Week 1 Dinner Menu: Week of Dec. 30 - Jan. 5

In an attempt to keep the blog up to date and vary up our dinner menu I thought I would post weekly what our dinner menu is.  For the last 8 years I have been making a monthly menu for our dinner plans.  This has worked great for meal planning, grocery shopping and limiting our food budget but it has also gotten us into a rut.  Pinterest has a ton of recipes so I thought I would start to use some of the ones that I have pinned and see what the kids think.  I'm hoping this gets us out of the groans when it comes to the questions and answer of "What's for dinner". 

For those of you that really know me, you know how much I LOVE my crockpot.  My kids however, DESPISE MY CROCKPOT.  This is going to be a challenge for me as most of these recipes do not involve the use of a crockpot.  I am going to try though and the kids have expressed an interest in helping with dinner as well.  As the year goes on I am going to give them each a day during the month where they can plan dinner.  I can only imagine what we may end up eating when it comes to the younger ones but I know it will give them a sense of ownership and a better sense of what all it takes to make dinner for 7. 

So, here goes.  Remember, all of the recipes that I list feed our family of 7.  Most of the time there are left overs so the below is cooking for 8-10 or maybe 4-6 adults.


Sunday: Codey's Favorite Chicken Casserole (From Pinterest-It didn't have a name so we named it!!)

Ingredients:
1 block cream cheese
4 chicken breasts or 1 bag pre-cooked grilled chicken chunks
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 package dry Italian or Ranch mix
2 bags or boxes spiral (or any other shape) pasta

Directions:
Add all ingredients (except pasta) in crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours or low 6-8 hours
Cook pasta when ready to serve

To serve:
Mix pasta into crockpot and toss until pasta is coated. 
Serve with green beans and french bread

*Note:  Everyone LOVED this recipe!  It was the first time I made this and it got rave reviews.  They have already asked me to make it again when certain freinds come over and they even asked for it for leftovers the next day!!!


Monday: Bacon Cheeseburger Soup & BLT Sandwiches (From Pinterest)

Ingredients:
1 block cream cheese
2 pounds cooked ground beef
6 slices cooked bacon
1 package frozen hashbrowns (shredded or cubed)
1 package velveeta cheese
1 carton chicken broth
small onion diced

Directions:
In a crockpot add all of the ingredients above and cook on high for 4 hours, stirring occasionaly.  I would recommend only cooking it for the 4 hours.  I cooked it on low for 7 hours and the cheese started to get brown like it was burning.

To serve:
Serve in coffee mugs on a plate along side a sandwich.  I chose BLTs but a grilled cheese or ham sandwich would be just as yummy!


Tuesday: Steaks with mashed potatos, salad and french bread

Ingredients:
steaks
red potatos
ingredients to make a green salad

So, this is Jeremy's area of expertise as he makes the BEST steaks!!  No instructions here.  Just a yummy dinner planned to start 2013 off with a bang.


Wednesday: Enchilada Stack

Ingredients:
20 Flour tortillas
4 pounds cooked hamburger meat
2 bags shredded cheese (I used mexican but any is fine)
1 onion chopped
2 cans black beans, drained
1 large can refriend beans
1 16 oz bag frozen corn
2 large cans enhilada sauce
1 package yellow rice
sour cream and/or guacamole

Directions:
In a greased 9x13 casserole dish place tortillas to cover the bottom of the dish
Layer with refried beans, hamburger meat, black beans, corn and sprinkle with cheese, cover in enchilada sauce
Repeat layers beginning with tortillas until top of the dish or run out of ingredients
On top, cover with remaining enchilada sause and sprinkle with cheese
Bake in a 350 degree oven until cheese is melted and it is warmed through

Cook yellow rice according to package instructions

To serve:
Top with sour cream and/or guacamole
Serve with yellow rice on side

This one didn't get that great of reviews.  Maybe corn tortillas would be better to use.  I don't think they would get as soggy as the flour tortillas.  Also, I think the next time I may make it without the tortillas in it and just serve them on the side instead.


Thursday: Cowboy Casserole (From Pinterest)

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded cheese
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 bag frozen tater tots or rounds

Directions:
About 30 minutes-1 hour before cooking take tater tots out and set on counter to thaw

Saute the onion until translucent, add chopped garlic and cook for 1 more minute
Add the ground beef and cook until browned, drain the mixture and set aside in large bowl
In a small bowl combine the soup, milk and sour cream, whisk until smooth. 
Add to the hamburger mixture and stir to combine. 
Add corn and 1 cup of shredded cheese.  Gently mix to combine.

Grease a 9x13 baking dish.  Layer 1/2 of the tater tots on the bottom, pour the hamburger mixture over the top and then layer with the other 1/2 of the tater tots.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until tater tots are golden brown and crunchy.

To serve:
Serve with Texas Toast

Kids thought this was a vamped up version of our tater tot casserole that we make.  They liked it though and even ate it for lunch the following days.


Friday: Beans and Rice with cornbread
(NOTE: This is an updated menu due to left overs.  The original recipe for today has been moved to next week.)

Ingredients:
1 pound dry beans
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
2 cans tomatos (diced, whole, stewed, whatever you have on hand or prefer)
seasonings to taste
*optional: bacon, ham bone, steak pieces
rice

Directions:
Soak dry beans over night

In morning:
Drain and rinse dry beans
In crockpot, add the beans, celery, onion, tomatos, seasonings and meat (*Note: we are using left over steak pieces from earlier in the week) in crockpot
Add water to top of crockpot
Cook on high all day

Before serving:
Bake cornbread
Cook rice according to package directions

To serve:
Serve over rice with cornbread


Saturday: Left Overs
Serving up all of those yummy left overs from this week so we can clean out the fridge and get ready for next week!