HAPPY MONDAY! I truly love that I’m sitting here in my PJs relaxing right now rather than rushing and worrying about making it to work on time – if only all weeks could be 4 day work weeks! 🙂

For those of you who may be doing Weight Watchers, I have included the points per serving calculations for most of my recipes this week. I used the “Recipe Builder” feature on the WeightWatchers.com e-Tools program to input all of the ingredients and calculate the points, so it should be pretty accurate.

You can read more about my $40 weekly budget in this post here.

If you’re new to menu planning, check out my post about how I do my menu planning.

SUNDAY:

Breakfast ~ Waffles and sausage (my hubby cooked!)

Lunch ~ Leftovers

Dinner ~ Chicken enchilada casserole – This is a recipe that my sister came up with. She uses canned chicken when she makes it. I came up with a little bit of a variation.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (shredded) – or 1 can chicken
1 large can red enchilada sauce
corn tortillas
shredded cheese – I use reduced fat

Directions: (this is what I do) – I put my chicken and the enchilada sauce in the crockpot the night before and then shred it when I get up in the morning. If you are using canned chicken, you can just shred it as you are making the casserole. I spread some of the chicken/sauce mixture along the bottom of the casserole dish so it doesn’t stick. Break corn tortillas into four pieces and layer across the bottom of the casserole dish. Spread a layer of the chicken/sauce mixture and cheese. Add another layer of corn tortillas. Continue until you are out of the chicken/sauce mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.

WW points = 8 points per serving (for 4 servings) – serve w/ green salad and grapes

MONDAY:

Breakfast ~ Kolaches (we got a coupon in the mail for these the other days and it’s been a long time since we’ve had them, so I promised my daughter we could have them for breakfast…if you’re not from Texas and are wondering what in the world these are, you can check them out here)

Lunch ~ Chicken BLT taco salad – I got this in an e-mail from Betty Crocker recently and it sounded so yummy that I added it to my “must try” list

Dressing (I’m just going to use Ranch)
1/2 cup Old El Paso® Thick ‘n Chunky Salsa
1/2 cup French dressing

Salad
8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
6 cups torn romaine or iceberg lettuce
1 medium yellow bell pepper, coarsely chopped
2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into thin wedges
1 1/2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey-Jack cheese blend
1/4 cup sour cream, if desired
1 cup small triangular tortilla chips

1. In medium bowl, mix dressing ingredients until well blended.
2. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towel; reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Add chicken to skillet; cook and stir over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes or until browned and no longer pink in center. Cool slightly. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until chilled.
3. In deep 3-quart salad bowl, layer lettuce, chicken, bacon, bell pepper and tomatoes. Top with dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 24 hours.
4. Just before serving, top with cheese, avocado, sour cream and tortilla chips.

WW points per serving = 7

Dinner ~ out!

TUESDAY:

Breakfast ~ Waffles

Dinner ~ ?? (today’s my birthday, so I’m hoping for a night off from cooking, but since my parents took us out Monday for my birthday dinner, I might just improvise and whip something up)

WEDNESDAY:

Breakfast ~ Cold cereal

Dinner ~ French dip sandwiches (slow cooker) – This is a family favorite and I love it because it is SOOO easy to make!

Ingredients:
beef roast
2 cans beef broth
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
4-6 hoagie buns
(we also add some swiss or provolone cheese)

Place roast in a greased slow cooker. Pour broth over the top of the roast. Add spices. Cover and cook on low heat 8-10 hours (or high heat 5-7 hours). Remove roast and save extra juice. With a fork, break the meat apart and serve on hoagies. Use excess juice for dipping sandwiches.

WW points = 6 points per serving (this does not include the cheese or the buns)

We’re serving it with fruit salad and dessert will be banana chocolate snack cake (which you must try if you haven’t yet!)

THURSDAY:

Breakfast ~ Toaster strudel

Dinner ~ Easy enchirito – I saw this recipe, I think on orgjunkie.com last week and it sounded YUMMY so I decided to try it this week! (the recipe was originally posted on Blessed with Grace)

Ingredients:
* 1 package burrito-sized flour tortillas
* 1 package burrito OR taco seasoning (OR your best homemade version)
* 1 lb lean hamburger meat
* 1 can re-fried beans (I used fat-free.)
* 1 15 oz can Enchilada sauce (I only used 3/4 of this can.)
* 2 cups shredded cheddar (I used Mexican blend)
* 4-5 green onions, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven 350. Prepare 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick spray.

1. Brown hamburger meat and season, per package instructions, with the burrito seasoning packet.
2. Make one burrito by spreading re-fried beans on one tortilla. Then layer with the seasoned hamburger meat and a small portion of cheddar cheese. Wrap the burrito and place in casserole dish.
3. Repeat step 2 until the casserole dish is full.
4. Pour enough enchilada sauce to completely cover the burritos.
5. Add a layer of cheddar cheese.
6. Finally, top with chopped green onion.
7. Cook at 350 for 30 minutes.

