one salad. Enter pinterest and the Salad Jar. My life is forever changed! I can spend the time ONCE and have salads for the week. I feel better eating this good food and my time was spent efficiently. Win!

I recommend chopping lettuce and putting it in first, filling most of the jar. Then add whatever you like - bell peppers, red onion, cucumber, celery, grated cheese, raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds, etc. I love it all (except for the celery, ha).

For carrots and zucchini, the spirooli slicer comes in handy! 

I don't recommend chopping tomato and putting it in the salad jars, because they tend to get too wet for me and I don't like wet salad. If you don't care about your salad being wet, then go for it. A better option, in my opinion, is using grape tomatoes.

When it's time to eat, dump the jar into a big salad bowl, add dressing, and eat. If you need to take it with you to work or school, bring your dressing in a small container so it doesn't make a mess of your salad before you're ready to eat.

If you're on P2, you can do this idea too, just be sure to keep it P2 Friendly!

If you try this idea, please leave me a comment to let me know! What do you put in your salads?

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Sugar Free Mustard BBQ Barbecue Sauce

For the first time ever, I made my own pulled pork!  Then I wanted some barbecue sauce for it, but since I'm really trying to cut down on sugar, I thought I'd try making my own. I love the mustard style bbq sauce (is this South Carolina barbecue? I can never keep that straight) so here is my recreation. I loved it and so did my husband, who is very picky about his bbq. :)

Sugar Free Mustard Barbecue Sauce

1/4 cup Mustard
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
8-10 drops Liquid Stevia
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
2-3 tsp Worsecestershire Sauce

The pulled pork couldn't have been easier: simply put a boston butt in the crock pot with a little water and salt and pepper, and cook on low for about 8 hours.  Then shred the meat.  Done!  Pork is not allowed on HCG Phase 2 but should be fine on Phase 3.  You could use the sauce on some chicken or beef in phase 2, though.

P2 Meatball Burger

This was one of those accidental strokes of genius. I was making a huge batch of meatballs to feed my freezer (yay for bulk cooking!) but I didn't want to eat meatballs for dinner after doing all of that prep. So I made a serving of meatballs into a burger and grilled it.  Delish!  Serve with a little marinara on top if you like (and cheese if you're on HCG Phase 3) or homemade Phase 2 ketchup.

Meatball Burgers

3.5 oz Ground Beef
1 Tbsp Bread Crumbs (this is the equivalent of your melba or grissini allowance. You can crush that if you prefer)
1 Tbsp Milk
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Basil
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Garlic Salt
pinch of Black Pepper

Combine all ingredients and form into a patty, then grill until done.


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P2 Taco Salad

This isn't going to be the same as it would be on P3, but it's pretty darn good if you're wanting tacos on P2.

3.5 oz Ground Beef
1 tsp Onion, minced
1 clove Garlic, minced
Spices of your choice, like cumin, chili powder, cilantro, etc.
2 cups Lettuce
1 Tomato, diced

Brown ground beef with onion, and add garlic toward the end. Add taco spices of your choice to taste. Serve over lettuce with diced tomato.

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Fauxback Seasoning on Grilled Chicken

We love our made-up "Fauxback" seasoning on steak (copycat of Outback steak), and recently I tried it on chicken.  It was great!  Totally different taste even though it was the exact same seasoning.  Give it a try!

Fauxback Seasoning

4 tsp paprika
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander

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P2 Chicken Apple Slaw

This was totally different from what I usually eat and I loved it!  It's almost a honey mustard flavor slaw, with the sweetness of apple and the protein included as well.  A great one-dish meal for the warmer weather.

Chicken Apple Slaw

1.5 cups Cabbage, shredded
3.5 oz Chicken, cooked and diced
1 Apple, diced
1 tsp Mustard
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
5 drops Liquid Stevia

Mix mustard, ACV and stevia in a container large enough to hold the other ingredients.  Add cabbage, apple and chicken and toss to coat.  Eat immediately or refrigerate for later.

