Menu Plan Monday – Week 64

 Here is my Menu Plan for this week. I have only planned 6 meals ( counting on leftovers one night at least )  Thanks to Laura The Organizing Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday. Post your own plan and go there to link your plan ( on Monday ) or visit her site to glean new ideas As always, this is THE PLAN, and all plans are subject to change as the need arises or as the fancy strikes my mind. I don’t assign nights as I like to have a little freedom to cook what I want or what I have time for.I only planned 6 meals as I am finding that 7 are too many ( 6 may be too). Please come back and join me for Freezer Food Friday!

Chicken and Prociutto Tortellini in Alfredo Sauce

Unbeatable Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

Creamy Broccoli Tuna Helper

Mom’s Famous Tortilla Casserole

Tilapia, baked red potatoes, Mediterrenean Salad

Quick Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Tetrazzini

 

Welcome to Freezer Food Friday!

Today I have a freezer recipe from Martha Stewart…post your make ahead recipe and add your link to Mr. Linky. Leave me a comment, I will be around to see what you have posted!

 

Chicken Tetrazzini

Coarse salt and ground pepper

6 tablespoons butter

1 pound white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced inch thick

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup dry white wine

3 cups grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 pound linguine, broken in half

1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)

1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed and drained

 

 

Preheat oven to 400. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (for pasta). In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over high heat. Add mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until tender and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and set aside.

Make sauce: In same saucepan, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add flour; cook, whisking, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, gradually add milk, broth, and wine. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and add 2 cups Parmesan and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta 2 minutes less than package instructions for al dente; drain and return to pot. Add sauce, chicken, peas, and mushrooms. Toss well to combine. Divide between two shallow 2-quart baking dishes; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.

Freeze (see below) or bake until browned, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

To freeze: After placing pasta mixture in baking dishes and sprinkling with Parmesan (step 3), cool to room temperature. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and freeze up to 3 months.

To bake from frozen: Bake, covered with foil, at 400 degrees, until center is warm, about 2 hours. Uncover, and bake until top is browned, about 20 minutes more. Serve.

To bake from thawed: Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Bake, covered with foil, at 400 degrees, until center is warm, about 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake 

 

Cheese Enchilada Chowder

Cheese Enchilada Chowder

 

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

1 10-ounce package frozen whole kernel corn

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped yellow, green or red sweet pepper

1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded, if desired, and finely chopped

1 19-ounce can enchilada sauce

1 10-3/4-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup

2 cups milk

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

dairy sour cream (optional)

guacamole (optional)

tortilla chips, coarsely broken (optional)

  

1. In a 3-1/2 to 5-quart slow cooker combine black beans, tomatoes, frozen corn, onion, sweet pepper, and jalape?o pepper. In a large mixing bowl whisk together enchilada sauce and soup. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker.

 

2. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours. Stir in Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese until melted. Ladle into bowls. If desired, top each serving with sour cream, guacamole and tortilla chips.

 

Serves 6. 374 calories, 37 grams carb.

 

This makes a great party stew, since it’s tasty and festive looking. Set it on a buffet table next to bowls, spoons and toppings.

 

Red Pepper Chicken

 

Today is Slow Cooking Thursday, hosted by the lovely Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom . Share a recipe on your blog and go link it at her blog.Please come back and join me for Freezer Food Friday.  

Red Pepper Chicken

Quick Cooking
Chicken breasts are treated to a bevy of black beans, red peppers and tomatoes in this Southwestern supper from Piper Spiwak. “We love this colorful dish over rice cooked in chicken broth,” pens the Vienna, Virginia cook.SERVINGS: 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 jar (15 ounces) roasted red peppers, undrained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Mexican stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
Hot cooked rice 
 
Place the chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. In a bowl, combine the beans, red peppers, tomatoes, onion, salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve over rice.

Yield: 4 servings.

Recipe Review – Mexican Beef and Bean Stew – Crockpot

I made this recipe, but I used chicken breast and broth in place of the beef stew meat and consomme. This was a big hit here. It is a tasty and filling soup and will be making another appearance in my menu plan.

Give it a try and let me know how you like it!  

 

 

My Babcia’s Cabbage Soup – Crockpot

My Babcia’s Cabbage Soup

1 head cabbage
2 (about 10oz) cans of condensed tomato soup
2 (about 10oz) cans of pork & beans in tomato based sauce (Recommended: Campbell’s)
2 (about 10oz) tomato soup cans full of water
1 Tablespoon salt pork or 4 slices bacon, diced

Sauté salt pork or bacon in skillet until translucent, add to crockpot with or without drippings (I prefer adding the drippings), Pour soup and beans into Crockpot, add 2 cans of water using the tomato soup can. Stir well. Quarter cabbage, remove the core, and separate leaves. Add cabbage to crockpot and press leaves down, so they are
covered as much as possible with liquid. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-10 hours, or until cabbage is very tender, stirring occasionally.

 

Curried Almonds – Crockpot

Curried Almonds

From Recipe is from “Secrets of Slow Cooking” by Liana Krissoff.

Makes 2 1/2 cups.
2 1/2 cups shelled almonds
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tsps. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients in a 4-quart slow cooker and cook, covered, on the Low setting for 4 hours.

2. Uncover and cook on the High setting for about 1 hour, until some of the almonds begin to turn brown and develop cracks.

3. Remove the almonds to a plate to cool. Serve at room temperature.

Free Historical leaders coloring pages (Crayola)

http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/learn/leaders/

Tackle It Tusday – Books Edition

 

 Today is Tackle it Tuesday over at 5MinutesforMom.Com. Today I need to Tackle my bookshelves.  

I need to input books into my libary at Library Thing or post them on my bookshelf at PaperBackSwap.com  ( use my nickname – mjpuzzlemom in the referral box.) . I will be back later to update how many books I made it through.

Glenn Beck’s Easter Essay

This has to be heard… pretty cool!

Glenn Beck’s Easter Essay set to the music of Pink Floyd. Go on a journey that transcends space and time when Glenn narrates the story of Easter with the music of Pink Floyd as the musical backdrop.