Printer-friendly Weekly Menu Plan | Recipes | Grocery List | July 10-14, 2006

For quicker prep time in the afternoon, Swiss Chicken can be prepared in the morning and refrigerated until time to bake.
Tonight we are cooking brown rice as a side dish. I recommend a rice blend such as Lundberg Black Japonica, but since everyone doesn't have access to stores that carry such blends I have put brown rice on the grocery list. If you have access to these rice blends (usually found at upscale supermarkets and health food stores), substitute them instead for added flavor.
If you plan to use the overnight soak method for your beans for tomorrow, remember to start them tonight.

Swiss Chicken

6 boneless chicken breasts (raw)
6 slices Swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup (substitutions)
1/4 cup white cooking wine (substitutes)
1 cup stuffing mix
1/4 cup melted butter

Place chicken breasts in a baking dish. Cover each with cheese. Mix soup and wine; pour over chicken. Cover with stuffing. Drizzle 1/4 cup butter over stuffing. Bake 40-45 minutes at 350°.

Brown Rice

Steamed Broccoli

Pineapple Chunks

Tuesday Recipes

Notes for Tuesday:

You can make soft or hard tacos, whichever your family prefers.
Start your beans the night before or in the morning if you are cooking dried beans. If you have cooked beans in the freezer, use those instead. Refried beans can be made from pinto beans, kidney beans, red beans, or black beans. I like black beans (and that is what they served each meal in Mexico when I was there) so that is what is what is on the list. Use your favorite kind.

Tacos

tortillas or taco shells*
1 lb. cooked ground beef (from freezer)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
shredded lettuce
diced tomatoes
grated cheese
sour cream
salsa

Prepare taco meat according to package directions. For softer tacos that don't bread when you bite them, preheat oven to 300°. Fill each taco with meat and grated cheese and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Serve with lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, and salsa.

Mexican Corn

Mix a can of cut corn with a can of Rotel tomatoes and green chiles for a spicier version of canned corn.

Refried Beans

1 bag black turtle beans (kidney,pinto, or red beans also work)
cumin
Adobo or garlic salt
olive oil
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

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 cover with water, making sure the water is twice as deep as the beans. Cook on Hi for 5 hours or Low for 8-10 hours.

Drain beans, reserving liquid (place colander on a lg. pan or bowl then pour beans in). Separate beans into 2 cup servings in freezer bags, reserving 4 cups of beans for tonight's meal. Cover beans in each bag with some of reserved liquid. Freeze bags of beans.

Mash 4 cups of beans, adding enough liquid 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.

Mango Slices

You can use either fresh mango or the slices that come in a glass jar in the refrigerated produce section.

Wednesday Recipes

Notes for Wednesday: none

Stuffed Crockpot Meatloaf

1/2 cup cooked onion (from freezer)
1/2 cup finely chopped roasted red bell pepper (from a jar, well drained)
1-2 tsp adobo seasoning
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup of bread crumbs
1-1/2 lbs ground beef
3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1-1/2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
20 very thin slices of Genoa Salami (About 4 oz)

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except spinach, cheese, and salami. Mix well and press out into a 17x8" rectangle on wax paper. Layer spinach, then cheese, then salami on top. Using wax paper to start (but not rolling it into the loaf), roll up meatloaf jelly roll style into an 8" log. Place a large sheet of heavy duty foil inside of your crockpot, leaving enough on each side to use it to lift out the meatloaf when it is finished. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray. (You could use one of the new slow cooker liners, I imagine.) Place the meatloaf on the foil in the crockpot and cover with lid as usual. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 8-10 hours, depending on how hot your crockpot cooks. Remove meatloaf by carefully lifting the foil from the crockpot. Let cool for 10 minutes then slice.

Sugar Snap Peas

1-2 small packages fresh sugar snap peas
1 Tbsp. butter
1tsp. sugar

Wash pea pods. Drain and dry on a paper towel. Melt butter in a fry pan and add sugar snap peas. Toss well and sprinkle with sugar. Heat on medium heat until peas are tender but crisp. Serve hot.

Fruit of your choice

Dinner Rolls

Thursday Recipes

Notes for Thursday:

Tonight's soup can be prepared on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. Try placing your slow cooker outside if it is too hot to use it in the kitchen.
Make a large salad for tonight and save half for tomorrow night. Reserve any crunchies (sunflower seeds, croutons, bacon bits, etc.) and salad dressing and combine just before serving.

Hash Brown Soup

1 sauteed Onion (from freezer)
3 cans chicken broth
1 Large bag Frozen Hash browns
1 Can cream of Celery Soup (substitutions)
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup (substitutions)
12 oz can of Evaporated Milk (I use regular milk instead of evaporated milk)
1 pound Velveeta Cheese

Combine onion and broth, bring to boil. Add hash browns, bring to boil. Add soups (don't dilute) and evaporated milk, bring to boil. Add Cheese. Heat until cheese melts. Optional, serve with bacon bits on top.

Apple, Grape and Walnut Salad

3 sliced and cored Granny Smith apples
1 bunch red grapes, pulled from the stems
chopped walnuts
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).

Salad

Sourdough Bread

Friday Recipes

Notes for Friday:

Thanks to Kristina and Karen for contributing this recipe!
If making your own pizza crust, set your bread machine timer to have the dough ready at dinner time for your convenience. If your bread machine doesn't have a timer, pizza crust can be prepared ahead and refrigerated. I find that it is easier to roll this way as well.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Prepared pizza dough
4 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup ranch or blue cheese* dressing
1/2 bottle hot sauce such as Frank's
1 lb. Cooked chicken (from freezer)
1-2 cups mozzarella cheese
1-2 cups Monterey jack cheese

Prepare and bake the pizza crust of your choice at 350° about 7 minutes, then remove. Combine cream cheese, ranch dressing, and hot sauce in a mixer. Add cooked chicken and mix gently. Spread onto prepared pizza crust. Top with monterey cheese and mozzarella cheese. Bake about 15 more minutes until cheese bubbles.

Salad

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