Well, I'm getting a late start for this month's written menu plan but at least you'll get the idea:-) This is what we've done so far and I planned up through the end of the month.
(Don't forget to keep scrolling if you want the entree recipes. I get veggies from our garden in the summer and I keep whatever fruit's in season around for the kids--blueberries are a big hit right now as well as peaches!)
Week 1--
Tuesday 1st: lasagna, salad from the garden, Texas toast
Wednesday 2nd: chicken and dumplings (boil some boullion, throw in chopped up carrots and some of that frozen rotisserie chicken, and make some quick dumplings--20 minutes and dinner's done), side of green beans from the garden
Thursday 3rd: stuffed shells, salad from the garden, sauteed zucchini from the garden
Friday 4th: it's the neighborhood cookout but I'm taking grilled BBQ chicken (BYOM) and a platter of roasted zucchini and tomatoes from our garden (really easy--slice tomoato and zucchini in rounds, alternate slices like shingles on a roof, mix italian breadcrumbs with parmesan and oregano, salt if desired, pour on top of veggies, drizzle with olive oil, bake at 375 for 20 minutes)
Saturday 5th: Seafood night, crab legs were on sale so I threw 5 pounds in a couple inches of boiling water with some Old Bay, did the same with some peel and eat shrimp, everybody's happy! Some green beans from the garden for a side
Sunday 6th: ribs in the crockpot, corn, leftover green beans
Week 2-- Mom's in town and she wants to cook every night! Yeah! I'll post what she's cooking so you can be jealous!
Monday 7th: Chicken and Dumplings (my favorite meal! she can't come without making me these!)
Tuesday 8th: Bulgogi--I've never had these before but they're easy! Might make it into future meal plans. You just grill and slice flank steak, cook up some jasmine rice, and roast some garlic cloves (on a piece of foil on the grill with the steak would be easy). Put a little of each in a piece of lettuce and wrap it up--a Korean delight!
Wednesday 9th: Chicken alfredo--a jar of alfredo sauce (i weaken it with a little extra milk and then add a little extra garlic and oregano), some of our old friend chopped rotisserie chicken, and fettucini or linguini noodles. We'll have a side of sauteed zucchini from the garden with it.
Thursday 10th: Kielbasa and potato pancakes (I never make this so I won't even try to go there--but I don't think it's too hard!)
Friday 11th: Lasagna I think, that's the plan for now! But it might turn into tacos:-)
Saturday 12th: Mom's gone, boo hoo. Back to my menu plan! Calzones with a salad from the garden
Sunday 13th: Chicken "manicotti", steamed broccoli with lemon and butter
Week 3--
Monday 14th: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes (I'll make double so I can use them in the Shepherd's pie later this week, green beans from the garden
Tuesday 15th: Baked ziti with salad from garden
Wednesday 16th: Grilled BBQ pork chops, green beans from the garden, squash casserole with squash from my garden
Thursday 17th: Chicken enchiladas
Friday 18th: Shepherd's pie, leftover squash casserole (there will be leftovers, the kids HATE it!)
Saturday 19th: Homemade chicken nuggets, homemade mac and cheese, fruit plate
Sunday 20th: Lasagna, salad from the garden, Texas toast
Week 4--
Monday 21st: Grilled chicken breasts, roasted carrots, roasted potatoes
Tuesday 22nd: Tacos
Wednesday 23rd: Crockpot pot roast
Thursday 24th: Chicken noodle casserole, sauteed zucchini from the garden, roasted carrots
Friday 25th: Sloppy Joes, sweet potato fries, fruit plate
Saturday 26th: Hamburgers, box mac and cheese, carrot sticks
Sunday 27th: Order pizza!!!
Week 5--
Monday 28th: Chicken noodle soup (I like homemade--chicken broth from a can, chopped rotisserie chicken, sliced carrots, basil, oregano, pepper, and egg noodles) and grilled cheese and fruit plate
Tuesday 29th: Chicken enchiladas
Wednesday 30th: Calzones and salad from the garden
Thursday 31st: Grilled chicken breasts, roasted yellow squash and green beans from the garden
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Now for the rest of the menu...
Ready to finish up July's meals? I had a little technical difficulty which I hope is resovled...
