Weekly Menu

Sunday: Homemade Corndogs/Onion Rings

Monday: Pot Pies/Green Salad

Tuesday: Stroganoff/Green beans

Wednesday: Chicken Tenders/Baked Potato

Thursday: LEFTOVERS

Friday: Beef Enchiladas/Corn/Green Salad

It's always good to have a backup for dinner just incase something doesn't work out. I had planned to do French Bread Pizza on Sunday but didn't pick up any french bread when I was shopping. I wasn't in the mood to make homemade french bread, so we came up something else and made a meal with things we had on hand.

Cakes (Improvement Through The Years)

Weekly Menu

Sunday: Pork Loan Roast/mashed potato's and gravy/veggie/jello/roll

Monday: BBQ Pork Sandwiches/chips/carrots sticks/olives

Tuesday: Spaghetti/green beans/garlic bread

Wednesday: Bean Burritos/spanish rice

Thursday: LEFTOVERS

Friday: Cheese Nib Chicken Bake/Micro Potato's/veggie

A few things about my menu this week....

I'm using some of the left over PORK ROAST and ROLLS for the BBQ PORK SANDWICHES on Monday. If you haven't noticed, I try to make a jello every Sunday. This is for 2 reasons. #1 The kids love it. #2 I use the leftover jello for the girls' school lunch during the week.

Something else in my menu this week is the MICRO POTATO'S. Most microwaved foods you can tell are just that....microwaved, but we have found a potato dish that you can't tell. They taste like something you spend some time doing. These potato's are called Teton Valley Ranch Baked Potato. There are several different flavors of them. They are so easy, ready in minutes and soooo yummy. The kids love them and fight over who gets the last spoonful. You can find them in the freezer section at the grocery store.

Main Dish

Alfredo Sauce (Oliver Garden Recipe)
Apricot Chicken/Russian Chicken
Bacon Wrapped BBQ Chicken
Baked Chicken Penne with Broccoli
BBQ Chicken (Crockpot)
BBQ Pork Ribs
Beef Stew (Crockpot)
Beef Stroganoff
Beef Stroganoff II
Breaded Pork Chops
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Brown Sugar Meatloaf
Calzones
Cheese Nib Chicken
Chicken Bacon Cream Cheese Taquito's
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Chicken Enchiladas (Easy)
Chicken Kabobs
Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Penne Alfredo with Broccoli
Chicken Quesadilla's
Corn Chowder (Mimi's)
Corn Dogs
Corned Beef Casserole
Creamy Homemade Mac-N- Cheese
Crispy French Onion Chicken
Dutch Oven Chicken and Potatoes
Easy Chicken Pot Pie (Bisquick)
Enchilada Casserole
Enchiladas
French Bread Pizza
Grilled Cheese Pizza
Ham Fried Rice
Herbed Lemon Chicken
Homemade Egg Noodles
Hot and Spicy Chicken Strips
Hot Dogs
Italian Chicken
Lasagna (Easy)
Lime Rice
Malibu Chickenf
MeatBalls
Mini Meatloafs
Mom's Homemade Chilli
Navajo Tacos
Pizza Casserole
Pita Pocket Pizza
Poppy Seed Chicken
Refried Been Burritos
Sloppy Jo's (Mom's Version)
Sloppy Joe Bake
Spaghetti Pie
Split Pea Soup
Steak Sandwiches
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sweet and Sour Chicken II
Sweet Heat Louisiana Chilli
Sweet Pork (Like Cafe Rio's)
Swiss Chicken Casserole
Tatortot Casserole
Three Cheese Beef Pasta Shells
Tomato Basil Chicken
Tomato Macaroni Soup

Appetizers

Dilly Dip
Fruit Dip
Meatballs
Mini Chicken, Bacon, Cream Cheese Taquito's

Breakfast Dishes

Egg Toast
Pancakes (Sunday Pancakes)
Pioneer Pancakes
Scrambled Eggs (Quick)
Strawberry Crepes
Sweet Corn Muffins

Weekly Menu

Sunday: Beef Roast/Mashed Potatos and Gravy/Jello/Veggie

Monday: Ground Beef Taco's

Tuesday: Three Cheese Chicken (Voila's Frozen Meals)

Wednesday: Mini Meatloafs/Baked Potato/Veggie

Thursday: LEFTOVERS

Friday: Rotisserie Chicken/Rolls/Macaroni Salad

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Being a mom of 4 and trying to keep up with everything, I try to use shortcuts but still try to give my kids some kind of balanced meal. So, yes, I use the frozen meals sometimes. We definately have found ones we like and dislike. We have learned to stay away from the frozen crockpot meals, but we do like some of the Bird's Eye Voila frozen meals. It's also handy to pick up a Rotisserie Chicken and use it for many things. They work great for dinner, school lunch, soups, salads, bbq sandwiches, and casseroles. Lot's of ideas. If you have other ideas for rotisserie chicken please let us know by leaving a comment. They make a picnic quick too.

