I’m excited for our meal plan this week! I have been in a “recipe rut” and found some great new recipes to try out.

If you have blogged a menu plan for the week (or even just a favorite recipe), please feel free to comment and share. I’m always looking for new ideas and inspiration and will be happy to share a link to your blog if we try your recipe!

If you need inspiration, check out the weekly meal plans from hundreds of other bloggers here at Organizing Junkie.

SUNDAY:

Breakfast ~ scrambled eggs with ham and cheese

Lunch ~ crescent hot dogs – my kids love this because it has hot dogs and because they get to help out with making it!

INGREDIENTS
8 hot dogs
4 slices (3/4 oz each) American cheese, each cut into 6 strips (we just used shredded cheddar cheese)
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°. Slit hot dogs to within 1/2 inch of ends; insert 3 strips of cheese into each slit.
2. Separate dough into triangles. Wrap dough triangle around each hot dog. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, cheese side up.
3. Bake at 375° for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Dinner ~ Feta Pork Chop Skillet – I found this recipe on Marci’s blog and it looked so good that I had to try it! It was YUMMY! We will definitely be having this one again!

Ingredients:
1 t crushed dried rosemary
1 t dried basil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pinch black pepper
1 T olive oil
4 pork chops (I used 3)
¼ c fresh lemon juice
2 oz (or more) crumbled feta cheese with basil and sun-dried tomatoes (I used 4 oz)
1-2 yellow summer squash or zucchini, remove seeds and slice (I have never removed seeds from them so I didn’t…I used 3 zucchini and 2 squash because I love them, but I did have to take the meat out at the end so I had more room for them all to finish cooking)

Directions:
In a small bowl, stir together rosemary, basil, garlic, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dip pork chops in lemon juice, and spread both sides with herb mixture.
Place pork chops in skillet, drizzle with some of remaining lemon juice, and sear both sides, about 7 minutes per side.
After a few minutes, add sliced squash to edges of pan. Reduce heat to low.
Sprinkle feta on top of chops; cover skillet, and cook until cheese begins to melt, about 5 minutes.

MONDAY:

Breakfast ~ bagels and cream cheese (I got the bagels free when I bought bread on Saturday! My kids and husband were excited because it’s been awhile since we had bagels around here)

Lunch ~ Turkey cheese roll ups for my daughter (my son gets fed at daycare) and a Smart Ones frozen meal for me

Dinner ~ Family Sized Baked Burrito – I saw this recipe on DeAna’s blog last week and decided it would be something new and different for our family to try (she’s got great pictures of it all on her blog, so you should definitely check it out!). I can’t wait!

Ingredients:
2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded*
1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp chicken taco seasoning mix
1 Tbsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp salsa
1 shredded cheddar cheese
4 burrito-size flour tortillas
1/2 can (9oz) bean dip
Toppings: shredded lettuce, sliced olives, sour cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix chicken with onion powder, lime juice, seasoning mix, garlic powder and salsa. Microwave chicken mixture 3-4 minutes or until hot, stirring occasionally.
Arrange tortillas in an overlapping circular pattern on a large pizza stone (you could use a cookie sheet as well), covering entire surface of baking stone. Tortillas will extend off edge by a few inches.

Starting in the center, spread bean dip over tortillas. Spoon chicken mixture over bean dip and cover with 3/4 cup of cheese.

Fold edges of tortillas up over chicken mixture in an envelope pattern. Arrange sliced tomatoes in rows over top of burrito. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Bake about 18 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are browned.

Cut into rectangles; serve with assorted toppings and enjoy!

Notes: I’m going to put the chicken in the crockpot with the taco seasoning, spices, and salsa and then shred it when I get home from work. I’m also going to just use regular refried beans rather than bean dip.

