You are here:  Home / Weekly Menu / Archive / February 18-22, 2008

Monday

• Mandarin Topped Chops
• Wild Rice
• Sugar Snap Peas

Tuesday

• Hoagies/Subs
• GeGe's Potato Salad
• Baked Beans

Wednesday

• Crockpot Lasagna
• Bacon Ranch Green Beans
• Salad

Thursday

• Chef Salad
• Pineapple Parfait

Friday

• Black Beans and Rice
• Steamed Broccoli
• Fresh Peach Halves

 

Monday Recipes

Notes for Monday: none

Mandarin Topped Chops

• 6 pork chops (we like boneless thin pork loin chops but any cut works)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• pepper to taste

In a skillet, brown chops on both sides in oil. Top with oranges, sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until meat juices run clear.

 

Wild Rice

Sugar Snap Peas

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

 

 

 

Tuesday Recipes

Notes for Tuesday:

1. We are going to buy enough deli meat this week for tonight's hoagies and for the Chef Salad on Thursday. Also, you will need enough lettuce/salad greens this week for tonight’s hoagies, tomorrow’s salad, and Thursday’s Chef Salad so check and edit, if needed, the grocery list quantities so that you will have enough for your family.
   
   
2. If you have any bacon left over, crumble and use it in the Bacon Ranch Green Beans tomorrow.
   
   
3. You can make hot or cold sandwiches. At this time of year we really like them warm and toasty.
   
   
4. This potato salad recipe has been a family favorite for years. Plan ahead because it needs to chill.
   
   
   
   

 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, sliced
• 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.

GeGe's Potato Salad

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp butter/margarine
• 3/4 tsp celery seed
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup mayo* or salad dressing
• 7 med potatoes, cooked peeled and diced
• 3 hard cooked eggs, chopped
• paprika

In sauce pan, combine sugar and corn starch. Add next 7 ingredients. Cook and stir over low heat until bubbly. Remove from heat.
Add onion and mayo and cool. In a medium bowl, combine potatoes and hard cooked eggs. Gently fold in dressing. Chill. Just before serving sprinkle with paprika.

Baked Beans

• 2 cans pork and beans
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce or more to taste
• 1 tsp. prepared mustard, or more to taste

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes.

 

 

Wednesday Recipes

Notes for Wednesday:

1. The crockpot lasagna cooks in about 4-5 hours. If you work during the day, that may be inconvenient since you cannot put it on before leaving for work. In that case, you may wish to prepare the lasagna in a 9x13 pan and refrigerate it until you get home or until someone can start baking it in the oven (about 45-55 min. at 350°F) in the afternoon.
   
   
2. We will be having a large Chef Salad tomorrow night so if you have time, prepare the lettuce and any other salad toppings tonight to save time tomorrow.
   
   

 Crockpot Lasagna

• 1 28-oz. jar of spaghetti sauce
• 1 package frozen cheese ravioli (about 24-oz.)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Spread 1 cup sauce on the bottom and layer with half of the ravioli. Sprinkle with half of the cheese and another cup of sauce. Layer the remaining ravioli and top with the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake on low for 3-5 hours, depending on how hot your crockpot cooks.

 

 

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.

Salad

Combine enough fresh ingredients for tonight. Reserve the rest of your greens for your chef salad tomorrow. Add dressing and toppings just before serving each night.

 

 

Thursday Recipes

Notes for Thursday:

1. The traditional dressing for a chef salad was originally Thousand Island so if you are up for trying a homemade version, I've included a recipe for you. These ingredients are on the grocery list, but feel free to substitute you own favorite dressing. If you decide to make the Thousand Island, plan ahead because it needs to chill.
   
   
   
   

   Chef's Salad

• 2 tomatoes, cut in wedges
• 8 cups salad greens
• 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
• 3 hard boiled eggs, sliced or cubed
• 2 cucumbers, sliced
• 1 lb. Salami or cooked deli ham* (thin), cut in strips
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 - 1 lb. cubed cooked, or deli* turkey
• minced parsley

To make salad, toss tomatoes, greens, green onions, and cucumbers together. Place in deep salad bowl and top with salami and turkey, cheese and eggs. Serve dressing separately in sauce bowl, sprinkled with parsley.

Thousand Island Dressing

• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 dash red pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon catsup
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup Chili sauce

Combine all ingredients. Chill.

Pineapple Parfait

• 2- 20oz. cans pineapple chunks or tidbits, drained
• 16 oz. ricotta or cottage cheese*
• 16 tsp. honey (about 1/2 cup)
• toasted shredded coconut, for garnish

Whip cottage cheese until smooth. In 4 parfait glasses, layer 1/4 cup pineapple, 1/4 cup ricotta cheese, and 2 tsp. of honey. Repeat layers and top with remaining pineapple. Garnish with toasted coconut and serve.

 

Friday Recipes

Notes for Friday:

1. If you do not have any black beans in the freezer, add a bag to your shopping list. You can soak them the night before and cook them in the slow cooker all day. They will be ready in time for supper to use in the Black Beans and Rice and you can freeze the rest.
   
   
2. This would be a good night to replenish your freezer stock of green peppers and sauteed onions. I have included a bag of onions and extra green peppers to the grocery list. If you already have plenty in your freezer, just delete these items from the list.
   
   
   

  Black Beans and Rice

• 1 onion, sauteed (from freezer)
• 1 green bell pepper, sauteed (from freezer)
• 2 cups black beans* (from freezer) or 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup salsa
• salt and pepper
• white* or brown rice (enough for your family)

Combine all ingredients except rice in a skillet. Cover and let simmer while preparing rice. Add water if necessary. Serve beans over rice when rice is ready.

Steamed Broccoli

 

Fresh Peach Halves

 

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

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