You are here:  Home / Weekly Menu / Archive / February 11-15, 2008

Monday

• Easy Cheeseburger Pie
• Seasoned Green Beans
• Fruit Cocktail

Tuesday

• Baked Penne Pasta
• Spinach Salad
• Garlic Cheese Toast

Wednesday

• Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder
• Spinach Salad
• Cornbread

Thursday

• London Broil
• Baked Potatoes
• Sautéed Asparagus
• Happy Valentine's Dessert Trifle

Friday

• Tuna Pasta
• Orange Slices

 

Monday Recipes

Notes for Monday:

1. We bought extra ground beef a few weeks ago to make meatballs for the freezer. This week we are going to buy extra ground beef for restocking the freezer with plain browned ground beef. I have added 5 lbs. ground beef to your grocery list. If you cannot afford it this week, just make sure you have enough (2 lbs.) for this week. Cook all of your ground beef in a large dutch oven or in a really large frying pan, seasoning to taste. (I like just salt and pepper or Adobo). Save out 1 lb. for tonight's recipe, 1 lb. for tomorrow night and divide the remaining cooked beef into 2 or 3 freezer safe containers. Make sure to label your containers before freezing.
   
   
   

Easy Cheeseburger Pie

• 1 pound cooked ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped and sauteed (from freezer)
• 1 can diced green chiles (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
• 1/2 cup Bisquick® mix
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs

Heat oven to 400°F. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Combine beef and onion. Spread in pie plate; sprinkle with salt, chiles, and cheese. Stir in remaining ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate. Bake about 25 minutes or until bubbly.

 

Seasoned Green Beans

• 1 lb. fresh 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.

 

 

Fruit Cocktail

 

 

Tuesday Recipes

Notes for Tuesday:

1. If you didn't cook ground beef last night, take out some browned beef from the freezer 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.
   
   
3. Make a large spinach salad tonight and save half for tomorrow night. Add "crunchies" and salad dressing just before serving each night.
   
   
   
   
   

 Baked Penne Pasta

• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 lb. ground beef, browned (from Monday or 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

Reheat beef. 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°F for 25 minutes.

 

Spinach Salad

• Bag baby spinach greens
• sliced mushrooms
• sunflower seeds
• raisins
• croutons
• salad dressing

Wash spinach and place in salad bowl. Top with remaining items and serve with salad dressing of your choice.

 

Garlic Cheese Toast

• 1 loaf of French bread
• Pam™ olive oil spray
• Italian blend cheese, shredded
• garlic salt or Adobo*

Slice bread and lay flat on a cookie sheet. Spray each slice with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with garlic salt or Adobo. Sprinkle with shredded cheese blend. Bake at 350°F until cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Wednesday Recipes

Notes for Wednesday:

1. You may want to start marinating your london broil for tomorrow. If you do not marinade it today, make sure to start it early in the morning so it will be ready to cook tomorrow afternoon. See Thursday's recipe for the marinade.
   
   
2. Make your brownies today for your dessert tomorrow.
   
   
   

 Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

• 2 cups cooked chicken, thawed (from freezer)
• 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 milk
• 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 milk, 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.

 

 

Spinach Salad

 

 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

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.

 

 

Thursday Recipes

Notes for Thursday:

1. Happy Valentine's Day! This menu is for those of us that avoid going out to crazy restaurants for this lovely holiday. At my house, the kids will still be around so it won't be that quiet, intimate dinner many of you may enjoy. One idea that might make it a little more fun for those of you staying in with kids is to have them serve you. I'll cook the dinner and my kids will have a blast pretending to be our "servers". Maybe set the table with candles, give the kids a towel to put over their arm, a notepad and a pen and let them enjoy being part of your "romantic" night!
   
   
2. If you did not marinate the meat yesterday, make sure you start the marinade early in the day today.
   
   
3. Weekend Idea: Save any extra steak for a steak salad or steak fajitas over the weekend.
   
   
4. This dessert makes a lot so you may want 1/2 the recipe. I don't have a trifle dish, so I just put mine in little individual parfait glasses.
   
   
   

   London Broil

• 1 to 1-1/2 lb. top round roast or "London Broil"
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• pinch cayenne pepper
• dash hot sauce

Combine all ingredients except meat. Trim fat from roast. Score meat (make shallow cuts) at 1" intervals diagonally, making a diamond pattern. Place meat in gallon-sized freezer bag and pour in marinade, reserving 1/4 cup. Close tightly and shake gently. Marinate all day or overnight. Remove meat from bag, discarding marinade. Grill, covered over medium heat, or broil in the oven until medium rare or desired doneness is reached (use a meat thermometer to determine doneness). Baste twice with reserved 1/4 cup marinade.

Slice into very thin slices against the grain at a 45° angle before serving.

 

Baked Potatoes

• 4 large baking potatoes (or as many as you need for your family)
• sour cream
• bacon bits
• butter
• olive oil spray

Spray potatoes with olive oil spray. Coat with coarsely ground salt and pepper.

Oven Method: Poke several times with a fork and cook at 350°F until centers are hot and tender (start with an hour and go from there).

Crockpot Method: Baked potatoes can be easily prepared by cleaning them in the morning, pricking them with a fork several times and cooking in the slow cooker for 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low.

Microwave Method: If the crockpot or oven timing doesn't work for you, just cook them in the microwave before dinner. I prick them with a fork and start with 6 minutes, checking them regularly to see if they are done.

Cut open and slightly mash insides of potatoes (leave insides in potato). Top with preferred toppings from above or serve plain and let each person top their own.

 

 Sautéed Asparagus

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1-2 pkg. frozen asparagus
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp dried rosemary

Heat oil and balsamic vinegar in large skillet over medium heat. Add frozen asparagus and herbs; saute for about 15 minutes, turning asparagus over frequently.

 Happy Valentine's Dessert Trifle

• 1 box fudge brownies (or homemade from your own recipe)
• 2 cups strawberries, sliced
• 1 banana, sliced
• 1(12 oz.) tub cool whip, thawed

Cook brownies according to package directions. Let cool and then cut into 24 servings. In the bottom of a trifle dish or glass bowl, layer 1/2 the brownies, 1/2 of the strawberries, 1/2 of the bananas and 1/2 of the cool whip. Repeat layers. Garnish with a few extra strawberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

 

Friday Recipes

Notes for Friday:

1. This one-pan pasta dish can be served warm or cold. If you want it warm, just drain and add tuna, dressing and toss. If you would like to serve it cold, drain and rinse pasta/vegetable mixture with cold water until cooled. Then add tuna and dressing and toss.
   
   

 Tuna Pasta

• 1 box (16 oz.) tri color pasta
• 1 can (6 oz.) tuna
• 1 package (12 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 cup ranch dressing

Cook pasta according to package directions. About 5 minutes before pasta is finished cooking, pour frozen vegetables into boiling pot of pasta. Bring to a second boil. Drain. Place pasta/vegetable mixture in a bowl. Add can of drained tuna. Pour ranch dressing in and toss to coat.

 

Orange Slices

 

 

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

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