Week 6 Summary |
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Notes for this week |
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Day 1 |
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| Pinto Beans over Cornbread | Green Salad | |
Day 2 |
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| Zuppa Toscana | Baguette | |
Day 3 |
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| Bean & Cheese Burritos | Mixed Vegetables | |
Day 4 |
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| Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken | Steamed Broccoli | |
Day 5 |
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| Baked Spaghetti | Green Peas with Butter | Caesar Salad |
🗓️ Day 1
- Pinto Beans over Cornbread
- Green Salad
Pinto Beans Over Cornbread
Pinto beans over cornbread is a frugal, filling, and flavorful meal.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pinto beans, prepared
- Salt to taste
- 1 recipe cornbread, prepared
- ½ onion, chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Break apart a piece of cornbread in each bowl and top with hot cooked pinto beans.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with chopped onion, cheddar cheese, and chopped cilantro.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 403 calCarbohydrates: 62 gProtein: 17 gFat: 10 gSodium: 901 mgFiber: 9 gSugar: 11 g
Pinto Beans Over Cornbread Permalink
How To Cook Dried Beans for the Freezer
Dried beans cost about 50% less per serving than canned beans—here's how to cook them ahead and freeze them.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. bag dried beans, black, pinto, kidney, etc.
- water
Instructions
- Rinse beans in a colander and check to be sure there are no stones or other debris. Place beans in a large pot and cover with water so that the water is twice as deep as the beans. Soak for at least 5 hours.
- Drain beans in a colander and rinse pot. Return beans to pot and cook at a simmer until beans are tender, which can be anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on the type of bean. Beans can also be cooked in the Instant Pot according to the times listed on their website. If cooking in the IP, be sure to watch the levels of food and water since beans foam while cooking. The inner pot should never be more than ½ full.
- Drain beans, reserving liquid (place colander on a lg. pan or bowl then pour beans into the colander so that the bowl catches the liquid). Separate beans into 2 cup servings in freezer bags. Cover beans in each bag with some of reserved liquid and freeze flat.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 143 calCarbohydrates: 26 gProtein: 9 gFat: 1 gSodium: 14 mgFiber: 6 gSugar: 1 g
How To Cook Dried Beans for the Freezer Permalink
Easy Cornbread with Canned Corn
Flavor takes center stage in this easy recipe for cornbread with corn kernels. Golden yellow with delicious browned edges from cooking in a cast iron skillet and rich with corn kernels throughout each piece, this cornbread is perfect served on its own with butter or with chili, pinto beans, or soup.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 15.25 ounces canned corn, drained
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Put half of the vegetable oil in a 9x9x2 cast iron skillet and preheat in oven just long enough to heat oil (be careful not to burn oil or let it smoke). Tip: You can test the preheated oil for readiness by dropping a tiny bit of cornmeal or batter into it. If it sizzles, it is ready.
- While oil is heating in skillet, mix all remaining ingredients in a bowl.
- Remove preheated cast iron skillet from oven carefully.
- Pour batter into preheated cast iron skillet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until done. Cornbread is done when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with no wet batter (moist crumbs are okay).
Notes
One cup of thawed and drained frozen corn may be substituted for the canned corn.
Nutrition per serving
Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 286 calCarbohydrates: 42 gProtein: 6 gFat: 10 gSodium: 402 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 8 gNet Carbohydrates: 40 g
Easy Cornbread with Canned Corn Permalink
🗓️ Day 2
- Zuppa Toscana
- Baguette
Zuppa Toscana
Hearty and flavorful, this copycat Zuppa Toscana based on Olive Garden's delicious recipe is a rich and filling soup made a little lower in fat and calories. It is the perfect blend of potatoes, spinach, sausage, and a creamy broth. Serve it with a fresh baguette for dipping and you don't need any other sides for a complete meal.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian turkey sausage, removed from casings and cut into bite size pieces
- 1 large onion, diced
- 6 turkey bacon slices, cooked and chopped
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
- 10 oz pkg. frozen chopped spinach, or fresh equivalent - about 2-½ cups chopped
- 4 tablespoon Parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Sauté Italian sausage and onion in a large pot until sausage is cooked through and onion is tender.
