Menu

For the week of 4/9 - 4/15.

4/9 - Away Baseball Game....so we ate at McDonald's on the way home.
4/10 - Hawaiian Chicken in the crock pot, white rice, veggie  (recipe to follow)
4/11 -  Carry Out Pizza & Breadsticks....we didn't get home until after 8 pm from all the after school stuff
4/12 -  Another busy night after school.  Frozen pizza night.
4/13 -  Big Daddy grilled pork burgers and hot dogs outside.
4/14 -  Leftover night (we were gone all day long out of town shopping for Small T's birthday and Prom)
4/15 -  Hamburger Helper (for Small T) yuck.

Hawaiian Chicken Over Rice
http://thestir.cafemom.com/food_party/132431/slowcooker_hawaiian_chicken_over_rice?utm_source=pinterest

4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup bbq sauce
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 cup water
12 oz can pineapple
Rice (I like brown)

Put chicken breasts, bbq sauce, teriyaki, water and pineapple into the crock pot.
Cook on low for about 5-6 hours or on high for about 3, until chicken is cooked thoroughly and shreddable.
Shred chicken and return to the crock pot while you cook the rice.
Cook rice according to package directions in a pot, or with a rice cooker.
Serve rice topped with chicken mixture and lots of sauce.

Menu

The past week's dinner menu:

3/19 - Meatloaf, Mac & Cheese, Peas (recipe to follow)
3/20- Breakfast Casserole in the crock pot  (recipe to follow)
3/21-  Frozen Pizza Hut Pizza (from a recent school fundraiser)
3/22- Pulled Chicken Sandwiches, Oven Fries, Cole Slaw  (recipe to follow)
3/23-  Fend For Yourself Night (we were all in different places)
3/24-  Cheeseburgers
3/25-  Grilled Cheese and Tator Tots in the oven  (the kids are off at school functions)

Meatloaf
3 lb. Boston Burger (half beef, half pork)
2 pkgs. cornbread stuffing mix
2 cups water

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Put dry cornbread stuffing mix in a large bowl.  Add 2 cups of water.  Mix it up with your hands.  Add the Boston Burger.  Mix well.

Put a little bit of water in the bottom of the broiler pan and spray the top tray with non-stick cooking spray.  Place the Meatloaf on it and spread it out in a big loaf.  I cook mine for about 1 1/2 hours.  About half way through the cooking, you may need to  cover the top of the meatloaf with foil if it's browning too much.


Breakfast Casserole in the Crock pot
http://www.allkindsofyumm.com/2011/10/crock-pot-breakfast-casserole.html

1 bag frozen hash browns
12 eggs
1 cup milk
1 lb. sausage
salt and pepper
1 lb. of shredded cheddar cheese

Spray the crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.
Spread the hash browns in the bottom.
Crack the eggs in a bowl.  Whisk them.  Add milk.  Whisk again.  Add salt & pepper.  Whisk again.
Brown the sausage.  Drain.
Add the sausage to the crock pot (on top of the hash browns).
Then add the cheese.
Mix it all up.
Pour the egg mixture over it all.  Spread it out evenly.
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.  After 6 hours, check it to see how it's cooking.  You can always turn it off or turn it to warm so it doesn't over cook.


Pulled Chicken (like Pulled Pork) Sandwiches - Crock pot meal
4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1/2 to 1 can of cherry coke
1/2 c. brown sugar

Spray the crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.  Place the chicken in the crock pot.  Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl and pour over the chicken.  Cook on low for 5 hours.  Remove chicken to a bowl and use two forks to shred it.  Place it back in the crock pot.

Dinner Menu - Wed. and Thurs.

Tonight (Wed.), we are having Spaghetti and Meat Sauce with a salad.  I'm including a recipe for Basic Pasta Sauce below.

Tomorrow (Thurs.), we are having homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.
I'll include how I make this too.  Check below the Pasta Sauce Recipe.

Basic Pasta Sauce for 8 servings

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
4 (8 oz.) cans of tomato sauce
2 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 c. water

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in the olive oil for about 5 minutes.  Be careful not to let these burn.  Make sure the heat is low enough.
Add tomato sauce, oregano, salt & pepper and water.  Lower heat to simmer and cook until it thickens; about 30 minutes.

