Menu Monday {on Tuesday...}

As you are quickly finding out, we rarely follow the menu to the T. This past week Jason's grandpa passed away... so we were gone a lot.

This week features a few of the menu items we've missed in March cause I haven't made my April menu yet!

Monday: Ate on the road
Tuesday: Taco Soup
Wednesday: Chicken & Rice Enchiladas
Thursday: Baked Potato Bar
Friday: Mac & Cheese and Meatballs

What are some ideas for my April menu?!

Goulash

1 lb hamburger
1 small onion
1 can tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can corn
1 can green beans
1/8 tsp salt

1 can tomato soup

1 cup cooked elbow macaroni

brown sugar to taste

Directions

Brown hamburger and onion seasoning well. Add all other ingredients.

side note: this was our first time with this one.  It was good, but next time I will add a can of tomato soup {it didn't call for it at all}  and only do 1 cup of macaroni {it called for 2}

Malibu Chicken

Frozen Breaded Chicken Breast Patties
Sliced Ham or Turkey Sandwich Meat
Sliced Swiss Cheese {or whatever kind you want!}


Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place frozen chicken patties on a baking sheet. Bake for 13 minutes. Place meat and cheese on top of patties and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

I like mine with fry sauce {half mayo half ketchup.} Jason likes his with pizza sauce.  At Sizzler it is served with a half mayo half mustard sauce with a tiny bit of sugar in it.

I usually bake a potato to go with it.  It can also be served as a sandwich on a hamburger bun.

Chicken Crescents

1 1/2 cup cubed cooked chicken (about 2 breasts)
1 package crescent rolls {8 count}
4 oz cream cheese softened
2 Tbs. melted butter/margarine
3/4 cup bread crumbs/crushed croutons/cracker crumbs
1/3 cup mushrooms chopped & sauteed
White Sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine cream cheese, mushrooms & chicken. Mix well. Separate crescent rolls into 8 triangles. Spread each with chicken mixture. Roll and seal filled rolls. Dip rolls in butter and then coat with crumbs. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden.

While crescents are baking use remaining melted butter to make your white sauce.

White Sauce

THIN:

1 TBS butter
1 TBS flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk

MEDIUM:

2 TBS butter
2 TBS flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk or

THICK:

3 or 4 TBS butter
3 TBS flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk

Directions

Melt butter in a sauce pan and whisk in flour and salt until smooth. Gradually stir in cold milk, cooking over direct heat and stirring constantly until sauce boils; reduce heat slightly and continue to stir until sauce becomes smooth and thick. When sauce thickens, simmer for an additional 10 minutes over very low heat, stirring occasionally.

Stir carefully to avoid lumps. If sauce becomes lumpy, use a stick blender or rotary beater to blend out lumps or else press through a sieve.


side note: White sauce may be flavored by adding 1 teaspoon of bouillon. Or make gravy by adding roast drippings and a few drops of soy sauce.

Menu Monday

Monday: Chicken Crescents
Tuesday: Malibu Chicken
Wednesday: Jason's Special Sauce
Thursday: Potato Bar
Friday: Goulash

Stovetop Chicken & Veggies

6 oz pkg Stuffing Mix {Chicken or Turkey}
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts; cut into 1 inch pieces
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup sour cream
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare Stuffing mix as directed on package. Set aside.

Mix chicken, soup, sour cream and vegetables in 9x9 inch baking dish. Top with stuffing.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

side note: I used 1/2 a bag of frozen peas & carrots, half a can of corn and half a can of green beans. Works wonderfully to use left over vegetables out of the fridge as well.

Peanut Butter Apple Dip

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
8 oz package cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Put cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl. Put in microwave for 1 minute at 50 power. Add sugar, peanut butter and vanilla. Blend with hand mixer adding a little milk until you've reached a good consistency. {Sometimes - depending on my microwave time, I don't need milk at all.}

Serving Suggestions

Eat with Celery!

side note: it's a little sweet to eat with apples, so when serving with apples instead of celery I don't add the sugar.