Weekly Menu

I know I need to include pictures of the food, but I don't think about taking a picture until after dinner. I will try to be better. This weeks menu includes BIRTHDAY DINNER for BRINDLEY! So of course it is a favorite. She requested Penne Pasta with Alfredo Sauce/Broccoli/Chicken and Garlic Bread.

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Sunday: Tomato Basil Chicken/Rice/Veggie/Jello

Monday: Haystacks

Tuesday: Grilled Cheese/Potato Wedges

WEDNESDAY/BIRTHDAY: Penne Alfredo/Broccoli/Chicken and Garlic Bread

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Chicken Rolls/Veggie/Green Salad

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Haystacks

Jessica, I just use Connie's recipe for the hamburger sauce. It is 1 lb of hamburger browned with onions/salt/pepper. Add Tomato Sauce until it is the consistency that you would like and 1/2 TBSP of Chili Powder. You can thicken it with cornstarch. I think you know the rest. Frito Corn chips/lettuce/ tomato/onion/olives/cheese....any other toppings you want. For others reading this, this is like a taco salad.

Weekly Menu

My whole reason of doing a WEEKLY MENU is to save money. I really do enjoy cooking, if I know what I am going to cook. I have found that planning ahead and making sure I have all the ingredients makes it alot easier to cook. There have been so many times in the past that when 4:00 p.m. rolls around and I don't know what I am going to fix for dinner, before I know it it is 5:00 p.m., then 6:00 p.m. I then call Jim and ask him to pick something up on his way home. I love take out, but it gets expensive. Planning ahead has helped so much.

You never realize how much goes into putting a WEEKLY MENU together until you sit down and put one together. So, before I share my WEEKLY MENU, here are a few things I consider while I plan the menu.

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Starting with Sunday....I always want something nicer and more put together...(not mac-n-cheese), but also not time consuming. If it is time consuming I consider starting it Saturday. We often cook with the crock pot on Sunday. We (I say WE because Jim does alot of the cooking on Sunday), throw everthing in a crockpot before we go to church, then when we walk in the door after church we are greated with such wonderful smells.

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Mon., Tues., Wed., are the days I plan whatever I feel like it. Thursday is my left over night. I do my grocery shopping Thursday so by the time I am done with shopping and putting it all away, there is no way I want to cook, so it has become my leftover day. If there are no leftovers, then everyone can choose from whats in the pantry. It could be Spaghetti O's or Top Ramen. Who knows what we will find.

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Friday's are my more time consuming meal....if I choose. I save Friday's for homemade lasagna, or enchiladas, or things that we love, but take alot of time to fix. I will also use Friday for the day that I might need bread or rolls with the meal. For example...doing hamburgers on Friday because I just purchased the buns the day before so they are still pretty fresh.

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Saturday is another day off for me. I figure that I have planned and cooked successfully all week, so I should get to go out to eat. Of course the decision of where we go depends on how much money is in the account!

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When choosing what I put on the menu, there are alot of things to consider. I keep a sheet of all the things we eat and mark off when we have them. Of course we have some things more than others....because it is a crowd favorite! I try to do a variety during the week. A recipe with chicken, a pasta recipe, a hamburger recipe, then fill in what ever I need. I always have to consider any special occasions too when deciding on a menu. One other thing I do is ask the family what they would like on the menu for the week. It helps them look forward to what ever is for dinner and I know they will like it then.

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Ok, there is a basic run down on my WEEKLY MENU planning.

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WEEKLY MENU

Sunday: Corned Beef Casserole/Corn/Green Salad/Jello

Monday: Tuna Helper/Peaches or Pears/Cottage Cheese

Tuesday: Sloppy Joe Bake/Veggie

Wednesday: Pancakes, Sausage, and Eggs

Thursday: LEFTOVERS!