TUESDAY:

Breakfast ~ waffles

Lunch ~ Uncrustables sandwich for my daughter, chicken caesar salad for me

Dinner ~ Quick beef skillet – This was on my menu last week and we had a bit of a cooking disaster. I put it all in my crockpot and turned it on, but didn’t realize it was unplugged. My husband called me halfway through the day to let me know. He plugged it in at that point, but it still wasn’t ready by dinner time. The plan was to let it finish cooking and have it for dinner the next night, but I forgot to pull it out before I went to bed, so it was WAY overcooked.

I used “fresh” carrots and potatoes rather than canned and round steak rather than ground beef. The whole thing smelled delicious, so we’re going to try again this week.

I originally found this recipe on the Babycenter Cooking for your Family board. It was posted by Amy (amlyz). I believe it is a Campbell’s recipe.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 can Campbell’s(R) Beefy Mushroom Soup
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 can (about 15 oz.) sliced potatoes, drained
1 can (about 8 oz.) sliced carrots, drained

COOK beef in skillet until browned. Pour off fat.
ADD soup, water, Worcestershire, pepper,
potatoes and carrots and heat through.

Serves 4

WEDNESDAY:

Breakfast ~ Toaster Strudel (I got some of these from the Mega Sale at Kroger and my daughter loves them now)

Lunch ~ My daughter will buy her lunch at school and I will have leftovers

Dinner ~ Country Fair chicken – I found this recipe On the Chubbie Chica blog while I was browsing the Menu Plan Monday posts at orgjunkie.com and it sounded good, so we decided to try it out this week!

Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs boneless/skinless chicken breasts, diced
6 med red potatoes, peeled & diced
1 lb carrots, peeled & sliced
2 T olive oil
½ t garlic powder
½ t pepper
1 env onion soup mix
½ c chicken broth

Prep:
Toss chicken, potatoes and carrots with olive oil. Add soup mix, seasonings and toss well.
Place mixture in a large sprayed baking dish. Slowly pour in broth and seal with foil. Bake 1
hour @ 350. Remove foil last 15 min of baking.

THURSDAY:

Breakfast ~ cold cereal

Lunch ~ cheese sandwich (I use cookie cutters to make it more ‘fun’) for my daughter and leftovers for me

Dinner ~ Chili dogs

FRIDAY:

Breakfast ~ kids choice (waffles, cereal, etc.)

Lunch ~ Peanut butter & jelly sandwich for my daughter and a Smart Ones meal for me

Dinner ~ Impossibly Easy BLT Pie – I got this recipe from an e-mail from Bisquick – it sounded quick and easy and is definitely different from the “norm” so I decided to try it out.

Ingredients:
12 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled (I’m going to use bacon crumbles)
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (4 oz)
1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1/3 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
3/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 cup shredded lettuce
6 thin slices tomato

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. Layer bacon and cheese in pie plate.
2. In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, the milk, pepper and eggs with wire whisk until blended. Pour into pie plate.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Spread 2 tablespoons mayonnaise over top of pie. Sprinkle with lettuce. Place tomato slices on lettuce.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 30 to 35 minutes.

SATURDAY:

Breakfast ~ Pancakes

Lunch ~ Mini pizzas (the kids make them on their own using English muffins)

Dinner ~ Honey lime chicken – I have made honey lime pork chops several times, but this time we’re trying it with chicken! This is also a recipe I discovered while browsing the orgjunkie.com Menu Plan Monday posts.

INGREDIENTS
* 1/2 cup honey
* 1/3 cup soy sauce
* 1/4 cup lime juice
* 4 (4 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

DIRECTIONS
In a resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container, combine the honey, soy sauce and lime juice; mix well. Add chicken and turn to coat. Seal or cover and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. Drain and discard marinade. Grill chicken, uncovered, over medium heat for 6-7 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.

It’s only Monday and it’s been a busy, busy week already! My oldest starts kindergarten today. I’m still trying to figure out how this happened since it seems like it was just yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital. Yesterday, I also got to be at the hospital for the birth of my newest niece, which was an amazing experience. Unfortunately, menu planning has been at the bottom of my list the past couple of days and I was lucky I was able to run in and out of the grocery store on Saturday night to pick up a few things as my husband and I ended our first date night in a VERY long time.