FRIDAY:

Breakfast ~ Scrambled eggs and bacon

Dinner ~ Cowboy casserole – We have left over roast beef from our french dip sandwiches last week, so I’m going to use that in place of the ground beef.  I’m also going to substitute Ranch style beans for baked beans.

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef (we use 93/7)
1 can (16 oz) baked beans (I use Ranch Style beans instead)
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
2/3 c. milk
2 c. Bisquick
1 T butter or margarine, softened
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Heat over to 425. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until thoroughly cooked. Drain beef. Stir baked beans and BBQ sauce into beef. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Pour into ungreased 2 quart casserole.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, milk, and butter until soft dough forms. Drop dough by 12 spoonfuls onto beef mixture. Bake uncovered 18-22 minutes (or until topping is golden brown). Sprinkle with cheese. Bake about 3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

WW points = 10 points/serving (we’ll serve with a green salad and green beans)

SATURDAY:

Breakfast ~ Lemon blueberry pancakes – This is a Taste of Home recipe and I have yet to have a bad experience with a Taste of Home recipe

Ingredients
* 1 egg
* 1 cup lemon yogurt, divided
* 1/2 cup fat-free milk
* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* Sugar substitute equivalent to 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1-1/4 cups blueberries, divided

Directions
* In a small bowl, whisk egg, 1/2 cup yogurt, milk, oil and lemon juice until blended. Combine the flour, sugar substitute, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center. Pour yogurt mixture into the well; stir just until moistened. Gently fold in 1 cup blueberries.
* Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot griddle coated with cooking spray. Turn when bubbles form on top of pancake; cook until second side is golden brown. Serve with remaining yogurt and blueberries. Yield: 8 pancakes,4 servings, 2 per serving.


WW points = 5 for 2 pancakesLunch ~ Crockpot nachos – I first saw this recipe on Delicious Dishes and I was intrigued.  We’ve got a busy morning with lots of running around, so I figured this would be easy to dump into the crockpot when we leave in the morning and it will basically be ready to go by the time we get home for lunch

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
1 can refried beans
1 can red kidney beans, undrained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder
tortilla chips
jar of Mexican salsa con queso
Topping of your choice (I used finely sour cream, tomatoes, olives, green onions, and lettuce)

Brown the ground beef, and drain the grease. Put into the crock pot, and add in the refried beans, kidney beans, tomato paste, taco seasoning, water, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours.  Warm up the queso. Then plate up your nachos!

Dinner ~ My hubby and I will be at a church function, so we’re getting pizza for the kids

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

HAPPY MONDAY!  This week is “bearable” for me because I know that I have a three day weekend just around the corner 🙂

For those of you who may be doing Weight Watchers, I have included the points per serving calculations for most of my recipes this week. I used the “Recipe Builder” feature on the WeightWatchers.com e-Tools program to input all of the ingredients and calculate the points, so it should be pretty accurate.

You can read more about my $40 weekly budget in this post here.

If you’re new to menu planning, check out my post about how I do my menu planning.

SUNDAY:

Breakfast ~ Waffles

Lunch ~ Chili cheese dogs

Dinner ~ Bourbon chicken – Keli shared this recipe awhile back in a Menu Planning Monday post on her blog.  Our family loves it!

Ingredients:
1 1/2-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
1-2 T olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 tsp ginger
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 c. apple juice (in the comments section on Recipezaar, some people substituted pineapple juice or orange juice – we tried pineapple juice this time because I had some left from my teriyaki chicken last week and it was good!)
1/3 c. light brown sugar
2 T ketchup
1 T cider vinegar (in the comments section on Recipezaar, some people substituted balsamic vinger or did half and half – I tried half and half and it was good!)
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. soy sauce

Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned. Remove chicken. Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium heat until well dissolved. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over hot rice.

NOTES: On Recipezaar, some people mixed cornstarch and water and added it at the end to thicken the sauce.  We also doubled the sauce recipe because the sauce is just soo yummy!  We serve this with rice and steamed broccoli.

WW points = 7 points per serving (add 2 points for 1/2 c. rice or 4 points for 1 cup)

MONDAY:

Breakfast ~ Toaster strudel

Dinner ~ Rice meatballs – This is a recipe from my mother in law.  I’m going to make the meatballs before I go to work so all I have to do is cook them when I get home!

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked minute rice
1 lb ground beef (I use 93/7)
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 t. grated onion
2 t. salt (I cut this in half)
1/8 t marjoram
dash pepper
2 1/2 cups tomato juice (or two 8 oz cans tomato sauce mixed with 1/2 cup water)
1/2 t sugar

Combine rice and all other ingredients except tomato juice and sugar. Form balls and arrange in skillet. Pour tomato juice & sugar over meatballs. Bring to boil. Reduce heat & simmer uncovered 15 minutes. 
Sides = green beans and green salad

WW points = 7 points/serving

TUESDAY:


Breakfast ~ Scrambled eggs & bacon

Dinner ~ Red Chicken Chili with Cornbread Muffies – when I make this, I put all of the ingredients in my crockpot on low for the day

Ingredients:
1 bag sliced white mushrooms
1 can (15.5 oz) light red kidney beans, rinse and drain
1 16 oz jar chipotle salsa
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
3 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup sour cream
6 oz American ale beer (I’m going to omit this)
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons minced garlic (not dried)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons flour

Boil chicken breasts in water for 40 minutes, shred with fork.