Orange Julius

6 oz Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
8-10 ice cubes from trays OR 20 from the ice maker

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Cover and process until thick and frothy!

Chimichangas

1 1/2 cups boneless skinless chicken breasts; cooked and shredded
Vegetable oil
Flour tortillas
Grated cheddar cheese
Warmed re-fried beans
Guacamole
Chopped Tomatoes
Sour cream

Directions

Place re-fried beans, chicken and cheese on each tortilla.

Fold envelope style (like a burrito). 

Fry, seam side down, in hot oil, until mildly crispy and browned.

Turn and brown other side.

Serving Suggestions

Place on plate and top with guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes and cheese.  This amount of chicken made 2 1/2 chimi's perfectly!

side note: I cook and shred my chicken then divide it up into freezer bags and freeze it.  I warmed my chicken seasoning it with onion & garlic powder, salt and chili powder.

Guacamole

1 Avocado
Lemon Juice
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Chili Powder
Salt
Salsa

Directions

Cut avocado in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl.

Mash up with a fork or food processor. Add remaining ingredients to taste.

Mix well & serve fresh

Menu Monday {on Tuesday!}

Sometimes things don't go as planned. Surprise!  Bracken and I got sick Wednesday night and the rest of the weeks menu flew out the window.

Thank goodness for Grandmas!  Jason's Mom came as soon as I called and took Ella for the day and even brought her back to us that evening with dinner in tow.  {I could eat her Chicken Noodle Soup for weeks before I tired of it}

So let's try this again...

Monday: Yah Poh {Chilean restaurant in town for Jason's Birthday}
Tuesday: Chimichanga's cause we missed them last week
Wednesday: Macaroni & Cheese and Meatballs
Thursday: Stove-top Chicken
Friday: Turkey Steaks

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Jambalaya

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
1 package {6.8 oz} rice and vermicelli mix with Spanish Seasoning {I found WF brand to be yucky}
2 cups water
1 can tomatoes
1/2 pound fully cooked Polish sausages, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Directions

Cook chicken in skillet for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently until light brown.

Cook rice and vermicelli mix {without seasoning} in skillet over heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Gradually stir in water, tomatoes and seasonings from rice mix. Heat to boiling. Stir in sausage and chicken; reduce heat to low.

Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed and chicken is no longer pink in the center.

sidenote: I don't always add chicken. It's good without :)

Soft Tacos

1/2 lb ground beef
Salsa
1 can re-fried beans
Shredded or chopped lettuce
Grated cheddar cheese
Chopped tomato
Sour cream
Tortillas

Directions

Brown ground beef seasoning with lemon pepper, garlic & onion powder, season all salt and some taco seasoning.  Add some salsa and a little bit of grated cheese.  Warm re-fried beans in the microwave.

Now you are ready to fill your tacos. With a slotted spoon, put a scoop of hot beef onto the tortilla. Add re-fried beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream.

Serving Suggestions

Wrap it up and eat!

Pizza & Breadsticks

2 1/2 - 3 cups flour
1 Tbs. dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 cup warm water
2 Tbs. olive oil

Directions

In large bowl combine 1 1/4 cup flour, yeast & salt.  Add water & oil.  Beat at low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl.  Beat 3 minutes on high speed.  Stir in enough of the remaining flour with a spoon to make a moderately stiff dough.  Cover dough & let rise for 10 minutes.  Roll out and press onto pizza pan.

Add favorite toppings:

Enough pizza sauce to cover crust to your liking {We buy it in a jar so the lid can go back on it and the leftovers can go in the fridge for Jason's  pizza quesadilla snacks}
Grated Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese {whichever is on sale}
Sliced sandwich ham
Pineapple tidbits
Pepperoni {all of our pepperoni got eaten on quesadilla snacks so our pizza was pepperoni free}

Bake at 425 F for 12-15 minutes or until it starts to brown.