I’d love to say that I have a bunch of fantastic breakfasts planned but between work and everything else going on, I think we’ll probably alternate between the “quickie” things that we have on hand which include Eggos, Pop Tarts, cereal, and oatmeal.

Lunches will be a mixture of Smart Ones frozen meals and leftovers for me and sandwiches (cheese, peanut butter, etc.) for my daughter. My son will eat at daycare and my husband will eat things here and there along the way.

Here’s our dinner meal plan for the week:

SUNDAY ~ Macaroni and cheese (homemade) – my mother in law has been in town and made this for dinner last night – it is a favorite, but I don’t have the recipe!

MONDAY – Lasagne – This will be made this morning (HOPEFULLY) before I go off to work and then I’ll have my husband pop it in the oven when I’m on the way home from work. I use this recipe here from Barilla. If you haven’t tried their oven-ready noodles yet, they are a total lifesaver!

TUESDAY – Quick beef skillet – I’m going to use “fresh” carrots and potatoes rather than canned and throw all of this in the crockpot in the morning. I originally found this recipe on the Babycenter Cooking for your Family board. It was posted by Amy (amlyz). I believe it is a Campbell’s recipe.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 can Campbell’s(R) Beefy Mushroom Soup
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 can (about 15 oz.) sliced potatoes, drained
1 can (about 8 oz.) sliced carrots, drained

COOK beef in skillet until browned. Pour off fat.
ADD soup, water, Worcestershire, pepper,
potatoes and carrots and heat through.

Serves 4

WEDNESDAY – Lemony chicken breasts with rice

This recipe came from All You Magazine (they now have a searchable recipe database with over 800 recipes, which is awesome!) We tried it once before and the family enjoyed it.

Cost per serving: $2.25

Yield
4 Servings

Ingredients
•4 tablespoons unsalted butter
•1 onion, finely chopped
•2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
•4 boneless chicken breast halves
•Salt and pepper
•4 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth
•1/4 cup lemon juice
•2 cups long-grain rice
•1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Scrape into slow cooker.

Sprinkle chicken with salt. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in skillet over medium high heat until foaming. Add chicken breast halves and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to slow cooker.

Add 1 cup broth and lemon juice to skillet and bring to a boil, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan. Add to the slow cooker, along with remaining broth, rice and 1 tsp. salt. Stir, cover and cook on low until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, 2 to 3 hours. Remove chicken, stir parsley into rice and season with salt and pepper. Divide rice onto 4 plates and top each with a piece of chicken; serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 534 Fat: 15g (sat 8g) Protein: 20g Carbohydrate: 80g Fiber: 2g Cholesterol: 54mg Sodium: 323mg
All You, MAY 2008

THURSDAY – Slow cooker ravioli

Ingredients:
1 (25 ounce) bag beef or cheese ravioli
1 (26 ounce) jar pasta sauce
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Pour about half of the pasta sauce in the bottom of slow cooker. Add frozen ravioli. Pour additional pasta sauce, tomato sauce, and water over ravioli. Sprinkle cheese on top. Turn slow cooker on low and cook for four to five hours (until ravioli are tender).

FRIDAY – Chicken and stuffing (slow cooker)

Ingredients:
4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup milk
1 pkg (6 oz.) chicken-flavored stuffing mix
1 2/3 cups water

Directions: Place chicken in greased slow cooker. In a separate bowl, combine soup and milk, then pour over chicken. Combine stuffing mix and water. Spoon over chicken and soup mixture. Cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours. Makes 4-6 servings.

SATURDAY – Peppered Steak

this is a family recipe that came from my mother in law
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.

