Someone requested that I provide some menu plan ideas on my blog. So here goes!
Monday: Chuck Wagon Casserole and corn (from my home church cookbook)
Tuesday: Tuna Casserole with peas (The Happy Housewife)
Wednesday: Fish (not sure how I'll cook this yet) and Baked Potatoes with Broccoli
Thursday: Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas (a new recipe also from the home church cookbook) and Spanish Rice (Betty Crocker Cookbook)
Friday: Homemade Pizza and Salad
Saturday: Leftovers!
Sunday: Pork Loin Roast in the crockpot, Carrots and Potatoes
This is only our dinners. I have yet to consistently meal plan breakfasts and lunches. I struggle with getting breakfast done ahead of time, since our mornings are pretty rushed. Maybe I should get up 30 minutes earlier, or be more intentional the night before.
Ideas I have for breakfasts this week are pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, homemade granola, Oatmeal, and waffles. That sounds so much better and filling than cereal, but unfortunately, when I don't plan well, cereal is often our most common fare.
Lunches are typically little bits of leftovers and sandwiches, yogurt, cottage cheese and fruit. Nothing fancy.
Recently, I moved my shopping day to Sunday afternoon. I put together the meals I want to fix on Saturday evening or after Sunday lunch, then make up my grocery list based on what I already have, and what is on sale at the grocery store. This has greatly decreased my dilemma of what to fix at the last minute. It has also significantly reduced my grocery bill over the years, as I purchase fewer impulse items and only buy just what I need to cook with that week!
What kind of meals are you planning this week? I am always looking for new ideas!
Showing posts with label Dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dinner. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Friday, September 17, 2010
A new tradition?
Mexican food is perhaps my absolute favorite food ever...except for chocolate. But I could live on Mexican food. Sadly, I don't think I could live on chocolate alone. I try to make something mexican related on a semi-regular basis, especially when we're living overseas, because good mexican is just really hard to come by.
Tonight, we had beef enchiladas. I don't make them very much, because in my experience, they are really complicated and time consuming. But my, oh my, the time spent was so worth it. One limitation I've had is buying cheddar cheese, which is pricey in small quantities at the grocery stores here. However, after receiving advice from several friends I found a gigantic (2 Kilos) block of it at quite a deal at the nearby bulk wholesale store and now have a freezer full of cheese! When I make mexican, I have to tone down the heat to accommodate my family's preferences. The recipes always call for chili powder in amounts that are probably authentic, but way too much for us. I just use what I think we can handle. Tonight, the meal was a smash hit and I was very pleased and excited at the response. Here is a recipe I used from Betty Crocker with some adaption.
Beef Enchiladas
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sour cream (I used plain yogurt-it works interchangeably)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 ounces or 125 grams)
2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup green bell pepper chopped (didn't have, left it out)
2/3 cup water
1/2 tsp chili powder (recipe calls for 1 TBSP)
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 green chili, seeds removed, chopped (recipe called for 2 whole, chopped)
1 clove garlic finely chopped (or 1/4 tsp minced garlic)
2 cups tomato sauce
8 flour tortillas (recipe called for corn)
Shredded cheese, sour cream (or yogurt) if desired
Heat oven to 350.
Brown beef in skillet, drain. Stir in onion, sour cream/yogurt, 1 cup cheese, parsley and pepper. Cover, set aside.
Heat bell pepper, water, chili powder, oregano, cumin, chili(s), garlic and tomato sauce to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes.
Take out 1/2 cup of tomato sauce mixture and mix with meat mixture. Spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture onto each tortilla. Roll tortilla around filing. Place in ungreased rectangular baking dish, (I used a 9x13 pan). Poor remaining tomato sauce mixture over enchiladas (Here, I only poured enough sauce over to cover the tortillas, and used the rest for topping at the table).
Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until bubbly.
Leave bowls of extra tomato sauce mixture, cheese, and yogurt on the table to dress enchilada as desired.
Maybe Friday night Mexican fare will be our new tradition!
(I'm sorry no pictures this time)
Tonight, we had beef enchiladas. I don't make them very much, because in my experience, they are really complicated and time consuming. But my, oh my, the time spent was so worth it. One limitation I've had is buying cheddar cheese, which is pricey in small quantities at the grocery stores here. However, after receiving advice from several friends I found a gigantic (2 Kilos) block of it at quite a deal at the nearby bulk wholesale store and now have a freezer full of cheese! When I make mexican, I have to tone down the heat to accommodate my family's preferences. The recipes always call for chili powder in amounts that are probably authentic, but way too much for us. I just use what I think we can handle. Tonight, the meal was a smash hit and I was very pleased and excited at the response. Here is a recipe I used from Betty Crocker with some adaption.
Beef Enchiladas
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sour cream (I used plain yogurt-it works interchangeably)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 ounces or 125 grams)
2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup green bell pepper chopped (didn't have, left it out)
2/3 cup water
1/2 tsp chili powder (recipe calls for 1 TBSP)
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 green chili, seeds removed, chopped (recipe called for 2 whole, chopped)
1 clove garlic finely chopped (or 1/4 tsp minced garlic)
2 cups tomato sauce
8 flour tortillas (recipe called for corn)
Shredded cheese, sour cream (or yogurt) if desired
Heat oven to 350.
Brown beef in skillet, drain. Stir in onion, sour cream/yogurt, 1 cup cheese, parsley and pepper. Cover, set aside.
Heat bell pepper, water, chili powder, oregano, cumin, chili(s), garlic and tomato sauce to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes.
Take out 1/2 cup of tomato sauce mixture and mix with meat mixture. Spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture onto each tortilla. Roll tortilla around filing. Place in ungreased rectangular baking dish, (I used a 9x13 pan). Poor remaining tomato sauce mixture over enchiladas (Here, I only poured enough sauce over to cover the tortillas, and used the rest for topping at the table).
Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until bubbly.
Leave bowls of extra tomato sauce mixture, cheese, and yogurt on the table to dress enchilada as desired.
Maybe Friday night Mexican fare will be our new tradition!
(I'm sorry no pictures this time)
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