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Welcome to the menu for January 16-20, 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 January 16-20, 2006
Please check the message board if you have questions or comments about these recipes.
Monday - Recipes
Easy Spaghetti Sauce over Ravioli
Garlic Bread
Salad
Tuesday - Recipes
Chicken Divan
Angel Hair Pasta Carbonara
Acorn Squash
Wednesday - Recipes
Spaghetti Pie
Green Beans
Salad
Thursday - Recipes
Chicken Biscuit Pot Pie
Field Peas and Snaps
Apple, Grape, and Walnut Salad
Friday - Recipes
Subs/Hoagies
Chips
Broccoli Slaw
Grocery List
This week's Grocery List can be downloaded here:
Grocery List for January 16-20, 2006 - PDF
Shopping List Software format (download shopping list free Windows software)
Monday Recipes
Notes for Monday:
- Save about 1 1/2 cups of this easy spaghetti sauce recipe for Wednesday's Spaghetti Pie.
- Tonight we are having a large salad so we will prepare it ahead and save half for Wednesday night.
Easy Spaghetti Sauce over Ravioli
- 1 (28 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
- 1 lb. cooked ground beef (from freezer)
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 onion (from freezer)
- 2-3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 1 tsp. basil
- 1 bag frozen ravioli, your choice of flavor
Combine all ingredients except ravioli and simmer in a slow cooker for 4-5 hours on low. Cook and drain ravioli. Serve sauce over ravioli.
Garlic Bread
- 2 fresh hoagie rolls, sliced loafwise
- 1/2 stick butter
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- salt
Melt butter in saucepan. Add garlic and salt to taste. Dip one side of bread slices into garlic butter and place on cookie sheet in loaf form. Warm at 350° until hot.
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:
- Tonight we are going to cook chicken for tonight and Thursday, and freeze any leftover. I am putting the extra chicken on the grocery list; you can choose whether to boil it or grill it. Do this early in the day (or even earlier in the week) and chop it all when it is cool. You will use 4 cups tonight, 1-1/2 cups for Thursday, and freeze the rest in dated freezer bags for future use in the menus. For more information about freezing cooked ingredients, read the menu notes.
- I have put boneless chicken breasts on the list, but if you prefer you may use whole hens or packages of thighs to save money.
- If you want to save a little money, you can double the broccoli and half the chicken in the Chicken Divan recipe.
Chicken Divan
- 4 cups chicken, cut up
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. curry powder
- 1 16 oz. pkg. frozen chopped broccoli, cooked
- 1 small bag Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix
Heat soup and cheese until melted. Remove from heat. Add mayonnaise, lemon juice, and curry. Mix well. In a 9x12 casserole dish layer all of broccoli, then all of chicken, then all of soup and cheese mixture. Cover with stuffing mix. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
Angel Hair Pasta Carbonara
- 8 oz. cooked, drained, rinsed angel hair pasta (if long, break into pieces before cooking)
- 1 jar real bacon bits or 8 slices bacon*, cooked
- 1 bunch sliced green onions & 1/2 tops
- 4 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
- 2/3 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 2/3 c. cream, room temperature
- 2 tsp. dry parsley flakes
- Salt & pepper to taste
If cooking bacon from scratch, in fry pan brown bacon pieces. Otherwise, heat a little vegetable oil and add onion and mushrooms, saute until soft. In bowl beat eggs, add other ingredients and mix and set aside.
To fry pan with bacon, onions and mushrooms and add rinsed, cooked noodles; heat. Just before serving, remove from heat and add bowl of egg mixture to hot noodle mixture and mix. Serve immediately.
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.
Wednesday Recipes
Notes for Wednesday:
- Use the reserved spaghetti sauce from Monday. If you did not make the sauce, use purchased sauce.
Spaghetti Pie
- 6 oz. spaghetti, cooked and still warm
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 well beaten egg
- 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 c. cottage cheese
- 1 c. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce (from Monday)
Combine hot cooked spaghetti with butter until butter is melted. Add egg and Parmesan cheese. Place in pie dish and form a "crust" with a well in the center. Spread cottage cheese over spaghetti in pie dish. Cover with spaghetti sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350° or until bubbly. Cut into slices and serve.
Salad
Use the salad you prepared on Monday, adding croutons and salad dressing just before serving.
Green Beans
Thursday Recipes
Notes for Thursday:
- Use the chicken from Tuesday for tonight's dish. If you did not cook the chicken earlier in the week, you can cook it now or use some cooked chicken from your freezer.
- You can make homemade field peas if you want to. I like to use a couple of cans of Glory brand Field Peas and Snaps.
Chicken Biscuit Pot Pie
- 1 2/3 cup frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
- 1 1/2 cup cubed cooked chicken (from Monday)
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1 cup biscuit mix
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 egg
Combine vegetables, chicken, soup and thyme. Pour into a 9 inch pie pan. Combine biscuit mix, milk and egg. Pour over top. Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes. Prep time for this is short - not more than 10 minutes!
Field Peas and Snaps
Apple, Grape, and Walnut Salad
- 3 Granny Smith apples, washed, sliced and cored
- 1 bunch red grapes, washed and pulled from the stems
- chopped walnuts (use as many as you like, I use about 2/3 cup)
- 8 oz. vanilla yogurt
- 3 oz. cream cheese
Combine fruit and nuts and serve with vanilla yogurt mixed with cream cheese (use a mixer for a smooth blend).
Friday Recipes
Notes for Friday:
- You can make hot or cold sandwiches. At this time of year we really like them warm and toasty.
Subs/Hoagies
- 2 lbs. of your favorite deli meats (chicken, turkey, ham, roast beef, pastrami, pepperoni, or any combination of them)
- bacon or turkey bacon slices
- 1/2 lb. provolone* or cheddar cheese
- relish or salad peppers
- condiments of your choice (we like horsey sauce)
- lettuce leaves
- tomato slices
- red onion slices
- 4-6 hoagie rolls
Arrange all ingredients on a platter and let everyone make their own sub, or you can assemble hoagies and toast them in the broiler (watch carefully!). When I do this, I toast both side of the sandwich with the cheese on top of one side and the bacon on top of the other side. Add lettuce, tomato, and onions when they come out of the oven.
Chips
Broccoli Slaw
- 1 bag prepared broccoli* or cabbage slaw, or homemade shreds
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp. vinegar
- 2 tsp. sugar
Combine last 3 ingredients and refrigerate covered until ready to use. Mix with shredded slaw vegetables just before serving. You may add any of the following if you wish: raisins, bacon, sesame seeds, almonds, walnuts, green onions, and apple.
* Indicates that of the options listed, this item is the one on the grocery list.
