Weekly Menu Plan

Welcome to the menu for February 6 - 10, 2006. In order to make the best use of Menus 4 Moms, please browse the Menu Plan Basics (links are to the left); they will explain the basics of the menu plan.

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Menu for February 6 - 10, 2006

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Please check the message board if you have questions or comments about these recipes.

Monday - Recipes

15 Bean Soup
Cornbread
Salad

Tuesday - Recipes

Beef Burgundy Simplified
Egg Noodles
Green Beans
Baked Bananas

Wednesday - Recipes

Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti
Acorn Squash
Peas

Thursday - Recipes

Loaded Baked Potatoes
Salad
Quick Stovetop Vegetables
Vanilla Yogurt with Pineapple

Friday - Recipes

Sloppy Joes
Twice-baked Potatoes
Celery with Pimiento Cheese
Grapes

Grocery List

This week's Grocery List can be downloaded here:

Grocery List for February 6 - 10, 2006 - PDF

Shopping List Software format (download shopping list free Windows software)

Monday Recipes

Notes for Monday:

If you prefer an overnight soak, start your dried bean preparation the night before.
In keeping with Menus 4 Moms' effort to keep prep time to a minimum, we will make a large salad tonight which we will eat of off tonight and tomorrow night, saving prep time tomorrow. Be sure to keep your crunchies (bacon, sunflower seeds, croutons, etc.) and dressing separate from the lettuce and vegetables and combine all just before serving.

15 Bean Soup

15 bean soup dried beans package
1 can diced tomatoes
chili seasoning packet (if your beans don't come with a seasoning packed)
ham, if desired
brown rice, prepared according to directions.

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. 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 cover with water, making sure the water is twice as deep as the beans. Drain tomatoes and add tomatoes and seasoning to beans. If using meat (ham is preferable), add now. Cook on Hi for 5 hours or Low for 8-10 hours. Serve on cooked brown rice.

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
1 can corn, drained (optional)

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.

Salad

Make a large salad with mixed greens, your choice of chopped vegetables, cheese, etc. Separately combine sunflower seeds, crumbled bacon, croutons, etc. Reserve half of salad and crouton mixture, reserving half for Wednesday. Combine salad, crouton mixture, and dressing just before serving.

Tuesday Recipes

Notes for Tuesday:

Baked bananas sound unusual, but they are very sweet and delicious. Give it a try if you have never had them!
If you can make the Beef Burgundy a day or two early and refrigerate it the flavor will intensify. If not, start it in the early afternoon to be ready for dinner. I do this recipe in my slow cooker, and I add the mushrooms at the beginning with the other ingredients.
I have listed substitutes for the red wine in this recipe, but I do not recommending substituting unless absolutely necessary. The red wine is what gives this wonderful dish its depth of flavor. If you do not drink wine and the rest of the bottle would go to waste, look for the small 4 packs that have one serving per bottle. These are ideal for cooking as you only open what you need.

Beef Burgundy Simplified

2 T. oil
18 small white onions, peeled (or frozen)
3-5 pounds beef chuck, cut in 1 1/2 inch cubes
2 T flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1-2 C. Burgundy or other dry red cooking wine (substitutes)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 Cup beef stock (or canned beef bouillon*)
1- 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 T. chopped parsley
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. thyme
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms
2 T. butter

Lightly brown the onions in the oil and remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Pat meat dry between paper towels and brown it on all sides in the same pot without crowding. You may have to do it in batches. Sprinkle browned meat with flour, salt, and pepper. Add wine, garlic, stock, tomato sauce and herbs. Over heat bring the mixture to a simmer and then cook it, tightly covered for two or more hours or until the meat is fork tender. Add the onions after one hour.

Meanwhile, wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth and trim off stem ends. Quarter mushrooms if large, leave small ones whole. Heat the butter and remaining part of oil in a large skillet and lightly saute the mushrooms for about 4 minutes and set aside.

When done, skim off any fat and add the mushrooms. Voila! Beef burgundy! After cooling, it can be refrigerated or frozen at this point. If the sauce is too thin, combine 2 TB flour with 1/2 Cup water and whisk the mixture into boiling beef burgundy. Serve over egg noodles.

This recipe is courtesy of Marilyn Moll at www.UrbanHomemaker.com.

Egg Noodles , prepared according to instructions

Green Beans

Baked Bananas

8 firm bananas, peeled
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 cups fine bread crumbs
1/2 cup brown sugar

Slice bananas in half length-wise. Dip each half in melted butter and roll in bread crumbs. Place in a greased 9x9" pan and sprinkle with brown sugar to taste. Bake at 350° until bananas are soft and lightly browned (about 15 minutes). Serve warm.

Wednesday Recipes

Notes for Wednesday:

You can adjust the spiciness of this dish by either reducing or omitting the green chiles. I usually add them last and only put them on one side so it will not be too spicy for the children.

Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti

1 package (8 oz) spaghetti, broken in half
2 cups cubed cooked chicken (from freezer)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup milk
1 T diced pimientos (optional)
1 can green chiles (optional)
1 Tbsp. tarragon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the chicken, 1 cup cheese, soup, milk, pimientos, green chiles, tarragon, salt and pepper. Drain spaghetti, add to the chicken mixture and toss to coat.

Transfer to a greased 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash for each 2 people

Wash acorn squash, cut in half; scrape out seeds. Place upside down into a glass baking dish containing 2 Tbsp. water. Cook in microwave until squash is tender, (time depends on your microwave strength and the number of squash you are cooking).

Remove from microwave, turn squash right side up in same dish. Into each hollow, place:

1 tsp. brown sugar or honey
1 tsp. butter
dash salt

Cook in microwave until butter mixture is bubbly. Serve hot.

Peas (Canned or frozen*)

Thursday Recipes

Notes for Thursday:

Since we are cooking baked potatoes tonight, we are going to bake 3 extra potatoes so we can have twice-baked (or stuffed) potatoes tomorrow night.

Loaded Baked Potatoes

9 large baking potatoes
1 can chili
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
bacon bits
chives
butter

Spray potatoes with olive oil spray. Coat with coarsely ground salt and pepper. Poke several times with a fork and cook at 350° until centers are hot and tender (start with and hour and go from there). For 6 of the potatoes, cut open and slightly mash insides (leave insides in potato). Top with preferred toppings from above or serve plain and let each person top their own from your "toppings bar".

The remaining 3 potatoes will be for tomorrow. Cut them in half length-wise and scoop out insides. Mash insides and add 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits OR 1/2 cup sour cream and chives to taste. Place seasoned insides back in skins and sprinkle with cheese or paprika for garnish. Refrigerate until ready to bake tomorrow.

Salad (from Monday)

Quick Stovetop Vegetables

1 can cut corn
2 cans diced tomatoes and green chiles (you may want to just use diced tomatoes for kids)
1 can black beans
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen okra (not breaded)
Adobo or garlic salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients except cheese and heat in a saucepan until bubbly. Serve topped with shredded cheese.

Vanilla Yogurt with Pineapple

Friday Recipes

Notes for Friday:

I have doubled the ingredients for Sloppy Joes so that you can freeze a bag for a quick meal later.
I am adding 5 lbs. ground beef to the list. You can use two for the Sloppy Joes and the other 3 to be browned and frozen.

Sloppy Joes

Recipe is here. Be sure to double it and freeze half. Serve over hamburger buns.

Twice-baked potatoes

These were prepared last night. Remove from the refrigerator and heat in the microwave until hot.

Celery with Pimiento Cheese

Grapes

* Indicates that of the options listed, this item is the one on the grocery list.

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