It would appear that spring has finally arrived in my hometown of Melbourne! Football finals are on, the spring racing season is kicking off and it is the time for many more BBQs and entertaining at home. It is great to have on hand some easy finger food recipes you can prepare easily in advance so if you are the guest you can take them along or if you are the host you don’t have to spend all of your time in the kitchen.
Here are a few of my favourites which are not only easy to cook but are also a hit with the crowds!
Gluten free chicken meatballs – these are oven baked so very easy to make in bulk. You can also make up in a big batch to freeze and simply defrost and reheat when needed.
Homemade chicken spring rolls – you can shallow fry these, but lately I have taken to placing them on a tray lined with baking paper and brushing them all over with a coat of melted coconut oil, then baking on a moderate oven for 25 – 30 minutes.
Watermelon and feta sticks – super easy to make and a great one to take along somewhere if you are invited with short notice.
Homemade noodle boxes – these are a more substantial finger food / stand up type option. You can have all the ingredients prepared and then just quickly stir fry before you wish to serve them.
Broccoli fritters – using almond flour to keep them gluten free and with bacon and onion in them, they make a tasty and nutritious snack for any time of the day.
Egg muffins – these egg muffins are super easy to make and the perfect recipe to use up veggies and meat you have left over in the fridge.
Chicken rice paper rolls – are always a hit and you can use many combinations of meat and veg. They can be made in advance too.
Chicken and rice patties – again a recipe that you can make from the start or use up left over rice, veggies and chicken you have on hand.
Gluten free crackers and beetroot dip – these crackers only take 5 minutes to prepare to have them in the oven and they taste delicious!
Do you have a favourite gluten free finger food recipe to share? If so add them in the comments before and I will link them here in the post once I have collated them!
Our week by week monthly menu plans.
If you would like to see the process I use and download my free menu planning templates click here.
This is our menu plans week by week with shopping lists included created in the PWK menu planning app. The menu plans are a little bit more repetitive this month, which can happen sometimes depending on the meals the kids choose. But while as an adult I might find it repetitive, the kids like it and happily eat, so I will go with it!
Day | Week Commencing 14th September |
|
|---|---|---|
| Mon |  | Creamy chicken and sweet potato stew |
| Tue | Weekly menu plan shopping list 150914 |
|
Day | Week Commencing 21st September |
|
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Shepherd's pie | |
| Sat | Weekly menu plan shopping list 150921 | |
Day | Week Commencing 28th September |
|
|---|---|---|
| Mon |   | Fried rice Slow cooker beef stroganoff (gluten free) |
| Tue | Weekly menu plan shopping list 150928 | |
Day | Week Commencing 5th October |
|
|---|---|---|
| Mon |   | Slow cooker butter chicken Green veggies |
| Tue | Shepherd's pie | |
| Sat |  | Homemade pizzas |
| Sun |  | Slow cooker roast lamb |
| Shopping List | Weekly menu plan shopping list 151005 | |
Want to make feeding the family easier?
To help families kick start their weekly meal prep habit, I have created an online course called Meal Prep Primer! Meal Prep Primer shows you how to effectively plan your time in the kitchen over the weekend, and prep food that will make your week days easier.
To keep on top of feeding the family, many years ago I started spending some time on the weekend, prepping food for the week ahead. Even if it is was just one or two things, the difference this made during the week was huge.
As I was rewarded each week for my efforts in the kitchen on the weekend, I began increasing the food I prepped. And the more weekly meal prep sessions I did, the better I became at it. The better I became at it, the less time it took me to do the sessions and the better we ate – win-win all around!
In my Meal Prep Primer course I will teach you the process I have developed over these years. The course will:
- save you time
- save you money
- save you stress through the week days
- ensure your family eats well
- allow you to enjoy meal time more with the family
For three weeks you will receive:
- A plan – the plan outlines what you will be cooking and when. You can tailor this plan to suit your family’s needs and the time you have available. The plan also has clickable links to all the recipes you need to cook for the weekend.
- A shopping list – as you may tailor the plan to suit your family’s needs, the shopping list is broken down into items per recipe. That way you can easily cross off items you don’t need to buy, but make sure you have all the ingredients for the recipes you do intend to cook.
- The recipes – a PDF of all the recipes you will need to cook for the week.
- Plus there is a detailed video and other resources on the course website and further support emails to keep the habit going after three weeks.
You can read more and sign up for the short course here.