Let's Meal Plan!

Traci Reed

Well-known member
Exciting, eh?

I'm making up the menu for the next week and coming up blank...ugh. So let's share some of our favorite inexpensive meals!

Things that take advantage of what's in season would be great!
 
Our new favorite is ham steaks on the grill with asparagus (also on the grill in a tin foil "pouch"). I bought 2 ham steaks (for like $4 a piece) and it was more than enough for the four of us.
 
Slow Cooked Beef Stroganoff

1 lb cubed beef stew meat
1 can condensed golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water
1/2 tub sour cream (to taste)

-combine all except sour cream in crock pot and cook 8 hrs on low or 5 on high
-add sour cream before serving over egg noodles or rice.
 
I'm planning tomorrow afternoon after our trip to the Farmer's Market that just opened here!

One of our quick and easy summer meals is meatball sandwiches and sweet potato fries. You can do all from the freezer section at the store, or make your own. We buy meatballs in bulk from Sams, but make our own wedges.

Cut 20 meatballs in half, put them in a pot with spaghetti sauce. When warmed, put 3-4 halves into a hot dog bun or hoagie bun, top with cheese of choice. Place under the broiler to melt cheese, toast bread a bit. The leftover sauce w/meatballs is then for spaghett a night or two later. If you have leftover buns, you can make them into garlic toast, along with some spring mix salad and veg...great 2nd meal for no extra cost other than the salad.
 
Man, I'm totally craving beef stroganoff now Traci! lol!

chicken kabobs on the grill with fresh veggies (we like to do peppers, onions, and greena dn yellow squash-aka zucchini)
italian grilled chicken
bbq pork chops

Check out crockpot365.blogspot.com for lots of crockpot recipes. Keeps the house a lil cooler without the stove or oven on for those hot hot summers.
 
Some of my standbys:

Spinach Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Mrs. Dash to taste
Garlic Powder to taste
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 cups fresh spinach
olive oil

Season chicken breasts with Mrs Dash and garlic powder. Saute in olive oil on medium heat. When juices run clear, turn heat down to low. Spread raw, fresh spinach on top of each chicken breasts, and cover. Let steam until wilted. Sprinkle with cheese and cover until cheese melts.


Stuffed Peppers

6 large bell peppers (any color)
2 lbs ground beef
1 small chopped onion
3 cups cooked rice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 30-ounce can tomato sauce
2 cups shredded Jack cheese

Cut the stem out of each pepper and cut in half the long way. Remove seeds and rinse peppers. Cook in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain. Cook beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat until browned. Drain. Stir in rice, tomato sauce and seasonings. Cook until hot. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Stuff peppers with beef mixture. Place in large (or 2 smaller) baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, covered, for 45 minutes.


All-American Meat Loaves

2 lg eggs, lightly beaten
2 lbs ground chuck
1 md onion; chopped
¾ c quick cooking oats, uncooked
½ c ketchup
¼ c milk
1 tb prepared horseradish
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

SAUCE

½ c ketchup
3 tb brown sugar
1 tb prepared horseradish
2 tsp prepared mustard

Combine first 9 ingredients; shape mixture into 8 (4 x 2½ inch) loaves.
Place loaves on a lightly greased rack of a broiler pan. Bake uncovered
at 400° for 40 minutes. SAUCE: Combine ½ cup ketchup and remaining 3
ingredients. Remove pan from oven; pour ketchup mixture over meat loaves.
(sauce might be a bit spicy for the little ones with the horseradish, although mine don't mind it. you can cut the horseradish to 1tsp if you are so inclined.)

Fiesta Enchiladas

8 flour tortillas (8 inch)
2 c tomato juice
1½ c shredded iceberg lettuce
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 c seeded, chopped tomato
1/2 lb ground chuck
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 16oz can refried beans
2 c shredded cheddar cheese (more if you like it really cheesy)

Wrap tortillas tightly in foil. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Combine tomato juice, oil and seasoning mix. Stir well. Brown ground chuck in skillet; drain. Stir in 1/2 cup tomato juice mixture and beans. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until heated. Stir occasionally; remove from heat. Place about 1/4 cup meat mixture and 2½ tbs cheese down center of tortilla. Roll up tortillas and place seam down in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Pour remaining tomato mixture over casserole. Cover and bake for 35 minutes or until heated. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle lettuce, tomato and avocado over enchiladas; serve with sour cream.

Chicken Santa Fe Burritos

1 tbs vegetable oil
1 diced onion
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 tbs cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup leftover shredded pork or chicken
1 (16-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can corn with red and green peppers, undrained
2 tablespoons fajita seasoning
8 Flour Tortillas
1 cup Monterey jack cheese

Wrap tortillas tightly in foil and warm in a 250° oven while preparing filling.

