Week 52 Summary |
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Notes for this week |
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Day 1 |
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Mediterranean Chicken with Capers | Couscous | Green Salad |
Day 2 |
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Southwestern Hamburger Skillet | Green Peas with Butter | |
Day 3 |
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Loaded Baked Potatoes | Seasoned Green Beans | |
Day 4 |
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Cheese & Onion Enchiladas | Spinach Salad | |
Day 5 |
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Savory Swiss Steak | Mashed Potatoes | Sugar Snap Peas |
🗓️ Day 1
- Mediterranean Chicken with Capers
- Couscous
- Green Salad
Mediterranean Chicken with Capers
Turn up the taste on sautéed chicken by giving it a Mediterranean twist with fresh cherry tomatoes, sliced olives, and capers.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken pieces, boneless, skinless
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Oil as needed
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 small jar or can olives, sliced
- 3 tablespoons capers, drained
Instructions
- Wash chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
- In a large ovenproof skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat until browned on both sides. Add tomatoes, olives and capers.
- Bake, uncovered, at 475°F for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Notes
For chicken that cooks evenly, choose thin cutlets or pound the breasts to an even thickness and cut into 6 pieces of similar size.
For an easy side, serve Mediterranean Chicken with Capers over plain or seasoned couscous.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 245 calCarbohydrates: 4 gProtein: 33 gFat: 10 gSodium: 683 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 2 g
Mediterranean Chicken with Capers Permalink
🗓️ Day 2
- Southwestern Hamburger Skillet
- Green Peas with Butter
Southwestern Hamburger Skillet
Southwestern Hamburger Skillet is one of those great "use what you have" recipes—it works well in many different variations, making it a great way to save money.
Ingredients
- 2 cups egg noodles
- 10 ounces can condensed tomato soup or enchilada sauce
- 1 lb ground beef
- Salt to taste
- 15 ounces can kidney beans
- Shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish
- Sour cream, for garnish
- 3 green onions, sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare egg noodles according to package directions and drain.
- In a large skillet, brown ground beef and drain off any fat.
- Add tomato soup and beans to ground beef, season to taste.
- Add noodles and stir gently to combine.
- Top with cheese, sour cream and green onions if desired before serving.
Notes
This is a good opportunity to use what you have on hand, so feel free to use leftovers and canned ingredients that you have on hand.
- If your family likes spicier flavors, substitute enchilada sauce for the tomato soup and add a can of green chilies or tomatoes with green chilies. Other additions that work well are corn and black olives.
- Although the recipe calls for kidney beans, black beans or red beans can be substituted.
- Don't limit yourself to egg noodles - elbow macaroni or spirals will work just as well.
- Substitute cooked chicken or leftover beef for the ground beef, or make it vegetarian by omitting the meat and adding more beans and some diced peppers and onions.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 364 calCarbohydrates: 41 gProtein: 34 gFat: 7 gSodium: 620 mgFiber: 7 gSugar: 8 g
Southwestern Hamburger Skillet Permalink
🗓️ Day 3
- Loaded Baked Potatoes
- Seasoned Green Beans
Loaded Baked Potatoes
Baked potatoes are an easy meal that allows everyone to dress their own potato the way they like it.
Ingredients
- 6 large baking potatoes, or as many as you need
- 15 oz can chili, heated
- shredded cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper
- vegetable oil for coating
- Optional ingredients: sour cream, green onions, tomatoes
Instructions
- Coat potatoes with oil. Coat with coarsely ground salt and pepper and cook using the method of your choice below.
- Cut open and slightly mash insides of potatoes (leave insides in potato). Top with chili, cheese and any other garnishes you choose.
Oven Method:
- Prick potatoes with a fork several times, wrap in aluminum foil, and cook at 350°F for approximately 1 hour or until centers are hot and tender.
Crockpot Method:
- Prick potatoes with a fork several times, wrap in aluminum foil, and cook in the slow cooker for 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low.
Microwave Method:
- Prick potatoes with a fork several times, and starting with 6 minutes, cook in the microwave on high. Check potatoes regularly to see if they are done, adding time in 1-2 minute increments until they are cooked through.
Instant Pot Method:
- A Mindful Mom has Instant Pot instructions for baked potatoes.
Notes
This recipe is for chili & cheese baked potatoes, but there are endless options for other toppings. Try topping potatoes with broccoli and cheese, chili and green onions, butter and sour cream, shredded chicken and salsa, jalapenos and cream cheese, or any other combination.
One of the best ways to save money on your grocery bill is to reduce food waste, and loaded potatoes are a good time to take advantage of leftovers in your refrigerator by adding them with complementary condiments as toppings.
Nutrition facts use chili with beans and 1 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese. Other toppings not included in calculation.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 282 calCarbohydrates: 47 gProtein: 11 gFat: 7 gSodium: 433 mgFiber: 6 gSugar: 2 g
Loaded Baked Potatoes Permalink
Seasoned Green Beans
This quick recipe will bring extra flavor to fresh or frozen green beans.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. fresh or frozen green beans
- 2 tsp. butter
- ¼ package Good Seasons Italian dressing mix, or more to taste
Instructions
- If needed, trim green beans of ends and strings. If using frozen green beans, thaw first.
