Menu Plan Monday

This post is this week's menu plan AND last week's--I'm posting last week's just so it can get into the archives!

Bring on the cold weather--we're ready for it with these comforting favorites.

Last week:

Monday
Roasted Pork Loin Filet
Stuffing
Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole

Tuesday
BLTs on homemade Challah
Broccoli Slaw

Wednesday
Aglio e Olio

Thursday/Gluttony Day
Veggies and Ranch Dip
Fresh Fruit and fruit dip

Turkey and gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Stuffing
Corn Dish
Green Bean Casserole
Southern Green Beans
Boiled Onions (uck.)
Yams
Buttery Crescent Rolls
Challah Rolls

Caramel Apple Pie
Apple Pie
Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Cherry Pie
Maple Walnut Tarts
Chocolate Cream Tarts

Friday
Hot Turkey Salad

Saturday
Out to dinner! I got a French Dip sandwich, Abe got a Monte Cristo (which I just don't understand)

Sunday
White Turkey Chili, with cheddar cheese and sour cream


This week:

Monday
Pizza Margherita
Bacon and Pineapple Pizza
Sausage Pizza
Salad

Tuesday
Lemon Sage Butter Roasted Chicken
Spicy Orzo
Green Beans Amandine

Wednesday
Shepherd's Pie

Thursday
Breaded Pork Chops
Scalloped Potatoes
Buttered Peas

Friday
Leftovers (I'm helping host a Bridal shower, and we're having a Taco/Nacho Bar and a Cheesecake Bar)

Saturday
Chili 5 ways (with beans, onions, noodles, and cheese)

Sunday
Leftovers (or Chinese takeout--fingers crossed!)

Menu Plan Monday

This week:

Monday
Chicken Noodle Soup
French Bread

Tuesday
Grilled Steak
Crock Pot Baked Potatoes
Salad

Wednesday
Brats with onions and peppers
Homemade buns
Mac and Cheese

Thursday
Sesame Chicken
White Rice
Stir fried snow peas with sesame oil and soy sauce

Friday
Cheeseburgers
Fries
Salad

Saturday
Cheesy Potato Soup with Ham

Sunday
Leftovers

Menu Plan Monday

So tired today! And we're getting a beef order soon, so I'm trying to clear out some space in the freezer. Any of these meals may make way for a beef something-or-other if my beef situation seems dire when I survey it today. But here's a first draft, anyway.

Monday
Hungarian Braised Short Ribs
Jasmine Rice
Steamed Broccoli

Tuesday
Chicken Enchiladas
Salad

Wednesday
Stuffed Shells

Thursday
Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Crash Hot Potatoes
Carrots

Friday
Chicken and Bacon Corn Chowder
OR
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup (my Panera copycat)
Homemade Crescent Rolls

Saturday (we never had this meal last week, so it's a hold-over)
Kielbasa
Mashed Potatoes
Leftover Veggies

Sunday
Leftover Smorgasbord

Greeky Greek Roasted Potatoes

Every September, we plan a day at the fair. Abe takes the afternoon off from work, and we head out to see the animal barns, ride rides, and eat lots of yummy fair food. Ah, fair food. You can have the animal barns and rides, and I'd still show up for onion rings, elephant ears, and cotton candy. And french fries. And those lemonade shake-ups that are so grossly overpriced. There is a point, though, where you have to say THAT'S ENOUGH with the fair food, and this year, I hit that point early. I began to feel a bit eck from all of the sugar and grease, and I knew I needed something that more closely resembled actual food. I headed over to the Greek food vendor for a roasted chicken gyro, which was oh-so-delicious and made me feel much better. But the wonder of wonders that emerged from that foot cart was Greek Potatoes. They were "broasted," and topped with a butter/garlic/oregano sauce that completely made my year. Of course, even as I was stuffing my face with these tasty spuds, I was plotting to re-create them at home.

One thing I did want to change, though, was the deep-fried nature of these potatoes. I thought they'd be even tastier roasted--less greasy, more potatoey--and I was right. Tossed with all of the other Greeky ingredients, these roasted up to be tender, yummy gems. An added bonus: they were so easy...and infinitely cheaper than buying them at the fair!

Greeky Greek Potatoes

5 small/medium potatoes (I used russets, but yukon golds would be KILLER)
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp.melted butter
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
Kosher salt
Ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Scrub potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, butter, oregano, garlic powder, and garlic, and pour over potatoes. Toss to make sure potatoes are coated, then season with salt and pepper as desired. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and browned, stirring occasionally to make sure the potatoes are covered in the flavorful oil mixture!

Menu Plan Monday

I've been looking back at some menu plan posts from last year, and I may be in a rut. Sadly, I do not plan to do anything about it this week!

Monday
Spaghetti with Italian Sausage

Tuesday
"Shake and Bake"-style baked Chicken
Stuffing
Green Beans

Wednesday
I'm undecided. It will either be:
Chicken Fettucine with Alfredo Herb Sauce
OR
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
OR
Chicken Bacon Corn Chowder.
It will depend on my mood that day.