Combine all ingredients except flour. Mix flour with just enough hot water to make a paste. Add to ingredients. Bring to a simmer and continue for 1 hour. Cool for 15 minutes. Top with extra cheese and sour cream.

Notes:  Since I made mine in the crockpot, I didn’t do the “paste” part.  I just dumped everything in the crockpot (including the chicken breasts, which were frozen) and let it cook on low for the day.  I shredded the chicken, mixed it all together, and let it cook on low for about 15 minutes before serving.

WW points = 5 per serving (makes 4-6 servings)

WEDNESDAY:

Breakfast ~ Cold cereal

Dinner ~ Cheesy rigatoni bake – this recipe came from this cookbook: Girlfriends on the Go: A Busy Mom’s Guide to Make-Ahead Meals (it can be frozen although I have never tried it that way)

Ingredients:
1 16 oz pkg rigatoni noodles
2 Tbsp butter or margarine (we use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 c. milk
1/4 c. water
4 eggs, beaten
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (we use fat free or reduced fat cheese)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour and salt until smooth. Gradually add milk and water. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Drain pasta and place in a large bowl. Add beaten eggs. Spoon into a greased 9X13 pan. Top with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. Spoon white sauce over top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
(I prepare this in the morning and refrigerate. I just pop it in the oven when I get home).

WW points = 10 points per serving, serve with green salad and a “green” veggie (broccoli or green beans)

THURSDAY:

Breakfast ~ Waffles

Dinner ~ Kahlua Pork – I got this recipe from a BabyCenter Crock Pot Cooking board – we had it once before and it was YUMMY (plus, there were lots of leftovers!)

Ingredients:
6-7 lb. bone in pork shoulder (I’m using a 4 lb boneless one that I have on hand)
1/2 cup soy sauce (we’re using low sodium)
1/4 cup worchestershire sauce
fresh garlic
salt
2 capfuls liquid smoke

Directions:  rub pork with garlic and toss it in the slow cooker with all the other ingredients.  5 hours on high, or 9 on low will create a super tender pulled pork, hawaiian barbecue tasting pork.  YUMMY!  I threw some rice in the rice cooker to accompany it or you can put the pork and some bbq sauce on a bun and have sandwiches

WW points = 7 per serving (makes 8 servings), add 2 points for 1/2 cup rice or 4 points for 1 cup rice

Serve w/ sliced pineapple and broccoli

FRIDAY:

Breakfast ~ Omelettes – I got an “omelet maker” for next to nothing at Walgreens after Thanksgiving – all you do is add a mixture of eggs and toppings and let it cook!

Dinner ~ Enchilada casserole – This is a recipe that my sister came up with. She uses canned chicken when she makes it. I came up with a little bit of a variation.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (shredded) – or 1 can chicken
1 large can red enchilada sauce
corn tortillas
shredded cheese – I use reduced fat

Directions: (this is what I do) – I put my chicken and the enchilada sauce in the crockpot the night before and then shred it when I get up in the morning. If you are using canned chicken, you can just shred it as you are making the casserole. I spread some of the chicken/sauce mixture along the bottom of the casserole dish so it doesn’t stick. Break corn tortillas into four pieces and layer across the bottom of the casserole dish. Spread a layer of the chicken/sauce mixture and cheese. Add another layer of corn tortillas. Continue until you are out of the chicken/sauce mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.

WW points = 8 points per serving (for 4 servings) – serve w/ green salad and grapes

SATURDAY:

Breakfast ~ Pop Up Pancakes – This is a “new” recipe for us that I took from Make & Takes (I love this blog!) – it’s another one that’s easy to do if you need a quick breakfast fix.

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
6 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
dash salt

Preheat oven at 400*. Blend all ingredients in blender. Grease muffin tins. Bake for 15 minutes or until puffy and golden on top. Use a knife to “pop” them out. Add desired toppings.

Lunch ~ Grilled cheese sandwiches w/ tomato soup

Dinner ~ Cheesy ham pasta bake – This recipe originally comes from Finding Joy in My Kitchen

Cheesy Ham and Pasta Bake – Inspired by Tiffanee at One Crazy Cookie

1 lb. whole wheat penne pasta
2 C extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 C diced ham
8oz. mushrooms, sliced
4 T white wheat flour
3 C milk* (divided)
1/4 tsp. pepper. 