Stuffed shells:
1/2 of the cooked shells
3/4 of the leftover ricotta mixture
1 jar marinara sauce
8 oz mozarella
1) Spread some sauce in bottom of pan
2) Mix mozarella into ricotta mixture
3) Stuff each shell with a spoonful of cheese mixture
4) Pour remaining sauce over shells
5) Place lid, label, and freeze
6) To eat, thaw and bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes
Chicken "Manicotti"
Other 1/2 of shells
1/2 rotisserie chicken
1 can cream of chicken
1/2 cup of sour cream
8 oz Colby Jack
1/2 cup of veggie mixture
1) Mix sour cream, cream of chicken and cheese.
2) Mix 1/2 of above mixture with chicken and veggie mixture and stuff 1 spoonful into each shell and place into baking dish.
3) Pour rest of sauce over shells.
4) Place lid, label and freeze.
5) To eat, thaw and bake covered with foil at 350 for 30 minutes
Calzones:
Refrigerated dough
2 oz of leftover tomato sauce in the can
4 oz mozarella
turkey pepperoni
1 lb. Italian sausage, browned
Last 1/4 of ricotta mixture
1) Cut dough into quarters and roll into squares or rounds
2) Place a layer of sauce, ricotta, sausage, pepperoni, sausage, and cheese on half of each dough round
3) Fold dough over and seal edges.
4) Cut slits in top of dough to vent, wrap in foil, label and freeze. I wrap each one individually in foil and then place all 4 in a gallon ziploc bag.
5) To eat, thaw or leave frozen, brush with olive oil and bake at 425 under crispy and brown--about 15 minutes.
Homemade chicken nuggets:
1 pound chicken breasts--cut in one inch cubes and place in large ziploc
Place 1/2 cup pecans, 1 cup Italian bread crumbs, a little salt and pepper in the food processor and grind. Place this mixture in a large ziploc. Place the chicken ziploc inside this one and freeze together.
To prepare, thaw chicken. Mix one egg with 1/2 cup milk and coat nuggets. After placing in wash place in bread crumb mixture. Once coated, place on sheet in 400 oven and cook about 20 minutes, turning once.
Serve with honey mustard or BBQ sauce or ranch dressing to dip. I like to have homemade mac and cheese as a side.
Homemade Mac and Cheese:
8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
1 (12 ounces) can evaporated milk
1-1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
3 cups shredded Cheddar or colby Jack cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1) Mix all ingredients in a gallon ziploc bag and label
2) Freeze flat on shelf in freezer
3) To eat, thaw and place in crockpot, top with 1 more cup shredded cheese and cook on low for 5-6 hours.
Sloppy Joes:
1 pound of the cooked ground beef
The rest of the can of tomato sauce
1/2 bottle BBQ sauce
1 TBS Worchestershire sauce
1/2-1 cup sauteed veggie mixture
1) Mix everything together and place in gallon ziploc and label
2) Lay flat to freeze on shelf
3) To eat, thaw, add a handful of regular oats and heat on top of stove or in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours. Put on buns and serve with some sides like potato salad or sweet potato fries.
Taco meat:
Mix 1 lb. of cooked ground beef with a packet of taco seasoning and place in gallon ziploc and label. Freeze flat on shelf. To eat, thaw and heat on stove or in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours. Serve with favorite toppings.
Ribs:
I'm a cheater on this one! My Harris Teeter has a rack of ribs already covered in sauce and cooked to perfection every Saturday for 5.99 (or is it 6.99? either way, good deal!) I buy 2 racks, cut in thirds, place in ziploc, label and freeze. When it's rib night, place in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours and you've got the easiest yummy ribs ever!
Pot Roast:
I freeze the tip roast until I'm ready to use. On roast night, I put a package of baby carrots, a quartered onion, and a package of Lipton Onion Soup in the crockpot, place roast on top, and cover with halved new potatoes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and cook on low 10-12 hours. A full meal is ready when you walk in the door!
Marinated Pork Chops:
Sound familiar? Throw those chops in a gallon ziploc with some BBQ sauce, label, and freeze. To eat, thaw and toss on the grill.