Now that I’m working again, this menu is a lifeline of sorts. If i didn’t have a “plan” ahead of time, I think we’d be living on fast food and frozen pizza!

If you have blogged a menu plan for the week (or even just a favorite recipe), please feel free to comment and share. I’m always looking for new ideas and inspiration and will be happy to share a link to your blog if we try your recipe!

If you need inspiration, check out the weekly meal plans from hundreds of other bloggers here at Organizing Junkie.

SUNDAY:

Breakfast ~ Waffles

Lunch ~ Tuna sandwiches

Dinner ~ Creamy Chicken enchiladas

Ingredients:
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use the 98% FF kind)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use the 98% FF kind)
2 cans green enchilada sauce
1 8 oz-16 oz. tub of sour cream (depends how spicy you want the enchiladas)
2-3 chicken breasts, shredded (if I’m in a hurry, I use canned chicken)
1 lb. cheese, shredded
1 dozen flour tortillas (you could use corn also)

Add cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, and enchilada sauce to a pan. Cook on medium low heat, stirring occasionally. When sauce is will mixed and starts to thin, add sour cream. Continue stirring occasionally until the sauce is well mixed and thinned out. Place a layer of the sauce along the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish. Fill each tortilla with the shredded chicken, sauce, and cheese. Roll and place in the baking dish. When you have filled all of the tortillas (this should make 1 dozen), pour the remain sauce over the top of the enchiladas and then cover with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is well melted.

MONDAY:

Breakfast ~ cold cereal

Lunch ~ Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches

Dinner ~ Parsley Parmesan chicken (freezer meal) – This has become a “hit” in our house. I actually don’t have any in the freezer right now, so I’m making this one “fresh.”

Ingredients:
2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 6-8 chicken breasts)
1/3 bottle of Italian salad dressing
1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 c dry bread crumbs (used Seasoned Italian bread crumbs)
1 1/2 T parsley flakes
1/2 T paprika
Salt & Pepper

Assembly Directions:
Marinate chicken in dressing overnight.
Mix the remaining ingredients and bread each breast with coating.

To Freeze: Lay chicken breasts side by side on baking sheets and place in freezer for 1 to 2 hours to firm up. Place chicken in labeled gallon size Freezer Bag and freeze.

Cooking Directions:
Thaw & bake at 350 uncovered for 30 minutes or until done.

Monday nights we have “family night.” Our special family treat tonight will be banana pudding.

INGREDIENTS

* 8 ounces sour cream
* 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
* 1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
* 2 cups whole milk
* 1 (16 ounce) package vanilla wafer cookies
* 4 bananas, peeled and sliced

DIRECTIONS

In large bowl combine sour cream, whipped topping, pudding mix and milk. Stir well. In the bottom of a trifle bowl or other glass serving dish, put a layer of cookies, then a layer of pudding mixture, then a layer of bananas. Repeat until all ingredients are used. Refrigerate until serving.

TUESDAY:

Breakfast ~ Strawberry and Cream Cheese French Toast – this recipe comes from Favorite Family Recipes and has to be made the night before

1 loaf french bread, cut into 1 inch slices.
Whipped cream cheese

Spread cream cheese between two slices of bread, place sandwiched slices in a glass pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Mix together:
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Pour over bread and let sit for five minutes, turn bread over and cover pan with saran wrap. Refrigerate overnight. Drizzle melted butter over the top and bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Whipped Topping:
1 pt whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. almond or amaretto flavoring

Top with strawberries mixed with sugar and the whipped topping.

Lunch ~ Baked chicken nuggets (also a freezer meal)

(1 recipe = 6 servings)
Ingredients:
– 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken
– 1 box stuffing
– 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
– 2 eggs

Assembly Directions:
-Cut chicken into small bite-sized pieces.
-Blend stuffing mix (include spice packet if one is included) and Parmesan cheese in blender until fine.
-Beat eggs in shallow bowl.
-Dip chicken into egg and then into dry mix.
-Bake at 425 degrees on greased cookie sheet for approx. 15 min. Turn nuggets and cook an additional 5 min.

