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Welcome to the menu for October 31 - November 4! In order to make the best use of Menus 4 Moms, before beginning the Menu please read the Menus 4 Moms plan basics and the Busy Cooks Pyramid as Menus 4 Moms will be based on these items each week. If you have questions, please check the FAQ page.
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Menu for October 31 - November 4, 2005
Monday - Recipes
Pinto Beans over Cornbread
Fried Okra
Macaroni and Cheese
Tuesday - Recipes
Pie A La Italian
Salad
Bread
Wednesday - Recipes
Chicken Enchiladas
Refried Beans
Spanish Rice
Thursday - Recipes
Grilled Fish
Ranch Pasta Salad
Green Beans
Friday - Recipes
Homemade Pizza
Salad
Grocery List
This week's Grocery List can be downloaded here:
Grocery List for October 31 - November 4, 2005 - PDF
Shopping List Software format (download shopping list free Windows software)
Monday Recipes
Notes for Monday:
- Pinto beans over cornbread are a southern staple. We will cook the beans using some of the leftover frozen ham from a couple of weeks ago. If you don't have any left, you can be ambitious and cook another ham (gives you more drippings and stock to use in your beans) or you can get some precooked diced ham at the store. Be sure to add this to your grocery list if you need it.
- You can either soak the beans overnight (plan ahead) or use the quick soak method described below.
- I don't recommend using a freezer onion for this recipe.
Pinto Beans
- 1 bag dry pinto beans
- water as needed
- 1 can chicken broth
- 1 large onion, chopped
- diced ham (from freezer)
- Adobo seasoning
- Liquid smoke (opt.)
Rinse beans in a colander and check to be sure there are no stones or other debris. Place beans in a dutch oven and cover with water so that the water is twice as deep as the beans. Overnight soak: Leave beans in water overnight. Quick soak: Heat to boiling and boil for 2 minutes. Turn heat off and cover, let sit for 1 hour.
Drain beans in colander and rinse pot. Place beans in slow cooker and add chicken broth. Cover with water, making sure the liquid is twice as deep as the beans. Add diced ham, a couple of drops of liquid smoke, and onions. Cook on Hi for 6 hours or Low for 8-10 hours. Season with Adobo seasoning to taste. Serve over cornbread in a bowl with bean juices. Top with fresh chopped onion and shredded cheddar cheese.
Cornbread
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
Preheat oven to 425°F. Put half of the olive oil in a 9x9x2 cast iron skillet and preheat in oven without burning oil. Mix all remaining ingredients in a bowl. Pour batter into preheated cast iron skillet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.
Fried Okra
- 1 bag frozen breaded okra (or two if your family likes it as much as ours)
- oil for pan frying
Heat oil in a deep (2-3") fry pan. Fry okra (do not crowd in pan) until golden brown. Drain on paper towels, salt and serve.
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard (optional)
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2-1/2 cups milk
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cups (8 oz) shredded American or Cheddar cheese, divided
- 8 oz Mueller's Elbows (about 2 cups), cooked 5 minutes and drained
In medium saucepan combine corn starch, salt, dry mustard and pepper; stir in milk. Add margarine. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 1-3/4 cups (425 ml) cheese until melted. Add elbows. Pour into greased 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake uncovered in 375 degree oven 25 minutes or until lightly browned. This can be prepared ahead of time and kept refrigerated until you are ready to bake. Add 5-7 minutes to the cooking time if cold.
Source: Mueller's elbow macaroni box
Tuesday Recipes
Notes for Tuesday:
- Tonight's recipe was recommended by Effi B. and was given a big thumbs up from our testers, the Potters.
Pie A La Italian
- 1 can Crescent Dinner Rolls
- 8 oz package Monterey Jack cheese, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 12 oz package smoked sausages, cut into ¼ inch slices
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
Unroll crescent rolls and separate into 8 triangles. Place 5 triangles in ungreased 9 inch pie pan pressing pieces together to forma crust. Reserve 3 triangles for top crust. Combine remaining ingredients in large mixing bowl. Pour into crust. Roll out each remaining triangle so longest side is 9 inches. Cut into ½ inch strips. Crisscross strips over filling to form a lattice top. Flute edge. Bake at 325 for 60 to 70 minutes or until knife inserted 2 inches from edge comes out clean. Do not overbake. Cool 10 minutes before cutting in wedges.
