2 More Weeks of Meals

For the first "Two Weeks of Meals," click here! :)

My best friend, Cherie, calls me Betty Crocker. I'm SO far from that, but I do enjoy baking and cooking when the urge strikes. It's MUCH harder these days with a toddler who wants to "see, see, see" everything I'm doing, tugs on me when my hands are full, and destroys my kitchen while my back is turned for a split second. But, I am determined to keep feeding my family awesome meals. I like trying new stuff, too. Here are some great meal ideas (and some recipes) for what we've been eating.

**= See below for recipe! :)

Sunday: Angel Hair Pasta, Meatballs, and Stir-Fry Veggies
Monday: Cheddar Jack & Bacon Chicken**, Crockpot Carrots, and Noodle Kuegle (Wish I could give you this recipe because it's AMAZING, but it's top secret!)
Tuesday: Beef Tacos, Broccoli, Rice, and Sweet Apple Turnovers**
Wednesday: Country Chicken Supper**
Thursday: Baked Potato Soup and Oven-baked Veggies
Friday: LEFT OVERS!
Saturday: Chicken & Broccoli Mornay** & Hash Brown Casserole

Sunday: Tortellini Soup
Monday: Southwestern Meatloaf** and Salad
Tuesday: Crunchy Chicken, Green Beans**
Wednesday: LEFT OVERS!
Thursday: Flank Steak, Twice Baked Potatoes,** and steamed veggies
Friday: Manicotti**
Saturday: Italian chicken & Easy Zucchini Parmesan**

RECIPES:

Cheddar Jack & Bacon Chicken - Well, this was REALLY EASY and AMAZING! Kraft has these new "Fresh Take" mixes of Cheese and Breadcrumb mixes. I know I could probably do this myself, but I bought their mix to try, and it's phenomenal. This was a big hit in my house! Just mix chicken breasts in these pre-made bags of ingredients!

Sweet Apple Turnovers (courtesy of Easy Everyday Cooking)-

1 refrigerated pie crust
2 tart apples (I used Granny Smith), peeled, finely chopped
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
4 teaspoons butter or margarine
2 Tbsp milk (divided)
2 Tbsp sugar

1. Roll pie crust into 10-inch square on a lightly floured surface. Cut into sixteen 2 1/2-inch squares. Combine apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and egg in large bowl; toss to mix.
2. Preheat oven to 425. Place pastry squares on an ungreased baking sheet. Spoon 1 Tbsp apple mixture onto each square. Dot each square with 1/4 teaspoon butter.
3. Fold each pastry over filling to form a triangle. Brush pastry edges with some milk and press to seal.
4. Brush pastry tops with remaining milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown - about 10 minutes.

Chicken Country Supper - 

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion (although, I use only a pinch of minced onion because I'm allergic to fresh onion)
1 (14 oz) can French-style green beans
1 (14 oz) can chopped tomatoes
1 (14 oz) can sliced carrots
1 large potato cut into 3/4-inch cubes OR 1 (14 oz) canned potatoes
1 cup uncooked rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup water
1/2 cup finely shredded Cheddar

1. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat; add chicken and onion. Saute for about 3 minutes.
2. Add green beans, undrained tomatoes, carrots, potato, rice, salt, and pepper to skillet. Mix gently.
3. Pour water over top of chicken mixture. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat - stirring occasionally for 20 minutes or until potatoes and rice are tender. (*If you use instant rice and canned potatoes, this time will be much shorter - around 5 minutes.)
4. Sprinkle chicken mixture with Cheddar. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

Chicken and Broccoli Mornay -

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 1/2 cups cubed chicken
1 cup cold water
1 tbsp chicken broth (or dry sherry)
1 (10-oz) package frozen chopped broccoli (thawed)
1 (10-oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups instant rice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/4 cup shredded Swiss
1/4 cup chicken broth

1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Add water, 1 Tbsp chicken broth/dry sherry, broccoli and soup. Bring to a boil.
2. Add rice to skillet; stir. Remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp Parmesan.
3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour. Gradually add half-and-half, stirring continually until smooth. Boil for 1 minute. Add Swiss cheese. Remove from heat.
4. Beat sauce with whisk for 5 minutes! Beat in broth. Spoon chicken mixture into a serving dish. Pour sauce over chicken. Top with remaining Parmesan.

Southwestern Meatloaf (courtesy of Central Market - although I have made some changes to make it "healthier" - I've shown you both so you can choose what you want to do):

2 lbs Hamburger meat (we used turkey)
2 cups canned tortilla soup (Progressive makes a good one)
1 can black beans - drain and rinse
3 large eggs (we used egg whites)
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 cup Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375; mix all ingredients (EXCEPT 1 cup of soup and the cheese). Make 6-8 mini meatloaves. Bake for 30 minutes. Pull out of oven and top with remaining cup of soup and cheese. Return to oven for 10 additional minutes.

Green Beans -
1 lb green beans (I use steam-able bag)
2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp margarine
pepper
seasoning salt

Clean fresh green beans, snip ends. Boil 2 minutes and drain. Place cold water over them to stop the cooking process. Drain water. **I use steam-able bag to speed process, so I skip the previous directions and go right to this step: melt margarine in skillet. Place green beans in skillet and heat through for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle nutmeg, add pepper, and seasoning salt. (You can also add a dash of teriaki sauce or soy sauce - yum!)

Twice Baked Potatoes -
4 large baking potatoes
shortening, butter, or margarine
1/3 - 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup soft butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
4 Tbsp finely shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Heat oven to 375. Scrub potatoes and rub with butter, margarine, or shortening. Prick with fork. Bake until potatoes are tender (about 1 to 1 1/4 hours).
2. Increase oven temp to 400. Cut a thin slice from the top of each potato (or cut in half lengthwise) and scoop out all the inside leaving a thin shell.
3. Mash potatoes until no lumps remain.
4. Add butter, salt, and pepper. Beat until potatoes are slightly fluffy.
5. Fill shells with mashed potatoes and sprinkle each with 1 Tbsp shredded cheddar.
6. Bake 20 minutes or until golden.

Manicotti - 
12 manicotti shells
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
8 oz soft cream cheese with onion and chives
3 cups spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook manicotti in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain again.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Mix 3 cups mozzarella with soft cream cheese. Stuff manicotti; place in prepared dish.
3. Spoon spaghetti sauce over shells.
4. Sprinkle manicotti with remaining mozzarella. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle Parmesan. Bake for 10 minutes longer.

Easy Zucchini Parmesan -
1 cup sliced zucchini
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
10 sprays of Butter spray (I used Pam)

Line a cookie sheet with foil, then coat with non-stick spray. Place zucchini slices on pan, spritz with butter spray. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and then place in oven. Broil for a few minutes until cheese starts to brown.