Menu Plan Monday 5

Last week we ate as planned Sunday through Tuesday. Wednesday I made the sausage potato soup planned for the previous week, Thursday we ate out at Famous Dave's, Friday was pizza, and Saturday was leftovers.
Here's what's up for this week:
Sunday--Ham, mashed potatoes and corn with the in-laws for lunch and chicken pot pie with my parents for supper
Monday--Ate at Betty's Pie with my parents
Tuesday--Italian Dunkers
Wednesday--Parmesan Drumsticks
Thursday--Mexican Hotdish
Friday--Pizza
Saturday--Halloween Spooky Feast!
Go to orgjunkie.com for hundreds more meal plans!

Homemade Fries

Homemade fries taste a lot better than frozen, and they're really easy to make.

Cut potatoes into eighths. Toss with oil of your choice and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until tender. You can add garlic salt, parmesan cheese, or other seasonings to your liking.

Sausage Potato Soup

I got this recipe from the What's for Dinner? blog

1/2 pound smoked turkey kielbasa, diced (I used regular smoked sausage)
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (I often use Yukon Golds and leave the skin on)
2 cups frozen corn
1-1/2 cups chicken broth (I used enough broth to cover the veggies while they cooked)
1 celery rib, sliced
1/4 cup sliced carrot (I used two carrots)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley (I did not used parsley)

Directions
In a large saucepan, brown sausage; drain. Set sausage aside. In the same pan, (I used a different pan because I started the veggies cooking while the sausage was browning.)
combine the potatoes, corn, broth, celery, carrot and seasonings. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Add the milk, cheese, parsley and sausage. Cook and stir over low heat until
cheese is melted and soup is heated through.

Yield: 6 servings.

Special K Bars

Definitely a classic.

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups Special K cereal
Place sugar and syrup in a saucepan. Stir to combine; heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add peanut butter. Mix well and add cereal. mix and spread into 9 x 13 pan.

Frosting:
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
Melt chips in double boiler (or microwave). Spread over bars. Cool and cut.

Creamy Baked Chicken Breasts

I got this recipe from my mom. We like it with baked potatoes and a vegetable. Easy and yummy!

4 whole chicken breasts
1-10 3/4 oz. cream of chicken soup
1 cup stuffing mix, crushed
8 slices Swiss or American cheese
1/4 cup apple juice or milk
1/4 cup butter, melted

Arrange chicken in lightly greased 9 x 13 pan. Top with cheese slices. Combine soup and apple juice/milk. Spoon evenly over chicken. Sprinkle with stuffing mix. Drizzle with butter. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Menu Plan Monday 4

We did pretty good on last week's menu. The only change was Saturday, when we had tacos instead of Sausage Potato Soup.
Here's what we're eating this week:
Sunday--Creamy Swiss Chicken Breasts, baked potatoes, broccoli w/cheese
Monday--Sloppy Joes, homemade fries, corn
Tuesday--Chicken and Rice, carrots
Wednesday--Sausage, red beans and rice
Thursday--Baked chicken, mashed potatoes, squash
Friday--Pizza
Saturday--Some kind of soup

Lentil Soup

I adapted this recipe from allrecipes.com. This recipe is supposed to be two servings, so I basically doubled everything.

* 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 fresh green onions, chopped (I used 1/2 yellow onion)
* 1 carrot, chopped (I used two)
* 1 parsnip, sliced (I did not use)
* 1 stalk celery, chopped
* 1 potato, cubed (I used two)
* 1 leek, chopped (I did not use)
* 1 cup dry lentils, rinsed (I used 2 cups)
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (I used 2 cans)
* 3 cups vegetable broth (I used 3 cans of chicken broth)
* 2 bay leaves (I did not use)
* 1 dash soy sauce (I did not use)
* 1 dash Worcestershire sauce (I did not use)
* 1/2 cup red wine (I used about a tomato can of water)

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the oil, onions, carrot, parsnip, celery, potato and leek. Stir well for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add the lentils, tomatoes with liquid, stock, bay leaves, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and wine.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until lentils are tender. Remove the bay leaves and add fresh coriander or fresh parsley to taste.

