Thursday, April 30, 2009

Menu Plan 5.01.09

1. Chicken Parmesan/salad/french bread
5. Skillet penne/salad
6. Grilled burgers/corn on the cob/baked beans
7. Grilled brats/asian coleslaw
11. Tacos/refried beans/
12. Chicken Spaghetti/salad/bread
13. Santa Fe enchiladas/spanish rice/salad
14. Out to eat!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Sloppy Joes

This recipe is from my friend, Benita. I like how she sneaks veggies into the sauce. By the way, the parenthetical notes are hers.

Sloppy Joes

1 pound ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped green, yellow, or red pepper (optional)
(Sometimes I grate a carrot or two instead if I don't have a pepper or for the kids, leave it out completely)
1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika (I use either Hungarian paprika or sweet and spicy paprika but you can use plain)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. chili powder (can use either plain or spicy)
1 heaping Tbsp. yellow mustard
1+ tsp. Worcestershire sauce (I let extra run over the spoon)
Approx. 1 c. tomato soup (start with slightly less because you can always add more -- just don't want it too runny)
2 heaping Tbsp. ketchup

Brown hamburger, drain. Add everything else -- simmer 20-30 minutes. Spoon into buns and serve.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Menu Plan 4.17.09

1. Spaghetti Soup/french bread/salad
2. Easy Stroganoff/noodles/green beans
5. Grilled pork chops/couscous/salad
6. Grilled hambugers/corn-on-the-cob
7. Santa Fe enchiladas/spanish rice/salad
9. Sloppy-joes/french fries
10. Pulled-pork sandwiches/baked beans/salad
11. Lemon-garlic tilapia/broccoli or green beans/salad
14. Leftovers or eat out

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Easy Stroganoff

My kids love this stuff. I don't. At all. But it's quick and easy and I know that they'll eat without complaining. I plan to have it on nights that John is gone and I can eat a salad or something. If you make if for a big family, you'll need to double it. Sarah used to call this dish "gray stuff" when she was younger because the meat mixture actually is sorta grayish. It grosses me out when my kids call it that. So appetizing.

Easy Stroganoff

1 lb lean ground beef
1 can cream of chemical mushroom soup
8 oz sour cream
garlic salt to taste
pepper to taste
hot, cooked egg noodles

Brown beef and drain. Add soup and sour cream. Heat through. Season with salt and pepper and serve over hot, cooked noodles.


Ravioli Carbonara

From my friend, Beth, in Arkansas.

Ravioli Carbonara

1 pkg bacon, diced
1 cup Alfredo sauce (buy a jar!)
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 lb frozen ravioli (cheese)
black pepper to taste

Boil ravioli until tender. Meanwhile, fry bacon until crisp. Drain fat. In the same pan you cooked the bacon, stir in alfredo sauce, milk, and basil. Pour sauce over drained ravioli and stir gently. Serve warm with freshly grated parmesan cheese. I like with bread and salad!

And don't count the calories. 

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Menu Plan 4.3.09

1. Black Bean and Pork Chili
4. Tacos
10. Breast of Chicken Eden Isle (Easter Sunday)
14. Leftovers

Mexican Casserole

I've had this recipe for such a long time. It's from my friend, Helen, and my husband loves it. I don't think to make it all the time because it's not my favorite and I really try to avoid things with cream soups in them (for health reasons) but this is often requested.

Mexican Casserole

1 can cream of chemical mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 - 1 can Rotel tomatoes (I like mild)
1 cup chicken broth
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large bag nacho cheese Doritos, crushed
1.5 lbs ground chuck, browned and drained*
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Combine first five ingredients in a saucepan. Heat to boiling point, add the ground chuck, and set aside. Spread half the corn chips in greased 9x13 casserole dish. Layer half the ground beef and soup mixture over chips. Then add another layer of chips and the last of the beef/soup mixture. Cover wtih cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes (covered).

*You can also substitute 1 lb cooked, shredded chicken breasts for the ground beef.

Pepper Steak and Rice

Pepper Steak and Rice

1 medium onion
1 green pepper
1 cup water
2 beef buillion cubes
2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
flour
salt
pepper
2-3 lbs tenderized round steak
1 can stewed tomatoes
1/2 - 1 can Ro-tel tomatoes
hot, cooked rice

Slice onion and pepper into thin strips; set aside. Dissolve bouillion cubes in 1 cup water. Heat bouillion mixture and add Worchestershire sauce. Add onion and pepper. Cook in liquid until very tender.

Cut round steak into small pieces. Coat with flour, salt and pepper. (I shake in a ziploc bag.)

Brown the steak in a small amount of oil in a skillet. When brown, put in 9x13 dish. Pour veggie/broth mixture over meat and bake uncovered at 325 for 15 minutes. Add stewed tomatoes and Rotel. Cook for 45 minutes more. Serve over hot rice.

Beef Short Ribs

Slow-Cooker Beef Short Ribs

3 lbs. beef short ribs
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
¼ cup flour
1 can (10 ½ ounces) condensed French onion soup
1 bottle (12 oz.) dark ale or beer

Throw it all in and cook for 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. Remove beef from sauce and spoon off fat from sauce.

Served over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles.

Susan's Breakfast Casserole

Another favorite from CarpoolQueen.

Susan’s Breakfast Casserole

1 stick of butter
1 pkg. Simply Potatoes Shredded Hashed Browns
1 lb. breakfast sausage, cooked and crumbled
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, mexican mix, pizza blend - your call)
8 eggs
1 c. milk
salt/pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Pour 1 stick of melted butter into a 9×13 pan and line the pan with the potatoes. Sprinkle the top of the potatoes with salt and pepper. Bake this layer for 20 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and lower heat to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle cooked sausage on top of potatoes, then top with cheese. Beat together eggs and milk (season with salt and pepper) and pour over top. Pop back in the oven for 30 minutes.

Remove, and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

This is a great bake-ahead if you have a busy week. Make it on Sunday, and pop a piece in the microwave for 1-2 minutes for a hot breakfast even if you’re short on time.

Black Bean and Pork Chili

This recipe is from my friend Susan (aka Carpoolqueen). Pretty tasty!

Black Bean and Pork Chili

1 lb. uncooked pork, cubed (roast or chops)
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 chopped onion
1 chopped red or yellow bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 heaping teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Throw it all in the crockpot, cover, and set to low for 6-8 hours. I like to ladle it into a bowl, then add a scoop of rice on top. It’s good just plain, too, with a dollop of sour cream. If you want to make it vegetarian, leave out the pork, and add extra beans and sauce.

Serves 6 (no seconds!)