Between sickness and the end of the school year insanity, I haven’t been doing much cooking lately and have really been struggling with menu planning. This is my last week of work before summer vacation, and I’m determined to stick to a menu for this week!

Sunday: Brisket

This is super easy and so yummy! Wrap the brisket in heavy foil, place in a 13X9 baking dish, and marinate in Claude’s Brisket Sauce (for 2-3 hours. Then, cook on low (325-350 degrees) for one hour per pound of brisket.

I serve it with rolls and a potato casserole.

Monday: Lemon-pepper chicken (slow cooker)

Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts
lemon pepper seasoning
1 can cream of mushroom soup (98% FF)
1/2 c. canned milk
1 T chopped parsley
1 c. grated cheddar cheese

Sprinkle chicken generously with lemon pepper seasoning. Place chicken in the bottom of the crockpot. Mix soup, milk, and parsley to create a sauce and pour over chicken. Cook on low 6-7 hours. 30 minutes prior to serving, add cheese. We serve over noodles or rice.

Tuesday: Pork sammies (slow cooker) – I got an awesome deal on pork roast at Target on Saturday (it was only $2!) and I’ve got plenty of free BBQ sauce, so I thought this would be a cheap and easy meal.

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs. boneless pork roast
2 onions, chopped
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.

Wednesday: Chicken Taco Rice (freezer meal) – I have been wanting to try this since I saw the recipe and picture.

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 great after school snack. Use it to make quick nachos or a filling for tacos.

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: Parsley parmesan chicken (freezer meal) – I saw this recipe on Marci’s blog and it looked really good, so I’m going to try it out (I plan to make a double batch and freeze half and eat the other half tonight)

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.

Saturday: Taco salad

Ingredients:
1 head lettuce (I use a pre-made salad mix)
Tomatoes
Cheese
Ground beef (1/2-1 lb cooked – I add in taco seasoning for more flavor)
Light kidney beans, drained
Doritos corn tortilla chips (you can use any brand, but this is my favorite for this)
1 bottle Thousand Island dressing

Mix lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, ground beef, and beans together. Crush tortilla chips and add to the mixture. Add in salad dressing and mix well. It sounds a little strange, but it is really good. It doesn’t keep well, though, for leftovers because the lettuce and tortilla chips get soggy, so you want to make it and serve it.

I posted a lot of information about my family and how we plan meals in this initial post.

Sunday: Chicken noodle soup – My entire family now has the sickness I’ve been dealing with for the past four weeks, so I thought this would be a good choice for everyone!

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts
3 carrots (sliced)
3 celery stalks (sliced)
3 cans chicken broth
2 cans cream of chicken soup
Seasonings (to taste): garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and parsley
Noodles (I use “Country Style” ones that are just like homemade ones!)

Place chicken breasts, carrots, celery, broth, and cream of chicken soup in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 5+ hours. Shred chicken breasts, and stir everything together. Add seasonings. Cook noodles, drain, and add to the mixture. Let everything cook for 30 more minutes on low.

Monday: BBQ at my parent’s house. I’m bringing Chicken Spinach Bow Tie Pasta Salad and a Lemon Bundt Cake.

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. I’m sure it will be a hit!

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

Lemon Bundt Cake

Ingredients:
1 pkg lemon cake mix
1 pkg lemon instant pudding
1 c. sour cream
4 large eggs
1 c. water
1/3 c. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bundt pan. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, oil, and sour cream in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Invert onto heat resistant serving plate. Cool completely.

For the glaze, I just use a container of lemon frosting, microwave it, and drizzle it over the cake.

Tuesday: Alisa’s Mexican Pulled Pork – Marci posted this on her blog. I haven’t tried it yet, but I have been looking for a good shredded pork recipe and this one looks YUMMY!