Thursday
Beef Vegetable Noodle Soup
Salad
Homemade Dinner Rolls
Pie (dutch apple or blueberry)

Friday
Kielbasa
Mashed Potatoes with French Fried Onions
Peas

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Pork Tenderloin cutlets with Apricot Glaze
Rice Pilaf with Slivered Almonds
Glazed Carrots

Menu Plan Monday

Here's what's in store for this week: (we have a lot of salad--I bought some this week and didn't remember we already had some in the fridge!)

Monday (we didn't have this last week...)
Apple-stuffed Roasted Pork Loin
Greeky Greek Roasted Potatoes
Broccoli (last of our garden's bounty!)

Tuesday
Maple-Orange Glazed Chicken
Nutty Rice Pilaf
Salad

Wednesday
Chili 5 Ways

Thursday
Cuban Panini (Medianoche)
Yellow Rice
Salad

Friday
Beef Short Ribs
Herbed Egg Noodles
Salad

Hopefully, I'll have a recipe or two posted this week, too. Cuban Panini, Greeky Greek Roasted Potatoes, or Cinnamon Rolls. Any preference?

Menu Plan Monday

My parents were here this weekend to watch our kids while we attended family wedding festivities, and while they were here, my mom cooked up a storm. She made barbecued beef sandwiches, homemade pizza, and meatloaf and scalloped potatoes. We also have leftover quiche from Saturday morning. We are STOCKED UP. So we'll probably pepper our dinners this week with some leftovers, and since I'm not going grocery shopping this week, we're having a pantry festival--dinners made with whatever is on hand. I still need to take stock of what we have before I come up with a menu, but I'd like to try this one week a month: skip the grocery store, the hassle, and the expense, and make do. I'll let you know how it goes!

And later today, I'll post my menu plan. See you soon!

Oh, yeah...

Monday
Leftover Buffet

Tuesday
Beef and Noodles
Salad

Wednesday
Finish the leftovers

Thursday
Pork Loin Medallions with apricot glaze
Mashed Potatoes
Broccoli

Friday
Shredded Beef Nachos with Queso
Refried Beans
Pan Roasted Corn

Saturday
Tomato Soup
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with bacon (on homemade Challah)

Sunday
Takeout

Menu Plan Monday

...a day late. It's a weird week for menu planning because a) my parents are coming to visit this weekend and b) we have a family wedding this weekend, but here's what I've got so far...

Monday
Homemade chicken egg rolls (EASY!)
Maple-Sesame Bacon Fried Rice

Tuesday
Pot Roast
Carrots
Garlic Bread

Wednesday
Baked Potato Soup

Thursday
Someone brings us a meal, maybe?
If not, then it'll be Turkey dinner.

Friday
Attend rehearsal dinner Pig Roast

Saturday
TBA lunch (Mom?)
Dinner reception at the country club (!! Fancy!!)

Sunday
Who knows? Any ideas, Mom?

I've got some desserts on tap, though:
"McDonald's" Fried Apple Pies (because of all of the extra egg roll wrappers)
Homemade chewy granola bars

I may also try to make some mozzarella appetizers with the extra wrappers. Yum!

Uncle Abe's Soft Pretzels

Okay, this one needs no story. This is just a recipe that is an amalgam of recipes claiming to be similar to "Mall" pretzels (you know the kind). I made these for the first time yesterday, and Abe thinks they're spot-on. I think they could use a bit more chewiness, so I've added in a bit of bread flour into the recipe. But if you don't have bread flour, don't sweat it--I used all all-purpose yesterday, and they still turned out really well. I ate four of them.

Soft Pretzels

4 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. white sugar
1 1/4 c. warm water

1 c. bread flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
all-purpose flour *

1/4 c. baking soda
2 c. hot water

kosher or sea salt, or pretzel salt, if you've got it
3 Tbsp. melted butter

FIRST, mix together the yeast, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1 1/4 c. warm water, and set aside for 5 minutes to let the yeast get foamy. When it has, add in the oil.

Then, in a large bowl, combine the bread flour, sugar, and salt. Mix in the yeast mixture, *and then continue to add all-purpose flour until it makes a soft dough. (approx. 3-4 cups.) Turn dough onto a well-floured counter top, and knead in more flour until the dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer to an oiled bowl, turn to coat with oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about an hour).

In a large bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the hot water.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Dump the dough out onto the counter top and flatten slightly. Then, using a knife or pizza cutter, cut off a strip that is approximately 1/12th of the total dough. Roll it on the counter until it is about 16 inches long. Then, twist into the classic pretzel shape, dunk in the baking soda/water mixture, and transfer to a parchment-lined cookie sheet, or a cookie sheet that is well-greased. Repeat until all of the pretzels are twisted. You'll need two cookie sheets.

Then, sprinkle lightly with the salt, and pop into the hot oven. Bake for 4 minutes, then rotate baking sheets top-to-bottom and front-to-back. Bake until the pretzels are golden brown.

Remove from oven and brush with lots of melted butter. Enjoy!

Makes 12 pretzels.

Menu Plan Monday

Here's the tentative plan for this week.

Monday
Spaghetti and Meatballs

Tuesday
Roast Chicken
Garlic Smashed Potatoes
Glazed Carrots

Wednesday
Chicken Verde
Yellow Rice
Black Beans

Thursday
Short Ribs
Rice
Green Beans

Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Leftovers? McDonald's? Pizza? I won't be here, so it's anybody's guess!