Sign up to get the weekly dinner menus by email each week.

 

Monday Recipes

Notes for Monday:

1. When you make tonight's meatloaf, make an extra loaf for the meatloaf sandwiches on Thursday. If you end up having leftover meatloaf from tonight, just freeze the second loaf and use the leftovers from the first loaf for your sandwiches. The grocery list is doubled for this purpose. If you end up freezing a loaf, be sure to label your frozen dishes with cooking instructions!
   
   
2. Make a large spinach salad tonight and save half for Wednesday night. Add croutons and any other "crunchies" just before serving each night.
   
   
3. Thaw a pack of cooked ground beef from your freezer for tomorrow night. If you don't have already browned ground beef in the freezer, consider adding another lb. to your grocery list and cooking tonight for tomorrow's Baked Penne Pasta.
   

 

Meatloaf (Double to make 2 loaves)

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup dry red wine* or beef broth
• 1 tsp. Adobo* or garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp. thyme
• an additional 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 1 large jar chopped pimento

Mix all ingredients well except additional cheese and pimento. Press out on wax paper to a rectangular shape, 1/2" thick and the length of your loaf pan. Sprinkle with the additional cheese and the pimento, then roll up jelly-roll style using the wax paper to get the roll started. Place loaf pan upside down on wax paper over the rolled up meatloaf and flip all of it rightside up to put loaf in the pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until done. You can cook both loaves at the same time but you may need to add a little additional time.

Mashed Potatoes

• 6 potatoes
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 oz. cream cheese
• milk
• Adobo seasoning to taste

Peel potatoes and quarter. Boil in enough water to cover potatoes until potatoes are tender. Drain. Mix all ingredients except milk and mash with a potato masher or large fork. Add enough milk to make potatoes creamy. If you like very creamy mashed potatoes you can use a mixer to get a good whipped consistency. If you like lumpy potatoes, I recommend using a fork or potato masher to maintain a more solid consistency. If you want a healthier version, omit sour cream and cheese, mix with skim milk and add butter buds for flavor.

Spinach Salad

• Spinach leaves* (baby) or spinach salad mix
• Croutons
• Sunflower seeds
• grated carrot
• salad dressing

Wash greens thoroughly and pat dry. Mix half of spinach and "crunchy" ingredients together just before serving, saving the other half for tomorrow night. Add salad dressing to taste.

 

Tuesday Recipes

Notes for Tuesday:

1. If you didn't thaw ground beef last night, take it out this morning to thaw or make sure you leave enough time to cook a pound for tonight's baked pasta.
   
   
2. This recipe would freeze well, so if you can, double the ingredients on your grocery list and make an extra pan of this pasta in a freezer safe dish. Label with clear cooking instructions and freeze for a time when you need a quick meal.
   
   
   

Baked Penne Pasta

• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 lb. ground beef, browned (from freezer)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce
  3/4 cup brown gravy
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste
• 12 oz. penne pasta, cooked
• 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cook beef, drain and rinse with hot water to remove excess fat. In a large fry pan, saute garlic over low heat 1-2 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients except Mozzarella cheese and pasta. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add pasta and pour into a baking dish. Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese on top. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.

 Sugar Snap Peas

• 16 oz. frozen sugar snap peas
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1tsp. sugar

Thaw peas and 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.

 

 

  Italian Bread

 

 

Wednesday Recipes

Notes for Wednesday:

1. "Panko breadcrumbs are the superhero of breadcrumbs. It is not rice (like some people think). The ingredient list reads as follows: bleached wheat flour, dextrose, partially hydrogenated soybean oil and palm oil, yeast and salt. Originally from Japan (they are often referred to as Japanese-style breadcrumbs), panko breadcrumbs are larger, flakier and lighter. They endow any breaded item with several advantages -- they brown better, do not get soggy on the inside and stay crunchier on the outside. They are beautiful, and I highly recommend using them to create deliciously crunchy fried foods or even super-crisp breaded chicken cutlets... Panko breadcrumbs are sold at most Asian markets and you can even buy them off the Internet from specialty Asian food sites." excerpted from DIY Network's Food Network Kitchen
   
   
2. Using the leftover spinach salad from Monday night, add croutons, bacon bits, sunflower seeds, and any other "crunchies" just before serving.
   