Shepherd's Pie:
1 pound cooked ground beef
1 cup sauteed veggie mixture
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (12 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup fresh frozen green beans
1) Place beans in bottom of baking dish
2) Mix rest of ingredients and place in pan
3) Place lid, label, and freeze
4) To eat, thaw and cover with mashed potatoes (make your own or use some from the refrigerator section like Country Crock or Bob Evans) and then bake at 375 for about 20 minutes until potatoes are golden.
Chicken Noodle Casserole:
Cooked ziti
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 rotisserie chicken
4 cups Colby Jack
1) Mix all ingredients and place in baking dish.
2) Place lid, label, and freeze.
3) To eat, thaw and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.
Well, there are your staples for the month! Stay tuned for the weekly menu plans based on these dishes...
Stuffed shells:
1/2 of the cooked shells
3/4 of the leftover ricotta mixture
1 jar marinara sauce
8 oz mozarella
1) Spread some sauce in bottom of pan
2) Mix mozarella into ricotta mixture
3) Stuff each shell with a spoonful of cheese mixture
4) Pour remaining sauce over shells
5) Place lid, label, and freeze
6) To eat, thaw and bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes
Chicken "Manicotti"
Other 1/2 of shells
1/2 rotisserie chicken
1 can cream of chicken
1/2 cup of sour cream
8 oz Colby Jack
1/2 cup of veggie mixture
1) Mix sour cream, cream of chicken and cheese.
2) Mix 1/2 of above mixture with chicken and veggie mixture and stuff 1 spoonful into each shell and place into baking dish.
3) Pour rest of sauce over shells.
4) Place lid, label and freeze.
5) To eat, thaw and bake covered with foil at 350 for 30 minutes
Calzones:
Refrigerated dough
2 oz of leftover tomato sauce in the can
4 oz mozarella
turkey pepperoni
1 lb. Italian sausage, browned
Last 1/4 of ricotta mixture
1) Cut dough into quarters and roll into squares or rounds
2) Place a layer of sauce, ricotta, sausage, pepperoni, sausage, and cheese on half of each dough round
3) Fold dough over and seal edges.
4) Cut slits in top of dough to vent, wrap in foil, label and freeze. I wrap each one individually in foil and then place all 4 in a gallon ziploc bag.
5) To eat, thaw or leave frozen, brush with olive oil and bake at 425 under crispy and brown--about 15 minutes.
Homemade chicken nuggets:
1 pound chicken breasts--cut in one inch cubes and place in large ziploc
Place 1/2 cup pecans, 1 cup Italian bread crumbs, a little salt and pepper in the food processor and grind. Place this mixture in a large ziploc. Place the chicken ziploc inside this one and freeze together.
To prepare, thaw chicken. Mix one egg with 1/2 cup milk and coat nuggets. After placing in wash place in bread crumb mixture. Once coated, place on sheet in 400 oven and cook about 20 minutes, turning once.
Serve with honey mustard or BBQ sauce or ranch dressing to dip. I like to have homemade mac and cheese as a side.
Homemade Mac and Cheese:
8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
1 (12 ounces) can evaporated milk
1-1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
3 cups shredded Cheddar or colby Jack cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1) Mix all ingredients in a gallon ziploc bag and label
2) Freeze flat on shelf in freezer
3) To eat, thaw and place in crockpot, top with 1 more cup shredded cheese and cook on low for 5-6 hours.
Sloppy Joes:
1 pound of the cooked ground beef
The rest of the can of tomato sauce
1/2 bottle BBQ sauce
1 TBS Worchestershire sauce
1/2-1 cup sauteed veggie mixture
1) Mix everything together and place in gallon ziploc and label
2) Lay flat to freeze on shelf
3) To eat, thaw, add a handful of regular oats and heat on top of stove or in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours. Put on buns and serve with some sides like potato salad or sweet potato fries.
Taco meat:
Mix 1 lb. of cooked ground beef with a packet of taco seasoning and place in gallon ziploc and label. Freeze flat on shelf. To eat, thaw and heat on stove or in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours. Serve with favorite toppings.
Ribs:
I'm a cheater on this one! My Harris Teeter has a rack of ribs already covered in sauce and cooked to perfection every Saturday for 5.99 (or is it 6.99? either way, good deal!) I buy 2 racks, cut in thirds, place in ziploc, label and freeze. When it's rib night, place in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours and you've got the easiest yummy ribs ever!