Begin by boiling the pasta according to package directions.  Then, mix together 1 C milk and flour in a large measuring cup. Meanwhile, saute the mushrooms in a large skillet with a little olive oil, if necessary.  When mushrooms are cooked, remove from the pan and toss with diced ham. In the same skillet, pour the milk mixture into the pan. Stir constantly, adding additional milk to reach desired thickness (I ended up adding ~1C milk to the mixture) while warming the mixture so that it thickens. Simmer about 3 minutes.   Add in the ham and mushroom mix, and simmer until ham warms.  Then, add in 3/4 of the shredded cheese.  Spread the pasta into a 9×13 glass baking dish. Pour the cheesy sauce over the pasta.  Stir to coat. Then, sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Stick the dish into a warm oven… about 300 degrees, for 10 minutes, until the cheese on the top melts.
Dinner ~

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

This is my daughter’s first week back at school and even though I’ve been back on contract for two weeks now, I knew this would be a busy week for me, too, because it’s the first week with KIDS at school!  So, we’ve got another week of a lot of easy slow cooker recipes.  I’m sharing some of my plans for my daughter’s lunch.  This is definitely an area where I need some more inspiration!

For those of you who may be doing Weight Watchers, I have included the points per serving calculations for most of my recipes this week. I used the “Recipe Builder” feature on the WeightWatchers.com e-Tools program to input all of the ingredients and calculate the points, so it should be pretty accurate.

You can read more about my $40 weekly budget in this post here.

If you’re new to menu planning, check out my post about how I do my menu planning.

SUNDAY:

Breakfast ~ Scrambled eggs with turkey bacon

Lunch ~ Ravioli (Chef Boyardee – it’s free @ Target this week!)

Dinner ~ Back to School Celebration – I only have one school-aged child right now, and we make a big deal out of the first day of school. I told my daughter that Sunday would be her “Back to School Celebration” and asked what she wanted for dinner and dessert.

She picked Country Ham and Macaroni Casserole and Cherry Cheesecake!

Country Ham and Macaroni Casserole

Thanks to Sandy~Bettyinthekitchen (BabyCenter.com Cooking for Your Family Board)

1 lb country ham slices or regular smoked ham in one piece (I just use whatever leftover ham we have on hand)
1 large onion, diced
1 lb elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz) – I use reduced fat
1 cup sour cream (I use reduced fat)
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use 98% fat free)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine, melted (I don’t use this when I make it)
1 cup dry plain bread crumbs

1. Heat oven to 400º.
2. Bring 4 quarts water and ham to boiling in large pot. Once water begins to boil,
remove ham to a plate. Add onion and macaroni to pot. Return water to boiling; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Coarsely chop ham, discarding any fat and bones.
4. Drain macaroni and onion and return to pot. Add ham, cheese, sour cream and soup. Scrape into a 13x9x2 baking dish. Pour melted margarine over top. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.
5. Bake in heated 400º oven 30 minutes or until heated through and top is golden brown.
Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Note: Prepare in two 8×8 casserole dishes, bake one and freeze one (unbaked) for another day. If freezing, top with crumbs and margarine right before baking.

WW points = 9 points per serving (with modifications above), makes 8 servings

Philadelphia 3 step cheesecake
Ingredients:
2 packages (8 ounces each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese (I use the 1/3 less fat and it works fine)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 Honey Maid graham cracker pie crust

Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Stir in fresh lemon juice and grated lemon peel. Pour into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool and refrigerate 3 hours (or overnight). I add a can of cherry pie filling on top. 

MONDAY:

Breakfast ~ Puffed Pancakes – I got this recipe from Marci’s blog awhile ago and I love it for those mornings when I want to make breakfast but don’t have a lot of time to do it!

Ingredients:
1/2 cube butter (not margarine – I have used “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter and it has turned out fine)
6 eggs
1 cup Milk (I use skim)
1 Cup Pancake Mix (or Bisquick)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 Degrees. Place butter in a 9 X 13 inch pan. Put in preheating oven until butter is melted. In a blender, combine eggs, milk and pancake mix. Pour batter into baking dish. Bake for a bout 15 – 18 Minutes until pancakes are puffy and lightly browned. Do not open oven while pancakes are cooking. Top with sifted powder sugar.

Serve with warm maple syrup or fruit toppings.

WW points = 4 points per serving (makes 8 servings), this does not include any toppings you may add

Lunch ~ Ham & cheese skewers and fruit skewers

Dinner ~ Chicken lickin’ good pork chops (slow cooker) – I know today’s going to be a busy day, so I wanted something I could stick in the slow cooker that would basically be ready by the time I got home, and this recipe is perfect for that!

Ingredients:
6-8 lean pork chops, 1-inch thick
1/2 cup flour (omit if you don’t brown chops in skillet)
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp oil (omit if you don’t brown chops in skillet)
1 10.5oz can chicken & rice soup

Dredge pork chops in mixture of flour, salt, dry mustard & garlic powder. Brown chops in oil in a large skillet. Place browned pork chops in crockpot. Add can of soup. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3 1/2 hours. If I don’t brown the chops, then I just toss the salt, dry mustard & garlic powder in the crockpot instead of dredging the chops.