Freezing and Cooking Directions:-Label bags. Cool chicken and freeze in bags.
To serve: Thaw and heat in microwave or oven.

Dinner ~ Meatloaf on a bed of potatoes (even if you don’t like meatloaf, this is SUPER easy to make and very kid/family friendly! we never have leftovers)

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
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.

WEDNESDAY:

Breakfast ~ Pop Tarts

Lunch ~ Mini pizzas (we use English muffins and the kids get to decorate their own little pizzas)

Dinner ~ Creamy Bacon chicken (slow cooker)

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 3 oz package precooked bacon bits (not artificial)
1 can roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. sour cream

Place chicken in slow cooker. Mix all remaining ingredients together and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over egg noodles or rice.

THURSDAY:

Breakfast ~ cold cereal

Lunch ~ Velveeta shells & cheese

Dinner ~ Pork sammies

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs. boneless pork roast
2 onions, chopped (I omit this!)
12 oz. BBQ sauce of your choice
1/4 c. honey
rolls

Directions:

Place meat in slow cooker. Add onions, bbq sauce and honey. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. At that time the pork should break apart easily and shred with a couple of forks. After you shred it, serve it on rolls.

*Serving suggestion! Place provolone cheese slices on bolillo rolls along with mayonnaise. Toast the rolls open faced with cheese and mayo in a 350 degree oven for about 5-6 minutes before adding the pork and serving.

FRIDAY:

Breakfast ~ Waffles

Lunch ~ Grilled cheese sandwiches

Dinner ~ Beef tips (slow cooker) – This recipe is from Taste of Home Magazine and has become a family favorite

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.

SATURDAY:

Breakfast ~ Puffed Pancakes – this has become a favorite around our house also – the recipe came from Marci’s blog

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.

Lunch ~ out

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
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 sherdded mozzarella 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).

I’ve been “missing in action” for a few days. Today my summer vacation is officially over, and so I’ve spent the past couple of days hanging out with my kids and getting ready for a visit from my mother in law plus my return to work.

Having said all of that, here’s my menu plan for the upcoming week. If you have blogged a menu plan for the week (or even just a favorite recipe), please feel free to share. If you need inspiration, check out the weekly meal plans from hundreds of other bloggers here at Organizing Junkie.

SUNDAY:

Breakfast ~ Pop tarts (between Randalls and Target, I’ve got quite a stash now!)

Lunch ~ hot dogs, yogurt, and fruit

Dinner ~ Taco rice

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
3 cups Chicken broth
8 oz. Tomato sauce
1 pkg. Taco seasoning mix
1-1/2 Brown rice, uncooked
1/2 cup Red or Green Pepper
1 can of corn

On Hand:
Shredded cheddar cheese

Optional Ingredients:
Tortilla chips, flour tortillas, tomatoes, lettuce, salsa, etc.

Assembly Directions:
Mix everything in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until rice is done (about 40-50 minutes). Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Freezing Directions:
Allow rice mixture to cool. Place in appropriate sized containers. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat in microwave until warm. You can also reheat it in a saucepan if you add a little bit of water before heating. Sprinkle cheese on top and serve with tortilla chips.

Comments:
This is a big favorite around our house. This time around, I substituted red enchilada sauce for the tomato sauce. I thought it would give it more zip, but I didn’t really notice a huge difference. My entire family loves this and it makes a LOT. We use it with nachos or as filling for tacos/burritos.

MONDAY:

Breakfast ~ scrambled eggs and toast

Lunch ~ I’ll be eating out since I have a workshop to attend and my kids will eat at daycare

Dinner ~ Chicken Licking Good Pork Chops (slow cooker)

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.

TUESDAY: (I actually don’t have to work today!)