- Lightly steam green beans, then drain excess liquid.
- Melt butter in large fry pan. Add green beans. Sprinkle with the ¼ package of seasoning mix and stir well while sautéing.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 35 calCarbohydrates: 5 gProtein: 1 gFat: 2 gSodium: 21 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 2 g
Seasoned Green Beans Permalink
🗓️ Day 4
- Cheese & Onion Enchiladas
- Spinach Salad
Cheese & Onion Enchiladas
Homemade cheese and onion enchiladas are deliciously cheesy with rich flavor from the traditional corn tortillas and made-from-scratch red enchilada sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch green onions, divided
- 2 cups sour cream
- 4 cups Mexican Blend Cheese, shredded
- 8 small corn tortillas
Enchilada Sauce
- 22.5 ounces tomato sauce
- ¾ teaspoon oregano
- 2-¼ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1-½ teaspoons onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Combine all ingredients for enchilada sauce in a sauce pan and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- While sauce is simmering, chop green onions, reserving 2 chopped onions.
- Mix all but the 2 reserved onions with the sour cream and 2 cups of the Mexican cheese.
- Pour ⅓ of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x12 pan.
- Fill each tortilla with an even amount of the cheese mixture, spooning it down the center line of the tortilla. Fold the two unfilled sides to the center, overlapping them, and place the enchilada folded side down in the baking pan. (If the tortillas are too stiff to fold, you can heat them in the microwave under a damp paper towel or carefully steam them for a few seconds over boiling water.)
- Pour the remaining sauce over enchiladas in pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.
- Top with cheese and reserved green onions and bake until cheese is melted over the top (about 10 more minutes).
Notes
If available, make this recipe more authentic by using Oaxaca cheese (also called quesilla), a white cheese that melts easily with a creamy texture that is often used as filling in Mexican dishes. Queso quesadilla, labeled quesadilla cheese in English, is another creamy white cheese that melts easily.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 621 calCarbohydrates: 21 gProtein: 32 gFat: 46 gSodium: 1306 mgFiber: 3 gSugar: 7 g
Cheese & Onion Enchiladas Permalink
🗓️ Day 5
- Savory Swiss Steak
- Mashed Potatoes
- Sugar Snap Peas
Savory Swiss Steak
Easy slow cooker Swiss steak recipe that can be prepped in the morning and is ready to eat when you get home.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs round steak, approx. 1 inch thick, cut into 6 pieces
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 teaspoon dry mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon butter, divided
- 2 tablespoon oil, divided
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
Instructions
Crockpot Instructions
- Coat steak with a mixture of flour, mustard, salt, and pepper. In a skillet, brown the meat in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil. Transfer to a slow cooker.
- Heat remaining butter and oil in same skillet. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery until almost tender, then add to crockpot with meat.
- In the same skillet, combine tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar. Heat, scraping up drippings, until skillet is deglazed. Pour tomato mixture over meat.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until tender. Serve meat with vegetable sauce spooned over the steak.
Instant Pot Instructions
- (Instant Pot instructions are courtesy of Carolyn, who converted the recipe for use in her IP. Note that the venting instructions are *not* tested.)
- Coat steak with a mixture of flour, mustard, salt, and pepper. On sauté mode, brown the meat in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil.
- Remove the steak from the pot and set aside.
- Sauté onion, carrots, and celery until almost tender.
- Add the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar and use it to deglaze the pot.
- Add the beef back to the pot and stir gently just enough to cover the meat in sauce.
- Add cover and seal. Cook on Stew mode for 30 minutes.
- Vent as preferred; NPR was used in Carolyn's conversion but venting immediately would probably work fine. (Let us know how your method worked in the comments.)
Notes
Nutrition data does not include buttered potatoes.
This recipe is courtesy of Marilyn Moll, who did a guest stint for our meal plans for a week way back in 2005 (when we were doing free meal plans as Menus4Moms), and this is one of the delicious recipes she contributed.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 292 calCarbohydrates: 13 gProtein: 27 gFat: 14 gSodium: 265 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 5 g
Savory Swiss Steak Permalink
Homemade Mashed Potatoes
Whether you prefer creamy potatoes or potatoes with some body to them, homemade mashed potatoes are worth the effort.
Ingredients
- 5 lbs. potatoes, cleaned and peeled (see note below)
- 6 tablespoon butter, divided
- ¼ cup skim milk, or more as needed
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- paprika, for garnish
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Boil until potatoes are fork tender; drain and return to pot.
- Add 4 Tbsp. butter, salt, and pepper to pot and mix; adding enough milk while mixing to reach desired consistency.
- Transfer mashed potatoes to a serving bowl, top with 2 Tbsp. butter, and garnish with paprika.
Notes
Russet potatoes are a good choice for mashed potatoes, but if you prefer to not peel your potatoes, Yukon Gold is perfect for mashing with the skin on.
If you need to speed up the cooking process, try chopping your potatoes before boiling.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 193 calCarbohydrates: 28.52 gProtein: 6.11 gFat: 7.04 gSodium: 434.05 mgFiber: 5.67 gSugar: 0.32 g
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