Friday, January 8, 2021

Week 2 Menu Plans

Week 2 Menu Plans

Ready for another week? Need to get shopping done for your menu plans? Here we go....

Day 1- Crockpot hash

This is probably the simplest of recipes.  All you need is a bag or frozen Southern style hashbrowns (with or without the peppers added-whatever you prefer) 1 pkg onion soup mix, 1 can beef broth, 1 lb browned hamburger seasoned with onions, 1 bag of frozen corn, dash of pepper and throw it in a crockpot for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally, until bubbly hot.  That's it! This is another recipe that would be quicker if you had pre-browned hamburger in freezer bags. Comfort food at its finest! This is Charity's favorite meal.


Day 2- French toast Casserole

Another breakfast for supper. This recipe is great when you notice that your bread is going stale. (before the mold forms!) French bread, sandwich bread, uneaten rolls, or even that bread recipe that flopped and no one wants to eat it! it really doesn't matter. Cut it into cubes and leave it out overnight. Set out a cube of cream cheese to soften as well.  The next morning, mix up a dozen eggs (cheap protein source...especially if you raise your own chickens or your nephew sells them to you at a great price) with 1/2 C milk, 1 T cinnamon and 1/2 C brown sugar. Mix egg mixture with bread. Put half in a 9x13 pan add berries- any you might have on hand. (blueberries or strawberries are amazing) Frozen will work as well. spread the softened cream cheese around as much as possible. (I smash it flat) Add the other half of the bread mixture on top, and top with berries. Pat 1/2 stick butter over the top. Bake uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes. Serve hot with pancake syrup. If you like, this pairs well with sausage or bacon. If money is tights, the berries and cream cheese can be optional making this a very economical yet filling protein rich meal.  This is your breakfast dinner of the week!


Day 3- crock pot roasted chicken (freezable)

Chicken, yep that bone in chicken.  Make a spice mix- Paprika, salt, pepper, onion, thyme and garlic powder. Put rinsed chicken in crock pot breast side up, blot dry, rub a little oil over the whole bird, then spread and pat the spices all over. Cook on low for 8 hours. Falling apart juicy! (You can pull out the bones before serving, and use the method below to make a bone broth- makes the best soup in the world!)


Day 4-Tortilla Soup (freezable)

Use a bag of  "already browned ground beef with onions". (see how handy this is???) In your trusty crockpot- add your hamburger, 2 cans black beans, 1 can enchilada sauce, 3 Cups beef stock, 2 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp cilantro,  garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, 1 bag frozen corn (or 1 can drained corn), and jalapenos (optional) If your jalapenos are in a jar, this is a great place to use some of the liquid. This enhances the flavor! Cook all day. Add more water to soup consistency. Serve with tortilla chips crumbled on top, sour cream, green onion, fresh cilantro and shredded cheese, chopped avocado, chopped tomatoes- or any other toppings you have on hand... Great on a cold or rainy day.



Day 5- Broccoli Ham roll ups

Here's an unexpectedly delicious meal. We got this one from a chef who worked at the Hyatt. Easy, healthy and fast! You will need a boneless ham (such as farmland). Take it to the butcher (Leekers still does this) and ask them to slice it in thick sandwich slices. (I actually would buy a whole boneless ham on sale, and ask the butcher to slice half, and "shave" half very thin. I could freeze half of the slices, and half of the shaved sandwich meat, and use these portions for sandwiches or to add to scrambled eggs or casseroles) . Roll a broccoli spear (fresh or frozen) and shredded cheddar inside the ham slice, and secure it with a toothpick. Place in ungreased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle more cheddar on top. Cover with foil and Bake at 375* for 20 minutes. Great with a baked potato, or roasted red skin potatoes. You already have the veggie! If you don't like broccoli, use whole green beans or asparagus. (This ham is much cheaper by the pound than lunchmeat)



 Day 6- Company Chicken and Rice

Here is a great time to use that chicken bone broth, and either the frozen breasts or thighs! Pre-preparation pays off big time!

Steam 1 1/2 Cups of rice in 3 Cups of water with a pinch of salt. (instructions below) Pour rice into deep 9x13 pan.  Put 2 C chicken bone broth or 2 cans of chicken broth in 5 quart saucepan with 4 T. butter and bring to a boil. In a bowl, combine 1/2 C flour with 2 C water. Whisk together until combined. Slowly whisk flour mixture into boiling broth until thickened. reduce heat to med low. Add 1/2 Velveeta cheese loaf, cubed, stir until melted. Add 1 C cream (You can use milk). Stir in Cooked cubed chicken. Pour over rice, cover with foil and bake at 350* for 20 minutes, or until bubbly. Now this is key to this casserole- 1 sleeve Ritz-type crackers crushed, mixed with 4 T melted butter- mix. Spread over the top of your bubbly casserole, return to oven for about 7 or 8 minutes, until the crackers are browned. Serve Hot.


