Meal Plan Monday – Sept 17 - 23rd

I know, I know… Long time no post.  I KNOW!  OK!  Gosh….  *blink. blink blink*

I’m really hoping to get back into the habit of posting. I swear I am.  Life is crazy, seems more often than not, now a days – and blogging my grocery plans have just not been very high on my priority list.  HOWEVER…  I need to start blogging them again because, it seems, when I don’t blog them…I am less likely to stick to the plan!

So my menu for this week…

 

MONDAY

• Lasagna
• Salad
• garlic toast

 

TUESDAY

• Baked Honey Mustard Chicken
• Steamed Cauliflower  Carrots in Garlic Butter & Dill Sauce
• Green beans (or salad)
• Rolls

 

WEDNESDAY (Kids Night 1 – Sis Cooks)

• Corn Dogs
• tator chips

 

THURSDAY (Kids Night 2 – Bran Cooks)

• Burgers
• Fries

 

FRIDAY (Mr C’s choice)

• Southern Fried Steak (recipe here)
• homestyle mashed potatoes
• beans
• salad
• cornbread

 

SATURDAY (Lazy Day)

• BLTs

 

SUNDAY

• FEND FOR YOURSELF NIGHT

 

Do you plan your weeks cooking ahead of time?  I do.  On Sunday morning I sit down in my office and I plan out what we are going to eat all week.

Meal planning for me, really, is pretty easy.  My Mr. works a weird shift at work that rotates so he is only home for dinner a few nights per week.  Those nights I try to cook a NICE meal with the trimmings.  I mean, he works hard and he deserves it.

On the nights Mr. C isn’t home, I still cook, but those meals are more KID FRIENDLY.  Anything to lessen the amount of whining I have to listen to – WORKS.  lol…

Once I have my “loose” menu made (because lets be honest here…sometimes I just don’t feel like making what’s on the list!), I head upstairs to check the pantry and fridge and make out my grocery list for the week.

Mr C likes to go shopping at like 3am when there is NO ONE in their right (or wrong) mind at Wal-Mart.  Since he is used to being up all night anyway, and I hate to go to Wal-Mart this works for us.  Plus, he seems to spend a lot less when he goes shopping with my list – than we do when I go shopping with my list. LOL!

So what’s on my menu for this week?

Chicken Pot Pie

• 4 cups chicken (cooked, chopped)
• 1 cup celery (chopped)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 cup onion (chopped)
• 1 cup carrots (sliced)
• 1/2 cup flour (all purpose)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 can sweet peas (undrained)
• pastry for 9 inch pie shell

In a large skillet – sauté onion, celery, and carrots in the butter for at least 10 minutes.  Add the flour and stir well.  Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  In a large bowl combine the broth and milk, and then gradually add to the vegetables in the skillet.  Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly. (Like making gravy)  Stir in the salt, pepper, and parsley.  Add the peas and chopped chicken.  Mix well, and then dump into a 2 qt casserole dish (or 10 inch DEEP pie shell).  Top with the pie pastry.  Cut slits in the top for venting and bake at 400 (f) for about 40 minutes.  Makes 1 large “pie” or 2 smaller 9 inch pies. 

Chicken N Veg Couscous

• 1 cup water (or chicken broth)
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup sliced carrots
• 2 Tbs. red or green bell pepper, chopped
• 2/3 cup couscous
• 1 can chicken meat (or 1 cooked, shredded breast)
  

Place all ingredients, except couscous and chicken, in sauce pan.  Bring to high boil and remove from heat.  Stir in couscous and chicken meat and cover tightly.   Let sit at least 5 minutes or until couscous has “puffed”.

Great as a side dish, or a light main dish.

EZ Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken (I just boil it)
• 2 cups broccoli
• 1 (8 oz) package of fresh mushrooms
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 (12oz) package of NO YOLK egg noodles, uncooked

In a deep skillet or wok, heat the oil and then add: chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and ginger.  Stir often.  Cook until heated thru and broccoli goes tender crisp and bright green.  Add soy sauce.  Continue to cook about 5 minutes, meanwhile – make the noodles as directed on package, and drain.

