Meals for the week of...March 1, 2010

BIG NEWS!!

First, I'm sure you noticed the new look. I redecorated last night instead of posting the recipes (sorry they are a little later than normal this week) but I do like the new look. What do you think?

Second, I've started a side blog to this one that is about the life of my family and my own thoughts. If you want to visit you will see a link at the top right on this page. It's called My View From Here.

Third, the meals this week are really REALLY good! I picked some new recipes this week and my husband and I were really happy with how they all turned out!! One of these my husband has requested to have stocked and ready to go for lunches every week. Which one?? It's the vegetarian Sweet Potato dish!! The leftover turkey from Monday is used on Thursday to make the Turkey Cranberry Quesadillas.

Monday: Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

turkey recipe from allrecipes.com

Tuesday: Sophisticated Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

grilled cheese recipe from Real Mom Kitchen

Wednesday: Sweet Potatoes with Warm Black Bean Salad

recipe from Food Network

Thursday: Turkey Cranberry Quesadillas

recipe from Real Mom Kitchen

Friday: Chipotle or Qdoba (time to eat out and give this mommy a break)

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

1 (6 lb) bone-in turkey breast

1 (1 oz) envelope dry onion soup mix

1. Rinse the turkey breast and pat dry. Cut off any excess skin, but leave the skin covering the breast. Rub onion soup mix all over outside of the turkey and under the skin. Place in slow cooker. Cover, and cook on high for 1 hour, then set to ow, and cook for 7 hours.

This was one of the moistest turkeys I have ever had!!! We were prepared to add water during the cooking process but it was not needed! Our turkey was almost 7 lbs and we cooked ours on high for 1 hour but then low only 6 hours.

The mashed potatoes I had frozen from our New Year's Eve dinner so this was easy for me. But I made them with Red Potatoes, butter, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon pepper. I boil diced potatoes (with skins) and then add the butter, sour cream, and milk until the consistency is right and then flavor with the seasonings.

Sophisticated Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

8 slices multigrain bread

1/4 cup apricot preserves (I used peach as this is what I had in the fridge)

8 ounces sliced deli ham

1 round (8 oz) Brie cheese, rind removed and cut into four slices

3 tablespoons butter, softened

Tomato soup (prepared according to can directions)

Spread four bread sliced with half of preserves (or enough to coat the bread). Layer with ham and cheese. Spread remaining bread with remaining preserves; place on top. Butter outsides of sandwiches.

In a large skillet over medium heat, toast sandwiches for 2-3 minutes on each side or until bread is lightly browned and cheese is melted.

My husband got this meal for us and I was working late and he said the Brie was hard to cut. He cut it into small pieces and at first I didn't think they were melting

very well but after the sandwich is removed from the burner it melted nicely.

Sweet Potato with Warm Black Bean Salad

4 medium sweet potatoes

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed

2 medium tomatoes, diced (we used a can of rotel instead plus some extra canned tomatoes)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Prick sweet potatoes with a fork in several places. Microwave on high until tender all the way to the center, 12-15 minutes. (Alternatively, place in a baking dish at 425 degrees F until tender all the way to the center, about 1 hour.)

Meanwhile, in a medium microwaveable bowl, combine beans, tomatoes, oil, cumin, coriander and salt; microwave on high until just heated through, 2-3 minutes. (Alternatively, heat in a small saucepan over medium heat.)

When just cool enough to handle, slash each sweet potato lengthwise, press open to make a well in the center and spoon the bean mixture into the well. Top each with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro.

Turkey Cranberry Quesadillas

2 T melted butter (I used tub butter)

6 flour tortillas (I used wheat tortillas)

shredded swiss cheese (2 cups made 5 medium sized quesadillas)

diced green onion

leftover turkey (used from slow cooker turkey breast this week), diced or shredded

cranberry sauce (I used jellied canned cranberry sauce)

Brush one side of the tortilla with melted butter. Place butter side down in a frying pan. Sprinkle half of the tortilla with a layer or swiss cheese and leftover turkey then sprinkle on some green onion. Spread cranberry sauce on the other half of the tortilla. Cook over medium heat until under side is browned and crisp and cheese is melted. Fold tortilla in half and remove from pan, then cut in half so you have two triangles.

Meals for the week of...February 22, 2010

I'm cleaning out our freezer! Doesn't that seem like an endless task? We not only have a freezer with our fridge that is filled but we also own a deep freeze. It seems that I just keep putting things in and very little is taken out, so my goal this week was to use some of the items I have in the deep freeze. Happy freezer meals!