Pot Roast:
I freeze the tip roast until I'm ready to use. On roast night, I put a package of baby carrots, a quartered onion, and a package of Lipton Onion Soup in the crockpot, place roast on top, and cover with halved new potatoes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and cook on low 10-12 hours. A full meal is ready when you walk in the door!
Marinated Pork Chops:
Sound familiar? Throw those chops in a gallon ziploc with some BBQ sauce, label, and freeze. To eat, thaw and toss on the grill.
Shepherd's Pie:
1 pound cooked ground beef
1 cup sauteed veggie mixture
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (12 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup fresh frozen green beans
1) Place beans in bottom of baking dish
2) Mix rest of ingredients and place in pan
3) Place lid, label, and freeze
4) To eat, thaw and cover with mashed potatoes (make your own or use some from the refrigerator section like Country Crock or Bob Evans) and then bake at 375 for about 20 minutes until potatoes are golden.
Chicken Noodle Casserole:
Cooked ziti
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 rotisserie chicken
4 cups Colby Jack
1) Mix all ingredients and place in baking dish.
2) Place lid, label, and freeze.
3) To eat, thaw and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.
Well, there are your staples for the month! Stay tuned for the weekly menu plans based on these dishes...
Getting Started on July
Shopping list for July:
Meats:
9-10 pounds ground beef
4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 rotisserie chickens
1 pkg pork chops
1 pkg Italian sausage
1 pkg turkey pepperoni
1 tip roast
Cheeses:
64 oz mozarella
64 Colby Jack or jack Cheddar
32 oz ricotta
Vegetables:
5 onions
5 green peppers
3 packages mushrooms
1 bag spinach
2 zucchini
(Coursely chop, saute, and then chop in food processor)
Pasta:
2 boxes lasagna noodles
2 boxes ziti
jumbo shells
macaroni
Extras:
3 jars marinara sauce
1 can enchilada sauce
1 pkg flour tortillas
1 can black beans
1 16 oz. can tomato sauce
ketchup
Italian breadcrumbs
1 dozen eggs
2 cans cream of mushroom
1 can cream of chicken
4 bottles of marinade, BBQ sauce, or Italian dressing
Another bottle of BBQ
1 pkg taco seasoning
pecans
refrigerated bread or pizza dough (1 can will make 4 calzones)
8 oz. sour cream (or light will work)
1 can evaporated milk
Did I mention I like to hide veggies in my dishes so my kids get at least a couple of vitamins a day? Here are my recipes for the things I make every month. BTW, I am not a creator of recipes so these are not originals. I like to tweak things but I am nowhere near creative enough to come up with my own stuff.
Let's get started by doing some of the prep work to assemble our dishes. Using the same ingredients repeatedly will help this be not so overwhelming.
1) Cook up about 6 pounds of what you bought and then drain.
2) Coursely chop then saute the onions, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, and spinach together. You can add a little salt or garlic if you like. Once they're soft, put the whole mixture into the food processor and chop. We'll use this mixture a lot so just stick it in a bowl you can dip out of.
3) Mix the 32 oz ricotta with 4 eggs, some parsley, 1 cup of parmesan and 1-2 cups of the sauteed veggie mixture.
4) Pull all that rotisserie chicken off the bone and chop. Hold out about 1 1/2 chickens for our meals and divide the rest into ziploc freezer bags and label. I put about 1/3-1/2 chicken per bag. Freeze this to use if you want to throw together some quesadillas, nachos, soup, whatever later in the month.
5) Cook the pastas. I like to boil a big pot of water then cook each pasta, removing with a slotted spoon so I don't have to start over on boiling the water every time. When one comes out the next goes in. I don't cook my lasagna noodles ahead.
Lasagna:
1-2 boxes sheet noodles (the kind you don't cook ahead, I like Barilla)
2 jars marinara sauce (Classico has a good roasted garlic one without a ton of sodium and no high-fructose corn syrup)
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 of the ricotta mixture
32 oz mozarella
*** I like to use the Glad Bakeware freeze and bake pans because they have a lid and keep food fresh without tons of layers of foil***
1) Cook ground beef, drain and add marinara sauce. I like to add a little extra garlic and oregano to my sauce.
2) Spoon a little of the sauce mixture into bottom of baking dish. I make 2 pans at a time in assembly line fashion.