*Note: When making this meal, I use a can of family size chicken & rice soup and drain off some of the broth – it keeps the meat tender and there is more of the chicken & rice mixture for everyone! If you don’t have time to brown the chops first in a skillet, I’ve also just dipped it into the flour mixture and put it straight into the slow cooker and it works fine that way, too.

WW points = 6 servings, 7 points per serving

TUESDAY:

Breakfast ~ Toaster Strudel (super cheap thanks to the Kroger sale for the past two weeks!)

Lunch ~ Peanut butter & Jelly sandwich, cantaloupe

Dinner ~ Shredded lime tacos (slow cooker) – I saw this on Marci’s blog last week and it sounded so good (and easy to make) and I knew it would be perfect for our menu this week!!

Ingredients:
* 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat – cubed
* 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
* 1/2 lime, juiced
* 1 teaspoon white sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
* 1/2 white onion, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:
Mix together vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, onion, garlic and cilantro. Put in crock pot with chicken and cook on low 6 hours. Shred chicken apart with forks and serve in tacos with toppings of choice!

WEDNESDAY:

Breakfast ~ Cold cereal

Lunch ~ Turkey and cheese sandwich, grapes

Dinner ~ Meatloaf on a bed of potatoes (slow cooker) – simple to make and totally kid friendly!

From BabyCenter Cooking for Your Family

By: Sandy~Bettyinthekitchen

2 T olive oil
3 large russets, cut into 1 to 1-1/2” chunks
2 lb ground sirloin (I use ground turkey all of the time when I make this)
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup crushed saltine crackers
3/4 cup ketchup
2 T dehydrated onions (optional)
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Topping
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Combine oil and potatoes in crock pot, toss to coat. Spread in an even layer on the bottom of the crock.

In a large bowl, combine beef, eggs, crumbs, ketchup, onion, salt and pepper. Mix gently, do not compact. Shape into oval or round, place on top of potatoes. Spread with topping.

Cover and cook on High for 1 hour. Reduce heat to Low and continue to cook for 6-7 hours, or until a meat thermometer reads 160º to 165ºF.
Sandy’s notes: I used plain ketchup for the topping since that is my family’s preference. To make the meatloaf easier to remove: Take two long pieces of foil and fold them into two strips. Place them across each other over the potatoes and set the meatloaf on top. Use as handles to remove when the meatloaf is done.

**My notes: When I make this, I sprinkle parsley and Mrs. Dash seasoning over the potatoes.

THURSDAY:

Breakfast ~ Waffles

Lunch ~ Peanut butter & jelly, cantaloupe

Dinner ~ Teriyaki chicken (freezer meal) – if you are wanting to get started with freezer cooking, this is seriously the EASIEST freezer meal to put together and a great one to start with!

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup pineapple juice
4 chicken breasts

Directions:
Mix marinade ingredients together and throw in a freezer bag with the chicken breasts. If you use it as a freezer meal, just defrost and cook as you please when ready to eat!

FRIDAY:

Breakfast ~ Eggs Florentine – I got this recipe from Marci’s blog and have made them with the kids a few times now – they are always a hit!

Lunch ~ I’m going to let my daughter buy her lunch @ school on Fridays

Dinner ~ Crockpot chicken and rice

Ingredients:
2-3 frozen chicken breasts
1 pkg McCormick Zesty Herb chicken seasoning blend
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 c. hot cooked rice
Grated cheese
Tomatoes
Celery
Bell peppers

Place frozen chicken breasts in the bottom of the crockpot. Mix ingredients for McCormick seasoning according to directions on the packet and pour over the top of chicken. Cook on low for five hours. Shred chicken in crock pot using a knife and fork. Add cream of chicken soup. Let cook for one more hour. Service over rice with additional toppings as desired (we add cheese, celery, tomatoes, bell peppers, etc. depending on what we have on hand).

WW points = 5 per serving (makes 4 servings) for the chicken mixture; add 2 points for 1/2 cup rice and 4 points for 1 cup rice plus points for additional toppings

SATURDAY:

Breakfast ~ Pop Up Pancakes – This is a “new” recipe for us that I took from Make & Takes (I love this blog!) – it’s another one that’s easy to do if you need a quick breakfast fix.

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
6 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
dash salt

Preheat oven at 400*. Blend all ingredients in blender. Grease muffin tins. Bake for 15 minutes or until puffy and golden on top. Use a knife to “pop” them out. Add desired toppings.

Lunch ~ Grilled cheese sandwiches w/ goldfish crackers and fruit salad

Dinner ~  Aussie chicken – this was a featured recipe on Orgjunkie.com and I thought it sounded similar to Monterey chicken, which we love!  This recipe comes from The Finer Things in Life.

* 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
* seasoning salt
* 6 slices bacon, cut in half (What is it with me and all the bacon recipes this week?!)
* 1/4 cup mustard
* 1/4 cup honey (I use more like 1/3 cup.)
* 2 T. mayo
* 1/2 Tbsp. dried onion flakes
* 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
* 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
* 2 cups shredded Colby/Jack cheese

Sprinkle and rub the chicken breasts with seasoning salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp.