Friday: Shepard's Pie/Green Salad

Saturday: Going Out!

All meals are served with milk.

Cheese Nib Chicken

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Cheese Nibs
Butter

Fully dip chicken in melted butter. Coat in crushed cheese nibs. Place in casserole dish and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

This recipe is so yummy and easy. I have used other cheddar crackers too and they work great. I didn't have any cheese nibs one time but I did have some Pepperidge Farm parmesan flavored goldfish crackers. They were just as yummy.

Refried Bean Burritos

1 can refried beans
grated cheddar cheese
soft flour tortilla shells

I start with buttering the outside of my shell. Spread a heaping spoonful of refried beans on one half of the shell. (Put as much beans or as little as you like). Sprinkle cheese over the beans. Fold shell over. Toast the burrito in a frypan on both sides. I like to use my sandwich maker also to toast them. It cuts them into triangles which makes them easier for the kids to eat. I also like to put hot sauce in Jim and I's before I toast them. Quick and easy. We usually serve these with Spanish rice.

This recipe was shared with me from my sister Suzanne.She made them for my family one night and they have been a favorite ever since.

Mini Meatloafs

1 egg
3/4 c. milk
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. oats
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 lb ground beef
Some salt and pepper

Meatloaf sauce
2/3 c. ketchup
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. mustard

Beat egg and milk together. Add cheese, oats, onion, and ground beef. Season with some salt and pepper. Make 8 mini meatloafs. Place in a 9x13 casserole dish. Mix ketchup, brown sugar and mustard together then pour over mini meatloafs. Bake at 375 degrees til done.

This is another family favorite. I got this recipe from my mom. Many of you know what a great cook she is. Any recipe that comes from her is scrumptious. I usually serve this recipe with some kind of potato and a veggie.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. shortening
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 c. flour
1 c. chocolate chips

Cream together shortening, sugars and eggs. Add vanilla and dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips. Add nuts if you would like. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 11 minutes.

I got this recipe from Jim's mom. It is very similar to the Hershey's Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.
*Caution!!! They don't last long! Eat yours before someone else does!

Jello Pastel Cookies

Click here to get the recipe for Jello Pastel Cookies at Allrecipes.com. Make strawberry and lime ones for Christmas. Lime ones for St. Patricks day. Be creative and try different flavors. Let me know what you think.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c. margarine
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp soda
3 c. flour

Cream together margarine, peanut butter, brown and white sugar, and eggs. Add dry ingredients. Scoop cookies on cookie sheet then press lightly with fork to make criss cross grooves in cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

*A new favorite with these cookies is adding chocolate chips to them.

Double Chocolate Cookie

1 c. margarine
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. white chocolate chips

Cream together margarine, sugar, and eggs. Add vanilla and dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 min.

I got this recipe from Jim's sister Michelle.  I love the flavor that the white chips give the chocolate cookie.  For an Triple Chocolate cookie add some Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.

Grandma Norman's Corned Beef Casserole

6 oz 7 min. macaroni (I use 2 cups)
1 12oz can corned beef (cubed)
1/4 lb. grated cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can milk (use the soup can)
1/2 c. chopped onion
3/4 c. bread crumbs


Cook macaroni til done. Add soup, milk, onion, and cubed corned beef to drained macaroni. Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish. Top with grated cheese and bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Tomato Basil Chicken

1 large tomato diced
1/2 cup diced onion
basil
1-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast

Spray frypan with non-stick cooking spray. Saute tomato and onion until soft over medium high heat. Place chicken on top of tomato and onions. Sprinkle with basil. Cover and let cook for 4-5 minutes. Then turn ckicken over. I like to scoop up some of the tomato and onions and put on top of the chicken when I turn it over. Let cook for another 4-5 minutes til done. Always check chicken to make sure it is cooked thorough.

We like to eat this over rice. The tomato and onions are yummy over the top of rice. The kids don't care for the tomato and onions, but they love the taste of the chicken.

This recipe is one I came up with on my own.

Snickerdoodles

1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cream of tarter
2 3/4 c. flour

Cream together sugar, butter, shortening and eggs. Add dry ingredients. Form into 1-inch balls. Roll in a cinnamon and sugar mixture (2 tbsp. Sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon). Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes approx. 6 dozen.

This recipe was taken from the Koosharem Relief Society Cookbook.