3) Place a layer of noodles in pan. Spread ricotta mixture over noodles and add layer of mozarella. Place another layer of noodles and cover with sauce. Continue alternating noodles with toppings until your pan is almost full. I like to end with a sauce layer and then cover that with mozarella and some parmesan.
4) Cover with lid or wrap dish in foil. Label container and freeze. Thaw and bake at 350 covered with foil for 30 minutes then uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes.
Baked ziti:
16 oz package ziti noodles
1 pound ground beef
1 jar marinara sauce
16 oz mozarella
about 20 pieces of turkey pepperoni cut in quarters
parmesan to sprinkle on top
Cook noodles per package directions. Mix noodles with sauce and pepperoni. Pour into baking dish (I spray with cooking spray first). Sprinkle mozarella and parmesan on top. Place lid and label. Thaw and bake at 350 for 30 minutes when ready to eat.
Meatloaf:
2 pounds gound beef (uncooked)
1/2 to 1 cup veggie saute mixture
2 eggs
1 cup italian breadcrumbs
2 tsp garlic
1 TBS. oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
8 oz tomato sauce (don't use that whole can you bought, leave a little for the calzones!)
1) Saute vegetables and chop in food processor
2) Mix all ingredients together in large bowl
3) Divide into 2 loafs. I shape these on foil then wrap them. After wrapping in foil I place in a gallon ziploc bag and label. When I'm ready to bake I thaw and put in a loaf pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. I put 2 pieces of bread in the bottom of the pan to soak up the grease and then pop the meatloaf on top, cover in ketchup or BBQ sauce and bake at 350 for about an hour. You can bake ahead of time if you want and freeze cooked then reheat when you're ready.
Hamburgers:
1-2 pounds ground beef (uncooked)--1 pound makes about 4 patties
1/2 cup veggie saute mixture
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 TBS Worchestershire sauce
1) Saute the veggies and chop in food processor
2) Mix all ingredients and shape into patties
3) layer 4 in a baking dish, cover with wax paper and layer additional ones on top
4) Cover with lid and label
5) Thaw and throw on the grill when ready to eat
Chicken enchiladas:
1/2 shredded or chopped rotisserie chicken
8 oz shredded Colby Jack cheese
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can black beans, drained (These get left out of half for the kids)
1 pkg 12 flour tortillas
1) Mix a little of the enchilada sauce with the chicken
2) Place a layer of beans, chicken, and cheese in a flour shell
3) Roll shell and place seam down in baking dish, lay close to each other
4) When dish is full, pour rest of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese on top
5) Place lid, label, and freeze
6) Thaw and bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes
Marinated chicken:
Doesn't get any easier than this one folks!
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (I cut each piece into 3 pieces so they cook faster)
3 ziploc bags
3 varieties of bottled marinade--I also like BBQ sauce and Italian dressing
Place one pound of chicken in each bag, cover with marinade of your choice. Label and freeze. To cook, thaw and throw on grill until done.
Meats:
9-10 pounds ground beef
4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 rotisserie chickens
1 pkg pork chops
1 pkg Italian sausage
1 pkg turkey pepperoni
1 tip roast
Cheeses:
64 oz mozarella
64 Colby Jack or jack Cheddar
32 oz ricotta
Vegetables:
5 onions
5 green peppers
3 packages mushrooms
1 bag spinach
2 zucchini
(Coursely chop, saute, and then chop in food processor)
Pasta:
2 boxes lasagna noodles
2 boxes ziti
jumbo shells
macaroni
Extras:
3 jars marinara sauce
1 can enchilada sauce
1 pkg flour tortillas
1 can black beans
1 16 oz. can tomato sauce
ketchup
Italian breadcrumbs
1 dozen eggs
2 cans cream of mushroom
1 can cream of chicken
4 bottles of marinade, BBQ sauce, or Italian dressing
Another bottle of BBQ
1 pkg taco seasoning
pecans
refrigerated bread or pizza dough (1 can will make 4 calzones)
8 oz. sour cream (or light will work)
1 can evaporated milk
Did I mention I like to hide veggies in my dishes so my kids get at least a couple of vitamins a day? Here are my recipes for the things I make every month. BTW, I am not a creator of recipes so these are not originals. I like to tweak things but I am nowhere near creative enough to come up with my own stuff.