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P2 Garlic Lime Chicken

Super fast and tasty - the lime gives it a little different taste which I appreciated.

Garlic Lime Chicken

3.5 oz Chicken Breast (I use 2 tenders)
Garlic cloves, peeled (I used 10)
1 Tbsp Onion, chopped
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
1 Tbsp Water
1/2 tsp dried Cilantro (or a Tbsp of fresh)
1/2 tsp salty seasoning, I used Adobo (optional)

Preheat oven to 350*.  Place chicken in a foil-lined baking dish.  Combine water, lime juice and seasonings and pour over chicken.  Add garlic cloves and onion.  Close foil and bake until chicken is done, about 25 minutes.

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P2 Lemon Garlic Mahi-Mahi

I'm the only seafood-eater in our house so I very rarely eat it, but P2 is so limited anyway I thought I should get some mahi-mahi- fillets and expand my protein options.  I'm so glad I did!  The fillets come frozen individually so it was very easy to just thaw a single portion and cook it for myself.

Lemon Garlic Mahi-Mahi

1 Mahi -Mahi Fillet (mine come in 4oz portions)
3-4 cloves Garlic, smashed
1-2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos, optional

Preheat oven to 350* (I use my toaster oven).  Line a small baking dish with foil (you'll thank me later).  Mix garlic in lemon juice (and Bragg's, if using) and pour over mahi. Bake about 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.  Serve!

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P2 Garlic Broccoli Chicken Stir Fry

This was delicious and very filling, which is always nice on HCG Phase 2.

Garlic Broccoli Chicken Stir Fry

3.5 oz Chicken Breast (I use 2 tenders)
10 cloves Garlic, peeled and smashed
1.5 cups Broccoli (I use fresh)
2 Tbsp Water
1 Tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos

Steam broccoli for just about 2 minutes to slightly cook it.  (Frozen broccoli may not need this step.)  Stir fry chicken in water until about half done, add garlic and finish cooking chicken.  Add broccoli and Bragg's, stirring to coat.  Serve.

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P2 Meatballs Gluten-Free (rogue)

I've been trying to make more and more gluten-free food since I feel better not eating gluten, so I made my regular meatballs without breadcrumbs. I felt they needed something to help bind them, though, so I added one egg to a full pound of ground beef, and then divided it into five P2 servings. It's rogue but I think it's fair.

Mini Meatballs, gluten-free

1 lb ground beef
1 egg
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic salt
pinch pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Form into small balls and place on baking sheet and cook 7-9 minutes or until done. Drain on paper towels.

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P2 Chicken, Spinach, Tomato Soup

Thanks to my friend Kristen for this recipe and the beautiful picture!

If you count the tomato as a fruit, it's not even rogue on HCG Phase 2.

Chicken, Spinach, Tomato Soup

8 oz fat free Chicken Broth

2-4 cups Water (depending how thin you like your chicken broth)

15oz can Diced Tomatoes

2 cups fresh Baby Spinach, washed and chopped

1 portion cooked, chopped Chicken (I used 1/2 chicken breast)

1/2 tsp minced Garlic

1/2 tsp Basil

1/2 tsp Oregano

Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients into saucepan over med-hi heat, adding spinach last; it only needs to simmer for 2-3 minutes. 

The original recipe calls for mini-tortellini, which you can easily cook separately and add to the soup if desired (for the rest of the family not on protocol). 

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P2 Tomato Soup

This is super easy and so yummy!  You could even dip your melba in it to pretend it's grilled cheese.  Well, maybe not, but whatever.  It's an idea. :)

Tomato Soup

1 clove Garlic, minced
1 can Diced Tomatoes
1/4-1/2 tsp Oregano
1/4-1/2 tsp Thyme
1/4-1/2 tsp Parsley
1/3 cup Cottage Cheese (I used low-fat, technically rogue on HCG P2)

Drain a little juice from the tomatoes into a saucepan and saute the garlic for a minute.  Dump in the tomatoes and spices and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add cottage cheese and blend until smooth.  An immersion blender works great for this if you have one.  If not, transfer the soup to your blender to puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

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P2 Chili

Simple, basic, tasty and satisfying as the weather cools down!