Monday: Stouffer's Grandma's Chicken and Vegetable Rice Bake and Green Bean

Tuesday: Spaghetti

Wednesday: Chicken Tender Salad with Asian Dressing and Egg Rolls

Thursday: Kielbasa, potatoes, and onion BBQ

Friday: Chicken Patties on a Bun and Sweet Potato Fries

Stouffer's Grandma's Chicken and Vegetable Rice Bake and Green Beans

1 frozen entree (name above)

1 can or frozen bag of green beans

Cook entree and green beans according to package directions.

Spaghetti

I change sauces frequently and often buy what is on sale or what I have coupons for but my favorite lately is Ragu's Mama's Garden Sauce.

1 package rotini noodles

1 jar favorite spaghetti sauce

1 lb gound beef or turkey

Brown beef or turkey in skillet, cook noodles, and heat sauce. Combine and enjoy!

Chicken Tenders Salad with Asian Dressing and Egg Rolls

1 package frozen egg rolls

Frozen chicken tenders (I used popcorn chicken this time - it was what was in the freezer)

Lettuce

Vegetables

Chow mein noodles in place of croutons

Cook chicken and egg rolls according to package directions. Slice up veggies and add to lettuce. Top lettuce with chicken tenders and asian dressing (or a favorite of your own).

Kielbasa, potatoes, and onion BBQ

This is a in the process of cooking picture. I forgot to take a final picture!

This recipe came from my cousin. There are not any specific measurements with this one.

2 large or 3 medium russet potatoes diced into 1'' cubes

olive oil

1 kielbasa link, sliced

1 red onion, diced

1 bottle BBQ sauce

water

1. Dice potatoes into 1'' cubes and cook in the microwave to soften with a small amount of water and mostly covered with saran wrap. About 8-11 minutes.

2. While potatoes are cooking. Heat a large skillet with about 1 T olive oil and add diced red onion. Cook onions until soft.

3. When potatoes are softened add to onions in skillet. You may need to add a touch more olive oil to help brown the potatoes some.

4. Slice kielbasa while the potatoes brown. Add kielbasa to skillet and brown slightly.

5. In a bowl or measuring cup add about 1/2 cup BBQ sauce and mix with 1/2 cup of water. Stir together and place into skillet over kielbasa mixture. Add more BBQ sauce for desired tasting.

Serve after sauce warms.

Chicken Patties on a Bun and Sweet Potatoes

1 box frozen chicken patties

hamburger buns

frozen sweet potato fries

Cook chicken patties and fries according to package directions. We like to top our chicken patties with lettuce and pickles (okay, I like the pickles my husband does not).

Meals for the week of...February 15, 2010

Monday: Chicken Piccata with Angel Hair Pasta and Salad

Tuesday: Tomato Tortellini Soup (Taste of Home Magazine Feb/Mar issue) and Crescent Rolls

Wednesday: Sloppy Joes with Steamed Vegetables and Salad

Thursday: Baked Mac & Cheese (Taste of Home Magazine Feb/Mar issue) and Vegetables

Friday: Pizza

Chicken Piccata with Angel Hair Pasta and Salad

This is an awesome recipe from my sister-in-law. Problem is she and I cook more on a dump and taste method rather than measuring so I'm going to be estimating the amounts I used. It's an easy recipe and does not require precise measurements. If the sauce it too lemony add more wine or vice verse if it doesn't have enough lemon flavor.

4 Chicken breasts or 9-10 tenderloins

1 to and 1 and 1/2 cups flour

1/2 t salt

1/4. t pepper

3 T vegetable oil

3 T butter

2 lemons

1 Jar of Capers

1/2 cup white wine or cooking wine (may need more)

Angel Hair Pasta (about 1 package)

Salad and toppings

Heat butter and vegetable oil in a skillet (I like to use my electric skillet for this recipe). Mix flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or on a plate. Pound chicken thinly and coat chicken in flour mixture. When oil/butter mixture is hot add chicken. Cook chicken thoroughly flipping only a few times during cooking. Remove chicken and keep warm once it's thoroughly cooked. Add white wine and juice of 1 and 1/2 to 2 lemons to skillet. Cook until warmed. Add capers and continue to heat. If you think you may need more sauce add any additional ingredients (butter, lemon juice, and/or white wine). Add chicken back to skillet and coat with sauce. Sauce with thicken while chicken is reheating. Serve chicken on top of pasta with lemon slices on top (for extra fanciness).