Heat oil in a large skillet, and add onions. Cook until translucent. Add remaining ingredients, except tortilas and cheese, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Spread filling on warmed tortillas and top with a handful of cheese. Roll burrito style.

Creamy Spinach & Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbs. margarine or butter
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (I use fresh)
1 cup small curd cottage cheese, ricotta or cream cheese
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 pkg. flour tortillas
1 can (10 oz.) mild enchilada sauce
1-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast (or use leftover!)
2 c Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 375°F.
*In sauce pan cook onions and garlic in butter for 2 minutes.
*Add spinach.
*Cook for 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally.
*Reduce heat to low.
*Stir in cottage cheese & 1 cup shredded cheese.
*Cook chicken in a little olive oil, butter & 1 clove minced garlic.
*Finely chop or shred chicken, then add to the spinach mixture.
*Warm tortillas as directed on package.
*Spoon approximately 1/4 cup filling down center each tortilla, roll up.
*Place seam side down in 13x9-inch baking dish.
*Top with enchilada sauce and remaining cheese.
*Bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbly.
 
This is an easy go-to staple in our house. Nothing fancy, but the kids like it.

Tomato Soup Hotdish

1 lb hamburger
1 lb macaroni noodles (any kind - I like to use rotini)
2 cans tomato soup
1 can water
1 small onion
salt & pepper to taste

Brown hamburger and onion. Boil noodles to al dente. Mix all ingredients together and serve.
 
chicken kabobs on the grill with fresh veggies (we like to do peppers, onions, and greena dn yellow squash-aka zucchini)

okay yum, our fav things to grill with chicken kabobs are peppers and onions and pineapple and brush it with a mixture of bbq sauce and oj concentrate! yum!
 
Also, breakfast for dinner is a huge hit around here. Fire up the griddle and start making pancakes. lol

Or egg in the hole is another fave.

Ours, too!!! :) Pancakes and sausage is our fav & to make them special, I'll cut up strawberries and/or bananas to top the pancakes with. Plus, we add food coloring to the pancake batter to make them "fun". :) Blue is EE's fav while Jillian picks purple or pink. :thumbup:

I'm easy when it comes to dinners. Plus my hubby is the one cooking and multi-tasking isn't his strongpoint, so I tend "assembling" instead of chopping.dicing.mixing. blech.

Croissant Dogs is a fav.
BBQ Pork
Chicken on the Grill - I marinate it in all sorts of things
Grilled Tuna Melts with salad (grilled cheese for the kids - well mine at least.)
Tacos and I make extra to have Taco Salads the next night
Enchiladas - I throw the chicken breasts or whatever in the crockpot with enchilada sauce. I cook all day. Shredd, stuff and place in oven with more sauce and cheese on top.

We tend to eat like toddlers @ home. :) BUT I always pair my dinners with a salad and fruit/veggie for the kids.
 
Some of my faves:

Weight Watchers General Tso's Chicken Recipe 30 min | 20 min prep

SERVES 4

3/4 cup canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons peanut oil
2 medium scallions, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, minced or 1 dried chili, minced
1 lb uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups cooked white rice, kept hot
In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and ginger; set aside.
Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions, garlic and pepper and cook 2 minutes. Add chicken and cook until browned all over, about 5 minutes.
Add reserved sauce and simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Serve chicken and sauce over rice. Yields about 1 cup of chicken and sauce and 1/2 cup of rice per serving.

Wasabi Salmon Cakes Recipe
25 min | 15 min prep

6 patties

1 can salmon (boneless/skinless)
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise (I like Hellmann's Just 2 Good)
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons wasabi (!!)
1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or lemon juice
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
extra breadcrumbs
cooking spray
Mush the top ingredients together in a big bowl; Adding extra breadcrumbs till the texture is workable.
Roll into balls and flatten into patties.
Press the patties into the extra breadcrumbs.
Spray tops with Pam, flip and spray bottoms.
Cook in large skillet over medium-high heat until nice and brown and firm to the touch.
You can use the same technique with Tuna.
I like that to have an italian flavor, so I take out the wasabi and soy and add basil and oregano and shredded mozzarella.
They are great with pasta sauce.
 
Well, in our home we love these things:

Tacos
Nachos
Burritos (see the trend LOL)

fried chicken
meatloaf
pot roast
hamburgers
pizza

casseroles:
stroganoff
baked ziti
chicken noodle casserole
spaghetti
lasagna
 
I made this one the other night--BIG hit with everyone. I did make a few substitutions to suit our family. I used a about half of a poblano in place of the jalapenos, and skipped the cinnamon since I'm allergic to it.

Indian-Spiced Chicken and Spinach

The kids get a kick out of this one, if only because the sauce name is so hard to say. The only change I made here was to serve it with rice instead of orzo since D's on a gluten-free diet.

