Cajun Meatballs and Dirty Rice Meal Prep

ByEric Jones September 11, 2021November 8, 2021

Meal prepping is a great way to get ahead of the week! And for this full course meal, I paired tender Cajun meatballs, dirty rice, and a fresh cucumber & tomato salad with a homemade vinaigrette. These recipes can be made in advance and enjoyed later or throughout the week.

This post has been written in partnership with Success Rice. All opinions are mine alone.

Plate of cajun meatballs, dirty rice, and a cucumber salad for meal prep

Well, our “normal” has officially changed… again. With our daughter starting high school and our son starting kindergarten, we have a whole lot going on! Between my daughter’s soccer practices and games, my son growing accustomed to his new schedule, and my wife and I trying to make it all work — we knew we had to change up our evening routine. And because our time is minimal, meal prepping has become our new normal.

Meal prepping is a great way to kick off a week without the hassle of trying to plan and cook a new meal every single night. You can make a few different items and enjoy them as a whole, or even pair them with different dishes.

This meal prep recipe idea combines cajun meatballs (using a combination of ground beef and ground turkey to make them a bit healthier than the traditional), Louisiana-style dirty rice made with ground beef and chicken gizzards, and a fresh cucumber salad mixed with cherry tomatoes and served with a homemade vinaigrette.

overhead shot of meal prep containers with plated full meal

All these recipes are super simple to make, and that holds especially true when it comes to the rice. The dirty rice is so flavorful, and Success Rice makes it’s a breeze every single time! And because Success Rice is ready in 10 minutes, it makes it a no-brainer for any meal prep.

Every time I make dirty rice, it reminds me of home. I mean, you must have dirty rice in the “Dirty South!” 🙂

Ingredients you’ll need to make this meal prep:

For the dirty rice, you’ll need one family-size bag of Success Rice, olive oil, minced garlic, celery, green bell pepper, white onion, fresh parsley, chicken gizzards, ground beef, Himalayan pink salt, Creole seasoning, black pepper, smoked paprika, ground thyme, ground ginger, and chicken broth.
For the meatballs, you’ll need green bell pepper, white onion, ground beef, ground turkey, Louisiana hot sauce, panko breadcrumbs, an egg, Himalayan pink salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, ground thyme, and garlic powder.
For the cucumber salad, you’ll need one whole cucumber, cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, ground mustard, brown sugar, black pepper, and oregano.

Meal Prep FAQs

What type of container should I use for meal prepping?

I would recommend using leakproof glass containers with thick, durable glass with airtight lids. I prefer the snap-down lids. Also, glass containers with 2 or more compartments are great to keep individual dishes separated, and it also helps control the portions.

How long can I store my meal in the refrigerator?

This meal will last between 3 to 5 days in the fridge. You’ll want to allow the meatballs and dirty rice to come to room temperature before storing them.

How should I prep the gizzards, and is there a good substitute for gizzards?

You should purchase your gizzards cleaned from your grocer. This way, you’ll only need to remove the silverskin membrane on either side of the meat before cutting the meat into small pieces for this recipe. If you don’t have access to chicken gizzards, you can also use chicken livers. If you don’t like chicken gizzards to livers, simply add more ground beef.

meal prep containers with plated full meal

This meal idea is a perfect way to kick your week off. Give those nightly dinner duties a break and try these easy recipes on for size. It will save a lot of time, eliminate those last-minute grocery runs, and it may even keep you from eating an unhealthy meal when you are in search of something to eat quickly.