Let's get started by doing some of the prep work to assemble our dishes. Using the same ingredients repeatedly will help this be not so overwhelming.
1) Cook up about 6 pounds of what you bought and then drain.
2) Coursely chop then saute the onions, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, and spinach together. You can add a little salt or garlic if you like. Once they're soft, put the whole mixture into the food processor and chop. We'll use this mixture a lot so just stick it in a bowl you can dip out of.
3) Mix the 32 oz ricotta with 4 eggs, some parsley, 1 cup of parmesan and 1-2 cups of the sauteed veggie mixture.
4) Pull all that rotisserie chicken off the bone and chop. Hold out about 1 1/2 chickens for our meals and divide the rest into ziploc freezer bags and label. I put about 1/3-1/2 chicken per bag. Freeze this to use if you want to throw together some quesadillas, nachos, soup, whatever later in the month.
5) Cook the pastas. I like to boil a big pot of water then cook each pasta, removing with a slotted spoon so I don't have to start over on boiling the water every time. When one comes out the next goes in. I don't cook my lasagna noodles ahead.
Lasagna:
1-2 boxes sheet noodles (the kind you don't cook ahead, I like Barilla)
2 jars marinara sauce (Classico has a good roasted garlic one without a ton of sodium and no high-fructose corn syrup)
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 of the ricotta mixture
32 oz mozarella
*** I like to use the Glad Bakeware freeze and bake pans because they have a lid and keep food fresh without tons of layers of foil***
1) Cook ground beef, drain and add marinara sauce. I like to add a little extra garlic and oregano to my sauce.
2) Spoon a little of the sauce mixture into bottom of baking dish. I make 2 pans at a time in assembly line fashion.
3) Place a layer of noodles in pan. Spread ricotta mixture over noodles and add layer of mozarella. Place another layer of noodles and cover with sauce. Continue alternating noodles with toppings until your pan is almost full. I like to end with a sauce layer and then cover that with mozarella and some parmesan.
4) Cover with lid or wrap dish in foil. Label container and freeze. Thaw and bake at 350 covered with foil for 30 minutes then uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes.
Baked ziti:
16 oz package ziti noodles
1 pound ground beef
1 jar marinara sauce
16 oz mozarella
about 20 pieces of turkey pepperoni cut in quarters
parmesan to sprinkle on top
Cook noodles per package directions. Mix noodles with sauce and pepperoni. Pour into baking dish (I spray with cooking spray first). Sprinkle mozarella and parmesan on top. Place lid and label. Thaw and bake at 350 for 30 minutes when ready to eat.
Meatloaf:
2 pounds gound beef (uncooked)
1/2 to 1 cup veggie saute mixture
2 eggs
1 cup italian breadcrumbs
2 tsp garlic
1 TBS. oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
8 oz tomato sauce (don't use that whole can you bought, leave a little for the calzones!)
1) Saute vegetables and chop in food processor
2) Mix all ingredients together in large bowl
3) Divide into 2 loafs. I shape these on foil then wrap them. After wrapping in foil I place in a gallon ziploc bag and label. When I'm ready to bake I thaw and put in a loaf pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. I put 2 pieces of bread in the bottom of the pan to soak up the grease and then pop the meatloaf on top, cover in ketchup or BBQ sauce and bake at 350 for about an hour. You can bake ahead of time if you want and freeze cooked then reheat when you're ready.
Hamburgers:
1-2 pounds ground beef (uncooked)--1 pound makes about 4 patties
1/2 cup veggie saute mixture
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 TBS Worchestershire sauce
1) Saute the veggies and chop in food processor
2) Mix all ingredients and shape into patties
3) layer 4 in a baking dish, cover with wax paper and layer additional ones on top
4) Cover with lid and label
5) Thaw and throw on the grill when ready to eat
Chicken enchiladas:
1/2 shredded or chopped rotisserie chicken
8 oz shredded Colby Jack cheese
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can black beans, drained (These get left out of half for the kids)
1 pkg 12 flour tortillas
1) Mix a little of the enchilada sauce with the chicken
2) Place a layer of beans, chicken, and cheese in a flour shell
3) Roll shell and place seam down in baking dish, lay close to each other
4) When dish is full, pour rest of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese on top
5) Place lid, label, and freeze
6) Thaw and bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes
Marinated chicken:
Doesn't get any easier than this one folks!
