Week 8 Summary |
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Notes for this week |
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Day 1 |
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| Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce | Steamed Broccoli | |
Day 2 |
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| Vegetable Stromboli | Spinach Salad | |
Day 3 |
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| Creamy Tomato Basil Soup | Grilled Cheese | Carrots and Dip |
Day 4 |
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| Slow Cooker Beef and Mushrooms | Egg Noodles | Lima Beans |
Day 5 |
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| Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili | Cornbread | |
🗓️ Day 1
- Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce
- Steamed Broccoli
Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce
This rich and creamy chicken dish is one of the recipes first featured in our meal plans. The pimentos and fresh basil are the perfect seasoning in the delicious cream sauce served over breaded and sautéed chicken breasts.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup dry bread crumbs
- 1 lb thin cut boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 Tbsp. butter
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 oz. jar diced pimientos, drained
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup minced fresh basil, or 1 Tbsp. dried
- ⅛ Tbsp. pepper
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 8 oz. spaghetti or vermicelli
Instructions
Chicken
- Set up an assembly line with chicken breasts, a shallow bowl with the milk, and a bowl with the bread crumbs.
- Dip chicken in milk, then bread crumbs.
- Brown chicken on both sides in butter and olive oil over medium heat and continue cooking until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove and keep warm.
Sauce
- While making the sauce, put the pasta on to cook so they will be done at the same time.
- Add all but 3 Tbsp. of the broth to the drippings in the skillet and bring to a boil.
- Stir, loosening drippings from the bottom of the pan. Add whipping cream and pimientos.
- Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute.
- Reduce heat and add Parmesan cheese, basil and pepper.
- Mix cornstarch and remaining 3 Tbsp. broth.
- When the sauce is heated through, add cornstarch mixture, stirring over medium heat to thicken.
- Place chicken on pasta and cover with basil cream sauce.
Notes
Fresh basil works best in this recipe.
Thin cut chicken breasts are idea for even cooking; if you are using regular breasts, you can pound them to an even thickness between two pieces of wax paper with the side of a meat mallet.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 650 calCarbohydrates: 31 gProtein: 35 gFat: 43 gSodium: 593 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 2 gNet Carbs: 29 g
🗓️ Day 2
- Vegetable Stromboli
- Spinach Salad
Vegetable Stromboli
I love recipes like this because they are so easily adapted to what you have on hand. There are so many combinations that would be good—mix it up by using leftover meat or spinach instead of the vegetables listed, or try swapping out different cheeses. Anytime you can reduce waste by using leftovers instead of throwing them away, you save money.
Ingredients
- 2 cups spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- ½ cup green pepper, chopped
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 1 recipe of your favorite pizza dough, homemade or purchased
, prepared - 1 egg, beaten
- 1 Tbsp water
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In large skillet, brown mushrooms, onion, and pepper. Add ½ cup pasta sauce and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, roll dough out and cut into 6 rectangles, about 5"x7". In a small bowl, mix egg and water, brush on dough edges. Stir cheese into vegetable mixture. Spoon equal amounts of vegetable mixture onto half of each dough piece. Fold dough over filling and press around sides to seal edges.
- Place on baking sheet and brush with egg mixture. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Heat remaining pasta sauce and serve with cooked stromboli.
Notes
- Speed up your preparation with prepared pizza dough. You can buy refrigerated pizza dough in a cardboard tube near the crescent rolls, and some grocery stores (I'm looking at you, Trader Joe's) carry bags of ready to roll pizza dough in the refrigerated section.
- Use what you have for this dish—if you have spinach and mushrooms but not onions and peppers, use that. Meat can be added/substituted.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 387 calCarbohydrates: 57 gProtein: 18 gFat: 11 gSodium: 1543 mgFiber: 4 gSugar: 13 gNet Carbs: 53 g
🗓️ Day 3
- Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
- Grilled Cheese
- Carrots and Dip
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
Served with grilled cheese sandwiches, this soup makes a filling and flavorful meal anytime of the year.
Ingredients
- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 3 tsp sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup half and half
- shredded Parmesan cheese
- Croutons
Instructions
- Combine tomatoes and broth in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in basil and sugar and continue heating for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat; stir in half and half. Cook, stirring regularly, until soup is hot.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve garnished with Parmesan cheese and croutons.
Notes
For a less creamy soup (and fewer calories), reduce the half and half to ½ cup (or omit it).
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 157 calCarbohydrates: 20 gProtein: 5 gFat: 8 gSodium: 502 mgFiber: 4 gSugar: 12 gNet Carbs: 16 g
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup Permalink
🗓️ Day 4
- Slow Cooker Beef and Mushrooms
- Egg Noodles
- Lima Beans
Slow Cooker Beef and Mushrooms
Slow cooker recipes like Slow Cooker Beef and Mushrooms are a great way to make a low stress dinner at home.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. beef stew meat cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 envelope onion soup mix
- 10.5 oz can cream golden mushroom soup
- 2 cups whole mushrooms
- ½ cup red wine
- 6 cups egg noodles, prepared according to directions
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Stir until well blended. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours (or on high for 5-6 hours). Serve over cooked egg noodles.
Notes
This recipe freezes well so you may want to double the ingredients on your grocery list and freeze half. (Freeze only the meat mixture; cook the egg noodles just before serving.)
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 309 calCarbohydrates: 24 gProtein: 32 gFat: 8 gSodium: 345 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 1 gNet Carbs: 23 g
Slow Cooker Beef and Mushrooms Permalink
🗓️ Day 5
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
- Cornbread
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Using leftover marinated, grilled chicken is the secret to this flavorful and comforting white chicken chili. Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili will tempt you with its fantastic aroma as the chicken, beans, corn, herbs, and spices simmer in the crockpot.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups marinated, grilled chicken, chopped
- 3 cans great northern beans (15.5 ounces each), drained and rinsed
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 2 cups canned or frozen yellow corn, thawed and drained
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
- 32 ounces vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 avocado, sliced (for garnish)
Instructions
- Place the chicken, beans, onion, garlic, corn, cumin, garlic salt, oregano, smoked paprika, Tabasco sauce, and 2 tablespoons of cilantro in slow cooker.
- Pour broth over ingredients and stir gently.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 ½ to 5 ½ hours (this may vary depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks). If necessary, add water.
- Serve garnished with remaining chopped cilantro and sliced avocado if desired.
Notes
- You could use any cooked chicken in this recipe, but the marinated, grilled chicken is what gives this crockpot white chicken chili its distinct flavor. It's worth the extra effort, and planned leftovers are always a good addition to a meal plan. You can save lots of time by doing prep work like this in bulk and freezing the prepared ingredients. You can find out more about this way of cooking by reading the our meal plan primer.
- Vegetarian. For a vegetarian version, add a second variety of beans in place of the chicken and use vegetable broth. A dash of liquid smoke will help add some of the flavor lost from not using the grilled chicken, or you could marinate and grill vegetables in place of the chicken.
- Gluten-free. As long as tamari is used in the chicken marinade instead of soy sauce, this recipe is gluten-free as written.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 324 calCarbohydrates: 27 gProtein: 32 gFat: 11 gSodium: 2020 mgFiber: 8 gSugar: 4 gNet Carbs: 19 g
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili Permalink
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