Breakfast ~ pancakes

Lunch ~ Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, cheese stick, carrot sticks/dip

Dinner ~ Pizza rigatoni (this has been bumped from the menu for two weeks now…I plan to REALLY have it this time!) – This recipe is from Taste of Home Magazine

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds bulk Italian sausage
3 cups uncooked rigatoni or large tube pasta
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 small onion, chopped
2 cans (one 15 ounces, one 8 ounces) pizza sauce
1 package (3-1/2 ounces) sliced pepperoni
1 can (6 ounces) pitted ripe olives, drained and halved

Directions:
In a skillet, cook sausage until no longer pink; drain. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

In a 5-qt. slow cooker, layer half of the sausage, pasta, cheese, soup, onion, pizza sauce, pepperoni and olives. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Yield: 6-8 servings.

WEDNESDAY:

Breakfast ~ Eggos bake shop stuff

Lunch ~ Mini pizzas (I buy English muffins, put a little sauce on top and the kids get to decorate their own pizzas)

Dinner ~ French dip sandwiches (slow cooker)

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.

THURSDAY:

Breakfast ~ Cold cereal

Lunch ~ Turkey cheese roll-ups

Dinner ~ Cream cheese chicken (slow cooker)

Cream cheese chicken

Ingredients:
4 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.

FRIDAY:

Breakfast ~ Waffles

Lunch ~ Grilled chese sandwiches

Dinner ~ Country style pork loin – this recipe comes from Taste of Home Magazine

1 boneless whole pork loin roast (3 pounds)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground mustard
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
Hot mashed potatoes, optional

Cut pork roast in half. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, onion powder and mustard. Add pork, one portion at a time, and shake to coat. In a large skillet, brown pork in oil over medium-high heat on all sides. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Pour broth over pork. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until tender. Remove pork and keep warm. For gravy, strain cooking juices and skim fat; pour 2-1/2 cups cooking juices into a large saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice pork; serve with gravy and mashed potatoes if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

SATURDAY:

Breakfast – Sausage egg casserole – this is summer easy to make and very yummy! I substitute potatoes for the bread in the recipe

Lunch ~ Eat out? or sandwiches

Dinner ~ Steak stroganoff

Ingredients:
2T flour
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 3/4 lb. boneless round steak
2 cans 10 3/4 oz cream of mushroom soup (I use 98% FF)
2 c. water (or 1 can 100% FF beef broth for more flavor)
1 envelope beef stew mix
4 oz can mushrooms, sliced and drained
1/2 c. sour cream
1 T minced parsley

Combine flour, garlic powder, pepper, and paprika in slow cooker. Cut meat into 1 1/2 inch strips. Place in flour mixture and toss until meat is well coated. Add soup, water, and stew mix. Stir until well blended. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours. Stir in mushrooms, sour cream, and parsley and then cook on high 10-15 minutes until heated through. Serve over egg noodles. (Depending on the consistency of the sauce, you may need to add cornstarch to thicken or add more water/broth to thin)

Lately I’ve REALLY been struggling with menu planning, but I also know that my week is so much easier and smoother when I have a “plan” in mind. Here is my menu plan for this week. If you have blogged a menu plan for the week (or even just a favorite recipe), please feel free to share. If you need inspiration, check out the weekly meal plans from hundreds of other bloggers here at Organizing Junkie.

SUNDAY:

Breakfast ~ Scrambled eggs and toast

Lunch ~ Quesadillas

Dinner ~ California Combo – I found this recipe on Marci’s blog awhile ago. It’s pretty quick and easy to make and my family loves it. We’ve got some zucchini to use up, and I saw this great recipe for Guiltless Baked Zucchini on Favorite Family Recipes this week, so I thought we’d try it out.