Chili

3.5 oz ground beef
2 Tbsp minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped tomatoes or 1/2 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef in small pan with onions and garlic. Drain fat if needed. Stir in tomatoes and water. Add spices, bring to a boil, then turn it down and simmer. If using fresh tomatoes, simmer until they cook down well.

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P2 Chocolate Mousse

Oh my goodness.  I was skeptical about this as I mixed it up but I am amazed at how good it tastes!  This dessert counts as a protein, so for me, it works best on a day I'm busy and don't have time to cook up two proteins for meals.  Or if you're just craving chocolate, it'd be worth planning to have this dessert as a protein.  Yum!  If you like cheesecake, I think you'll like this.  It would also make a fabulous fruit dip - for apples or strawberries! 

Chocolate Mousse

1/2 cup Cottage Cheese (I used low-fat, technically rogue on HCG P2)
1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
Splash of Vanilla
Liquid Stevia to taste

Puree all ingredients together and adjust stevia to the sweetness you like.  Start with just a few drops and add one a time until you like it.  Enjoy!

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P2 Beef Enchilada

Well obviously it isn't a *real* enchilada, since there is no tortilla or cheese.  But it still tastes really good. :)  Plus you could make up a whole batch of it for your family and let the rest of them have the tortillas and cheese while you just eat the filling.  Serve it with a big salad or veggie on the side and you have a great meal.

Beef Enchilada

1 Tbsp Water
1 Tbsp Onion, minced
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/2 can Diced Tomatoes
1/2 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Cumin

3 ounces of beef (or chicken), cooked and shredded.  See my previous note about preparing meat ahead of time.

Saute onion in water about 2 minutes.  Add garlic and saute 1 minute more.  Add diced tomatoes and spices, mix and let simmer 5-10 minutes to thicken.  Mix in cooked, shredded beef or chicken, let simmer a few minutes more to heat the meat, and serve.

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P2 Cinnamon Baked Apple

I enjoy a little "dessert" on Phase 2 and this hits the spot.

Cinnamon Baked Apple

Mix the following in a small baking dish:

1 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Liquid Stevia to taste (5-10 drops)
Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)

Core an apple - I use this handy tool.  Slice apple and coat in cinnamon mixture. Bake, covered, at 350* for 10-15 minutes or until desired doneness.

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P2 Chicken Soup - Comfort Food!

Whether it's cold outside, you aren't feeling 100%, or you just want some good ole comfort food, it's hard to beat homemade chicken soup! This is an easy one to make in bulk so you have some meals ready to go in the fridge or freezer.

Chicken Soup

3.5 oz Chicken Breast, diced
1/2 cup Celery, sliced
1/2 small Onion, diced
1 cup fat-free Chicken Broth
Water, to taste
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder

(you can add any seasonings you like - try Bragg's, Chili Powder, Tobasco, etc. and let me know what you liked best!)

Heat chicken broth in sauce pan.  Add onion and celery and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add seasonings and chicken, let simmer until chicken is done.  Taste and add water as needed until it's just right.

I quadrupled this recipe so I have 3 more meals ready to heat.  I ordered a bulk package of gladware containers - these for meals like this, and some smaller ones for freezing meat portions.

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P2 Salsa Scrambled Eggs

Quick, yummy breakfast that counts for 1 protein and 1 fruit or vegetable serving.

Salsa Scrambled Eggs

4 Egg Whites and 1 Yolk, beaten
2-3 Tbsp Salsa

Scramble eggs until almost done to your liking, and mix in salsa.  Easy!

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