To serve: place some noodles on serving dish and top with the chicken mixture. 

makes 4-6 servings.

source: clipping from Nana’s recipe box

*Mushrooms make me sick, so I usually leave them out.  I have never eaten this WITH the mushrooms in it, but Mr C loves it either way so I am sure are worth adding.

Country herb Roasted Chicken

• abt 2.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 package Lipton Savory Herb with Garlic Soup Mix
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp olive oil

PREP:  Combine all ingredients except chicken in a freezer bag.  Use your finger “smashing” the bag until it’s all mixed up.  Then add the chicken and refrigerate for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 375(f)

Place chicken in a 13x9 baking dish.  Brush with the remaining mix left in the bag.  Bake 45 minutes, uncovered – or until chicken is no longer “pink”.

Makes 4 servings.

**TIP:
Don’t have to use a brush!  I just use scissors and nick off on corner of the freezer bag, and then use it like an icing bag and “ice” on the rest of the mix.  Then you just toss the empty bag in the trash.  No mess, no extra clean up!  Yep, I am exactly THAT lazy.  =D

source: clipping from Nana’s recipe box.

Chicken Casserole

• 2 cups cornflakes (then slightly crushed, should make about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
• 1/2 cup shredded Swiss
• 1 cup miracle whip
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tbsp chopped green onion
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp prepared mustard
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
• 2 cans chicken (or tuna) drained
• 1 package frozen green beans (thawed), drained
• 1 package elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

Preheat oven to 375(f)

Make the topping:
Mix the cornflakes, cheddar, and half of the Swiss.  Set aside.

Mix remaining ingredients in a 3 quart casserole dish.  Cover and bake 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with topping.  Bake uncovered until hot and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

source: clipping from Nana’s recipe box

Impossible Chicken n Veg Pie

• 1 cup cooked chicken (cubed or shredded)
• 1 cup zucchini (chopped)
• 1 cup tomato (chopped)
• 1/2 cup onion (chopped)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Bisquick (or biscuit ready mix)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 400(f) and grease a 9-inch deep dish pie plate.

Mix together: chicken, zucchini, tomato, onion, and cheese.  Spoon evenly into buttered (or greased) pie plate.

In a bowl, mix the remaining ingredients until smooth, and then even pour over chicken.

Bake approximately 35 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let stand at least 5 minutes before cutting.

Make about 6 servings.

*great served with salad

 

Chicken Broccoli fettuccini alfredo

1/4 cup Zesty Italian Dressing
1 box fettuccine, uncooked (or penne)
3 cups fresh broccoli
1 to 2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 1/2 cups milk
1 package Philadelphia® Cream Cheese
1/2 cup Kraft® Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
4 tsp flour

Heat dressing in large nonstick skillet.  Add the chicken and cook until cooked through and no longer pink (abt. 5 minutes)  Be sure to be stirring occasionally. 

Stir in milk and flour.  Mix well, then stir in cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and basil.

Let it come to a boil, making sure to stir so it doesn't stick. Make sure to mix it well!

While the chicken is cooking – do the pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last couple of minutes.  I usually put it in when I feel like I should check the noodles the first time.  You know, you know they wont be ready YET but you still check em to just make sure… thats when I put in the broccoli.

Drain pasta mixture, and stir the chicken mixture into the pot with the noodles.

*Sometimes the sauce gets thick enough I don’t need to add flour.  I think it just depends on how much fluid the chicken puts out while cooking.  So you’ll just have to play it by eye on whether you need the flour or not…  If your sauce looks CRAZY thin when your chicken is no longer pink, stir in a tiny bit of flour…

 

Wangy Chicken Teriyaki

This is one of my favorite “gotta lick the sauce off my fingers” recipes, and it’s SUPER easy!