In a small bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayo and dried onion flakes.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken in the skillet and saute for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned. Move chicken to a 9×13 pan.

Apply the honey mustard to each breast, then layer with mushrooms, bacon, and shredded cheese.

Bake in a 350° oven for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and chicken is done. (Be sure to cut into a breast to see that it is fully cooked before serving to guests who will find raw meat in their main dish. Ask me how I know…)

Serve with honey mustard sauce.

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

Now that I’m back at work, the weekends seem to fly by entirely too fast and there’s never enough time to get it all done! This week is going to be a crazy busy one with something pretty much every night, so I stuck to a lot of easy/crock pot recipes.  My kids are with the babysitter all week and breakfast and lunch are provided there, so there’s no plans for those things on weekdays.

For those of you who may be doing Weight Watchers, I have included the points per serving calculations for most of my recipes this week. I used the “Recipe Builder” feature on the WeightWatchers.com e-Tools program to input all of the ingredients and calculate the points, so it should be pretty accurate.

You can read more about my $40 weekly budget in this post here.

If you’re new to menu planning, check out my post about how I do my menu planning.

Get more inspiration by checking out the hundreds of menu plans posted every week at orgjunkie.com!

NOTE:  I sometimes get e-mails expressing “concern” that there are no fruits and vegetables included in our meal plan.  I typically only include our “main dish” items and not our “side/snack” items unless there is a really yummy recipe that I want to share.  If you want to know more about what my $40 weekly grocery budget includes, check out this post.

SUNDAY:

Breakfast ~ Scrambled eggs and cheese with turkey bacon

Lunch ~ Hot dogs and grapes

Dinner ~ Peppered steak

Ingredients:
3 cups hot cooked rice
1 lb lean beef round steak (cut into 1/2 inch thick strips)
1 T Paprika
2 T butter
2 cloves garlic, crusehd
1 1/2 c. beef broth
1 cup sliced green onions
2 green peppers, cut in strips
2T cornstarch
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 lg tomatoes (cut in eighths)

Pound steak to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 1/4 inch wide strips. Sprinkle meat with paprika. Let stand. Brown meat in butter. Add garlic and brother. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in onions and green peppers. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Blend cornstarch, water and soy sauce. Stir into meat mixture. Cook, stirring until clear and thickened, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir gently. Serve over beds of fluffy rice. Serves 6.

MONDAY ~ Black bean and chicken burritos (slow cooker) – This is a family favorite and super easy because it’s basically dump and go!!

Ingredients:
1 taco/fajita seasoning packet
2 cans black beans, drained
2-3 chicken breasts
1 can green enchilada sauce

Place chicken breasts in bottom of the crockpot and then add remaining ingredients. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred chicken before serving and serve in tortillas. We add cheese, sour cream, etc. to the tortillas. We sometimes add rice (cooked rice to the mixture once we’re ready to serve, not in the crockpot!). This is also really good if you use beef instead of the chicken!

Side:  Cilantro Lime Rice (this recipe comes from Marci’s blog!)

WW points – The “filling” is 5 points per serving.  You will need to add additional points for tortillas (usually 2-3) and any other toppings you add (cheese, sour cream, etc.)

TUESDAY ~ Beef tips (slow cooker) – I found this recipe in Taste of Home Magazine. We have eaten it a several times now and my whole family (even my picky eater kids) loves it!

Ingredients:
1 beef top sirloin steak (1 pound), cut into 1-inch cubes
2 to 3 medium carrots, chopped
1 to 1-1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed golden mushroom soup, undiluted
1/2 to 1 cup white wine or beef broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
Hot cooked egg noodles

Directions:
In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the beef, carrots, celery, onion, soup and wine or broth. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until meat is tender.

Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into cooking juices. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes or until thickened. Serve with noodles. Yield: 4 servings.

WW points = 6 per serving (add 2 points for 1/2 cup pasta/rice or 4 points for 1 cup pasta/rice)

WEDNESDAY ~ Meatloaf on a bed of potatoes (slow cooker)

Meatloaf on a bed of potatoes (slow cooker) – simple to make and totally kid friendly!

From BabyCenter Cooking for Your Family

By: Sandy~Bettyinthekitchen

2 T olive oil
3 large russets, cut into 1 to 1-1/2” chunks
2 lb ground sirloin (I use ground turkey all of the time when I make this)
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup crushed saltine crackers
3/4 cup ketchup
2 T dehydrated onions (optional)
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Topping
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Combine oil and potatoes in crock pot, toss to coat. Spread in an even layer on the bottom of the crock.

In a large bowl, combine beef, eggs, crumbs, ketchup, onion, salt and pepper. Mix gently, do not compact. Shape into oval or round, place on top of potatoes. Spread with topping.

Cover and cook on High for 1 hour. Reduce heat to Low and continue to cook for 6-7 hours, or until a meat thermometer reads 160º to 165ºF.
Sandy’s notes: I used plain ketchup for the topping since that is my family’s preference. To make the meatloaf easier to remove: Take two long pieces of foil and fold them into two strips. Place them across each other over the potatoes and set the meatloaf on top. Use as handles to remove when the meatloaf is done.