Ingredients & Directions:
– 1 Pork Loin
– Put the pork loin on your oven broiler tray and broil for 20-40 mins at 400 degrees until browned (The longer you cook it in the over the quicker it will cook in the crock pot, but the crock pot makes the meat tender).
– Slice into the meat in several places. Put browned meat into the crock pot and add tomato sauce until covered (if you like your meat extra saucy add more).
– Add onions, garlic, adobo seasoning (Goya makes a good one), chili powder, salsa, and cumin all according to your tastes. You could also just add a can of canned enchilada sauce or tomato sauce and a packet of taco seasoning.
– Let the meat cook for several hours (at least 4 or 5, but you can leave it in on low all day long) Stir and check fluid levels every couple of hours.
– Slice and tear with fork when tender. You know the meat is completely done when it shreds easily with a fork.
– Meat can be used for tacos, enchiladas, nachos or anything else Mexican. I usually make more than we need. I freeze half it and then keep the rest for various Mexican meals through out thought the week.

Wednesday: Meatloaf on a bed of potatoes

I got this recipe from 2*lil*harts on Babycenter.com
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: My kids absolutely LOVE this! I made the topping that the recipe called for and it was fine for my kids. I sprinkle some parsley, Mrs. Dash, and olive oil over the potatoes before cooking.

Thursday: Savory crockpot chicken

INGREDIENTS:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 (12 ounce) jar turkey gravy
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt-free herb seasoning blend
1 teaspoon soy sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Place chicken and gravy into a slow cooker. Season with paprika, seasoning blend and soy sauce. Cook on high for 4 hours or for 6 to 8 hours on medium. Tear chicken into pieces. Serve over rice, noodles or potatoes.

Friday: French dip sandwiches

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.

Saturday – Spicy sausage skillet (freezer meal) or eat out

Texas Kielbasa Skillet (my kids LOVE this!)

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) CREAM OF CELERY SOUP
1 1/2 cups WATER
1 Tablespoon BUTTER
¾ cup uncooked LONG GRAIN RICE
1 pound SMOKED KIELBASA SAUSAGE, cut into 1/2 pieces
1 pkg. (10 oz.) FROZEN PEAS
½ cup SLICED MUSHROOMS
1 cup SHREDDED CHEDDAR CHEESE

Combine soup, water and butter substitute in a large skillet with a lid.
Bring to a boil. Add rice and sausage. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in peas and mushrooms. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes,
or until rice Is tender. Sprinkle with cheese and serve hot.

Makes 4• 6 servings

Sunday – Meema’s Pork chops – I found this recipe on Marci’s blog. I had some pork chops that I got on clearance for $2 yesterday that I needed to use and this recipe looked easy enough.

Here’s the “original” recipe:
(she doubled this and used a family size can of creamed soup)
Ingredients:
-4 thin cut pork chops
-Pappy’s seasoning (it’s an all-purpose barbecue seasoning but something similar would work just as well…this is where most of the flavor comes from so be sure it’s something you like)
-1 can cream of chicken soup

Directions:-Sprinkle both sides of meat slices generously with seasoning and brown in some oil.
-Pour cream of chicken over the top and let simmer until meat is cooked through.
-Serve over rice.

My Variations: I used seasoning salt to coat the pork chops, and used cream of garlic roasted mushroom soup instead of the cream of chicken. I browned the pork chops and then put them in the crock pot. They were a hit! 🙂

Monday – Beef tips (slow cooker) – I found this recipe in Taste of Home Magazine. I tried it for the first time a few weeks ago and it was a hit with the family!

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.

Tuesday – Foil baked Asian Chicken – This comes from the April issue of All You Magazine. We tried it a few weeks ago. I wasn’t sure how it would go over with my family, but it was a hit and it’s super easy to make!

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.

Wednesday – Teriyaki Tenderloin – I made pork tenderloin for the first time a few months ago and discovered that my family and I really like it. I got a great deal on pork last week at Randalls (it was BOGO free), so I figured we would try this recipe out. I found it in Taste of Home magazine.

Ingredients:
*1/2 cup soy sauce
*1/4 cup Domino® or C&H® Granulated Pure Cane Sugar
*2 tablespoons ketchup
*1 pork tenderloin (1 pound)

Directions:
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, sugar and ketchup. Add the pork tenderloin; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Drain and discard marinade. Place pork in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 35-40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Yield: 4 servings.