Pork Chops with Apples

This came from the House of Bowling recipe blog.

• 6 pork chops

• 2 Tbsp. oil

• 3-4 unpeeled apples, cored and sliced

• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed down

• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

• 2 Tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown pork chops on both sides, using oil in a skillet. Place the apple slices in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle on the brown sugar and the cinnamon. Dot with bits of butter. Layer browned pork chops on top of all.

Bake at 400 degrees, covered, for 1 1/2 hours. I did not bake them so long; it was probably closer to an hour.

Crock Pot Apple Crisp

I found this recipe on a blog called Frugal Homekeeping.

Apple Crisp in the Crock Pot

6 cups cooking apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup quick-cook oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 T. butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Place apples in greased crock pot. Combine remaining ingredients in mixing bowl until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Cover. Cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.

Eggplant Parmesan/Lasagna

I combined Eggplant Parmesan I and Eggplant Parmesan II from allrecipes.com to make my version. I breaded and baked the eggplant like recipe II, and used the rest of the ingredients like recipe I.

Ready to go in the oven.

1 eggplant, cut into 3/4 inch slices
Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant slices with salt. Place slices in a colander, and place a dish underneath the colander to capture liquid that will sweat out of the eggplant. Allow to sit for 30 minutes. Rinse eggplant in cold water until all the salt is removed.

1 egg, beaten
2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dip eggplant in egg and then bread crumbs. Place in single layer on baking sheet Bake in preheated over for 5-7 minutes per side, until crispy.

8 ounces ricotta cheese (I used cottage cheese)
6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
Mix ricotta, mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese with the egg.

In a 9x13 inch baking dish, evenly spread 1 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce. Arrange a single layer of eggplant slices on top of the sauce. Top the eggplant with 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layering process until all the eggplant and cheese mixture is used. Pour remaining sauce on top of layers, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake 30 to 45 minutes until sauce is bubbly.

Cheesy Chicken Crescents

I found this recipe at cdkitchen.

3 1/2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cans (8 oz size) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Combine chicken and 1/2 the cheddar cheese. Separate crescent dough into triangles. Place about 3 Tbsp chicken mixture on wide end of each triangle and roll to opposite point.

In medium saucepan, combine soups, milk and 1/2 the remaining cheddar cheese. Heat until cheese melts. Pour half of soup mixture into greased 8 or 9 inch square baking dish. Reserve remaining soup mixture for sauce. Arrange filled crescents over hot soup mixture.

Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. During last 10 minutes, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serve with remaining sauce poured over the top. I poured the rest of the sauce over top before I baked it.

Menu Plan Monday 3

I did pretty good sticking to last week's menu plan. I ended up making Lentil Soup rather than Lentil Stew; everything else went according to plan. This week, the kids don't have school on Thursday or Friday, so we may end up changing one of those days.
Sunday: Roast, potatoes and carrots
Monday: Brats, fried potatoes, salad
Tuesday: Turkey roast, mashed potatoes, squash
Wednesday: Spaghetti
Thursday: Something with chicken breasts
Friday: Friday night pizza
Saturday: Sausage potato soup

Menu Plan Monday 2

I didn't make a couple things from last week's menu. One night Barry wanted to grill, so we had hamburgers on the grill instead of Sloppy Joes. Another night he wasn't home for supper, so the kids and I had grilled cheese and tomato soup instead of pork chops with apples.
The plan for this week:
Sunday--Hamburger hot dish
Monday--Beef Stew
Tuesday--Chicken Crescents
Wednesday--Eggplant Parmesan
Thursday--Pork chops with apples
Friday--Friday night pizza
Saturday--Lentil stew