California Combo
Ingredients:
– about 8 oz. noodles, cooked (I used my GlutenFree Penne)
– 1 lb. hamburger
– 1/2 c. onion, diced
– 1 c. sour cream (I use FF)
– 8 oz. cream cheese (I use reduced fat)
– 1 jar (1 lb. 10oz) spaghetti sauce
– 4 green onions, diced
– cheddar cheese to top dish

Directions:
– Cook beef and onion in sauce pan, drain. Stir jar of sauce into pan and heat through.
– Sautee green onions in a little butter.
– Cream together sour cream and cream cheese. Stir green onions into mixture.
– In lightly greased casserole dish layer noodles, cream cheese mixture and meat mixture. Repeat layers again and top with enough shredded cheese to cover top.
– Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
I actually cooked 16 oz. noodles tonight but only used about half of them. I like to go heavy on the sauces, otherwise you may be able to do a 9×13 dish. I had enough for an 8×8 and then a little extra as shown. The cream cheese mixture is what makes this sooo good!

Guiltless Baked Zucchini
1-2 large zucchini, cut into spears or circles (the zucchini we had was HUGE so we just used one)
2 eggs
1-2 Tbsp. milk
1 c. Italian-style bread crumbs or croutons blended up finely in a blender (we ran out of bread crumbs so we did the crouton thing)
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Butter or cooking spray

First, line a baking sheet with foil and spray evenly with cooking spray. Next, combine eggs and milk in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and salt & pepper. Dip each zucchini piece into the egg mixture, then dip into bread crumbs until evenly coated in crumbs. Place zucchini on baking sheet, spray each with cooking/butter spray and then bake in the oven at 425-degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. For an added crisp, turn the oven to broil and cook for about 30-45 seconds longer (don’t let em’ burn though, watch them closely). Remove from oven and serve hot with ranch dressing or marinara/pizza sauce.

MONDAY:

Breakfast ~ Cold cereal

Lunch ~ Baked chicken nuggets

Dinner ~ Foil baked Asian Chicken – This comes from the April 2009 issue of All You Magazine – it’s quick and easy to make and everyone in my family (kids included) loves it!

Ingredients:
8 tsp olive oil
4 cups baby spinach
4 4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
4 tsp teriyaki sauce
salt

Preheat over to 450 degrees. Tear off four 10-inch square sof aluminum foil (great sure for all that foil I stocked up on at Walgreens last week!). Brush each square with 2 tsp olive oil. Place 1 cup spinach on each square, slightly off center. Top with a chicken breast half and some mushrooms. Drizzle 1 tsp teriyaki sauce over each portion. Sprinkle with salt.

Fold each piece of foil over to cover chicken and vegetables. Crimp edges together tightly to seal. Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot.

TUESDAY:

Breakfast ~ Eggos Bake Shop Apple Twists and Muffin Tops (I have to work this morning and I’m doing a coupon class this evening, so it’s gotta be quick and easy!)

Lunch ~ Peanut butter/banana/honey sandwiches

Dinner ~ Old Fashioned Meat Loaf (freezer swap meal)

Courtesy of Paula Deen with changes by Sara Brown
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef, turkey, or both
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped bell pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
8 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix
salt
pepper

Topping:
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon mustard

Prep Directions:
Salt and pepper meat, mix all meatloaf ingredients well and shape into a loaf. Wrap loaf in Plastic Wrap and place in Freezer for 1-2 hours to firm up (this is so loaf will hold it’s shape while being stored).
Mix ingredients for topping and place in Quart-size Freezer Bag.
Once loaf is firm, place plastic wrapped loaf into a Gallon-size freezer bag, along with smaller bag of Topping. Remove air and seal.

Serving Directions:
Thaw completely. Place loaf in baking dish, cover with Topping. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

Serve with mashed potatoes

WEDNESDAY:

Breakfast ~ Puffed Pancakes – I got this recipe from Marci’s blog

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.