**My notes: When I make this, I sprinkle parsley and Mrs. Dash seasoning over the potatoes.

THURSDAY ~ Chicken & dumplings (slow cooker)

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2-3 carrots, sliced
2-3 celery stalks, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 can chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use 98% fat free)
1 tsp salt, optional
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
paprika
2 pkg refrigerated biscuit dough, torn in pieces (I only use one)

Place chicken, vegetables, soups & seasonings in crockpot and fill with enough water to cover.  Cover with lid and cook on low 5-6 hours.  About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough into the crockpot.  Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

NOTE:  If I don’t have time for the biscuits to cook in the slow cooker, I just cook them in the oven and then tear up the biscuits and add them.

WW points = 8 (makes 6 servings)

FRIDAY ~ Chicken tortilla soup

Ingredients:
3 cans chicken broth (100% FF)
3 cans cream of chicken soup (98% FF)
3-4 chicken breasts
1 can Rotel
Mrs. Dash original seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the crock pot. Add Mrs. Dash’s seasoning to taste. Add broth and cream of chicken soup, and Rotel. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred chicken in crock pot.

To serve: (if frozen)

Defrost in refrigerator. Reheat on stove. Serve and top individual bowls with desired toppings (tomatoes, green onions, avocadoes/guacamole, cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, etc.)

WW points =  3 per serving – this makes a TON of soup (at least 8 servings for my family), the 3 points, of course, does not include any “toppings” such as cheese, sour cream, and chips!

SATURDAY ~ Enchilada casserole – This is a recipe that my sister came up with. She uses canned chicken when she makes it. I came up with a little bit of a variation.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (shredded) – or 1 can chicken
1 large can red enchilada sauce
corn tortillas
shredded cheese – I use reduced fat

Directions: (this is what I do) – I put my chicken and the enchilada sauce in the crockpot the night before and then shred it when I get up in the morning. If you are using canned chicken, you can just shred it as you are making the casserole. I spread some of the chicken/sauce mixture along the bottom of the casserole dish so it doesn’t stick. Break corn tortillas into four pieces and layer across the bottom of the casserole dish. Spread a layer of the chicken/sauce mixture and cheese. Add another layer of corn tortillas. Continue until you are out of the chicken/sauce mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.

WW points = 8 points per serving (for 4 servings) – serve w/ green salad and grapes

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

I go back to work today (hence the delay in getting this post up) and I don’t feel ready, but ready or not, it’s coming! I tried to plan a menu this week that was relatively simple. When I was a kid, my mom always made us a great breakfast every morning. My goal this year is to be better about finding time to make breakfast for my kids in the morning rather than having them do “quickie” things like cereal, frozen waffles, and Pop Tarts. Since they will be with babysitters most of the week, we don’t have a lunch plan on the weekdays.

For those of you who may be doing Weight Watchers, I have included the points per serving calculations for most of my recipes this week. I used the “Recipe Builder” feature on the WeightWatchers.com e-Tools program to input all of the ingredients and calculate the points, so it should be pretty accurate.

You can read more about my $40 weekly budget in this post here.

If you’re new to menu planning, check out my post about how I do my menu planning.

Get more inspiration by checking out the hundreds of menu plans posted every week at orgjunkie.com!

NOTE:  I sometimes get e-mails expressing “concern” that there are no fruits and vegetables included in our meal plan.  I typically only include our “main dish” items and not our “side/snack” items unless there is a really yummy recipe that I want to share.  If you want to know more about what my $40 weekly grocery budget includes, check out this post.

SUNDAY:

Breakfast ~  I got this recipe from Marci’s blog awhile ago and tried it out. My whole family loved it and it’s super easy to make!

Ingredients:
1/2 cube butter (not margarine)
6 eggs
1 cup Milk
1 Cup Pancake Mix (or Bisquick)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 Degrees. Place butter in a 9 X 13 inch pan. Put in preheating oven until butter is melted. In a blender, combine eggs, milk and pancake mix. Pour batter into baking dish. Bake for a bout 15 – 18 Minutes until pancakes are puffy and lightly browned. Do not open oven while pancakes are cooking. Top with sifted powder sugar.

Serve with warm maple syrup or fruit toppings.

WW points = 4 per serving (not including toppings)

Lunch ~ Peanut butter, jelly, and marshmallow fluff sandwiches (this was apparently one of my husband’s favorite sandwiches as a kid, so he made the kids lunch yesterday and they LOVED it)

Dinner ~ Cream cheese chicken (slow cooker) – My family loves, loves, loves this recipe and if you haven’t tried it, you should because I promise your family will love it, too!!

