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Happy Labor Day Everyone!

I feel like my last few weeks of menu planning have been so un-exciting.. but at least I’m sticking to it!

Here Goes Anyway!

Monday- Grill out something (probably burgers?) It’s Labor Day and supposed to be beautiful!

Tuesday- Owen has his first Soccer Class! Keep it simple- Stromboli. Oh and because some of you have asked HERE is the recipe.

Wednesday- Bible Study Night- Eat out at Culver’s beforehand.

Thursday- Spaghetti (husbands request!).

Friday- JJ gone, We’ll eat left-overs.

Saturday- Eat out.

Sunday- Quesadillas and Taco Salad.

YET ANOTHER BUSY WEEK! Simplicity is key!

Monday- Left-over Pizza
Tuesday- Swiss Chicken Casserole over rice.
Wednesday- JJ out. Left-overs.
Thursday- Out with the family for SIL’s birthday.
Friday- Steaks and Potatoes on the grill.
Saturday & Sunday- We’ll See!

Another nutty week! We have so much going on between both of our schedules that elaborate meals make no sense. So here goes our very simple meal plan.

Monday- JJ gone. The kids and I will scrap and/or eat left overs.

Tuesday- Taco night (never happened last week!)

Wednesday- I have a women’s thing at the church, I’ll probably just make stromboli ahead of time or cook frozen pizza.

Thursday- Baked 4-cheese Ziti

Friday- Left-overs.

Hows that for simplicity?

Menu Plan Monday remains very simple this week. Busy schedules and night-time activities demand it.

Monday- Creamed Chicken and Biscuits.

4 c. chopped cooked chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. milk
1 c. shredded mild cheddar cheese
6 biscuitsPreheat oven to 350.
Grease bottom and sides of 11×7″ baking pan.
Combine chicken, soup, sour cream, and milk in a bowl and mix well.
Spoon mixture into dish.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from Oven.
Sprinkle with 3/4 c. of cheddar
Arrange biscuits in single layer over top.
Sprinkle with remaining cheddar
Bake until biscuits are golden brown and the sauce is bubbly… about 20 minutes.
Serve Immediately.

Tuesday- Bringing Lasagna to a couple in our Bible Study so we will be having grilled cheese and tomato soup!
Wednesday- Hosting Bible Study. Jeff will have to take the boys to get something to eat.
Thursday- Spaghetti Bake
Friday- I have a girls party to go to! Jeff and boys will probably have left-overs.
Saturday- Taco Night!
Sunday- Pizzaa Night!

Our Schedule has been up in the air until about an hour ago- which made scheduling this weeks meals a tad more challenging. But now we know what we are up to for the week so here goes!

Monday. Sweet and Sour Pork, Steamed Rice, Peas, and Fruit Salad.

Tuesday. Simple Pot Roast. Carrots. Potatoes. Hawaiian Bread (fresh).

Wednesday. Out of town.

Thursday. Out of town.

Friday. Mac and Cheese/ any leftovers.

Saturday. Birthday dinner for Grandpa.

Sunday. Lasagna. (especially made without onions or chunky tomatoes, like my mom used to make for me.!)

Preheat oven to 375.
1lb ground beef.
1 TBS of oil
1 clove minced garlic
1 TBS parsley
1 TBS basil
1 large can tomato (I used sauce).
16 oz can tomato paste.
1 10oz package of oven bake lasagna.
2 12 oz cartons of ricotta cheese.
1 tsp. Oregano.
2 beaten eggs.
1/2 tsp. Pepper.
2 TBS Parsley.
parmisian.
1 lb. mozzarella cheese.
Heat meat and oil in skillet until browned.
Rinse meat, return to skillet.
Add next 5 ingredients and simmer until thick.
Mix Ricotta with next 4 ingredients.

Grease 9×13 dish or pan.
Lay down first layer of lasagna.
Top with layer of 1/2 the ricotta cheese mixture.

Top with 1/2 the meat sauce.
Top that with 1/2 mozzarella.
Sprinkle parm. over top.
Repeat with other half.

Put in oven at 375 for approximately an hour. If top is getting to brown, place foil on top.