   
   
   
   

  Panko Chicken

• 1-2 cups Japanese breadcrumbs (if you can't find them, use regular breadcrumbs)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 lb. chicken tenders (uncooked, frozen or thawed)

Put mayonnaise and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Dip chicken tenders into mayonnaise, then breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet (stoneware works best) and bake at 350° until brown and cooked throughout.

 

 

Broccoli Casserole

• 1 16 oz. bag frozen chopped broccoli, cooked
• 1 T. dried minced onion
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp. marjoram
• 2 T. butter
• 2 T. flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 tsp. chicken bouillon
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in large sauce pan. Add flour and stir for one minute. Add milk slowly and beat with a whisk. Add chicken bouillon, spices, onion, and Parmesan cheese. Mix with cooked broccoli and put in a greased casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°.

Leftover Spinach Salad

 

 

 

Thursday Recipes

Notes for Thursday:

1. Use leftover meatloaf from Monday for tonight's sandwiches.
   
   
2. Read Friday's note about Kids in the Kitchen and decide if you want to make the Smoothie Pops tonight or wait to tomorrow morning.
   

 

   Meatloaf Sandwiches

• leftover meatloaf, cut into thick slices
• sliced cheese (I like Provolone for this, but kids would rather have American*)
• sourdough bread

Slice the meatloaf into 1/2 inch thick slices and place slice on top of a piece of bread. Top with a slice of cheese. Warm in microwave for a few seconds until cheese has just started to melt. Place another piece of bread on top and warm for a second.

Bacon Ranch Green Beans

• 1 package (16 oz) frozen green beans
• 2 tbsp butter or margarine
• 1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
• 4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled or bacon bits* (I like Hormel Real Bacon Bits)

In a skillet, saute the green beans in butter. Add the salad dressing mix and toss to coat. Just before serving, sprinkle in the bacon and mix.

Apples and Cheddar Cheese Slices

 

Friday Recipes

Notes for Friday:

1. Tonight we are grilling (you may bake or broil if you don't have a grill). Be sure to marinate early in the day so the meat will be flavorful.
   
   
2. If you need to replenish your freezer chicken, this is the same marinade that we use to make grilled chicken so you can add some chicken parts to grill and freeze.
   
   
3. Are you ready for another episode of Kids in the Kitchen? If last week's recipe for Apple Turnovers was more of a stressor than a fun time with your kids, then go ahead and make these smoothie pops all on your own! BUT if your willing to have a little mess then yell for the kids and get started on this recipe early in the day. I just got this recipe from Family Fun and it was a hit. This recipe needs to chill 4-6 hours so you may even want to do this a few days ahead. For cutting the fruit, my 4 year old uses a butter knife and does just fine.
   
   

 Chicken Kabobs over Yellow Rice

• 1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into 2" squares
• 3 red or green* bell peppers
• 8 oz. whole mushrooms
• 2 onions
• 1 pkg yellow rice, cooked according to directions

Marinade

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. garlic salt or Adobo*
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix marinade ingredients. Pour half into a marinating container with the other chicken. Use the other half to marinate the vegetables (see below) and for later basting. Marinate for several hours.

Wash vegetables and chop into 2x2 pieces (leave mushrooms whole). Marinate with half of the marinade for at least 30 minutes. Alternate chicken and vegetables on kabob skewers and grill until chicken is done. Serve over yellow rice.

 

Strawberry Smoothie Pops

• 1/2 pint fresh strawberries
• 1 banana (optional)
• 2 (8 oz.) containers of strawberry yogurt
• 1 cup milk

Have your kids wash and hull the strawberries and if you are using bananas, peel and slice them.

With adult supervision, place all the fruit in an electric blender. Add yogurt and milk to the blender and seal the top. Blend until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes.

Place smoothie mixture into popsicle molds or small paper cups. Cover the tops of the cups with aluminum foil and insert craft sticks for the handles.

Freeze for 4-6 hours. When ready to serve, dip the molds or paper cups in warm water to unmold the pops. Enjoy!

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

Back to Menus 4 Moms archive

Back to Kitchen Helps