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

This is a good time to inventory your freezer. Take a notebook and inventory everything in writing, moving the newest items to the back as you replace them. Note what has been in there the longest and needs to be used. I am putting a bag of onions and several peppers as well as celery on the grocery list to saute and freeze. If you do not need to add these to your freezer, take them off of the list.

Monday - Recipes

Grilled Chicken
Spaetzle
Italian-seasoned Green Beans

Tuesday - Recipes

Chicken Pot Pie
Buttered Corn
Edamame

Wednesday - Recipes

Stuffed Meatloaf
Salad
Steamed Broccoli
Garlic Bread

Thursday - Recipes

Mexican Corn Chowder
Dinner Rolls
Salad

Friday - Recipes

Meatball Calzones
Apples and Cheese Slices
Bananas in a Blanket

 

Grocery List

This week's Grocery List can be downloaded here:

Grocery List for January 15-19, 2007 - PDF

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

Printer-friendly version

Before using Menus4Moms for the first time, please browse the Menu Plan Basics (links are to the left).

 

Monday Recipes

Notes for Monday:

1. The longer your chicken marinates before grilling, the better it will be. I recommend preparing the marinade at least 24 hours in advance for the best flavor, but if necessary, start marinating the chicken in the morning for grilling at dinnertime. We will make a large batch of chicken so we have plenty of leftover to use in other dishes this week (Planned Leftovers) and to freeze for later.
   
   
2. Using grilled chicken from your freezer in place of boiled or sauteed chicken gives your casseroles and soups a great flavor, so put any chicken left in the freezer and use it in any recipe that calls for cooked chicken.
   
   
3. Spaetzle is a German egg noodle that is cooked in salted water (I like mine heavily salted) then drained and served with butter. It is wonderful! You can usually find this on the International or Ethnic aisle with other German foods.

 Grilled Chicken

• 4 lbs. chicken parts of your choice
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. garlic salt or Adobo
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Place marinade with chicken in a zipper bag and marinate overnight. Grill chicken until it reaches 160° at the thickest part, or until white all the way through and juices run clear. Serve half of the chicken tonight and save the rest for tomorrow. If you do not have a grill or it is cold in your area, you can bake or broil the chicken.

Refrigerate about 3-1/2 cups of cooked chicken for Chicken Pot Pie and Mexican Chowder and freeze any that is left.

 

Spaetzle

 Italian-seasoned Green Beans

• 1 lb. fresh or frozen* green beans, slightly steamed
• 2 T. butter
• 1/2 package Good Seasonings Italian dressing mix

Melt butter in large fry pan. Add green beans. Sprinkle with the 1/2 package of seasoning mix and stir well while sauteing.

 

Tuesday Recipes

Notes for Tuesday:

1. Edamame are soy beans salted and boiled in the pod. They are a popular Japanese snack that is sold frozen. If your local grocer, health food store, or oriental food store sells them, definitely give them a try. They are very popular with children since they are a finger food and kids like popping the beans from the pod into their mouths. If you can't find them, serve Snow Peas with dip.

  Chicken Pot Pie

• 1 can chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1/2 bag frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced (optional)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 T. flour
• 2 T. butter
• 1 tsp. Adobo or season salt
• 2 pie crusts (homemade* or store-bought)
• 1 beaten egg + 2T. water

Make a white sauce by melting butter and adding flour. Stir for 1-2 minutes over low heat but don't let it burn. Add milk and stir while it thickens. Add 1/2 can of broth, seasoning, chicken, vegetables, and hard boiled eggs if you are using them.

Roll out 1 pie crust and place in a 9" pie pan. Put chicken mixture in pan. Roll out second pie crust and place on top of pie. Seal edges, pierce with a fork and brush with beaten egg. Bake at 350° until crust is brown and filling is bubbly.

Buttered Corn

 

  Edamame

Boil 1 bag of frozen edamame in salted water until they float. Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water, and sprinkle with coarse salt. Serve at room temperature by holding the pod to your mouth and squeezing until the beans pop into your mouth. Discard the pod.

Wednesday Recipes

Notes for Wednesday:

1. Double the meatloaf recipe (I have doubled the ingredients for the grocery list) and freeze one of the loaves for a day when you need something to throw in the crockpot for an easy dinner.
   
   
2. Make a large salad tonight and save half for tomorrow night. Add crunchy ingredients and salad dressing just before serving each night.

 Stuffed Crockpot Meatloaf

• 1/2 cup sauteed onion
• 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.

 

Salad

 

Steamed Broccoli

 

Garlic Bread

 

Thursday Recipes

Notes for Thursday: none

 Mexican Corn Chowder

• 2 cups cooked chicken, thawed (from Monday)
• 1/2 c cooked onions, thawed (from freezer)
• 1-2 cloves garlic - minced
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1/2 - 1 tsp cumin, ground
• 2 c half & half
• 3 c cheese - monterey jack, shredded
• 2 cans creamed style corn
• 1 can green chilies, chopped & undrained
• 4 oz. jar pimiento, diced
• fresh cilantro or parsley, optional
• tortilla chips, optional

Combine chicken, onions, garlic, chicken broth, and cumin; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add half & half, cheese, corn, chilies, and hot pepper sauce. Cook and stir over low heat until the cheese is melted. Stir in pimiento. Serve immediately. Garnish with cilantro, parsley, and tortilla chips, if desired.

 

 

Dinner Rolls

Salad (leftover from last night)

 

Friday Recipes

Notes for Friday:

1. You can use either 2 cans of crescent rolls, a can of pizza dough, or a recipe of pizza dough* for the calzones. If you have a large family, double the pizza dough recipe to make 12 calzones.
   
   
2. There is a recipe for homemade meatballs under the Freezer Meat notes. I have found that the Kirkland Signature Italian-style Meatballs from Costco are better than what I can make at home and just as inexpensive without the mess. Use whichever is best for you.
   
   
3. Remember that babies under one year old should not have honey.

Meatball Calzones

• Dough of your choice (see notes)
• Cooked Meatballs, 3 per calzone (see notes)
• 28 oz. can of spaghetti sauce
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese

Roll out dough and cut into 6 rectangles, about 5"x7". Place 1 heaping Tbsp. spaghetti sauce on each rectangle. Top with 1 heaping Tbsp. cheese and 3 meatballs. Carefully fold rectangle so that the long side is folded in half and the short sides are touching each other. Seal all around and bake according to the dough instructions. When done, place on plates and top with more sauce and cheese and serve.

Apples and Cheddar Cheese Slices

Bananas in a Blanket

• 2- 6" tortillas
• 2 medium bananas
• 4 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 2 Tbsp. crushed honey nut cereal (any type)

Lay each tortilla flat and spread with peanut butter. Drizzle each with honey, then sprinkle with cereal. Lay a banana on one end of each tortilla (you may have to break it in half if it is very curved) and roll tortillas up with bananas inside. Cut each tortilla in half and serve. 4 servings

 

 

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