Ingredients:
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper (to taste)
2 pkg. dry Ranch or Italian dressing mix (we usually only use one)
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. cream cheese – cut into cubes (I use the 1/3 less fat kind)
½ c. chicken broth

Directions: Brush chicken with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in crock pot and sprinkle 1 pkg. dry mix over all. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. About 45 minutes before serving, add soup, second packet of dry dressing mix, cream cheese, and chicken broth. Cook until smooth.
Serve over rice or pasta.

WW points = 6 points/serving (add 2 points for 1/2 c. rice or pasta or 4 points for 1 cup rice or pasta)

MONDAY:

Breakfast ~ Cold cereal

Lunch ~ Macaroni & cheese

Dinner ~ Out (we weren’t SUPPOSED to have dinner out tonight, but since my car broke down, I didn’t make it home in time to pick up dinner, so we ended up eating Quiznos – love their free kids meals with the purchase of a sandwich!!)

TUESDAY:

Breakfast ~ Waffles

Dinner ~ Melt in your mouth meatloaf (slow cooker) – I’ve made this several times now for our family.  It’s easy to make and yummy!

Ingredients:
2 eggs
3/4 c. milk (we use skim)
2/3 c. seasoned bread crumbs
2 tsp dried, minced onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (we always make this with ground turkey instead and it’s yummy!)
1/4 c. ketchup
2 T brown sugar
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well (mixture will be moist.) Shape into a round loaf; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon over the meat loaf. Cook 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

WW points = 5 per serving with the ground turkey, ground beef may be more (makes 6 servings)

WEDNESDAY:

Breakfast ~ Pop Up Pancakes – This is a “new” recipe for us that I took from Make & Takes (I love this blog!) – we were going to try it last week, but it didn’t happen, so we’ll try again this week!

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
6 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
dash salt

Preheat oven at 400*. Blend all ingredients in blender. Grease muffin tins. Bake for 15 minutes or until puffy and golden on top. Use a knife to “pop” them out. Add desired toppings.

Dinner ~ Ingredients:
3 cups hot cooked rice
1 lb lean beef round steak (cut into 1/2 inch thick strips)
1 T Paprika
2 T butter
2 cloves garlic, crusehd
1 1/2 c. beef broth
1 cup sliced green onions
2 green peppers, cut in strips
2T cornstarch
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 lg tomatoes (cut in eighths)

Pound steak to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 1/4 inch wide strips. Sprinkle meat with paprika. Let stand. Brown meat in butter. Add garlic and brother. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in onions and green peppers. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Blend cornstarch, water and soy sauce. Stir into meat mixture. Cook, stirring until clear and thickened, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir gently. Serve over beds of fluffy rice. Serves 6.

WW points = 7 points/serving  (add an additional 2 points for 1/2 cup rice and 4 points for 1 cup rice), this makes 4 servings.

THURSDAY:

Breakfast ~ Scrambled eggs w/ cheese and turkey bacon

Dinner ~ Enchilada casserole – This is a recipe that my sister came up with. She uses canned chicken when she makes it. I came up with a little bit of a variation.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (shredded) – or 1 can chicken
1 large can red enchilada sauce
corn tortillas
shredded cheese – I use reduced fat

Directions: (this is what I do) – I put my chicken and the enchilada sauce in the crockpot the night before and then shred it when I get up in the morning. If you are using canned chicken, you can just shred it as you are making the casserole. I spread some of the chicken/sauce mixture along the bottom of the casserole dish so it doesn’t stick. Break corn tortillas into four pieces and layer across the bottom of the casserole dish. Spread a layer of the chicken/sauce mixture and cheese. Add another layer of corn tortillas. Continue until you are out of the chicken/sauce mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.

WW points = 8 points per serving (for 4 servings) – serve w/ green salad and grapes

FRIDAY:

Breakfast ~ Cold cereal

Dinner ~ Teriyaki chicken –  If you are wanting to get started with freezer cooking, this is seriously the EASIEST freezer meal to put together and a great one to start with!

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup pineapple juice
4 chicken breasts

Directions:
Mix marinade ingredients together and throw in a freezer bag with the chicken breasts. If you use it as a freezer meal, just defrost and cook as you please when ready to eat!

WW points = 8 points per serving (add 2 points for 1/2 cup rice or 4 points for 1 cup rice)
(We will serve this with rice and steamed broccoli)

SATURDAY:

Breakfast ~ Eggs Florentine – I got this recipe from Marci’s blog and have made them with the kids a few times now – they are always a hit!

Lunch ~ Chicken nuggets and fruit skewers (for the kids)

Dinner ~ Chicken & dumplings (slow cooker)

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2-3 carrots, sliced
2-3 celery stalks, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 can chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use 98% fat free)
1 tsp salt, optional
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
paprika
2 pkg refrigerated biscuit dough, torn in pieces (I only use one)

Place chicken, vegetables, soups & seasonings in crockpot and fill with enough water to cover.  Cover with lid and cook on low 5-6 hours.  About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough into the crockpot.  Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

NOTE:  If I don’t have time for the biscuits to cook in the slow cooker, I just cook them in the oven and then tear up the biscuits and add them.

WW points = 8 (makes 6 servings)

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.