**Note:  This recipe is not low-sodium. I make it low-sodium by using no salt added or low sodium tomato sauce and I don't use salt.**

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

This is a pretty basic recipe.  You can dress it up to suit your tastes.

Chicken
Carrots
Vermicelli or Egg Noodles
Seasonings of your choice
Any extra vegetables that you like

First, I cook a few pieces of chicken in water on the stove top.  Then, I remove the chicken, let it cool, and de-bone it.  Keep the broth that's in the pan.  Skim off any fat.  Add more water if necessary and bouillon if you like.  I don't add the bouillon as I'm keeping it low sodium.
Then, I heat the broth back up and add a few finely chopped carrots.  Cook for a few minutes then add the chicken back in the pot.  Add in noodles.  You can use egg noodles or vermicelli that's been broken into pieces.  Cook until the noodles are done. Sometimes I also add fresh baby spinach leaves that I've cut into strips.  My husband I really like this.
You can add any seasonings that you like.  I tend to experiment a bit so you never know what I will put in the soup.
That's it.

Crock Pot BBQ Ribs

Tonight, we are having Crock Pot BBQ Ribs for dinner.  I'm making Cheesy Broccoli Orzo for the side dish.

Crock Pot BBQ Ribs

1 rack of ribs
1-2 Tbsp. ground mustard
1/2 Tbsp. salt (I omitted this)
1 Tbsp. garlic salt (I used garlic powder)
1 Tbsp. seasoned salt (I omitted this)
1 Tbsp. chili powder (Recipe doesn't call for this, but I used it)

Your Favorite BBQ sauce

Season ribs with the spices.  Cook ribs in crock pot on high for 4 to 6 hours.  (I added a bit of water to the crock pot even though the recipe doesn't say to.)
Add BBQ sauce and cook and additional 1 to 2 hours.


Cheesy Broccoli Orzo

1 cup orzo
1-1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I'm using 2% grated sharp cheddar cheese)
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon butter (I'm using Blue Bonnet Light Margarine)
1/4-1/2 cup 2% milk (I'm using 1%)
salt  (I will omit this)

Add orzo to a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes then add chopped broccoli and cook for 2 more minutes, or until orzo is tender. Drain well (broccoli florets are notorious for holding onto water) then return to the pot. Add cheeses, butter, and 1/4 cup milk then stir well and add more milk if needed. Season with salt to taste.

Dinners....Wed., Thurs., and Fri.

Last night, Wed., I made bacon wrapped cheese dogs.  We had chips on the side (out of the pantry).  The hot dogs were very easy to do.  I preheated my oven and put the hot dogs on my broiler pan so they wouldn't be sitting in the drippings.  I cut a slit in each hot dog, making sure not to cut all the way through the hot dog or through the ends.  Then I put a small amount of shredded cheese in each slit or pocket.  After that, I wrapped a piece of bacon around each stuffed hot dog.  I baked these until the cheese melted.  My only complaint was that the bacon needed to be crispier.  The rest of my family liked the bacon this way though.  Small T took one of these bacon wrapped cheese dogs for her lunch at school today.
I also took the leftover baked pork sirloin chops and made a small shepherd's pie.  Big C took some of this to school for lunch.  Basically, I took the chopped up chops and a can of cream of mushroom soup mixed with a half of can of milk and mixed them together in the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish.  Then I drained a can of peas and put them on top.  I made 4 servings of instant mashed potatoes (I had the garlic ones) and spread them over the top of the peas.  I baked this at 350 degrees F until the "gravy" started bubbling.  Then I added a bit of shredded cheese to the top of the potatoes and put it back in to melt.  That's it.  Big C loved it.  He had a bit of it after arriving home from basketball practice last night.
Edited to add.....
As you know, Big Daddy follows a low sodium, low fat diet.  I used every low sodium, low fat product I had on hand to make the bacon wrapped cheese dogs for him.  This includes whole wheat buns.  Now, the kids had normal hot dogs, bacon, etc. for theirs.  The chips were Baked Ruffles.  Not the healthiest choice for a side dish, but it's my belief that in order to keep Big Daddy on track with eating a healthier diet, every once in awhile I need to fix a "regular" meal for him such as hot dogs, sloppy joes, etc. or he won't stick to it.