- Add bacon and garlic and sauté until garlic is slightly tender, about 2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Add potatoes and spinach, turn heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add half and half and cook until just heated.
- Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.
Notes
To make a vegetarian version, use Beyond Sausage Hot Italian, omit the turkey bacon, and use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth. If you like the smoked flavor of cured meat without the meat itself, add a drop of liquid smoke to the soup (a little of this goes a long way).
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 254 calCarbohydrates: 18 gProtein: 18 gFat: 13 gSodium: 1714 mgFiber: 4 gSugar: 3 g
Zuppa Toscana Permalink
🗓️ Day 3
- Bean & Cheese Burritos
- Mixed Vegetables
Bean and Cheese Burritos
Burritos are typically a low cost meal and are very filling. This vegetarian burrito recipe can be adapted to what is in season and what your family likes.
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 30 ounces canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed (or prepared equivalent from dried beans)
- 6 burrito sized tortillas
- 1-½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Optional Fillings
- Cilantro, optional burrito filling
- Green onions, optional burrito filling
- rice, optional burrito filling
- sour cream, optional burrito filling
Instructions
- In a skillet, sauté onion, garlic, and red bell pepper in a small amount of oil.
- When vegetables are tendercrisp, reduce heat.
- Add seasonings and beans, mixing with previous ingredients.
- Mash some of the beans with a potato masher, adding a small amount of water if needed.
- Continue cooking over medium-low heat until hot.
- Warm tortillas and let each person assemble their own burritos with the filling, cheese, and other optional fillings.
Notes
Nutrition data does not include optional fillings.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 449 calCarbohydrates: 56 gProtein: 19 gFat: 17 gSodium: 972 mgFiber: 9 gSugar: 6 g
Bean and Cheese Burritos Permalink
🗓️ Day 4
- Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken
- Steamed Broccoli
Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken
This slow cooker Asian style chicken recipe rewards a little prep time in the morning with big returns at dinner time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup carrot, chopped
- 1 cup green pepper, chopped
- 1 cup onion, quartered
- 2 tablespoon tapioca, quick cooking
- 1-½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
- 8 oz can pineapple chunks
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1 teaspoon cilantro, dried
- 3 cups rice, cooked and kept warm
Instructions
- Place vegetables in the bottom of a slow cooker.
- Sprinkle tapioca over the vegetables. Place chicken on top of the vegetables.
- Combine all other ingredients except rice in a small bowl. Pour over chicken.
- Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Serve over rice.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 496 calCarbohydrates: 102 gProtein: 16 gFat: 2 gSodium: 241 mgFiber: 3 gSugar: 20 g
Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken Permalink
🗓️ Day 5
- Baked Spaghetti
- Green Peas with Butter
- Caesar Salad
Baked Spaghetti
Baked spaghetti is an easy twist on a classic favorite.
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 14 oz can tomatoes with juice, undrained
- 4 oz can mushrooms, drained
- 16 oz jar pizza sauce
- 8 oz spaghetti
- Italian seasoning, to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 8 slices crisp cooked turkey bacon, crumbled
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, sauté onion, garlic, and green pepper in skillet until tender.
- Combine tomatoes, mushrooms, and pizza sauce in bowl.
- Add spaghetti, vegetables, and seasoning to bowl and stir to combine. Top with cheese and bacon.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through.
Notes
For a vegetarian version, omit the turkey bacon.
This recipe freezes well, so it's a good dish to double or triple to stock your freezer. If freezing, I'd recommend slightly undercooking the pasta (just reduce cooking time by a minute or two). Wrap in freezer paper and/or foil and label with "Baked Spaghetti: Thaw, then cook for 30 minutes at 350ºF".
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 244 calCarbohydrates: 25 gProtein: 15 gFat: 10 gSodium: 1109 mgFiber: 4 gSugar: 8 g
Baked Spaghetti Permalink
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Note that any recipe scaling from the recipes above does not carry over to the starting point for the grocery list, so you will need to make those same serving adjustments below after you click the Shopping List button. To print the notes for each day, after clicking the Shopping List button, click Print Collection.
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