Day 7- Taco pizza

a twist on an old favorite. If using ready made pizza dough, fit the dough on the pizza pan crimping the edges. Brush with oil. spread refried beans generously over crust. Add taco meat.(seasoned ground beef, sausage or chicken with taco seasoning mix- see recipe below if making your own) spread salsa over the meat. Bake at 500* until crust is golden brown- about 10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Top with lettuce, tomato and shredded cheddar cheese. cut into pizza wedges, and serve with salsa and sour cream.

Seasoned taco meat- brown hamburger with chopped onions. When meat is partially browned, add taco seasoning packet and  1/2 Cup of water. Cook down to desired consistency...

 or make your own taco seasoning.  Recipe on this post.

or make your own pizza crust. Recipe on this post- bread of the week.


Cooking tip of the week steaming rice: I didn't know how to properly cook rice until later in my adult life, so here it is! If you can find a rice steamer on Marketplace, do it. Especially if your family loves rice like mine does. My steamer goes in the microwave. Basically, rice is a 2 to 1 ratio of 2 Cups water to 1 cup rice.  (I like Basmati or Jasmine best- it doesn't get sticky) Add a pinch of salt, Cook rice and water to a rolling boil on stovetop, or in a covered microwave rice cooker 12-15 minutes.   Keep lid on pan and remove from heat for 20 minutes. be sure not to open the lid. The steam cooks the rice. Remove lid and fluff with a fork.

Taco seasoning mix- in an airtight container mix 2t chili powder, 1½ t paprika, 1 t onion powder, ½ t sea salt, ½ t garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon oregano, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 pinch cayenne pepper, 1 pinch red pepper flakes


Bread recipe of the week:

 Here is an all purpose pizza crust recipe. I've made it "bread machine" friendly to save time, but you can just mix this together into a ball, then put it on a floured surface, knead for 5-10 minutes, rest and raise for about an hour in a greased bowl. Punch down, and fit into pizza pans, or freeze.

  2 cups warm water, but not hot, 2 T dry yeast, 2t sugar, 2t salt, 4T oil, 5 C flour 1T basil, 1t oregano in this order.

Turn bread machine to 'dough" setting. It will mix, knead and raise and punch down in the machine. Remove the dough onto a floured surface, then cut it in half. You can freeze this dough if you'd like, putting it in airtight freezer bags for 4-6 weeks. or make 2 pizza's- Roll out the crust and fit it into your pizza pan.  This works for any other kind of pizza.


Dessert recipe of the week:

GRANDPAPA’S FAVORITE BANANA PUDDING

Ingredients: 4-6 bananas,   Vanilla wafers, 2 – 4 oz boxes vanilla pudding mix,  3 C cold milk, 1 8 oz carton Cool Whip.

In a 9x13 pan, layer vanilla wafers then sliced bananas.  In mixing bowl, add pudding mix and milk. Mix for 2 minutes. Pour over bananas. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Top with Cool Whip. Cover and refrigerate.  Quick and easy. 


Time/money saving tip of the week:

Sam's sells large rotisserie chickens and sometimes pkgs of 4 bone-in breast or thigh portions in the refrigerated case. I love to purchase these for a time-saver and freeze it in portions. Remove the breasts and thighs from the bone. Freeze breast portions in ziploc bags for a quick meat in casseroles, stir fry's and soups. Same with the thighs. Take the legs and meaty portion of the wings, leaving the bone in, and freeze together in a ziploc bag (makes great bbq wings). (be sure to mark each package so you know what they are) Take the bones and skin from carcass, put them in the crock pot with: A bay leaf, salt, pepper 1 T white vinegar, thyme, parsley, onion and garlic powder, and any spice that "strikes your fancy". (a phrase from the olden days!) Add about 8 Cups of water. Cook on low for 24 hours, more or less. (add water if needed) Strain broth into a freezer container and VOILA! Healthy bone broth! Now you have 3 pkgs of meats for meals and a delicious broth for soup, from 1 chicken, ready to use at a moment's notice!  For larger families, it might be a good idea to get 2 rotisserie chickens. They are $4.98 at Sam's. 4 breast quarters or thigh quarters are only $3.98.


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