Tonight, Thurs., is the chili/soup supper at school.  I'm making the vegetable soup for this at this very moment.  So we'll be having dinner there.  They usually have chili, vegetable soup and potato soup.  There are a variety of desserts available along with a veggie tray and peanut butter and crackers.

Tomorrow, Fri., it's homecoming at school.  We'll be having a quick meal there.  Either hot dogs or pork burgers.  Both are grilled.  Big Daddy will be having the pork burger.  He just doesn't know it yet.  LOL  If I have any vegetable soup left over, then we'll have that after the games if anyone is still hungry.  Knowing the kids, they will have friends over after the dance, so I'll probably be cooking a few frozen pizzas out of the freezer.

Make Your Own Mixes

With all this low-fat/low-sodium cooking that I'm doing, I find that it's expensive to purchase all these convenience items like Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup, Light Ragu, etc.. I've been doing some research on making my own and these are a few recipes that I like.

Make Your Own Cream of Soup
http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/03/soup-or-sauce-sos-mix.html
Soup or Sauce [S.O.S.] Mix

Ingredients
2 cups powdered non-fat dry milk
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup instant chicken bouillon (regular or low sodium)
2 Tbsp dried onion flakes
2 tsp Italian seasoning (optional)

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a recloseable plastic bag, mixing well.
Equal to 9 (10.5 oz) cans of cream soup.


Make Your Own Dry Italian Seasoning Packet
http://ppod.wordpress.com/2007/11/14/dry-italian-dressing-substitute/
Dry Italian Dressing Substitute

1-½ tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. onion powder
2 tbsp. oregano
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. ground basil
¼ tsp. thyme
½ tsp. dried celery leaves

1/ Measure out all ingredients and combine in bowl. Use in place of Zesty Dry Italian Dressing packet.
2/ To make dressing: Mix 2 tbsp. of mix with ¼ cup vinegar, 2 tbsp. water and ½ to ⅔ cup olive oil.
Servings: 1 packet


Make Your Own Lipton Onion Soup Mix
http://www.tip-garden.com/2011/12/make-your-own-lipton-onion-soup-mix.html

This will make one "packet" of soup mix:
4 tsp. beef bouillon
8 tsp. dehydrated minced onions
1 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. pepper

What To Do With A Turkey....

Ok....I have a friend with several turkey's in the freezer.  She wants to cook one and not end up making the usual turkey dinner out of it.  She's asked for help in finding recipes to use up the turkey while being something "different" that her family will eat.  Here are a few of my findings.

Turkey Melt Sandwich
(my own leftover recipe)

Toast
Sliced turkey
Sliced Cheese
Cooked strips of bacon

Place slices of toast on cookie sheet.  Top with sliced turkey, sliced cheese, bacon and another piece of toast.  Place in oven to melt the cheese.

***(Replace the chicken with the turkey) Crockpot Chicken and Corn Enchilada Casserole

http://www.crystalandcomp.com/2011/09/crockpot-chicken-and-corn-enchilada-casserole/
Recipe type: dinner

Author: Crystal & Co

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 4 hours

Total time: 4 hours 20 mins

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 (8 oz) container sour cream
• 1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chilies
• 2 cups cooked chicken (I had boiled chicken on hand)
• 2 cups corn (I used frozen)
• 1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
• 12 corn tortillas (cut into quarters)
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Chop up your pre-cooked chicken.
2. Combine the soup, sour cream and chilies. Mix well.
3. Add the chicken and corn and stir.
4. Pour half a can of enchilada sauce in the bottom of the crockpot.
5. Layer half of the tortilla shells over the sauce.
6. Spread half of the chicken and soup combination over the tortillas.
7. Sprinkle with half of the shredded cheese.
8. Then repeat the steps using the remaining ingredients, starting with another layer of the enchilada sauce.
9. Once you’ve completed two layers, pop the lid on it and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for about 3 hours.
10. Plate it up and dinner is done.

Chicken Or Turkey Tetrazzini

(from my Wine Family cookbook...it's my sister in law's recipe)

1/2 lb. spaghetti (break into small pieces and cook)

In 1/4 c. margarine, saute 1/2 of a small onion and 1/2 of a green pepper

Combine:

     1 can cream of chicken soup

     1/3 c. milk

     1 (8 oz.) can mushrooms, drained

     1/2 c. black olives, sliced

     1 c. sour cream

     2 tsp. pimento

Stir in:  2 1/2 c. cooked and diced chicken or turkey

Mix it all together.  Put in a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Top with 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese.  