Salad
Bread of your choice
Wednesday Recipes
Notes for Wednesday:
- These chicken enchiladas are a family favorite.
- We regularly cook a bag of dried beans and freeze the extra in juice for use in place of canned beans. If you have not done this, you can cook some dried beans using these directions or you can buy a couple of cans of black beans. Be sure to add the beans to your grocery list if you aren't using freezer beans.
Chicken Enchiladas
- 2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken (from freezer)
- 1 can cream of chicken soup (substitute)
- 1 can chicken broth
- 8 oz. sour cream
- 1 onions, sauteed (from freezer)
- 1 bell pepper, chopped & sauteed
- cilantro
- cumin
- Adobo or garlic salt
- 6 whole wheat flour tortillas (if you can't find them, get regular ones)
- 2 cups Mexican blend cheese
Combine soup, 3/4 can chicken broth, and sour cream. Set aside 1 cup of this mixture. To the remaining mixture, add chicken, onion, pepper, and spices to taste. Add 1 cups of the cheese.
Place 2-3 T. of mixture onto each tortilla, roll up, and place the tortillas in a 9x9 pans. Add the remaining chicken broth to the reserved soup mixture and pour over enchiladas in each pan. Sprinkle remaining cheese over enchiladas. Cover foil pan tightly with foil or plastic wrap and freeze. Cook other pan of enchiladas at 350° until bubbly.
Refried Beans
- 4 cups black beans with juice (from freezer)
- cumin
- Adobo or garlic salt
- olive oil
- 1 can red enchilada sauce
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Mash 4 cups of beans, adding enough juice to make beans mushy and soft. Heat 2 T. olive oil in a fry pan and add mashed beans and spices to taste. Stir until hot and bubbly. Heat enchilada sauce in a sauce pan and serve beans topped with enchilada sauce and shredded cheddar cheese.
Spanish Rice
- 3 T. olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 green pepper chopped, seeded
- 1 c. long grain rice (or brown rice* for healthier version)
- 2 c. chicken broth (if you are using brown rice add extra water)
- 2 T. tomato paste
- 1/2 t. cumin
Saute onion garlic and green pepper in oil until transparent. Add rice and brown until lightly browned. Mix the rest of the ingredients and add to pan. Cover and cook 20-25 minutes (longer, closer to 45 minutes, for brown rice).
Thursday Recipes
Notes for Thursday:
- Prepare this easy homemade pasta salad (compliments of Heidi from TheHomeSchoolMom in the Kitchen) in the morning so it will be thoroughly chilled by dinner time.
- Make sure you have gas or charcoal for your grill.
Grilled Fish
- 2 lbs. bass, crappie, croaker, whiting (sea mullet), or flounder (or other flaky white fish)
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- generous sprinkling of lemon pepper seasoning (1 Tbsp)
- generous sprinkling of adobo seasoning or garlic salt (1 Tbsp)
Place fish in a shallow dish for marinating. Combine all other ingredients and pour over fish. Marinate 20 minutes. Grill over medium heat until flesh is white and flaky.
Ranch Pasta Salad
- 1 lb. whole wheat pasta shells
- 2 handfuls baby carrots, chopped
- 1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 package frozen baby peas, thawed
- 1 cup real mayonnaise, more if it seems dry
- 1 package ranch dressing mix
Mix all ingredients. Chill for 1 hour or more.
Green Beans
Friday Recipes
Notes for Friday:
- Use your breadmaker (especially if you have one with a timer) to get your pizza dough ready just in time to put together the pizza for dinner. Use the recipe that came with your breadmaker or this great bread recipe that I use for pizza dough as well. It is large enough to make several portions that you can freeze (freeze dough before cooking).
- The best pizza is made on stoneware, and nobody makes stoneware like Pampered Chef. I don't get paid for saying this, I just love their stoneware. I have 2 stoneware pizza pans (1 is PC and 1 is not, and there is no comparison between them) and I use them all the time. I don't own a metal cookie sheet or pizza pan anymore.
Homemade Pizza
- Homemade pizza dough
- 2 cups spaghetti sauce from the freezer* or a can (I like Four Cheese flavor for pizza)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- your favorite toppings
Roll out your prepared dough on a pizza pan. Spread with spaghetti sauce and top with cheeses. Add your favorite toppings and bake at 450° until hot and bubbly.
Salad
* Indicates that of the options listed, this item is the one on the grocery list.