While making the chicken cook angel hair pasta according to package directions. Drain and add olive oil to keep noodles from sticking together. Meanwhile, assemble salads.

Tomato Tortellini Soup and Crescent Rolls

This was a new recipe for my family. It was a great soup but I'm not the biggest fan of cheese tortellini. I would recommend this recipe to those who are fans of tortellini! The base is great and next time I might just leave the tortellini out or serve with a different type of noodle. A friend of mine also tried this recipe and loved it but recommended to use more tortellini.

1 pkg (9 oz.) refrigerated cheese tortellini (would recommend to double)

2 cans (10-3/4 oz each) reduced-sodium condensed tomato soup, undiluted

2 cups vegetable broth

2 cups 2% milk

2 cups half-and-half cream

1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

Additional shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Cook tortellini according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine the soup, broth, milk, cream, tomatoes, and seasonings. Heat through, stirring frequently. Drain tortellini; carefully add to soup. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle each serving with additional cheese if desired.

Sloppy Joes

1 can Manwich (my favorite is bold, but it isn't as easy to find as original or BBQ)

1 lb ground beef

1 package hamburger buns

Frozen vegetables

Salad

Brown ground beef and add Manwich according to package directions. While browning the meat, steam the vegetables and assemble salads.

Baked Mac & Cheese and Steamed Vegetables

Again, this is another new recipe for me this week. I didn't get a chance to cook it during the week as I had an award ceremony to attend this evening. I'm going to cook it next week and I'll report back my opinion.

4 cups uncooked spiral pasta

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups 2% milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. ground mustard

1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Dash ground nutmeg

2 cups (8oz) shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup cubed process cheese (Velveeta)

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk; stir in salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and nutmeg. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheeses until melted.

Drain pasta; stir in cheese sauce. Transfer to an ungreased 2-qt. baking dish. Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

Cook vegetables while pasta is in the oven by steaming on the stove-top.

Pizza

Order, pick-up, or bake your own! Whatever strikes your fancy this evening! I think I'm going for some Papa Murphy's!

Meals for the week of...February 8, 2010

I love some of the recipes for this week and am excited to share them with you! The Red and White Pasta Bake was new one for me and will definitely become a family regular. The Enchilada Casserole is a quick meal that is easy to "dump and add" extra ingredients into. My husband is a fan of the BBQ Chicken Pizza and I like it because it gives a different twist on the regular pizza meal.

I have a new time saving discovery!!! The other day I was looking for rice at the grocery store and came across these pre-cooked rice plastic bags that all you have to do is microwave for 90 seconds and you have great rice. They have several varieties to choose from. I know it may cost more for convenience foods but sometimes (okay, really most of the time) I don't have the patience for cooking rice to have as a side dish.

This week involves using from previous meals so please read carefully in the recipe as I've tried to mention which ingredients are leftovers. For example, the hamburger buns for the chicken sandwiches become the bruschetta bread on Friday!

Have a wonderful week and please let me know how your meals turn out!

Monday: Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, Wild

Rice, and Salad (from Real Mom Kitchen)

Tuesday: Red and White Pasta Bake and Bread Sticks (from Real Mom Kitchen)

Wednesday: Enchilada Casserole (from Gooseberry Patch - Meals in Minutes) and Quick Salsa

Thursday: BBQ Chicken Pizza and Salad (from RecipeGirl.com)

(use leftovers from Monday)

Friday: Tomato Bruschetta (from realsimple.com using leftover hamburger buns) and leftover Pasta Bake

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, Wild Rice, and Salad

4-6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I used tenderloins)

1 (18oz.) bottle of barbecue sauce

1/2 cup prepared Italian salad dressing

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 T Worcestershire sauce

Hamburger Buns

Lettuce for Salad (plus additional toppings/veggies)

Wild Rice (I found a bag of 90 sec microwave rice in the pasta/rice aisle and it was actually really good - I think it was Uncle Ben's brand)

Place chicken in crock pot. In a bowl mix 2/3 bottle of the BBQ sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low (I cooked on low about 7 hours.). Remove chicken from crock pot. Pour juices from crock pot into a large bowl. Shred chicken (I diced instead to make the pizza making later this week a little easier) and place back in crock pot. Add remaining 1/3 bottle of BBQ sauce to chicken. Then add some of the liquid removed from the crock pot to make the chicken the wetness you like.