Bake at 325 degrees F for approx. 30 to 45 minutes.

Turkey Salad With Red Grapes

http://southernfood.about.com/od/turkeysalad/r/Turkey-Salad-With-Red-Grapes.htm

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sliced red seedless grapes
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 3/4 cup coarsely broken or chopped pecans
• 3 to 4 cups cooked diced turkey
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, optional
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3/4 to 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• salt, to taste

Preparation:

Combine the grapes, celery, green onion, pecans, if using, turkey, and parsley, if using. Toss to blend ingredients. Combine the lemon juice, 3/4 cup mayonnaise, and pepper. Stir into the turkey mixture until blended, adding more mayonnaise if needed. Add salt, to taste.

Serve in sandwiches or on greens for a lighter lunch salad.

Leftover Turkey and Stuffing Casserole

http://southernfood.about.com/od/turkeycasserole/r/bl40330e.htm

Ingredients:

• 4 cups prepared turkey stuffing
• 2 cups cooked cut up or sliced turkey
• 1 3/4 to 2 cups prepared turkey gravy
• 1/3 cup jellied or whole cranberry sauce, cubed

Preparation:

Butter bottom and sides of 2-quart baking dish. Arrange half of the stuffing in bottom of dish. Add half of the turkey then half of the gravy. Repeat layers. Top with cubes of cranberry sauce. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.
Serves 4.

How to convert a recipe into a crock pot recipe...

*I like to use my crock pot or slow cookers much more than what I actually do.  I find that I get less use of them simply because I don't have enough recipes for foods to cook in them.  I found this tip on how to convert a recipe into a crock pot recipe, so hopefully I will be able to use the crock pot more often.*

If a recipe calls for cooking the dish covered in the oven or on the stove top at a long low simmer, it's probably great for a slow cooker.  This includes foods like beef stew, pot roast, chili, or anything using a tougher cut of meat such as pork shoulder, beef chuck, brisket or lamb shoulder.

• Layer ingredients.  Root vegetables like carrots, turnips, potatoes and parsnips take longer to cook than meat because they are harder, so put them in the bottom of the slow cooker, then put the meat on top.
• Change the cooking time.  Recipes that cook for 2 to 4 hours in the oven or stove top will cook in the slow cooker or crock pot on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 7 to 9 hours. All slow cookers are different, so check the progress regularly.
• Go light on spice.  Start with a moderate amount of seasoning and add extra flavor after cooking has finished.  Hot spices like cayenne, curries and some chili powders can become more intense during slow cooking, while fresh herbs, such as basil, chives or parsley, can become flavorless.  Adjusting the flavors at the end means that the finished dish will be just as you like it.  Make sure to cook any added dry spices for 5 minutes before serving.
• Use less liquid.  Liquid doesn't evaporate in a slow cooker the way it does on the stove top or in the oven, so start with less.  A half cup of liquid, such as stock, wine or water, should be enough to create steam and start everything cooking.  For soups and stews, however, the slow cooker should be two thirds full.  Add all of the dry ingredients first, then add enough liquid to reach the correct level.
• Reduce the liquid.  Leave the lid off for the last half hour of cooking so excess liquid can evaporate.  If the end result still has too much liquid, spoon it into a small saucepan and whisk in a slurry (2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp of cooking liquid).  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer the mixture until thickened.  Add the thickened mixture back to the slow cooker before serving.

Recipes

I've found a few recipes that I am wanting to try out soon. Here is one of them:

Bubbles and Squeak
1 ounce butter, margarine or bacon fat
1 onion, finely chopped
1 lb potato, cooked and mashed
8 ounces cabbage, boiled
ground beef (optional) or lamb (optional)

Melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the onion and fry for a few minutes until softened, stirring frequently.
Add the potatoes and cabbage.
If you are including the beef, add this as well.
Fry over a medium heat for about 15 minutes until brown then serve.
Omit the beef and lamb and bacon fat for Vegetarian.

Here's another one:

Broccoli Salad

1 large head of broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup sunflower kernels
1 cup raisins
1 cup crumbled crisp bacon

Dressing:
1 cup mayo
2T vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

Mix together and combine with previous ingredients... chill...