Week 43 Summary |
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Notes for this week |
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Day 1 |
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| Homemade Pimento Cheese Sandwiches | Apple, Grape & Walnut Salad | Baked Apple Bars |
Day 2 |
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| Cheesy Spirals | Caprese Salad | |
Day 3 |
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| Oven-Baked Italian Hamburger Pie | Sourdough Bread | |
Day 4 |
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| Savory Chicken and Mushroom Bake | Sautéed Zucchini and Onions | Sugar Snap Peas |
Day 5 |
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| Black Bean Soup | Green Salad | Tortilla Chips & Salsa |
🗓️ Day 1
- Homemade Pimento Cheese Sandwiches
- Apple, Grape & Walnut Salad
- Baked Apple Bars with Walnuts and Cinnamon
Homemade Pimento Cheese
Serve cold with crackers or as a sandwich, or serve melted on toasted hearty bread slices for a delectable meal.
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
- ½ cup mayonnaise plus more as needed, Duke's is really the only choice for the best pimento cheese!
- 4 oz. jar diced pimientos, drained
- dash ground cayenne pepper
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl, mix the cheeses and the mayonnaise until well blended. Add additional mayonnaise as needed for a creamy consistency.
- Add the diced pimentos and mix well. Season with ground cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper to taste. Refrigerate leftovers.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 190 calCarbohydrates: 1 gProtein: 8 gFat: 17 gSodium: 252 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 1 g
Homemade Pimento Cheese Permalink
Apple, Grape, and Walnut Salad
Creamy vanilla dressing makes this combination of apples, grapes, and walnuts a refreshing salad. It’s perfect for serving as a side dish or a snack.
Ingredients
- 3 Granny Smith apples, washed, cored, and sliced
- 2 cups red grapes, washed and pulled from the stems
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- 8 oz. vanilla yogurt
- ½ cup cream cheese, softened
Instructions
- Blend together yogurt and cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Set aside.
- Combine fruit and nuts and serve with vanilla yogurt mixture.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 364 calCarbohydrates: 44 gProtein: 8 gFat: 20 gSodium: 132 mgFiber: 5 gSugar: 35 g
Apple, Grape, and Walnut Salad Permalink
Baked Apple Bars with Walnuts and Cinnamon
This easy fall dessert has all the flavor of apple pie without all the work. With a thin, crunchy top layer and a rich apple-cinnamon flavor complemented by the crunch of walnuts, it is fabulous alone or à la mode.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 medium Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, and chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
- ½ cup walnuts
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Spray a 9 inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and egg.
- Stir in apples and nuts.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix gently (expect this batter to be thick).
- Pour/spoon batter into the baking dish and spread out until even.
- Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 299 calCarbohydrates: 40 gProtein: 3 gFat: 15 gSodium: 224 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 27 g
Baked Apple Bars with Walnuts and Cinnamon Permalink
🗓️ Day 2
- Cheesy Spirals
- Caprese Salad
Cheesy Spiral Pasta
Cheesy, tomatoey, beefy... this easy casserole for the freezer is satisfying and delicious. It's quick to put together and makes two pans - one for dinner and one for the freezer.
Ingredients
- 16 oz. pasta spirals
- 2 lbs cooked ground beef
- 28 oz. spaghetti sauce
- 10.5 oz condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 ½ tsp. Italian seasoning
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta spirals according to package instructions, slightly undercooking. Drain and rinse; return to pan.
- Add cooked ground beef, spaghetti sauce, cheddar cheese soup, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook over low heat, stirring regularly, until well mixed. Remove from heat and stir in shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Spray 1- 9"x12" pan and 1- 8"x8" pan with non-stick cooking spray and pour mixture into pans. Bake the larger pan at 350°F for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly.
- Wrap the smaller pan for the freezer and label as "Cheese Spirals: Thaw. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until heated through."
Notes
If you have a smaller family and prefer to cook in smaller batches, you can probably get 3- 8"x8" pans out of this recipe instead of 1- 9"x12" pan and 1- 8"x8" pan.
For the freezer: Label as "Cheesy Spiral Pasta: Thaw. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until heated through."
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 410 calCarbohydrates: 35 gProtein: 29 gFat: 17 gSodium: 656 mgFiber: 3 gSugar: 4 g
Cheesy Spiral Pasta Permalink
Caprese Salad with Balsamic Vinegar
Caprese salad is a wonderful way to enjoy ripe, fresh from the vine tomatoes. Fresh basil, fresh mozzarella cheese, and juicy, delicious tomatoes are a perfect summer combination.
Ingredients
- 16 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 2 ripe tomatoes in the same diameter as the mozzarella, sliced
- ½ cup fresh basil
- 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, or balsamic glaze
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Either alternate lengthwise or stack slices of mozzarella cheese, tomato, and fresh basil.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper then drizzle with Balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately.
Notes
Make sure to use very ripe (but not overripe) tomatoes at room temperature.
Good quality fresh mozzarella cheese, usually found near the deli or imported cheese, is important.
Alternating the slices lengthwise makes a beautiful presentation for the table while stacking 1 slice of each is easy to serve and makes sure that each bite has a drizzle of tangy balsamic vinegar.
