Menu Plan Monday

Here's what we're having this week:

Monday - Nordstrom Tomato Basil Soup (freezer meal) and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Tuesday - BBQ Meatballs, Individual Potato Gratins, and Green Beans
Wednesday - Chicken Lo Mein (freezer meal) and Carrots
Thursday - Chicken Pot Pie and Spinach Salad
Friday - Pizza
Saturday - Eating Out
Sunday - BBQ Shredded Pork Sandwiches, Homemade Hamburger Buns or Wheat Rolls, Salad or Pasta Salad and Peaches

I didn't realize when I was making my menu that we are having BBQ stuff twice. Oh well. The meals are different enough that it won't matter. Stay tuned for those freezer meals recipes from my freezer meal swap - I know I can't wait to try them.

Easy Shepherd's Pie

I adapted this recipe from the "Cottage Pie" recipe at Eat at Home. It's a great easy shepherd's pie that you can have on the table in under 30 minutes. My kids all loved it (putting cheese on top helped out with that).

Easy Shepherd's Pie

1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onions (I used frozen chopped onions)
1 jar Heinz Home Style Savory Beef Gravy
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
dash of dried sage
salt and pepper
1/2 - 1
2 cups instant mashed potato flakes
1/2 - 1 cup shredded cheese, optional*

Prepare instant mashed potato flakes according to package directions with the right amount of water, butter, milk, etc. (I used the Hungry Jack mashed potato flakes directions for 6 servings: 2 cups potato flakes, 1 3/4 cups water, 3 tablespoons butter, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup milk.) Set aside.

Brown ground beef with onion. Add gravy, thyme, sage, salt and pepper, and frozen peas to the meat. Heat through and pour into a casserole or 8x11 baking dish. Top with prepared mashed potatoes using a butter knife to spread potatoes over the meat and evenly as possible. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and allow to cook another couple minutes to melt cheese.

*If you leave out the cheese just dot the top of the mashed potatoes with butter and sprinkle with paprika before baking.

Crockpot Navy Bean and Ham Soup

Recently we ate at Marie Callender's and I had their super yummy navy bean soup (it's the Saturday soup of the day) and cornbread. I've been wanting to recreate that meal ever since I had it. SO. I looked at a bunch of different recipes on the internet and combined the ingredients I thought would make it taste most like Marie Callender's and also I wanted it to work in the crockpot. So here's what I came up with and guess what?? It totally tasted like the Marie Callendar navy bean soup. Awesome result. And it's a great healthy meal that my family enjoyed.

Crockpot Navy Bean and Ham Soup

1 lb. navy beans
3 cans low sodium chicken broth
1, 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, with juices
4 tablespoons dried chopped onion
2 large carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 teaspoon crushed bay leaves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 ham hocks/slices of ham shanks
1 1/2 cups diced ham (I used a 12 oz package Hormel diced ham)
3 tablespoons Carnet Foods Ultra Gel (optional)

In a large pot soak beans overnight in water making sure that beans are covered by at least 3 inches of water.

Drain and rinse beans. Put in rinsed beans in crockpot. Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes with juices, dried onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves, garlic powder and cider vinegar. Stir. Add ham hocks and ham and stir. Cook on high for 7-8 hours. Remove ham hocks and discard. Whisk in Ultra Gel if desired. Remove about 1 1/2 cups of the soup and blend in a blender. Add back to the soup in crockpot to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste. It may not need any salt at all. Serve with corn bread.

Italian Chicken Crockpot Kit (Freezer Meal)

This is the freezer meal that I contributed last month at my freezer meal swap. My family really loves the Italian chicken and it worked out great as a freezer meal. Yay!

Italian Chicken Crockpot Kit (Freezer Meal)

5 frozen chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1, 8 oz package of cream cheese
1 envelope Italian dressing mix

Assembly Instructions
Place chicken breasts into a gallon size bag. Heat block of cream cheese in a large microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds in microwave. Combine cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, and Italian dressing mix with an electric hand beater until smoth. Scoop cream cheese mixture into a quart size bag. Put chicken bag and cream cheese mixture bag into a larger ziplock and label with cooking instructions. Freeze.

Heating Instructions
Place chicken (thawed or frozen) into crockpot. Run cream cheese bag under warm water until it loosens up a little and then pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Break up chicken with a spatula and thin out sauce if needed with milk or chicken broth. Heat through and serve over vermicelli pasta, other noodles, or rice. (I always serve it over vermicelli.)