Thursday: Lemony Chicken Breasts (slow cooker) – This is another recipe from All You Magazine that was super easy to prepare and a hit with my family.

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.

Friday: 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).

Saturday: Stuffed Chicken Shells – This was posted by someone on my Babycenter board and it sounded really good! Unfortunately, I can’t remember who the original poster was, so if it was you, let me know!

Ingredients:
*1/2 cup diced onions
*1/2 cup diced celery
*1 box stuffing
*1 cup mayonnaise
*4 cups cut up cooked chicken
*1 12oz box jumbo shells
*2 cans cream of chicken soup
*1 can mushrooms (optional)

Directions:
Cook shells and stuffing according to directions, cool. Mix stuffing, celery, onions, mayo, and chicken. Stuff shells. Place in a flat casserole. Mix 1 can water with 2 cans cream of chicken soup. Pour over shells and refrigerate overnight covered.Bake 1 hour at 350° covered.

Freezer Directions: After stuffing the individual shells, arrange them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper, and freeze. Store the frozen stuffed shells in a resealable freezer bag (and keep a can or two of condensed cream of chicken soup on hand), and then bake in whatever quantity you need for a party or family dinner.

If you’re looking for great recipe ideas for your family, click below to get some for free:

I posted a lot of information about my family and how we plan meals in this initial post.

Sunday: Chicken enchiladas (we were supposed to have these yesterday, but we ended up eating out instead)

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: Pesto burgers (freezer swap meal)

The recipe that was used hasn’t been posted on our freezer swap blog yet, but I found this one on Mom’s Budget to Share

Ingredients:
3 lbs lean ground beef (not previously frozen!)
3 bread slices, crumbed (white or brown bread is fine)
2 onions, chopped
3 eggs
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
6 tbsp pesto
3 garlic cloves, minced

Optional Basil Mayo for serving day (enough for 4 burgers)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp pesto

In a large bowl, combine egg, bread crumbs, onion, cheese, pesto and garlic, mixing well. Add ground beef, stirring until fully combined. Divide into 12 and make 12 burgers (about 5″ in diameter), making sure to depress the center of each slightly. Flash freeze on cookie sheet, then transfer into freezer ziploc bag container. Or seperate each with wax/parchment paper, and freeze stacked.

On serving day: Remove burgers from freezer the night before or morning of serving, and allow to defrost in refrigerator. Cook on grill (indoor or outdoor) until center of burgers reach a temperature of 160F. Serve with basil mayonaise (mixing mayo and pesto together) on a bun with your choice of burger toppings.

Tuesday: Chicken Lickin’ Good Pork Chops (slow cooker meal)

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!

Wednesday: Chicken Marsala – When we go out for Italian (which is rare these days), Chicken Marsala is one of my favorite meals! I saw this recipe on my friend DeAna’s blog Balancing Act Basics and decided to try it out this week! (it looks like this can also work as a freezer meal)

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp dried marjoram, crushed
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (I usually just use a can of mushrooms)
2 Tbsp sliced green onion
3 Tbsp margarine or butter
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp cornstarch

Directions:
Rinse chicken and cut off excess fat; pat dry. Place each breast between 2 pieces of clear plastic wrap. Working from center to edges, pound lightly with the flat side of a mallet until 1/8-inch thick (I actually pound rather hard with the point-tenderizer side of a mallet, so go for whatever works best for you). Remove plastic wrap. Stir together flour, marjoram, salt and pepper. Lightly press chicken pieces into flour mixture on both sides; shake off excess.

In a large skillet, cook mushrooms and onion in 1 Tbsp of butter until tender; remove from skillet. In the same skillet, cook chicken in remaining butter over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Return mushrooms and onions to skillet. Mix broth and cornstarch with a wire whisk; carefully add to skillet. Cook, uncovered, 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. If freezing: Place in food saver bag, vacuum-seal, and place in freezer. Thaw at least 24 hours before heating in skillet and serving.

Thursday: Old Fashioned Meat Loaf (freezer swap meal)
Courtesy 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

Friday: Creamy bacon chicken (slow cooker meal)

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.

Saturday: My daughter’s birthday – eat out!