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.