• 4 tbsp brown sugar (by tbsp I mean HEAPING. lol)
• 6 tbsp soy sauce (not heaping, obviously.)
• 2tbsp oil (I have used olive and Wesson, Wesson tasted better)
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Combine everything except the chicken in a bowl and whisk it up real good.  Make sure to get all the “clumps” out of the brown sugar.

Cut the chicken into strips and dump them in the “mix”.  Cover with plastic wrap, stick it in the fridge and let it set up for a couple of hours.

Preheat the BROILER in your over.  This is the top burner thingy in there.  Put your oven “rack” on the highest position in there to get your chicken closest to the burner unit.

Dump your refrigerated mess into a  jelly roll pan or a cookie sheet that has deep sides on it.   Broil the chicken for 3 or 4 minutes, until the meat looks WHITE and then flip it over and broil the other side.  Serve HOT. 

I keep a little of the ‘sauce” as a dip for mine but no one else in the house likes to do that.  Hey, Im sauc-ay… what can I say?   LOL…

ENJOY!

Italian Herbed Chicken Penne

• 1 can SWANSON brand Chicken Broth with Italian Herbs
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 6-8 sundried tomatoes (roasted tomatoes work too!)
• 1 lb boneless chicken breasts (cut into strips)
• 1 tbsp flour (all purpose)
• 1 cup spinach (chopped) {1/2 small box of frozen works!}
• 4 cups whole wheat penne (cooked n drained) {I love Healthy Harvest}
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan

Microwave broth and tomatoes for 2 minutes, let stand while doing the rest of the steps.

Heat your oil and large deep skillet, and brown the chicken strips. 

Sprinkle in the flour and mix it up to make a thick rue.  Add the tomatoes and broth and stir.  As you stir the flour will thin out and make a “sauce”.  Cook until mixture begins to boil.  Add the spinach and pasta and toss to coat.  Sprinkle with cheese, remove from heat and cover and let set for about 5 minutes.  This lets the sauce absorb into the penne and the cheese to melt.

*If you cant find Swanson Italian Herbed Broth, get the regular broth and then a bottle of the Italian Herb seasonings from McCormick’s.  Add about 2 tsp per can of broth.  :)

 

ENJOY!

Honey Orange Chicken

• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
• 2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp grated orange peel
• 1 cup frozen sweet peas (thawed)
• 1/3 cup cashews

While the rice is cooking, spray a skillet with nonstick spray.  Heat over medium heat until hot. Add chicken, salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes.

In a small bowl mix the OJ, honey, cornstarch, and orange peel.  Add the peas and the OJ mix to the chicken in the skillet, stir slowly until it thickens.  Stir in cashews, and server over rice.

Enjoy!

Oven Fried Ranch Chicken

I make this chicken all the time, in one variation or another.  Im happy to say my littlest picky eater lurves it.  :)

Tonights recipe is the ranch version.  You can make it without the ranch dressing packet and it is just as good.

OVEN FRIED RANCH CHICKEN

the ingredients

• one package of boneless skinless chicken breasts (or breast tenderloins)
• 1 packet ranch dressing
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 sleeve Ritz Crackers
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp milk
• butter (as needed)

the prep

Preheat oven to 400.

In one bowl combine milk and egg.  Whisk with fork.
  Take the sleeve of ritz crackers and place them in a large baggy, then roll them with a rolling pin.   In another bowl, combine every thing else with your crushed crackers (except chicken.)   I like to use a pie plate.  You can use a large baggy too, but I have found you get a better coating if you use a bowl or pie plate.
Mix it up REAL GOOD.  

Make a little production line.  Egg mix, cracker mix, pan to cook in.  Coat the chicken in your egg mix, then coat it in the cracker mix. Then place it in your baking pan.  You do not want to squish the pieces too close together.  Leave a little room in between each piece.
 

Then you will need to put a dollop of butter in between all the pieces and around the outside.  This keeps the chicken from sticking and help make the Ritz crackers hold on to the chicken.
Bake 30-40 minutes or until chicken is done.  To check it, I always cut in half the center most piece of chicken.
  If it’s done all the others are too.

Good luck!
~Bunny