Chicken breasts with orzo, carrots, dill, and avgolemono sauce
 
spaghetti is always a good meal for budgets. We make a big thing of it and eat it for dinner then lunch the next day and dinner that night so it serves five for three meals usually. Make it with some garlic bread/garlic toast (I like texas style garlic toast the best) and a salad and it is an awesome meal. Our kids hate it but alot of times we will add some bluecrab meat or some clams to the spaghetti sauce while it is cooking. Makes it soo yummy!!
 
I need to get in on this b/c I'm going to have to actually start cooking again now that DH is coming home lol...Here are some of our usual meals...

Easy Lasagna

1 Box oven ready Lasagna Noodles
1 lb hamburger
1 jar prego spaghetti sauce
1 large container cottage cheese
1 large bag shredded mozarella cheese

Spray 13x9 in casserole dish with Pam. Cook hamburger and drain - add spaghetti sauce and simmer til hot. (I season it with a little garlic salt and pepper and I also add some chopped onion) Layer all ingredients in casserole dish - noodles/sauce mixture/cottage cheese/mozerrella til dish is full. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until noodles are tender.

Tater Tot Casserole

* 1 package frozen tater tots
* 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
* 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
* 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
* 1 can French-fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch dish.
Arrange tater tots in the prepared baking dish.
In a mixing bowl, combine sour cream, cheese, and mushroom soup. Pour this mixture over the tater tots. Sprinkle onions over the top of the casserole.
Bake in the 350 degrees oven for 45 to 60 minutes.

Pepper Steak with Rice

* 1 pound boneless beef sirloin steak, 3/4 inch thick
* 3 tablespoons cornstarch
* 1 (14 ounce) can Swanson® Beef Broth
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 2 cups fresh or frozen green or red pepper strips
* 1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
* 4 cups hot cooked regular long-grain white rice

DIRECTIONS

1. Slice beef into very thin strips. Mix cornstarch, broth, soy and garlic.
2. Stir-fry beef in nonstick skillet until browned and juices evaporate.
3. Add peppers and onion. Add cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Serve over rice.

Chicken Spaghetti

1 pkg spaghetti
1/2 c. chx broth
1 can cream of chx soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
2 chicken breasts (boiled and shredded) - I use 2 but you can add as much chx as you like
1 small onion - diced
small bag shredded cheddar cheese
salt/pepper to taste
pat of butter

Boil chicken and save 1/2 c. broth. Let chicken cool and then shred.
Boil spaghetti noodles until tender.
In saucepan saute onion in butter til tender..Add broth and both soups...simmer and stir til warm. Drain spaghetti noodles and pour soup mixture over and mix. Add chicken. Spread in 13x9 in casserole dish, salt/pepper to taste and sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted and golden.
 
Tonight we're having italian grilled chicken cut up and serve over salad. Deeeeeelish.
Tomorrow I'm making stuffed shells and or lasagna depending on how ambitious I feel :p Just thought I'd add that.
 
Some of our favorites are bean and corn burritos, meatless lasagne or baked ziti, breakfast for dinner, buttered pasta, and beans and rice. The kids and DH also eat lots of baked chicken, pork chops, and hamburgers.

The simpler the meal, the more my family likes dinner. That's usually fine with me because I don't like cooking that much, but there are lots of vegetable-heavy recipes that I've stopped making because they're not kid (or DH) friendly. Those include eggplant parmesan, butternut squash soup, and lots of bean dishes. And I know that wasn't the question at all, but I happen to be waxing nostalgic about pre-kid cooking right now, sitting here looking at my Moosewood Restaurant cookbook because I think I may actually bother to cook something just for me :) I'm in the mood for black bean chilaquile next week when the rest of the family is having meat.
 
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Most of my kids have gotten to where they'll eat anything. But if I'm making something really outrageous, I just give them hotdogs. LOL
 
My 6 year-old son's all-time favourite hot or cold meal is what we call Pesto Pasta:

Cook some spaghetti according to instructions. Meanwhile, fry some bacon, snipped into pieces (or if pressed for time, use ham pieces), add snipped sun-dried tomatoes, a table spoon or so of green pesto sauce, and a hand full of frozen peas. When the pasta is ready, add two table spoons of the drained water to the pesto mix. Stir, then add the pasta and a tablespoon-ish of finely grated fresh parmesan. Thoroughly toss all together and serve.


I vary the amount of all the ingredients according to the people eating - my son likes it to be very heavy on the sundried toms and pesto/ parmesan!

Alex also doesn't like fresh tomatoes - hence the sundried which he loves, but it works well with either, and though I usually use frozen peas - fresh work well too. If you use fresh pasta, this is an incredibly quick meal to prepare, that tastes just as good in a packed school lunch as it does for a main meal served with garlic bread! Honestly :)
 
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