Red and White Pasta Bake and Bread Sticks

4 cups penne noodles

1 (15oz) jar Alfredo sauce (I used Ragu)

1 (24oz) jar Marinara sauce (I used Ragu)

2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Refrigerated Bread Sticks

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook and drain pasta according to package directions.

3. Mix the two sauces together in a large mixing bowl.

4. Add mozzarella cheese and combine. Add drained pasta.

5. Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish and bake about 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbly.

6. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and bake another 5 minutes. (I also added some basil to mine before serving.)

While the pasta baked in the oven I cooked our bread sticks according the package directions in our toaster oven.

Enchilada Casserole and Quick Salsa

15-oz. bag tortilla chips, divided (I usually use 1/2 of the tortilla chips and for the other half I use soft corn tortillas sliced up into about 1'' strips)

2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

10 3/4 oz can of cream of chicken soup

10-oz can enchilada sauce (I like Hatch)

16-oz can green chile sauce

Optional additions: black beans drained, canned corn, shredded chicken (cooked)

Arrange a layer of chips (or chips and tortillas strips) over the bottom of a greased 9''x13'' casserole pan; sprinkle one cup of cheddar cheese on top. Stir soup, enchilada sauce and green chile sauce together in a mixing bowl. If adding additional ingredients add those into the sauce too. Pour half of the sauce mixture over the cheese layer. Add another layer of chips; spread with remaining sauces. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Easy Salsa

3 cans of diced tomatoes, drained

1 can tomato and green chilies, drained (I use Rotel)

cilantro

Blend all three ingredients together in a large bowl. I've used a food processor or even a hand processor and they both do well with these.

BBQ Chicken Pizza and Salad

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

1 cup cooked chicken, diced and 1/2'' cubes (leftover from Monday)

One 12'' pizza crust (I used Boboli)

2 T olive oil

1 1/4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup red onions, chopped

2 T fresh cilantro, chopped

Lettuce for salad and any additional veggies/toppings

1. Mix BBQ sauce and chicken and allow to marinate to a few minutes, or even up to 24 hours. (Since I used our leftovers from Monday it was already taken care of. Mine is a little less diced and more shredded since it's leftover but it still works well, maybe not a pretty looking.)

2. Preheat oven 400 degrees F.

3. Spread fresh pizza dough on parchment paper or pizza stone (no cookie sheet). Lightly spread with olive oil on the crust leaving about 1'' edge. Add mozzarella cheese. (Again, I used a Boboli crust as it saves lots of time.)

4. Evenly distribute BBQ chicken on top of the cheese. Top with onions and garnish with cilantro.

5. Bake on middle or top rack for 9-13 minutes and serve.

While pizza is baking put together salad.

Tomato Bruschetta and leftover Red and White Pasta Bake

2 hamburger or hot dog buns, split (I'll probably make a little more - leftover from Monday)

4 T olive oil

6 Roma (plum) tomatoes, seeded and diced

6 kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped (we might skip these and add diced red onion as I have leftover onion from the pizza)

2 T fresh oregano or basil, torn

kosher salt and pepper

leftover pasta bake

1. Heat broiler.

2. With a rolling pin, roll the bun halves until flattened.

3. Place on baking sheet and brush both sides of the buns with 2 T of the oil. Broil until golden brown, about 1 minute per side.

4. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, olives (or maybe red onion), oregano or basil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and the remaining oil. Transfer the buns to a platter and spoon the tomatoes over the top.

Meals for the week of...February 1, 2010

Can you believe it's February already? One full month of meal planning down! I'm loving coming up with the meals and planning ahead with the hope that it helps out by giving some of you ideas or even a full plan. I used to cook the same items that I posted but a few weeks ago I skipped ahead a week so I could take pictures to include with the recipes. I'm not a professional photographer (as you can tell) but I think a few pictures make the meals more enticing! Hope these meals get your February off to a great start.

Monday: Rotisserie Chicken, Baked Sweet Potatoes, and Vegetables

Tuesday: Fiesta Ravioli

Wednesday: Chicken Noodle Soup and Salad

Thursday: Toasted Pesto Bagel Sandwiches and Baked French Fries

Friday: Frozen Chinese Meal

Rotisserie Chicken Baked Sweet Potatoes, and Vegetables

Save the leftover chicken from tonight to use the chicken noodle soup for later in the week. Instead of baking the sweet potatoes I microwave them to save time. The veggies I made were some sort of frozen cheesy broccoli as I am trying to use up items I have in my freezer.

