I create a weekly menu to make life easier on my husband and 2 adult sons when I work late. Having a planned menu each week makes dinner less stressful for my guys who really aren't into trying to figure out what to eat just eating. I love it too! When I get home dinner is cooked and ready!
Sunday
Speedy Stroganoff
(From the Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks, Dinner$ On A Dime)
1 lb ground beef
1 onion diced
2 t paprika
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
10-3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup
16 oz container of sour cream
cooked egg noodles ( we make enough for 6)
This recipe I make with 1.5 to 2 lbs of ground beef, 1 chopped green pepper, and 2 cans of the cream of mushroom soup to make it stretch for 3 adult guys, myself, a 7 yo, and a 5 yo.
I also mix up the rest of the recipe as follows:
Cook noodles. Fill a large pot with water on medium high until water boils. Add noodles (read directions to find out how many noodles to add). Cook for 10 minutes. Drain using a colander in the sink. Add a little bit of olive oil and mix w noodles to keep them from sticking to each other. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix.
In a large pot brown ground beef and drain (On medium). Add spices and mix them in.
In a separate pan cook onion and green pepper w a little olive oil to keep from sticking (On medium). I like mine slightly browned or caramelized. Add to pot of cooked hamburger.
Add both cans of cream of mushroom soup (can use 2 cans of cream of anything if needed) to the pot. Heat on medium until warm. Stir in sour cream. Serve over the cooked noodles.
Serve with salad and sliced fruit.
Monday
Hot Dog Day!
2 packages of hot dogs
package of hot dog buns
bowl of grated cheese
mustard, ketchup, mayo
diced onion
Instead of boiling my hot dogs I like to split them in half and warm them in a frying pan. They get a touch of brown on them that is slightly sweet that the kids love this way. Place hot dog on bun (or not on bun depending on kid). Add preferred toppings.
This is a cheat meal for us so we will often have it with fruit, carrots, and a handful of chips. You can even use the chips as a topping!
Tuesday
Taco Day
My family loves tacos but they something that is easy for them cook and quick for hungry tummies.
1 lb of hamburger (we use 2 lbs, if you are not sure that you will have enough meat you
can easily mix in a can of black beans or cooked rice to stretch it out)
1 bottle of La Victoria Taco Sauce
1-2 boxes of taco shells
1 bowl of grated cheese, about 2 cups
dice 1/2 an onion
bag of salad or a head of lettuce that has been chopped up
sour cream
In a large pan brown hamburger and drain, cook over medium heat. Once drained add bottle of taco sauce and mix. Taco Meat is ready to serve. I usually grate my cheese and chop the lettuce while the hamburger browns.
Add meat and toppings to shells and serve. I will often pair this with rice that I have added salsa too for a quick almost Spanish type rice and fruit.
Wednesday
Chicken Nuggets (these make a great lunch too)
1 package of chicken breasts (4-6 breasts)
2 cup of flour
4 t pepper
2 t paprika
1 t salt
1 t of chili powder
1 t of sage!
2 eggs beaten in a bowl
1 cup of milk
Cut up chicken into nugget size pieces. I will often cut it up into strips.
In a large Ziploc bag mix dry ingredients together. In another bowl mix egg and milk together.
Add chicken a few pieces at a time to the ziplock bag and shake to coat. I coat all of the chicken at one time and place in a bowl. Dip into egg mixture and return to bag, shaking to coat again. Remove from bag and let chicken rest for 5 minutes.
Add enough oil to coat the bottom of a large frying pan and heat the pan on medium heat. Add chicken nuggets carefully to pan. I like to cook them 5 minutes on each side. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees!
I usually serve with corn or string beans. But when in a hurry I will pull out a bag of carrots and slice a block of cheese into a few slices to put on the side.
Thursday
Frozen Pizza Night
Not my favorite dinner as I prefer to make a homemade pizza but on Thursday's my husband needs something that is a no brainer. Open box, place in oven, and serve.
Friday
Crock Pot Roast Beef
I always purchase the cheapest per pound beef for this. Whatever you choose make sure that it is well marbled with fat. This will make sure it becomes tender without that dry grainy feel to the meat once it has been cooked.
Enough potatoes that have been washed an cut into quarters to cover the bottom of the crock pot.
1 quartered onion
1 package dry Lipton onion soup mix
1 1b of baby carrots
Bottle of Worcestshire
Place potatoes, carrots, and onions in the bottom of the crock pot. Sprinkle with Worcestshire sauce
Add roast to crock pot with and sprinkle package of lipton dry onion soup mix on the top. Turn on high making sure lid is on the crockpot. Cook 6 -8 hours.
This makes delicious sandwiches the next day!
Saturday
Foil Wrapped Fish
4-6 fish fillets (salmon works really well for this too)
1 sliced onion
1/4 c margarine stick that has been sliced
1 lemon sliced
salt and pepper
1 bag of frozen California vegies
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Place one fillet on top of foil that has been sprayed with non stick spray or brushed with olive oil. Salt and pepper fillet. Top with onion, lemon, and margarine slices. Fold foil over and tightly fold edges together.
Repeat for vegies using 1/2 cup of vegies per packet. Sprinkle vegies with salt and pepper, topped with a slice of margarine. Fold into packet.
Place packets on an ungreased baking sheet in the 375 degree oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
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