Three more weeks of school (work) for me!  This is our quick and easy meal plan to get us through the week!

The plan listed here just includes our dinner menu and recipes. I have calculated some Weight Watchers points values using the e-tools Recipe Builder, and points values this week are based on the new Points Plus program! (I will update with points values on the others as we have the meals) Both kids eat breakfast at home, but my son eats lunch at daycare, my daughter eats lunch at

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, then you know that for the past two years, I have done a $40 weekly budget. With the changes to our eating habits, I’m going to increase our budget to $50 per week and I’m really going to try to stick to that, but I’m not even sure that will be enough. This will be a trial and error experience, so stay tuned!

If you’re new to menu planning or would like tips for getting started, check out this post here.  You can also view hundreds of meal plans each week at Orgjunkie.com.

MONDAY: Country Ham and Macaroni Casserole – Every time I ask my family to help out with menu planning and give me recipe suggestions, this is always one of the things they choose.  My daughter’s birthday is todayand this was what she picked!

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

Ingredients:
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 (whole wheat)
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 6 servings

TUESDAY ~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)
Sides – Sour cream mashed potatoes (4 pts) and green beans (0 pts)

WEDNESDAY ~ Beef tips (slow cooker) – I found this recipe in Taste of Home Magazine. I haven’t tried it before, but it looked and sound good, and it’s in the slow cooker, so it’s a hit with me already!

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.

THURSDAY ~ Country Style Pork Loin (slow cooker)

Country-Style Pork Loin
Katie (Katiedid) from Taste of Home

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.

FRIDAY ~ Balsamic Chicken (slow cooker) – This recipe was posted by Holly on the Simply Clean Living blog.  We’ve tried it a few times now and it is a hit with our family.

Ingredients:
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves – approx. 1.5 to 2 lbs.
½ C. Olive Oil
½ – 1 C. Balsamic Vinegar – depending on how tangy you like the recipe
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
3-4 cloves of garlic minced or pressed
2 t. crushed dry oregano

Combine all ingredients in Crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken with a fork and serve chicken and sauce over rice or angel hair pasta. The consistency and taste of the sauce is sweet and tangy like an Italian barbeque sauce.

WW points = 11 per serving (add 2 points for 1/2 cup pasta or rice or 4 points for 1 cup pasta or rice); NOTE:  cut the olive oil to 2 Tablespoons and it cuts this recipe to 5 points per serving!

SATURDAY ~ Lasagne – I use the recipe from the back of the Barilla no-bake noodles box!

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

The end of the school year is always crazy for me, but with my kids now being involved in swim team (with every day practices), soccer, and ballet, I’ve got my hands full.  I also need to have quick fixes for meal times so we don’t end up eating out every night because most nights I won’t get home until 6 and I know by then, my kids will be STARVING!  So, our menu this week either consists of quick fixes or items that can mainly be prepared in the slower cooker and most of the meals are tried and true recipes.  I’m not ready to experiment with new things when I’ve been gone from the house for most of the day and I’m as tired and cranky as the kids!

The plan listed here just includes our dinner menu and recipes. I have calculated some Weight Watchers points values using the e-tools Recipe Builder, and points values this week are based on the new Points Plus program! (I will update with points values on the others as we have the meals) Both kids eat breakfast at home, but my son eats lunch at daycare, my daughter eats lunch at

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, then you know that for the past two years, I have done a $40 weekly budget. With the changes to our eating habits, I’m going to increase our budget to $50 per week and I’m really going to try to stick to that, but I’m not even sure that will be enough. This will be a trial and error experience, so stay tuned!

If you’re new to menu planning or would like tips for getting started, check out this post here.  You can also view hundreds of meal plans each week at Orgjunkie.com.

SUNDAY: Fajitas ~ This is becoming our new Sunday tradition!  I love Saturdays, but I feel like it’s not much of a day off because I typically spend the entire day running around to different “kid” events, grocery shopping, and cleaning, so on Sundays it’s nice to have a meal that my hubby can throw together easily and that requires minimum clean-up.  Our local grocery store (HEB if you’re in Texas) has pre-seasoned fajita meat so all you have to do is throw it on the grill, and it is SO yummy!

MONDAY: Sweet potato foil pack tacos ~ I have been wanting to try these since I first saw them posted on Marci’s blog a few weeks ago!  Sweet potatoes seems to be the new “in” thing and they look like something I can easily throw together before swim practice, stick in the oven (don’t worry – my husband will be home!) and they’ll be ready to eat when we get home!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground beef or turkey
2-3 T taco seasoning
1/2 cup tomato sauce (4 ounces)
1 can black, kidney, or pinto beans, drained (I used black)
2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 6 cups total)
2 T butter
salt
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole for garnish
6 12-inch long pieces of aluminum foil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Brown ground meat in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and beans. Set aside.
To assemble packets, spray the foil with non-stick spray. Place 1 cup sweet potato cubes in the center of each piece. Top with a small piece of butter (about 1 tsp) and a pinch or two of salt. Sprinkle some chopped spinach over the sweet potatoes, followed by about 1/3 cup of taco meat and sprinkle of cheese. Fold the sides in, then bring the top and bottom ends of the foil together in the center and fold, sealing the packet.
Repeat with remaining ingredients, placing the packets on a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Serve with sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole.  Makes 6 servings.