Have you planned your weeks meals yet? To find out more about Menu Plan Monday visit Here.

This week will be sort of low key for various reasons. I may possibly take a trip for part of the week which would obviously mean this Menu wouldn’t matter

For the record. The Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs I finally made last week, turned out completely bland. I definitely will not be making those again! Now for this week:

Monday: Left-over Spaghetti and Garlic Bread.

Tuesday: BBQ Beef Muffins (these are actually super yummy!)
1 12 oz can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/4 c. ketchup
1 1/2 TBSP. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375.

Separate biscuits; pat or roll intow 5″ circles on a lighlyy floured surface, and press into lightly greased muffin pans.

Brown ground beef in a large skillet, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Wipe skillet clean. Return beef to skillet; stir in ketchup and next 3 ingredients. Spoon into muffins.

Bake 375 for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes.

Wednesday: EAT AT CULVER’S! Bible Study Night.

Thursday: Taco Night

Friday: Lasagna

It’s another Menu Plan Monday Last week menus ended up a bit turned around due to a change in my husband’s travel schedule. Hopefully it works out better this week :).

Monday.
Poppyseed Chicken over Jasmine Rice. Salad. Corn Casserole.

Poppyseed Chicken
2 cans cream of chicken
5 boneless chicken breasts baked or boiled
1 8oz container of Breakstone sour cream
1 package of Ritz crackers (1 row out of a box)
1 melted stick of butter
2 tsp poppyseed

Preheat oven at 350.
Place chicken (cut into small pieces) into a casserole dish.
Mix together soup and sour cream.
Spread mixture over chicken.
Crush crackers with a rolling pin and mix the crumbs with butter.
Spread crackers evenly over the top.
Springkle poppyseed over the top.
Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Corn Casserole
1 can whole kernal corn (drained)
1 can cream style corn
1 box jiffy corn muffin mix
1/2 stick margarine (melted)
2 eggs (beaten)
8 ox sour cream

Preheat oven 350.
Grease casserole with part of margarine. Combine all ingredients and bake @ 350 for 45-60 minutes.

Tuesday.
Stromboli. I have a class at the Girls Juvie near my house.

Stromboli
Pillsbury Pizza dough in the roll package
2 egg yolks (save whites)
1 Tb Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tb olive oil
1/2 lb pepperoni
1/2 lb mozzarella
(you can add in whatever you want)

Preheat oven to 350 (check dough for baking instructions)
Spread dough on cookie sheet like pizza crust.
Mix next 7 ingredients and spread on dough like butter.
Cover with toppings.
Roll like a jelly roll from long end.
Place seam side down and brush with egg white.
Bake for 20-30 minutes.
Slice and serve with a bowl of heated pizza sauce for dipping.

Wednesday.
Left-overs from Monday and Tuesday. I have a women’s meeting to go to at church.

Thursday.
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs (that never got made last week).

Friday.
Spaghetti. Salad. Garlic Bread.

Saturday.
Eat out or Scrounge.

Sunday.
Grill out, maybe have family over.

I have decided to participate as much as possible in Organizing Junkie’s Menu Plan Monday (Hat Tip Little Cooks in the Kitchen.) Mostly as accountability to plan my week of meals ahead of time. Even if those meals are not always glamorous. This way I will avoid afternoons of getting overwhelmed because I failed to plan dinner earlier. I’m not an extraordinary chef. I’m don’t cook bad, but I’m not super innovative at this point in my life and often go for easy tasty meals. I have little time for complication!

Monday: I have an appointment so though I will not be eating with the family they will be having Three- Cheese Pasta Bake, La Seur Very Young Early Baby Peas (the only kind my husband will eat!), and fruit.

 

3 Cheese Pasta Bake

1 16oz package ziti

2 10oz containers light refrigerated Alfredo sauce
1 8oz container reduced-fat sour cream
1 15 oz container part-skim ricotta cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh Parsley
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Cook ziti according to package directions; drain well.

Stir together Alfredo sauce and sour cream in a large bowl; add ziti, stirring iuntil blended. Spoon half of mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch dish.

Stir together ricotta cheese and next 3 ingredients; spread evenly over pasta mixture in dish. Spoon remaining pasta mixture evenly over pasta mixture in dish. Spoon remaining pasta mixture evenly over ricotta cheese layer; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Tuesday: JJ gone. Leftovers.