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (I cut each piece into 3 pieces so they cook faster)
3 ziploc bags
3 varieties of bottled marinade--I also like BBQ sauce and Italian dressing
Place one pound of chicken in each bag, cover with marinade of your choice. Label and freeze. To cook, thaw and throw on grill until done.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Deciding what you like
The most important factor in monthly meal planning is to remember that if you don't make things your family likes, you will be wasting a lot of your valuable time! We have a few staples around our house. Now, let me warn you, even though I am a pediatrician, we do not eat by the food pyramid daily! I have learned to choose my battles so I have become willing to fix things that everyone likes so we can have a pleasant bonding dinner experience. What good is sitting around the table as a family if you're fighting the whole time about eating vegetables? I have learned to offer fresh fruit if the veggies aren't going to go over well and then eat quietly while listening to my kids recap their day.
So, in my house a few favorites get made every month:
Lasagna
Chicken enchiladas
Baked ziti
Marinated chicken for the grill
Meatloaf
Hamburgers
Everything else on the menu I choose based on the season and what's on sale. So here's my month of meals for July:
Lasagna (2 pans)
Baked ziti
Chicken enchiladas (2 pans)
Stuffed shells
Chicken "manicotti"
Calzones
Marinated chicken breasts (3 types)
Homemade chicken nuggets
Homemade mac and cheese
Ribs
Pot Roast
Marinated pork chops
Tacos
Sloppy Joes
Hamburgers
Chicken noodle casserole
Shepherd's pie
Most of these can be made ahead and frozen, at least in part. Then for the extra days, I use leftovers to make a quick new dish--like leftover marinated chicken easily turns into a big salad with lots of protein!
I'll post recipes soon as well as daily menus using my made-ahead entrees. Follow along for a couple of days while I get this going and then you'll be on a roll too!
So, in my house a few favorites get made every month:
Lasagna
Chicken enchiladas
Baked ziti
Marinated chicken for the grill
Meatloaf
Hamburgers
Everything else on the menu I choose based on the season and what's on sale. So here's my month of meals for July:
Lasagna (2 pans)
Baked ziti
Chicken enchiladas (2 pans)
Stuffed shells
Chicken "manicotti"
Calzones
Marinated chicken breasts (3 types)
Homemade chicken nuggets
Homemade mac and cheese
Ribs
Pot Roast
Marinated pork chops
Tacos
Sloppy Joes
Hamburgers
Chicken noodle casserole
Shepherd's pie
Most of these can be made ahead and frozen, at least in part. Then for the extra days, I use leftovers to make a quick new dish--like leftover marinated chicken easily turns into a big salad with lots of protein!
I'll post recipes soon as well as daily menus using my made-ahead entrees. Follow along for a couple of days while I get this going and then you'll be on a roll too!
How I plan for the month
I guess I should start by giving you a little background on how I plan what we will be eating for the month. I typically stock up on ground beef when I can get it for 1.99/lb. I prefer to get the 93% lean so when I find it that cheap I really stock up! I also look for sales on other meats like tip roasts, NY strips, flank steak, and pork chops. I will buy chicken breasts when they are 1.99/lb as well but I really like to buy 6-8 rotisserie chickens and chop them myself at home. That way the cooking is done, they are very flavorful, and I can usually use one chicken for 2-3 dishes. I usually store some of it in freezer bags to throw in a dish if I'm making something "fresh" like chicken and dumplings--YUM!
I use a lot of canned vegetables in the preparing stage and then use whatever fresh veggies are in season as sides on the day we actually eat the meal. We are not big bread eaters but I do keep some bags of rolls and biscuits in the freezer so we can bake a few at a time if we want.
I spend one day cooking and stocking the freezer and then we are set for the month. Hope this blog gives you some encouragement to do the same. It really cuts down on the rat race!
I use a lot of canned vegetables in the preparing stage and then use whatever fresh veggies are in season as sides on the day we actually eat the meal. We are not big bread eaters but I do keep some bags of rolls and biscuits in the freezer so we can bake a few at a time if we want.
I spend one day cooking and stocking the freezer and then we are set for the month. Hope this blog gives you some encouragement to do the same. It really cuts down on the rat race!
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