TUESDAY: Parsley Parmesan chicken – I got this recipe as part of a freezer swap that I belonged to awhile ago.  It’s delicious and very easy to make!

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.

Makes 8 (4 oz) chicken breasts

WEDNESDAY: 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.

WW points = 7 points per serving
Sides = green beans and green salad

THURSDAY: Country Ham and Macaroni Casserole – Every time I ask my family to help out with menu planning and give me recipe suggestions, this is always one of the things they choose.  Last night, they all three gave me this when I asked.

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

Ingredients:
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 (whole wheat)
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 6 servings

FRIDAY: Crockpot chicken and rice

Ingredients:
2-3 frozen chicken breasts
1 pkg McCormick Zesty Herb chicken seasoning blend (sometimes I substitute the Good Seasonings Italian dressing blend if I have it on hand)
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).

SATURDAY: Bourbon chicken – Keli shared this recipe awhile back in a Menu Planning Monday post on her blog.  Our family loves it and it’s fairly easy to make!

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)
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)
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.

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

This week, my life is about to get 10 times crazier.  The end of the school year is always crazy for me, but with my kids now being involved in swim team (with every day practices), soccer, and ballet, I’ve got my hands full.  I also need to have quick fixes for meal times so we don’t end up eating out every night because most nights I won’t get home until 6 and I know by then, my kids will be STARVING!  So, our menu this week either consists of quick fixes or items that can mainly be prepared in the slower cooker and most of the meals are tried and true recipes.  I’m not ready to experiment with new things when I’ve been gone from the house for most of the day and I’m as tired and cranky as the kids most likely!

The plan listed here just includes our dinner menu and recipes. I have calculated some Weight Watchers points values using the e-tools Recipe Builder, and points values this week are based on the new Points Plus program! Both kids eat breakfast at home, but my son eats lunch at daycare, my daughter eats lunch at

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, then you know that for the past two years, I have done a $40 weekly budget. With the changes to our eating habits, I’m going to increase our budget to $50 per week and I’m really going to try to stick to that, but I’m not even sure that will be enough. This will be a trial and error experience, so stay tuned!

If you’re new to menu planning or would like tips for getting started, check out this post here.  You can also view hundreds of meal plans each week at Orgjunkie.com.

SUNDAY: Fajitas ~ one of our local grocery stores has pre-marinated fajita meat that is SOO yummy and relatively inexpensive, too!  So, we had fajitas and fixings last night (including homemade guacamole).

MONDAY: Cream cheese chicken (slow cooker) – this is a family favorite

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 = 8 points per serving (add 3 points for 1/2 cup rice or pasta or 5 points for 1 cup rice or pasta)
Side = green salad and sliced cantaloupe

TUESDAY: Sweet & sour chicken – This recipe was posted on Hip2Save a few weeks ago and I’ve been wanting to try it.  It looks simple enough and my plan is to do the “prep” work before I leave for work in the morning, so it’s just a matter of throwing everything together and cooking it when I get home.

Ingredients:
* 6-8 Skinless, Boneless chicken breast halves (cut into 1 inch cubes)
* Vegetable Oil
* 2 Eggs
* 1 cup Flour
* 3/4 cup Sugar
* 1/2 cup Pineapple Juice
* 1 20 oz. can Pineapple Chunks
* 1/4 cup White Vinegar
* 3/4 cup Ketchup
* 1 1/2 tsp salt
* 1 T Soy Sauce

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

(2) Sprinkle chicken breasts with garlic salt.

(3) In a frying pan on medium-high heat, add 1/2-inch vegetable oil. In a bowl, beat 2 eggs. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Dunk pieces of chicken in the egg, and allow excess to drain. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour coating thoroughly. Drop pieces into the hot oil and cook until deep golden brown. Turn as necessary to cook evenly on all sides.

(4) While chicken is cooking, combine the following in a saucepan over medium-low heat: sugar, pineapple juice, white vinegar, ketchup, salt and soy sauce. Stir mixture occasionally until it comes to a low boil and then reduce heat just enough to keep the sauce warm.

(5) Place cooked chicken pieces and pineapple chunks in a 9×13 pan. Pour warm sweet and sour sauce over the top.

(6) Bake in oven for 30-45 minutes, and serve over rice or egg noodles.