Classic Caprese salad does not use balsamic vinegar, so this is optional. If you have good quality tomatoes and cheese, you may want to omit it.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 239 calCarbohydrates: 4 gProtein: 17 gFat: 17 gSodium: 865 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 3 g
Caprese Salad with Balsamic Vinegar Permalink
🗓️ Day 3
- Oven-Baked Italian Hamburger Pie
- Sourdough Bread
Oven-Baked Italian Hamburger Pie
Rich with Italian-seasoned tomato and beef flavor, this easy hamburger pie makes a delicious and easy meal that even beginner cooks can make. If you have cooked ground beef and onion in the freezer, it practically makes itself.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 ½ cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
- ¼ cup water
- 10 ounce can condensed tomato soup
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Italian seasoning to taste
- 3 cups prepared mashed potatoes, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a large oven-proof skillet, cook ground beef and onion until done.
- Add vegetables and water to skillet and stir to mix.
- Stir in soup, Worcestershire sauce, and Italian seasoning.
- Top with mashed potatoes.
- Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Notes
- Leftover roast beef can be substituted for the ground beef.
- Add a can of drained fire-roasted tomatoes or a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste for an even richer flavor.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 278 calCarbohydrates: 40 gProtein: 21 gFat: 4 gSodium: 292 mgFiber: 5 gSugar: 6 g
Oven-Baked Italian Hamburger Pie Permalink
🗓️ Day 4
- Savory Chicken and Mushroom Bake
- Sautéed Zucchini and Onions
- Sugar Snap Peas
Savory Chicken and Mushroom Bake
Savory Chicken and Mushroom Bake is a perfectly easy combination of chicken, mushrooms, and pasta in a creamy sauce with a tangy Parmesan topping. It’s a great meal for using up leftover chicken without a lot of prep.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- ⅓ cup flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 4 ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 ounces egg noodles, cooked
- 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Make a white sauce by melting butter, then adding flour, stirring until smooth. Gradually add milk and broth, stirring constantly.
- Add seasonings and mushrooms and mix well.
- Combine chicken, cooked noodles, and prepared sauce.
- Place in an ungreased 9 x 13 inch baking dish and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 440 calCarbohydrates: 35 gProtein: 22 gFat: 23 gSodium: 568 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 3 g
Savory Chicken and Mushroom Bake Permalink
Pan Sautéed Squash and Onions
Ingredients
- 2 yellow squash or zucchini, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large skillet
- Sauté squash and onion in butter until tendercrisp.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 53 calCarbohydrates: 6 gProtein: 2 gFat: 3 gSodium: 34 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 4 g
Pan Sautéed Squash and Onions Permalink
Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas
A quick sauté in butter with a dash of sugar is all it takes to make perfect fresh sugar snap peas
Ingredients
- 8 oz sugar snap peas, raw
- 2 teaspoon butter
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Melt butter in a small fry pan.
- Add sugar snap peas and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently, until peas are covered with butter.
- Sprinkle with sugar and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until peas are tendercrisp and bright green.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 61 calCarbohydrates: 7 gProtein: 2 gFat: 3 gSodium: 27 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 4 g
🗓️ Day 5
- Black Bean Soup
- Green Salad
- Tortillas
Black Bean Soup
Black beans are one of my favorite beans – they go well with corn and tomatoes in cold salads as well as hot sides, but the king of all black bean recipes is black bean soup.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. prepared dried black beans, ⅔ cup liquid reserved
- 28 oz vegetable broth (or 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon no chicken soup base with 28 ounces of water)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2 Tbsp. oil
- 10 oz tomatoes and green chilies, drained
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 tsp. lime juice
- Sour cream, chopped tomatoes, chopped red onion, and chopped jalapenos as desired for garnish
Instructions
- Sauté onion and bell pepper in oil in a skillet.
- While the vegetables sauté, combine ½ of the prepared beans with all of the reserved liquid and the broth in a large soup pot. Using an immersion blender, puree the beans.
- When onions and peppers are tender, add them to the pureed beans in the soup pot along with the remaining beans, garlic, tomatoes and green chilies, lime juice, and seasonings. Stir gently and simmer until soup is hot and flavors are blended, about 30-45 minutes.
- Serve with sour cream, chopped tomatoes, chopped red onion, and chopped jalapenos as desired for garnish.
Notes
Prepared dried black beans are the base for the black bean soup, so if you need to make them make sure you soak them the night before. Dried beans are much cheaper than canned and easy to make, and you may wish to double the beans that you cook to freeze for later use.
Puréeing half of the beans and keeping the other half whole will give this soup a nice texture with a smooth base.
Don't try to substitute canned beans for the soup as they are not as tender as those cooked from dried, so the consistency will alter the texture of the soup.
Nutrition facts do not include garnishes.
If you like this soup, try a similar mixture without the broth to make a thick bean dip for corn chips.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 339 calCarbohydrates: 54 gProtein: 18 gFat: 6 gSodium: 814 mgFiber: 13 gSugar: 4 g
Black Bean Soup Permalink
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