Week 3 Menu Plans

Day 1- Pulled Pork Sandwiches- inspired by Ree Drummond  (freezable)

This dish is made from a pork butt (otherwise known as a Pork Shoulder Roast) It freezes so well, you will be able to have at least two or more freezer meals for later. It is a perfect inexpensive meal when you need to feed a larger crowd. Especially if you raised your own pigs!

Rub the Pork Roast with the following dry rub:

1/4 C Brown sugar, 1 T chili powder, 1 T paprika, 2 t garlic powder, 2 t kosher salt, 1 t ground black pepper, 1 t cayenne pepper.  

Rub all over the roast, then wrap in plastic wrap and set overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning, place 2 large halved onions in deep roasting pan, and unwrapped roast and set it on top. Cover with foil Cook at 300 * for 7 hours. (ready by supper!) Or use a large crock pot on low for 8 hours. Remove from oven, remove from pan and rest to cool on a cutting board. chop up the cooked onion halves. Pour juice into a saucepan, add 1 C of good barbecue sauce, and heat. Remove the layer of fat on the top of the roast, and pull the pork (shred), using 2 forks. It should be falling apart tender. Put the pork back into the pan, mix in the chopped onions, and pour the sauce over the top. Serve as a meat dish, or put it on buns with bbq sauce. 

This meal is actually 3 or more meals in one, because you will have some "quick, defrost in the microwave" meals for those days with unexpected events, and no time to cook. 

Day 2-  Pasta alfredo

You can use any pasta for this dish. I love cheese ravioli, Rigatoni or fettuccini. Cook according to the directions. 

The sauce is easy and delicious.  3T butter,  8 ounces heavy whipping cream, pinch of ground nutmeg, 1/4 C of each grated parmesan and romano cheeses,  1 egg yolk, salt to taste. Melt butter, add cream, then spices, then cheeses. Once smooth then mix in egg yolk. simmer on low about 5 minutes. Serve hot. 

I love to use some of my rotisserie chicken breast with this meal. However, grilled chicken, steak, shrimp or meatballs are good too. 

I use this alfredo recipe to top a baked or grilled fish as well. Delicious!

Day 3- Curly Ramen Noodle Dinner

1 pound hamburger, browned,  1 pkg beef Ramen, 1 can corn (can use frozen) 1 can stewed tomatoes. (if you brown your hamburger, just use the same pan- one pan meals are easy cleanup) Add all ingredients to your pan, including seasoning in the Ramen, bring to a boil, simmer covered on med low about 10 minutes until noodles are tender. 

Day 4- Creamy chicken enchiladas- (freezable) A Taste of Home recipe

In a large bowl, beat 8 oz cream cheese, 2T water, 2T onion powder, 2t cumin, 1/2t salt, 1/4t pepper until smooth. Mix in 4 C or so of cooked diced chicken. Place 1/4 C mixture down the center of 6 inch flour tortillas (will make approximately 20- 6 inch tortillas)  Place seam side down in 9x13 baking dishes (either do 2 pans, or freeze half on a cookie sheet, then put in a freezer container or bag for a freezer meal later) Combine 2 cans cream of chicken soup, 2 C sour cream (16 oz) 2 cans chopped green chilis.  Bake uncovered at 350 for 30-40 min. Sprinkle with 2 C shredded cheddar, bake 5 minutes longer. This recipe feeds 10 (or 2 meals for 5) 

Day 5- Speedy sausage breakfast pizza

spread out 1 can of croissant roll dough in 9x13 pan, pressing seams together and bake for 6 minutes at 375.  Brown 1 pound of sausage with 1/4c chopped onion. In a bowl, mix 6 eggs, 3/4 C milk 1/2t dried oregano, 1/2t pepper 1/4t garlic salt. Pour over crust, top with sausage mix. Bake for 15-20 min. Sprinkle with 1 C shredded Mozzarella cheese, bake 5 min. longer until cheese melts.  

Day 6- Broccoli and Wild Rice Soup

1 pkg chicken and wild rice mix, 5 C water, 3 C frozen chopped broccoli (thawed) 1 shredded carrot, 2t minced onion, 1 can condensed chicken soup, 1-8oz pkg cream cheese

Another great 1 pot meal, and it goes together quick. In a large saucepan, mix rice, season packet and water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in broccoli, carrots and onion. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in soup and cream cheese until melted. 

Day 7- Crock pot baked potato night-use with leftovers

Scrub potatoes, poke holes with a fork, and rub skins with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic salt generously. Wrap in foil, and put in crockpot all day. Once potatoes are soft, split potatoes and add toppings of choice... canned chili (or make your own) cheddar, sour cream, broccoli and cheese package, or any leftover cooked meat you have in the freezer- pork, roast, hamburger, chicken, bacon... Just use anything you need to get rid of. The potato is a great base for any meal. 

Bread recipe of the week:

Mom’s best banana bread, ½ C shortening, 1 C Sugar, 2 eggs,  3 or 4 very ripe bananas mashed,  2 C flour, 1 tsp baking soda 

·        cream shortening and sugar: add eggs and banana, then combine dry ingredients. Spray 2 small or 1 large loaf pans with cooking spray. The pans should be ½ full. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, or until middle of loaf is set, and doesn’t look wet.  If you like, you can make them into muffins. They cook in approx. 15-20 minutes.

Hint: I have an “ongoing” bag of bananas that I keep in the freezer. When I have more, I peel them and add more to the bag. When the bag is full, it is banana bread day. It freezes well!

Time saving tip of the week: - in your freezer, start a section, shelf, basket of frozen prepared meals. Let the family know where they are so you can delegate heating up dinner if you are unexpectedly detained. As time goes on, you will build a small stash of these dinners. I will try to include "freezeable" labels on some meals, so that as you prep the meals, you can double the recipes and freeze one. This takes very little extra effort but is a lifesaver in a crunch!

Dessert of the week- Crock Pot Chocolate Cake

Mix together 1 chocolate cake mix, 8 oz sour cream, 1 pkg instant chocolate pudding mix, 1 C chocolate chips, 3/4 C oil, 4 eggs, 1 C water. Spray crock pot with cooking spray, Pour mix into crock pot, and cook on low 6-8 hours, or high 3-4 hours.