WEDNESDAY: Steak stroganoff (slow cooker) – This is a family favorite and yet it’s been pushed from our menu several times over the past month because I keep forgetting to defrost the meat!  Hopefully this week will be better!

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)

To freeze: Pour into gallon freezer bags (I used Ziploc containers for this one). Allow to cool before freezing.

To reheat: Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Warm on stove and serve over rice or egg noodles. (Add sour cream when warming if you left it out of the initial recipe)

WW points = 7 points/serving, 6-8 servings (add 3 points for 1/2 c. cooked pasta or 5 points for 1 cup)
Sides = green beans and green salad

THURSDAY: Shredded lime chicken tacos – Happy Cinco Day Mayo!  This is a recipe from Marci’s On My Menu blog.  It’s family friendly and easy to make since you cook the meat in the slow cooker!

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

FRIDAY: BBQ chicken – does it get any easier than that?  I love my grill at this time of the year!

SATURDAY: Spaghetti – it’s not at all exciting, but it’s quick and easy to make and a family favorite, too!

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

Raise your hand if you’re ready for summer!  I know that I am!  I’m ready for a break and lots and lots of grilling!  Right now, I’m struggling to throw menus together.

The plan listed here just includes our dinner menu and recipes. I have calculated Weight Watchers points values using the e-tools Recipe Builder, and points values this week are based on the new Points Plus program!

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, then you know that for the past two years, I have done a $40 weekly budget. With the changes to our eating habits, I’m going to increase our budget to $50 per week, and I’m really going to try to stick to that, but I’m not even sure that will be enough. This will be a trial and error experience, so stay tuned!

If you’re new to menu planning or would like tips for getting started, check out this post here.  Make sure you check out my HUGE 4K fan giveaway on Facebook:  we’ve got tons of great prizes including Amazon, Target, Disney, Restaurant.com and Starbucks gift cards PLUS super cute products, too! (there are over 60 items!)

Today (4/11) is the LAST day to enter my giveaway for the Green Giant gift pack!  Details are here.

SUNDAY: BBQ – today was my son’s 4th birthday and he wanted hamburgers and hot dogs, so that’s what he got!  We did make this yummy pasta salad, too.

Pizza pasta salad – I found this recipe on Favorite Family Recipes.  We made it for Memorial Day last year and it was a hit and has become a favorite for family get-togethers and BBQs.

Ingredients:
1 bag colored spiral noodles
¾ c. pepperoni cut into wedges
¾ c. mozzarella cut into small cubes
¾ c. fresh tomatoes, diced
½ c. olives, sliced
¼ c. parmesan cheese
1 bottle Bernstein’s Restaurant Recipe Italian Dressing (I’m using Kraft low fat Zesty Italian dressing)

Mix together all ingredients and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.

MONDAY: Leftovers – we have SO much food left from yesterday, so we’re going to have another round!

TUESDAY: Teriyaki chicken – I got this recipe from a freezer swap I did.  It’s yummy and so easy to make!  In this case, I’m making a double batch.  I’ll make it the night before and let one sit in the marinade and the other one will go into the freezer for another time!

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!

We’ll serve this with some grilled pineapple – YUM!

WEDNESDAY: 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, crushed
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.

WW points = 7 points/serving  (add an additional 3 points for 1/2 cup rice and 5 points for 1 cup rice), this makes 4 servings.

THURSDAY: Chicken lickin’ good pork chops (slow cooker) – Thursdays are INSANE days from me.  I go from work to ballet to soccer practice.  For Thursdays, I always want recipes I can stick in the slow cooker that will 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.

FRIDAY: Country Ham and Macaroni Casserole – My kids seriously LOVE this meal.  It makes me laugh because they request it over and over again every week when I ask for help with menu planning.  My hubby will be working late tonight, so I figured I might as well make something that I knew for sure that they would eat (I hate it when meal time becomes a battle!)

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

Ingredients:
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 (whole wheat)
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 6 servings
Sides:  sliced cantaloupe and green salad

SATURDAY: Sour cream noodle bake – I decided I wanted another “kid friendly” (no hassles for mom) recipe for tonight.  This recipe from The Pioneer Woman is similar to a few others I’ve tried in the past and sounded easy to make, yummy, and kid friendly.  I’m using a few variations to try to make it a bit “healthier”

Ingredients

• 1-¼ pound Ground Chuck (93/7 for us)
• 1 can 15-ounces Tomato Sauce
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 8 ounces, weight Egg Noodles (whole wheat for us)
• ½ cups Sour Cream (fat free)
• 1-¼ cup Small Curd Cottage Cheese (reduced fat)
• ½ cups Sliced Green Onions (less To Taste) – we’re skipping these!
• 1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese (reduced fat)

Preparation Instructions

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