Lunch ~ Mini pizzas (we use English muffins and the kids get to make their own pizzas)

Dinner ~ Sweet and sour pork (I got this recipe from my mother in law)

Ingredients:
1 t. soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 T cornstarch
dash of salt
1/2 c. pineapple juice or water
3 T cider vinegar
2 T ketchup
Pineapple, onions, green peppers
Chopped ham

Mix ingredients in a pan. Stir constantly over low heat until thickened and translucent. Add pineapple, onion, green peppers, and ham. Serve over rice.

THURSDAY:

Breakfast ~ Blueberry-Cheese Rolls – I got this recipe from the Babycenter Cooking for Your Family board – the original poster of the recipe was Rachel (keenerrk) – we made these once before and they were a hit!

1 pkg. (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup blueberries, divided

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF. Unroll dough into four rectangles; firmly press perforations together to seal.

COMBINE Neufchatel cheese and sugar; spread onto dough rectangles to within 1/2 inch of edges. Top evenly with blueberries. Bring opposite corners of rectangles together; press together to seal. Place on ungreased baking sheet.
BAKE 11 to 13 min. or until golden brown.

Lunch ~ Egg salad sandwiches

Dinner ~ Beef and Bean Chimichangas – I got this from a buddy on a Babycenter.com board (thanks Jane!) and am looking forward to trying it. As a variation, I’m going to try covering it with red enchilada sauce and cheese at the end.

1 pound lean ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup whole kernel corn
2 cups salsa
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
8 (12 inch) flour tortillas
1 (16 ounce) package shredded cheese
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350
Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excess grease, and add the onion and corn. Cook for about 5 more minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the sala and season with cumin, stirring until blended. Cook until heated through, then remove from heat, and set aside.
Open the can of beans, and spread a thin layer of beans onto each of the tortillas. Spoon the beef mixture down the center, and then top with shredded cheese. Roll up the tortillas, and place them seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Brush the tortillas with melted butter.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.
Cover with the remaining cheese and bake an additional 3-5 minutes, until melted.
Serve with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, salsa and guacamole (as desired)

FRIDAY:

Breakfast ~ Waffles/Pop Tarts/cold cereal (Kid’s choice)

Lunch ~ Turkey cheese roll-ups

Dinner ~ Pizza rigatoni (slow cooker) – This is a Taste of Home recipe

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds bulk Italian sausage
3 cups uncooked rigatoni or large tube pasta
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 small onion, chopped
2 cans (one 15 ounces, one 8 ounces) pizza sauce
1 package (3-1/2 ounces) sliced pepperoni
1 can (6 ounces) pitted ripe olives, drained and halved

Directions:
In a skillet, cook sausage until no longer pink; drain. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

In a 5-qt. slow cooker, layer half of the sausage, pasta, cheese, soup, onion, pizza sauce, pepperoni and olives. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Yield: 6-8 servings.

SATURDAY:

Breakfast ~ Monkey bread

Lunch ~ I will be at my sister-in-law’s baby shower, and my kid’s have a birthday party that afternoon, so they will probably have something “on the go”

For the baby shower, I’ll be making this recipe that I have come to LOVE:

Chicken Spinach Bow Tie Pasta Salad – I got this recipe from Marci’s blog. It was served at her baby shower and it was SO good.

Ingredients:
baby spinach
grilled chicken
bow tie pasta
pesto
feta cheese
toffee glazed almond accents
diced tomatoes

-make the dressing by mixing equal parts Italian dressing and Caesar dressing

Dinner ~ Quick Beef Skillet – This recipe was on the Babycenter Cooking for your Family board (posted by Amy – amylz) and came from Campbell’s originally. I think I’m going to try using “real” potatoes and carrots instead of canned and throwing everything in the crockpot.

1 lb. ground beef
1 can Campbell’s(R) Beefy Mushroom Soup
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 can (about 15 oz.) sliced potatoes, drained
1 can (about 8 oz.) sliced carrots, drained

COOK beef in skillet until browned. Pour off fat.
ADD soup, water, Worcestershire, pepper,
potatoes and carrots and heat through.

Serves 4