Melissas Bargains

If you’re new to my weekly post, our breakfasts are “on the go” – things like cereal, Pop Tarts, and waffles mainly with scrambled eggs thrown in there every now and then. I do try to cook “real” breakfasts on the weekends, but I am not always good about planning ahead for that. Our lunches are also “on the go” – sandwiches for my daughter and salads, leftovers, or frozen meals for me (my son eats at daycare and my husband fends for himself!)

If you have blogged a menu plan for the week (or even just a favorite recipe), please feel free to comment and share your link. 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: Tuna noodle casserole – this is a quick, easy recipe and very kid-friendly

Ingredients:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. sour cream
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. mayonnaise
7 oz. can tuna (I will use a tuna pouch)
1 c. grated cheese
2 T parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 T lemon juice
cracker crumbs (Ritz)
3 c. cooked noodles (your choice)

Combine all ingredients and pour into a 2 quart shallow dish. Top with cracker crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

MONDAY – Creamy chicken noodle soup – We’ve got lots of “sickies” in our house this week, so this is a trusty stand-by and easy to make since I make it in the slow cooker

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 whisk everything together. Add seasonings. Cook noodles, drain, and add to the mixture. Let everything cook for 30 more minutes on low.

TUESDAY – Free burgers at Whataburger (click here for the details) if we’re feeling up to it…otherwise, leftover chicken noodle soup

WEDNESDAY – Crock pot chops and gravy – I found this recipe on Marci’s blog and have had it on my list to try for awhile now. We love pork chops around here and I’m very excited to try out this recipe!

Ingredients:
4 lean pork chops
4 T soy sauce
1/2 C sliced mushrooms (I added much more than this, maybe 1 1/2 c. and thought it was a good amount once they cooked down)
1/2 tsp pepper
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 can cream of mushroom soup (I used 98% FF)
1 medium onion, sliced or diced
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp parsley (I used fresh and used 2 t)

Directions:
Place pork chops in crock pot. Lay onion slices over pork chops.
Mix the rest of ingredients in a bowl and pour over pork chops.
Cook on low in crock pot for 5-6 hours
I followed her tip below…
Note: After baking I remove the chops and strain the gravy. This way I have a smooth gravy and I reserve the onions (and mushrooms if you use them) for those who like them to put them on their chops.

THURSDAY: Tortilla casserole – This is a new recipe for us that was sent to me by my friend Jennie. My kids love “enchillallas” (as one of them calls them) a lot, so I think this will be a hit.

1 lb. ground turkey or chicken
1 8 oz plain yogurt
1 can cream of chicken (You can do the 99% fat free if you want)
Tortillas
Mexican shedded cheese
Rice

Brown the meat, breaking it into small pieces as you cook it. Mix the cream of chicken and yogurt in a seperate bowl. Add in cooked meat. Put some mixture in a tortilla and rollup. (Leave a little bit of the mixture for the top.)
Put some mixture on top and then put the cheese on top.
Cover with aluminum foil.
Cook for 30 minutes at 350.
Serve with rice.

Notes: I asked if they use corn or flour tortillas. They do theirs with flour, which is probably what we will do, too, but I’m sure you could do it with corn also. I think I might also add a little bit of enchilada sauce (haven’t decided if it will be green or red yet) to the mixture to give it a little bit of a kick.

FRIDAY: Bacon mushroom swiss meatloaf – this is a carryover from last week and comes from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients
* 12 ounces chopped raw bacon
* 1 small white onion, chopped
* 5 button mushrooms, chopped
* 1 1/2 pounds extra-lean ground beef
* 1 egg
* 1/4 cup evaporated milk
* 6 ounces shredded Swiss cheese, divided
* 1/2 cup corn flake crumbs

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place bacon in a skillet and cook over medium heat until the pieces are browned. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease. Stir in onions and mushrooms, and cook until soft. Remove from heat.
3. In a large bowl, stir together beef, egg, and milk. Stir in the onion and mushrooms. Mix in about 4 ounces of Swiss cheese, and all but 1 tablespoon of bacon. Stir in cornflake crumbs, and mix until well blended. Shape into a loaf, and place in a meatloaf pan.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour. Drain fat, and sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon. Return to oven, and bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

SATURDAY – Italian Chicken Fingers – Steph at One Day, One Dollar at a Time posted this one week as her “recipe of the week” and it was a big hit with the kids.

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Spaghetti or pizza sauce for dipping

Pound the chicken breasts to flatten. Cut into 1″ wide strips. Mix oil and garlic and dip the strips in this mixture. Mix bread crumbs and cheese; coat chicken. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until tender. Warm sauce and use for dipping. Serves 6.