Menu Plan Monday

Only a couple changes last week: on Thursday we had chicken burgers and Saturday we had Broccoli and Cheese Soup. Here's what we're eating this week:
Sunday--Ham, mashed potatoes, carrots
Monday--Fish, tater tots, mixed veggies
Tuesday--Whole chicken in the crock pot, roasted potatoes, peas
Wednesday--Hamburger/rice dish
Thursday--Creamy chicken sandwiches
Friday--Better Cheddars and sides
Saturday--Pizza

Broccoli Cheese Soup

This recipe came from My Kitchen Cafe.

1 can chicken broth
1 small onion, diced (I used less, about 1/3 of a small onion)
I also added some carrots

1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. butter
Pepper to taste

2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. shredded swiss cheese
steamed chopped broccoli --2-3 cups, depending on your tastes

Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15-20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes. In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour and pepper. Cook together for a couple of minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium-high heat until soup starts to thicken. Next add chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended. Add cheeses and steamed broccoli. Serve immediately.
I actually cooked the carrots and broccoli with the onions and broth. I added the cheeses to the milk mixture before adding the broth mixture with the veggies in it.

Menu Plan Monday

Only a couple of minor changes to last week's menu: instead of spaghetti on Thursday, we used up leftover taco meat and chicken and had quesadillas. On Saturday, my oldest son talked me into making Spaghetti Tacos. Here's what we're having this week:
Sunday--Canned soup, cottage cheese with fruit
Monday--Pork tenderloin, roasted red potatoes, veggie
Tuesday--Baked chicken, baked potatoes, veggie
Wednesday--Baked spaghetti
Thursday--Grilled cheese/tomato soup
Friday--Pizza
Saturday--TBD

Ham and Swiss Quiche

From Parenting magazine

1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust
4 eggs
2 T. olive oil
3/4 cup half and half
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup grated Swiss cheese (about 4 oz.)
3/4 cup cooked ham, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Pinch of ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place the crust in a pie pan, according to the package directions.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over low heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until the onion is lightly browned. Season with the salt and the nutmeg. Set onion aside to cool slightly.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and the half and half.
4. Spoon the onion mixture evenly over the crust. Sprinkle in the cheese and ham. Pour in the egg mixture.
5. Put the quiche in the oven and bake for about 1 hour, or until just set. Allow it to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Pita Pizzas

This is a fun way for kids to make their own pizzas.
Use flat pita bread, not pockets.
Spread sauce
Add toppings and cheese
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted

Smoothies

We love to have smoothies for a snack around here. I don't really follow a recipe, but this is what I do:
Get out the blender
Put in 1 banana
Add 1 small container of yogurt
Add 2-3 spoonfuls of pineapple (crushed or tidbits work best)
Add a splash of orange juice
Add a handful of ice cubes
Sometimes we add berries (in the picture we added frozen blueberries)
Blend until smooth
So refreshing!

Menu Plan Monday

I stuck to last week's menu with no changes at all! The week ahead is a pretty simple one:
Sunday--Super Bowl Nachos
Monday--Johnsonville Better Cheddars, fresh veggies and dip, baked beans
Tuesday--Parmesan Drumsticks, mashed potatoes, veggies
Wednesday--Ham and swiss quiche
Thursday--Spaghetti
Friday--Pizza
Saturday--Depends what I feel like cooking. Maybe burgers and home fries, maybe soup, we'll see.

Zucchini Muffins

From allrecipes.com

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (I did 2 tsp.)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (I did 1 tsp.)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening (I used butter)
1/4 cup sour milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I omitted)
1/4 cup brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a muffin pan, or use paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Stir in baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center, and pour in milk, eggs, zucchini and vanilla. Fold in walnuts. Fill muffin cups 2/3 to 3/4 full. Sprinkle tops with brown sugar.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Chili Mac

This recipe was in a packet from the Minnesota Extension Service.

1 lb. ground beef
1 can tomato soup, plus 1/4 cup ketchup and hot water to make 3 1/2 cups
OR
6 oz. tomato paste with 3 cups hot water
OR
3 1/2 cups tomato juice
OR
4 cups tomato sauce
1 small onion, minced
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

Brown beef; pour off excess fat. Add tomato liquid and seasonings. Bring ti boil. Add macaroni; cover and simmer 12 to 15 minutes.

Optional add-ins: Chopped celery, diced green pepper, drained whole kernal corn or drained kidney beans.

Bourbon Chicken

This recipe had been getting rave reviews on a message board I frequent.

1 1/2-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
1-2 T. olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed (I just used garlic powder as I didn't have any fresh garlic)
1/4 tsp. ginger
3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (I used cayenne pepper--just a little bit)
1/4 c. apple juice (some people substituted pineapple juice or orange juice)
1/3 c. light brown sugar
2 T. ketchup
1 T. cider vinegar (some people substituted balsamic vinegar or did half and half)
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. soy sauce

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. (I made brown rice.)

Some people doubled the sauce, and/or added cornstarch to thicken it.

Menu Plan Monday

I only made minor changes to last week's menu plan. Our leftovers were building up early in the week, so we made Wednesday night leftover night and had cube steak on Thursday. I didn't feel like cooking on Saturday, so I made some vegetable soup in the crockpot.
Here's what we're eating this week:
Sunday--Chicken and rice (pushed back from last week)
Monday--Hot ham and cheese sandwiches, chips, carrots and celery, fruit cocktail
Tuesday--Fish, tater tots, veggie
Wednesday--Bourbon chicken, brown rice, broccoli
Thursday--Chili mac
Friday--Chicken and rice soup
Saturday--Pizza

Chicken Dinner

This recipe came from my mom.

Original recipe:
Filling--Cook 4 1/2 pound chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
Thicken 4 T. butter, 4 T. flour and 2 1/2 cups broth. Add 1/4 tsp. each of salt, pepper, onion salt and celery seed.
Cook together 1 1/2 cups peas and 1 1/2 cups carrots.
Stir chicken and peas and carrots into broth mixture. Pour into 9 x 13 pan.

Crust--
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening
1 1/4 tsp. paprika
2 1/2 tsp. minced parsley
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
Mix dry ingredients. Add egg and milk. Mix together and roll out. Cut into biscuits and put on top of chicken mixture. Bake for 20 minutes at 450 degrees.

My adjustments:
I usually use leftover chicken; I don't cook chicken just to make this. I don't usually add celery seed to the broth mixture, and I don't put paprika or parsley in the biscuits. I have used frozen peas and carrots as well as frozen mixed vegetables.
For the biscuit mixture, any recipe should work. You could even use canned biscuits. To save time, I usually cut my biscuits into squares rather than circles.

This is comfort food at its finest!