Basic Weekly Menu Plan

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Get the meal makeovers, nutrition data, dietary exchanges and point values for the menus.

 

Monday Recipes

Notes for Monday:

1. We are going to grill extra bbq chicken tonight for use later this week. Chop your leftover chicken into cubes or shred it and place in freezer bag. Label for BBQ Chicken Pizza for Thursday and place in freezer.
   
   
2. Blackberries are in season so we will make a blackberry cobbler today. If you can't find blackberries, you can substitute another type of berry or even peaches in this cobbler recipe. Just be sure to make not of the change on your grocery list.
   
   
   

Grilled BBQ Chicken

• 4lbs. chicken parts (we like boneless, skinless)
• 1 bottle of your favorite bbq sauce* or your favorite bbq sauce recipe

Place chicken in container and pour bbq sauce over your chicken, reserving some of the bbq sauce for basting. Turn chicken over to coat well. Let marinade at least 30 minutes.

Preheat outdoor grill for medium-low heat. Spray rack lightly with oil spray to prevent sticking. Place chicken on grill rack and grill about 5-10 minutes , basting with remaining bbq sauce as you desire. Turn chicken over and cook on other side about 5-10 minutes more or until juices run clear.

 

 Grilled Cabbage

• 1 head cabbage
• 1/2 cup margarine, softened
• 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt or adobo
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Cut cabbage into 8 wedges. Place on large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Butter cut sides of cabbage and sprinkle with chopped onion, adobo and pepper. Cover with another piece of foil and seal foil tightly. Grill over medium heat, covered for about 20 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Carefully open foil and allow steam to escape. Serve immediately.

Blackberry Cobbler

• 2 1/2 cups blackberries (fresh or thawed)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• ice cream or whip cream, optional

Mix together blackberries and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a small bowl. Let stand. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a separate bowl, mix together remaining sugar, flour and milk until blended. Stir in melted butter. Pour batter into a greased 8 inch square pan. Spoon blackberry mixture over batter. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with ice cream or whip cream if desired.

 

 

 

Tuesday Recipes

Notes for Tuesday:

1. Tonight's meal can be served cold or hot. I love to toast our sandwiches before adding fresh veggies and serving.
   
   
   
   
   

 Subs/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
• 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 sides 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.

 

Potato Salad

• 3 lbs. new potatoes, cooked and cooled
• 1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup stone-ground mustard
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 Tbsp. dried parsley

Cut cooked potatoes into bite-size cubes and put into a large bowl with onion. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over potatoes and onion, mixing well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

 

 

Leftover Blackberry Cobbler

 

 

 

Wednesday Recipes

Notes for Wednesday:

1. Tonight we are making an easy and delicious pesto sauce. If you can get fresh basil at your local farmer's market or from a friend who grows it, do! If not, look for it in little plastic packages in the produce section of the grocery store.
   
   
2. For taste, be sure to use either shredded Parmesan cheese (available in a bag from Sargento and others) or get a block and grate it yourself. Do not use the pre-grated stuff in the green canister!
   
   

Homemade Pesto with Angel Hair Pasta

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup light olive oil
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. pine nuts
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 lb. angel hair pasta, prepared according to instructions

In a food processor (preferred) or blender, blend the basil and olive oil on medium speed. Add remaining ingredients except pasta and process, scraping the sides. Save 1/2 cup in the refrigerator for tomorrow night and mix the rest with the hot angel hair pasta. Never heat pesto!

 

 

Peas and Carrots

Cook a bag of frozen peas and carrots with a pat of butter and a tsp. of sugar until heated through.

Crusty Bread

 

 

Thursday Recipes

Notes for Thursday:

1. I recommend periodically making a double (or triple) pizza dough recipe in your bread machine or large mixer and freezing the extra dough for an easy lunch or dinner another day. The Urban Homemaker has a double pizza dough recipe that is very good. It has variations for garlic, herbed, or seeded dough.
   
   
2. If you are using a bread machine to make dough, time it so that it is ready just before you want to cook the pizza. If you are using a frozen pizza dough, be sure to allow enough time for it to thaw. I like to thaw it for several hours in the refrigerator.
   
   
3. Monday we made BBQ chicken and saved some for tonight's meal. If you did not save any, use chicken from your freezer and season with your favorite bbq sauce, or add extra chicken to your grocery list.
   
   
4. Marinate your meat for tomorrow night.

 

 Barbecue Chicken Pizza

• Prepared pizza crust
• 1 jar barbecue sauce
• 1 cup cooked chicken (from freezer or from Monday)
• Sliced red onion
• 2 cups cheddar cheese

Make pizza dough according to recipe and roll out on a pizza stone or pan. Spread with barbecue sauce. Layer remaining ingredients. Cook at 400°F until brown and bubbly.

 

 

 Bacon and Mandarin Salad

• 1/2 lb. bacon, cooked according to package directions and crumbled
• 1/4 cup olive or salad oil
• 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1 tsp basil, fresh chopped
• 1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
• 2 cups red leaf lettuce, torn
• 2 cups romaine, torn
• 1/2 cup walnuts, lightly toasted

Mix together oil, vinegar, sugar, and basil in a small bowl. In a large bowl, mix mandarin oranges and lettuces together. Sprinkle with bacon and walnuts. Split salad mix in half, saving half for tomorrow night. To the half you are using tonight, pour half of the dressing mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Store salad mix and dressing mix separately until tomorrow.

 Fruit Smoothies

• 1/2 quart vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup frozen strawberries* (or in-season fresh fruit of your choice)
• 1 banana
• 1 cup orange juice

Combine all ingredients in a blender and serve cold. If you prefer a more slushy effect, add crushed ice (if your blender can handle it). If your blender doesn't have a strong motor, thaw the strawberries before blending.

 

 

 

Friday Recipes

Notes for Friday:

1. If you did not marinate the meat yesterday, make sure you start the marinade early in the day today.
   
   
2. Make a large steak for a steak salad next week. Store the leftovers in the freezer and be sure to label "steak for steak salad".
   
   
   

London Broil

• 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.

 

Leftover Bacon and Mandarin Salad

Mix salad mixture and remaining dressing from last night together and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

 

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

This week's Grocery List can be downloaded here:

Grocery List for August 3-7, 2009 - PDF

Grocery List for August 3-7 , 2009 - TXT (for PDAs or text editing)

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

Find sale prices on the grocery list items with our new Grocery Deals feature (brought to you in partnership with MyGroceryDeals)

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