 Cheesy Bread Sticks

Roll out left over pizza dough and better lightly.  Sprinkle with Parmesan, garlic and onion powder, Italian seasoning and salt.  Cut into strips and add grated cheese {whichever kind you like! we used the Monterey Jack that we used on the pizza.} Twist and bake until browned.

side note: this one is a little more difficult for me. I don't do 'dough.'  But Jason makes an awesome pizza and bread sticks. If he weren't here it would NOT be on the menu :)

Menu Monday

Well.  Here it is...

Monday: Pizza
Tuesday: Soft Tacos
Wednesday: Jambalaya
Thursday: Spaghetti a la Philly
Friday: Chimichangas
Saturday: Leftovers


What sounds good to you?

Dad's Lasagna

1/2 lb ground beef

1 jar spaghetti sauce

9 Lasagna noodles

16oz tub cottage cheese

3 eggs

2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated cheddar cheese



Directions

Cook noodles. Brown ground beef (I season mine with lemon pepper, onion powder & garlic powder); Mix spaghetti sauce and ground beef. In a separate bowl mix eggs and cottage cheese. In a 2 quart baking dish layer: noodles, sauce, cottage cheese mixture then cheese. Repeat layering, ending with cheese. Cover tightly with foil.  Bake at 375 F for 1 hour.

Serving Suggestions

I serve with salad and garlic bread.  YUM! :)
 
 
side note: I had half a jar of spaghetti sauce in my fridge so I used that and added a jar of my canned tomatoes to the sauce seasoning with Italian seasoning, onion & garlic powder.

Oriental Style Chicken Noodle Soup

3 cups water
2 cans chicken broth
2 packages chicken-flavor ramen noodles
2 cut up chicken breasts
2 stalks chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion

Directions


In a large pot, saute celery and onion in olive oil.  Add chicken, carrots, water and broth.  Bring to a boil then simmer on medium low heat for 20 minutes.  Stir in noodles and seasoning packets. Cook for 3 more minutes {or till noodles are done how you like em.}


Serving Suggestions

In a bowl!

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli

2-3 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
4 cups frozen broccoli cuts {next time I'll just use fresh broccoli}
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup grated cheese

Directions

Combine soup, sour cream, lemon juice, curry, onion and garlic powders. Spread broccoli in a 2 quart baking dish. Evenly distribute chicken over broccoli and cover with soup mixture. Top with cheese. Bake 1 hour at 350 F


Serving Suggestions

Serve Hot!

Menu Monday

This week at my house we will be eating...

Monday: Pizza Party for Bracken {did you hear the exciting news?}
Tuesday: Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Casserole
Wednesday: Oriental Style Chicken Noodle Soup
Thursday: Mich's Slow Cooker Dinner
Friday: Dad's Lasagna
Saturday: Leftovers!

I just finished making our monthly menu for March. Now to get someone to go to the store for me.... or just hold my hand.

Have you decided what you are going to eat this week?

Crepes

4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/2 cups flour

Directions

In a blender, mix together all of the ingredients.

Heat a lightly oiled frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, flip and cook the other side.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Hot! We eat this for breakfast at the bar as each crepe is ready; the 'chef' usually eats last, unless he can sneak in a few between! 

We butter ours then lightly sugar{with granulated sugar} roll and eat.  But MANY things are possible.  Peaches & cream, pudding, jam, syrup, eggs & sausage... the list could go on. 

How do you eat yours?

Creamy Bacon & Ranch Chicken

6 slices bacon
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces
3 Tablespoons flour

3 Tablespoons ranch dry salad dressing mix
2 cups milk
3 cups dried medium noodles

1 Tablespoon finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

Start your water for your pasta. Cook noodles according to package directions.

Bake bacon until crisp. Drain bacon {discard all but 2 Tablespoons drippings} on paper towels and cut into bite size pieces;

Cook chicken in reserved drippings until no longer pink, turning to brown evenly. Sprinkle flour and salad dressing mix over chicken; stir well to coat the chicken. Stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in bacon. 

Serving Suggestions

Ladle chicken over noodles and  sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Served with a side of veggies.