Chicken Fajitas (Freezer Meal)

First off, I am sorry for the lack of picture!! What a horrible food blogger I am!! I will be sure to get a picture of these the next time I make them. Second, this is a meal from my freezer meal swap and it was super good. Thanks R.!! My kids ate it up and didn't even seem to notice the peppers and onions lurking on the inside of their "chicken tacos".

Chicken Fajitas (Freezer Meal)

Fajitas:
1 1/2 lbs chicken, cut into thin strips
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 packet fajita seasoning mix (can make own with recipe below)
14 oz pkg. frozen fajita vegetable blend
1/2 tablespoon freeze-dried chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons
flour tortillas

Toppings for serving:
shredded cheese
salsa
guacamole
sour cream

Homemade Fajita Seasoning:
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Assembly:
Combine chicken, olive oil, and fajita seasoning mix in a bowl and pour into a freezer bag. Put the fajita vegetables into a separate freezer bag and pour in the lime juice and freeze-dried cilantro. Tortillas go into another freezer bag.  (You can also freeze the shredded cheese and guacamole.) Place all of these bags into a large ziplock and freeze with heating instructions.

Heating Instructions:
Thaw chicken bag, tortillas (and shredded cheese and guacamole if you froze these toppings) overnight in refrigerator. Keep the fajita vegetables bag frozen.

Saute thawed chicken in a large skillet over medium-high heat until almost cooked through. Add contents of frozen fajita vegetables bag and cook until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through. Serve in heated tortillas with shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream and guacamole or toppings of your choice.

Raised Doughnuts

This was the first time I've made homemade doughnuts. I was worried about the whole hot oil thing, but it turned out fine. (Man those suckers are hot when they come out of that oil though - watch out!) And the doughnuts turned out great!! I got the recipe from Real Mom Kitchen. I think I still have some adjusting to do with the frosting/glaze recipe, I think a chocolate glaze would be wonderful. Will I make these all the time? Probably not. They are a little labor intensive. But they were good and once a year around Halloween time sounds like a fun tradition. Other times when we want doughnuts I think I'll hit Krispie Kreme.:)

Raised Doughnuts

5 cups flour (plus 1/4 cup for high altitude)
1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 teaspoons yeast (2 packets or SAF)
1 3/4 cups very warm milk (I microwaved cold milk for 1 minute)
1/3 cup shortening (softened a little in microwave)
2 eggs
vegetable oil

In a stand mixer with a dough hook combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Mix a little to combine. Add milk, shortening, and eggs. Beat on low for 1 minute. Scrap down sides of bowl and beat on medium speed for 1 minute, scrap bowl frequently. Grease a large bowl. Turn dough into the greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise for 1 hour. (Dough will be ready when an indentation remains when touched).

Generously flour a large surface, turn out dough onto floured surface and roll around lightly to coat with flour. Flatten dough with hands or with a rolling pin into a 1/2" thickness. Cut floured dough with a 3" doughnut cutter (I used a glass that was 3" across and cut out holes with an empty and capless salt shaker - you can improvise with anything). Push together scraps and gently knead 2-3 times. Flatten dough again and cut with doughnut cutter. Repeat until all dough is used. Place cut out dough onto greased cookie sheets and cover loosely with non-stick sprayed plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Allow to rise for 30-40 minutes or until doubled.

Heat 1 1/2 - 2 inches of oil in a dutch oven to 350 degrees. Slide doughnuts into hot oil with a wide spatula. Fry about 1 minute on each side until golden brown. Remove carefully from oil; drain on paper towels. Roll dough nuts in sugar, cinnamon sugar, or dip the tops in glaze (recipe below).

White Doughnut Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons cream (more or less)

Combine all of the ingredients into a bowl with a fork. If the glaze is too thin add more powdered sugar. If the glaze is too thick, stir in a little milk or cream.

Pumpkin Sheet Cake

I just keep on making pumpkin treats! Oh how I love Fall. This one is from Eat at Home and it was so yummy. I took the cheater way out and used a tub of cream cheese frosting, but next time I'll try the homemade frosting suggested.

Pumpkin Sheet Cake

15 oz can pumpkin
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups flour (+ 1/4 cup for high altitude)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a mixing bowl, beat the pumpkin, sugar, and oil. Add eggs and mix well. Combine dry ingredients and add to the pumpkin mixture, beating until well blended. Pour into a greased 10x15 jelly roll pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cool cake completely and then frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
5 tablespoons butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons milk

Beat the butter and cream cheese together. Add the vanilla and blend till smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix well. Add the milk a little bit at a time until you get it to a nice spreadable consistency. Spread on cooled cake.