Wednesday: JJ gone. Grilled Cheese and tomato soup.

Thursday: Taco Salad.

Friday: Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs. Fruit Salad. Corn- Banana Muffins.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs

8 bacon slices

1 cup cornmeal
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1tsp. pepper
8 skinned and boned chicken thighs

Cook Bacon for just one minute or until bacon is limp and heated through. (Do not cook all the way through.)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine cornmeal and next 3 ingredients in a bowl. Dredge chicken thighs in a cornmeal mixture. Wrap each thigh with a piece of bacon; secure with a wooden pick, if desired. Place chicken on a lightly greased rack in a broiler pan.

Back at 350 for 50 minutes.

Saturday: Go out for dinner.

Sunday: Grill Hamburgers, or steak.

I know I posted that BBQ Rules post mocking men last week and most of us had some good laughs. In all fairness, JJ put together a great meal this weekend. He did all the grocery shopping (while I slept!). He did the meat and veggies in the form of kabobs. Mimi boiled the corn. Uncle Bens did the rice. My parents brought the salad and I made the cupcakes. Everyone helped clean.

Now for the proof:

I have noticed a blog trend in the past week or so. Many of the Mommy blogs I routinely visit are talking cooking. A couple have posted recipes and 4 others have complained of being bored by their kitchen routines and are looking for new recipes.

I like to cook. The last few years of my life hardly reflect that. Severe pregnancy sickness, down-right lack of energy while breast-feeding, and severe dread of taking the kids to the grocery have deterred me. My dreams of being an amazing wife by cooking killer meals nightly has been just that, a dream.

As much as I would love to cook like one of my cousins, (several of them are magnificent bakers), I just haven’t been able to devote the time I need to cook the way they do. For the most part I settle for simple recipes. They need to taste good, but there is no room for getting complicated right now. I need easy to find ingredients, short prep time, and few ingredients.

I thought for this Works for Me Wednesday, (a new project I am participating in,) I would share a couple of my easy sure to please recipes.

Crockpots are a Godsend for mom’s! One of my favorite Crockpot recipes is this one.

Swiss Chicken Casserole
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I prefer smaller non hormone pumped ones myself. They taste better!)
6 slices of swiss cheese (I often throw more in because I heart cheese.)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. of Milk
2c. chicken stuffing mix
1/2c. melted butter

Coat the slow-cooker with cooking spray.
Arrange the chicken in the Crockpot.
Top with cheese, layering if necessary.
Combine soup with the milk and stir well.
Spoon the mixture over the cheese.
Melt butter and stir with stuffing mix.
Pour stuffing over chicken and smooth over.

Cover and cook either on
Low for 8-10 hours
OR
High for 4-6 hours.
*Varies depending on the slow-cooker and of course your time constraints!
I often serve this over rice or with potatoes.

This one is not crock-pot but just as simple. It involves little prep time (maybe 5 minutes depending on how often your child interrupts.)

Indian Style Chicken Breast- (which I prefer to call chutney chicken)
In a blender or food processor (I use blender) mix together…
8 oz jar of mango chutney (should be near the sauces, ketchup etc. in grocery)
half cup of raisins
2 T olive oil
3/4 tsp. curry powder
1 clove of garlic
1/3 c. water

Blend.

Lay chicken in a 9×13 greased baking pan.
Pour mixture over top.

Cook on 400 for 25 minutes
OR
350 for 35 minutes.

I put this with steamed Jasmine Rice (that I make in my steamer), I add to it a tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 c. raisins and mix together.

*This recipe was given to me by my sister-in-law Janis.

This week I also tried 2 new VERY easy recipes courtesy of Carmen of Little Cooks in the Kitchen (Chicken Stroganoff) and she also tipped me onto this one by Laura from I’m an Organizing Junkie (Sweet and Sour Pork). I served them to my parents-in-law and we all agreed they were delicious!

Feel free to Share your favorites in the comments or your own blog (if you do this please post a link in the comments so we all can see!). I know it will help me and the other mommies that have begged for recipes in the last week.

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