Fiesta Ravioli

1 package (25 oz) frozen Beef Ravioli

1 can (10 oz) Enchilada Sauce

1 jar (8 oz) Salsa

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 can (2.25 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained

Cook ravioli according to package. Meanwhile in large skillet combine enchilada sauce and salsa. Cook and stir over medium heat, until heated through. Drain ravioli; add to sauce. Top with cheese and olives. Cover and cook over low heat 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Chicken Noodle Soup and Salad

2 boxes chicken broth

1 package family size frozen Egg Noodles

Rotisserie chicken, cut up into bite-size pieces (I'm using leftovers from Monday)

sliced baby carrots (steamed in the microwave for several minutes to soften)

sliced celery

lemon pepper

Pre-washed, pre-cut bagged lettuce and desired toppings for salad

(Sorry about the odd looking salad - I forgot to take the picture until after I started eating...oops! Please forgive me.)

Heat chicken broth to boiling. Following package directions, prepare egg noodles properly before adding to broth. Cook sliced baby carrots in microwave, slightly covered, to soften before adding to broth. When broth begins to boil add egg noodles, celery, carrots, chicken, and desired amount of lemon pepper for seasoning and cook until vegetables and noodles are soft.

Toasted Pesto Bagel Sandwiches and French Fries

This recipe is one I made up in college when I ate a similar bagel sandwich at a local bagel shop.

Bagels (I like the onion or everything)

Pesto sauce

Cream cheese

Deli sliced ham

Tomato

Clover sprouts

1 package frozen french fries

Toast bagel and spread cream cheese on one half of an open bagel and pesto on the other half. Add ham, tomato, and sprouts (and any other desired toppings) to bagel sandwich. While making sandwiches, bake french fries.

Frozen Chinese Meal

At our local grocery store I find lots of great Chinese meals that I buy when they are on sale. They make for easy, quick meals that are not your typical frozen entree.

Meals for the week of...January 25, 2010

Monday: Honey-Mustard Ham Steaks, Roasted Asparagus, and Crescent Rolls

Tuesday: BBQ Meatloaf, Corn, and Salad

Wednesday: Chicken Asian Stir-fry served on Ramen Noodles

Thursday: Spaghetti and Salad

Friday: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Honey-Mustard Ham Steaks - recipe from Betty Crocker's Best Loved Recipes

Unless you have two ovens, making both the asparagus and the rolls in the oven could be a little more time consuming. Good thing is that both the asparagus and the rolls only need about 10-15 mins each in the oven. My first step for tonight's meal is to get the rolls in the oven. After I get the rolls in I will start cooking the ham. When the ham is simmering for the 15 mins I will prep the asparagus and when the rolls have finished I will toss the asparagus in. As the asparagus is cooking I will finish up the ham and all should be ready about the same time. I may warm the rolls slightly by tossing them in the still warm oven after turning it off when the asparagus is cooking. I do have a toaster oven that I can cook the rolls in but I may give the shuffle a try to see how manageable it is.

Honey-Mustard Ham Steaks

1/4 cup water

2 T honey

1 T dijon mustard

1 pound fully cooked smoked ham sliced (about 1ch thick), cut into 4 serving pieces

1/2 cup sour cream

1 green onion, sliced

1. Mix water, honey and mustard in a 10-inch skillet. Add ham. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer about 15 minutes, turning once, until ham is heated through. Remove ham from skillet; keep warm.

2. Stir sour cream into mixture in skillet; heat 1 minute. Pour over ham. Sprinkle with onion.

Sides: Roasted Asparagus and Crescent Rolls

Roasted Asparagus - recipe from myrecipes.com

2 bunches asparagus (about 2 lbs)

2 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup packed freshly shredded parmesan

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Hold the end of an asparagus stalk and bend until it snaps off. Repeat with remaining stalks and discard woody ends.

2. Toss asparagus with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss well. Arrange asparagus in an even layer in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake until asparagus is crisp-tender and cheese is browned, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Serve hot or warm.

BBQ Meatloaf - recipe from Cooking Light's 5 Ingredient 15 Minute Cookbook

1 lb ground round (I've always used ground beef)

1/2 cup barbecue sauce, divided

1/4 cup frozen chopped onion, pressed dry (I've never found this item so I used dried minced onion)

1/4 cup Italian-seasoned dry breadcrumbs

2 egg whites

1/4 tsp pepper

Combine meat, 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, onion, breadcrumbs, egg whites, and pepper in a large bowl; stir well.

