Healthy Eating on the Road with Hot Logic Mini (recipes included)

When you begin planning a road trip to Yellowstone, Google maps quickly tells you two things:

1)  You're going to be in the car for a looooong time and

2)  You may not have ANY choices when hunger strikes come lunchtime much less healthy options when going through long stretches of nothing.

Enter the Hot Logic Mini.  I've talked about this before, but as a refresher, if you eat, you should own one.  They offer two kinds for smaller meals, the regular plug-in version and the car version with the 12V plug.  (You can also get an adapter for the plug-in if you don't see a need for two.)  We have both and thank goodness!  We took both of them because we wanted the option to use the one in our car and also use the plug-in version in our hotel room for breakfasts or dinners before or after a long day.  I like to get BPA free meal prep containers which are totally fine to use in them and have them ready to pop in the Hot Logics.  I also have collapsible bowls and all in one utensils that fit in the front pouch of the carrier, so we have everything we need with us at all times.  This totally saved our butts this trip.  This is a beautiful, big country and there's a lot of open road out there which means bathroom and meal breaks have to be planned accordingly.

From breakfast, lunch, and dinner that I premade to warming up cookies I surprised the Mr with to warming up burritos, it is a MUST for any road trip big or small.

Here are some of the recipes I used.  They were weighed and measured out for two people, and we just split them down the middle.  I made sure there was nothing too "musical" in there like onions, peppers, etc. because open road and lack of bathroom options do not mix.

Mexican Chicken Quinoa Bowl

8 ounces chicken
Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Salt-Free Seasoning
10 ounces quinoa cooked with bone broth
6 oz black beans
1/2 cup Trader Joe's enchilada sauce
1/8 cup scallions, chopped
2 oz shredded pepper jack cheese

Cook up the chicken with the Mrs. Dash and cut it into pieces and cover the bottom of the container.

Add 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce to top the chicken.

In a separate bowl, add 10 oz. of quinoa cooked with bone broth.  (Extra protein and nutrition.)

Add 6 ounces of cooked black beans to the quinoa.

Add 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce and the scallions and mix together.

Put the quinoa mixture on top of the chicken then top with your pepper jack or preferred cheese.

Place the lid on and pop it into the freezer.

I like to wrap the outside of the container with Press and Seal for when it's in the cooler then take it off before putting it in the Hot Logic.  I label the outside with what is inside so we can grab it and not have a mystery meal on our hands.

Alternate recipe for Turkey Taco Bowl

Same as above but sub:
8 oz cooked ground turkey breast for chicken breast
Add 2/3 cup frozen organic sweet corn


Chicken Parmesan Rotini

6 ounces organic whole wheat rotini pasta
8 ounces cooked chicken breast (with seasoning)
6 ounces Silver Palate Low Sodium Marinara Sauce
2 tbsp parmesan asiago shavings

Cook up chicken breast.  I used Italian seasoning, black pepper, and garlic powder.

Cut it up and put it on the bottom of the container.

Top the chicken with 50g of the marinara sauce to keep it moist as it heats.

Place the cooked whole wheat pasta on top of the chicken and even it out.

Top the pasta with the rest of the marinara.

Top with the cheese evenly so when it's split the serving should be pretty consistent.

Pop on the top and into the freezer it goes.

Alternate recipe for Turkey Bolognese Rotini

Sub 8 oz ground turkey breast for chicken breast
Add 2 ounces extra marinara

Layer 50g of sauce on the bottom of the container, add cooked pasta, put another 50g of sauce on the pasta.  Mix remaining 6 ounces of sauce with cooked ground turkey breast then add to the top of the pasta.  Add cheese on top of pasta and freeze.

Here's one for breakfast.

Breakfast Casserole for two

1 cup hash browns (bagged in fridge section)
6 eggs
2 breakfast sausages (I used chicken apple sausage)
2 ounces gruyere Swiss cheese (or preferred cheese)
1 ounce chopped scallions
Spice of your choice

Preheat oven to 425.  Spray some cooking spray on small foil tins (two will fit in a Hot Logic mini)  Divide raw hash browns in half and line the bottom and sides.

Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until relatively crisp.

Cut breakfast sausage and line the bottom of the pan.

Add beaten eggs with scallions mixed in over the top of the sausage.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the middle of the dish is firm.

Turn off the oven and top with 1 ounce of cheese on each dish.

Place in the oven and melt.

Place in the freezer then cover with foil and put in freezer bags until you're ready for them.  This helps quite a bit when you need to leave super early in the morning, and no breakfast spots are open.  Plug it in before you go to bed and wake up to a hearty breakfast so you can eat and be on your way with a full tummy!

Obviously, you don't need to be traveling to enjoy these recipes, you can make them and just take them to work with you.  When the Mr has the occasional double he has to pull for training another shift, he can take a full dinner (halved for one person) with him, and it stays at 160 degrees until he's ready to eat.  It warms it up, never cooks it which is why plastic is safe to use in it.  People even put their single serving freezer dinners like Lean Cuisine type dishes in there...box and all!  The Hot Logic Mini is truly a lifesaver regardless if you're trying to eat healthy on the road or every day at work.

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