Shape mixture into a 7x5-inch loaf on a rack in a roasting pan. (I've never done this - I just toss the meat mixture into a loaf pan.) Spread remaining 1/4 cup barbecue sauce over loaf. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or to desired degree of doneness.

Sides: Canned or frozen corn and Salad

Chicken Asian Stir-fry served on Ramen Noodles

2 chicken breasts, diced

Teriyaki sauce (amount depends on how much flavor you like)

Soy sauce (amount depends on how much flavor you like)

Frozen/fresh vegetables, steamed

Ramen Noodles Beef (or similar flavor) cooked according to package

Cook diced chicken breasts in a wok or large skillet. Add teriyaki and soy sauce to chicken as it cooks. When chicken is cooked thoroughly add steamed vegetables and additional sauces for flavor. When warmed through add noodles only (drain from soup) to chicken and vegetable mixture.

Spaghetti and Salad

1 package spaghetti noodles

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 package pre-washed and cut lettuce

Cook noodles according to package while warming sauce. Add sauce to noodles and serve with salad.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Whole wheat bread

Butter

Sliced cheddar cheese

1-2 can Tomato Soup

Butter one side of each piece of bread. In a heated skillet, place bread butter side down and layer with sliced cheese and top with another piece of bread, butter side up. Cook until browned and flip to brown other side. While cooking sandwiches, heat soup according to directions.

Meals for the week of...January 18, 2010

Monday: Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast allrecipes.com

Tuesday: Basil-Parmesan Angel Hair Pasta

Wednesday: French Dip with Au Jus and Vegetables

Thursday: French Bread Pizza

Friday: Hamburgers and Sweet Potato Fries

I have Monday off so I thought I'd treat my hubby to a pot roast meal. He loves that sort of meal. I've tried several recipes I just haven't found one I really like yet. I did some more searching this week and found one that had rave reviews! I guess we all can also judge. The pasta on Tuesday comes from my sister. She found this recipe that is not only good tasting but also good for you! I've used this recipe to make a batch of this spaghetti on Sunday to use for my lunches during the week. It's nice and light! The left over hoagie buns from Wednesday will be perfect for the french bread pizza on Thursday. I've recently discovered sweet potato fries (even bought a massive bag from Costco) so I'm using them every chance I get, this week with hamburgers. Those of you who have a long weekend in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day...I hope you enjoy your extra day off!

Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast - allrecipes.com

2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix

1 1/4 cups water

5 1/2 pounds pot roast

In a slow cooker, mix the cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix, and water. Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture. Cook on high setting for 3-4 hours, or on low setting for 8-9 hours.

I'm going to add baby carrots and diced russet potatoes to the bottom of the slow cooker before putting the meat in. I read many reviews of this recipe and they all said it was great. The soup mixture makes a great gravy. Some people tried vegetables too and said they came out great.

Basil-Parmesan Angel Hair Pasta

1 package (16 oz.) angel hair pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 can (12 oz.) fat-free evaporated milk

2/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

½ cup thinly sliced green onions

¼ cup minced fresh basil

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder or minced garlic

¼ teaspoon pepper

Additional fresh basil

12 lemon slices (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to the pan. Add oil; toss to coat. Add the milk, Parmesan cheese, onions, basil, lemon peel, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through. Sprinkle with additional basil. Serve with lemon slices.

You can easily add meat to this dish by adding some rotisserie chicken or shrimp.

French Dip with Au Jus and Vegetables

1 package Hoagie style buns

Sliced roast beef from the deli

cheese (optional)

Au Jus sauce mix (found in the spice section of the grocery store with the packaged sauces/gravies)

Make Au Jus according to package directions. I usually heat the Au Jus and then warm the meat in the Au Jus before placing on the Hoagie Buns. My husband likes cheese on his so I melt the cheese in a toaster oven before adding meat to his sandwich.

Side:

1 package frozen vegetables

French Bread Pizza

Pizza sauce (or substitute spaghetti sauce)

Mozzarella cheese

Pizza toppings

Left over hoagie buns or french bread rolls

Slice hoagie buns lengthwise and top with pizza sauce, desired pizza toppings, and cheese. Bake in the oven or a toaster oven until cheese is melted.

Hamburgers and Sweet Potato Fries

Hamburger patties

Hamburger buns

Sweet Potato Fries

Cook hamburgers as desired (we buy the pre-made frozen patties from Costco and grill). Cook fries according to package directions.