As many of you know, I am a little bit of an organization freak. When Danny and I got married, I started making weekly meal plans so that we weren’t left wondering what to eat for dinner each night. I love trying new recipes and deciding if the recipes are keepers or tossers. One day over Christmas break, I opened up a cookbook and started writing down recipes. Before I knew it, I had written menu plans through May. Yes, I realize that writing menu plans 5 months in advance is ridiculous, and that I will have to allow for some flexibility as I go along. But the idea of not having to sit out and make a weekly menu plan for 5 whole months is pretty nice!
A few of my friends have requested that I type up these meal plans for them. To type these all up at once would be very time consuming (5 months of recipes is a lot of typing!), so I have decided to type up these meal plans 1 week at a time. I will post the week’s meal plans the week after I have made them. That way, if a meal is gross I can warn you, and if I encounter any disasters I can give you a head’s up.
If you are looking for the world’s healthiest meal plans, these aren’t for you. These recipes are not always the quickest, nor do they have the lowest calorie count known to man. They aren’t the cheapest, the most complex, or the most organic. If you need any type of specialty diet or only eat vegetables or are trying to lose weight or gain weight or want your skin to turn green, these recipes will not be of use to you. These are just the meals that Danny and I eat for dinner each night. Here’s the basic outline of the meal plans:
Slone Meal Set-Up
Sunday—Homemade Soup and Sandwich/Salad Night
As the weather warms up, the soups will change to another dish, but for the months of January and February there will be a homemade soup every Sunday to keep us warm in these winter months. Typically if the soup has only vegetables, it will be served with a sandwich or wrap with meat in it. If the soup has meat in it, it will be served with a salad.
Monday—Hodgepodge Night (Crockpot, Mexican, or Pasta Dish)
Monday nights are full of a variety of recipes that I already have tried and liked or with new recipes that I wanted to try. You can’t go wrong with a Crockpot, pastas are delicious and filling, and the Slone family could eat Mexican food every night of the week! Some of these recipes were found on http://allrecipes.com. This is one of my FAVORITE recipe websites, and you can sign up to have them e-mail you a new recipe each day! Love it!
Tuesday—Danny Super Chef Night
On Tuesday nights I work with clients until a little later, so my sweet husband has offered to make meals on this night. The recipes I have chosen for Tuesday nights are simple, inexpensive, and delicious! These are all recipes we have made before, and the majority of them can be found on http://www.kraftrecipes.com under the “Budget Wise” tab, click on the left column “1 bag, 5 dinners”. This has tons of simple, easy meals that use similar ingredients for the various meals so that if you eat them all in one week (4 meals + a frozen pizza), it should be pretty inexpensive. We lived on these recipes in the first few months of our marriage!
Wednesday—Chicken Night
So…chicken is good, right? I have done a lot of skillet dishes, but I was interested in expanding my chicken knowledge. Through the months, you will see grilled chicken, broiled chicken, stir fried chicken, poached chicken, sautéed chicken….the list goes on and on! I’m excited to play with chicken!
Thursday—Leftovers Night (Danny has night class)
Danny and I typically eat leftovers for lunch the day after a meal is made. Most of the meals listed are “serving size 4”, but can serve way more. We will definitely have enough leftovers to have a “leftover night”. Ladies, one tip I’ve found for those of you who have husbands who like to eat a lot: As soon as the meal is ready, serve the servings onto the plates and put the rest in individual serving containers to refrigerate and eat later. It’s easy to store in the fridge, and it avoids our men having an “Ooops! I ate 12 servings on accident” moment. It will not only be beneficial for stretching your meals so they last longer, it will be helpful to both of your waistlines too! :)
Friday—Pizza/Calzone/Eat Out Night
The first Friday of the month, we make homemade pizza (toppings varied each month). The third Friday of the month, we make homemade calzones. Yum! And the second and fourth Fridays we eat out for a well-deserved break from cooking (and doing dishes!).
Saturday—Mainly Meat Night
My husband is in love with red meat, and I am in love with my husband, so therefore it is essential that we designate one night of the week to red meat (and sometimes pork). This will be my fun night to play around with cooking different kinds of meat, from roasts to steaks to brisket. Cooking is so much fun!
Dessert
I love a good dessert. My plan is to make one dessert a week that will last us the whole week. We’ll see how that works out.
Appetizer
I love a good appetizer even more than I love a good dessert. Though I won’t really be making these appetizers every week, I will try to include one of my favorite appetizer recipes per meal plan. Seeing my obsession with chips and dips, they will often be dip recipes.
These meal plans work for our family, but may not work for yours. Feel free to take the recipes that sound good and leave the ones that do not. Our taste buds may be different from yours! Enough talk, here are the recipes.
Meal Plan 1
Sunday
Beef and Barley Stew
Total Time: 1 ½ hours
Serving size: 4 (we got way more servings out of this meal than 4!)
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound beef chuck or round, trimmed of surface fat and cut into 1/2 –inch cubes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cups chicken or beef stock
• 2 medium carrots, cut into chunks
• 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, preferably waxy, peeled and quartered
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled (optional)
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms, preferably an assortment
• 1/3 cup pearled barley
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Directions
1. Put the oil in a deep saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the meat, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down so the mixture barely bubbles. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring a couple times.
4. Add the remaining ingredients except the parsley. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat so the mixture barely bubbles. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.
5. The stew is done when everything is tender. Taste, adjust the seasoning, garnish, and serve.
Note from Allison and Danny: This is the most delicious soup EVER! We didn’t really like celery, so we doubled the carrots instead. We even added this soup to our “Meal MVPs” list…yes, we are losers and have a list where we write down our favorite recipes so we will be sure to make it again. Feel free to laugh.
Simple Green Salad
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serving size: 4
Ingredients
• 6 cups torn assorted greens
• About 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• About 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Croutons
• Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Put the greens in a bowl and toss them with the oil, vinegar, a pinch of salt, and some pepper. Toss and taste. Adjust the seasonings as needed.
2. Add the croutons, top with parmesan cheese, and serve immediately.
Note from Allison and Danny: This salad is easy and SO good! The balsamic vinegar is what makes it so delicious!
Monday
Pasta with mushrooms
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serving size: 4
Ingredients
• Salt
• 1 pound shitakes or other fresh mushrooms
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot or 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 pound dried pasta
• ½ cup chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
• About ½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Remove the stems from the shitakes and rinse. Cut mushrooms into small chunks or slices.
2. Put 1/3 cup of the oil in a medium to large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the mushrooms and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to brown, at least 10 minutes. Add the shallot, stir, and cook until the mushrooms are tender, another minute or two. Turn off the heat.
3. Cook the pasta until tender but not mushy. When it is almost done, add the stock to the mushrooms, turn the heat to low, and reheat gently. Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water. Toss the pasta and the mushrooms together with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil; add a little of the pasta-cooking water if the dish seems dry. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir in the parsley and serve garnished with more parsley.
Note from Allison and Danny: We used wheat thin spaghetti for this recipe. Although wheat pasta is healthier, we felt like it kind of sucked a lot of the flavor out of the dish. We’d recommend non-wheat pasta for this recipe.
Asparagus with shallot-mustard cream
Prep time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 12 minutes
Serving size: 4
Ingredients
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 small shallots, minced (if you can’t find shallots, feel free to use 2 tsp minced garlic instead)
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• ½ cup fat-free evaporated milk
• ½ cup fat-free chicken broth
• 2 tsp mustard
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 ½ lbs asparagus, trimmed
Directions
1. Heat oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add shallots and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Stir in flour.
2. Very gradually whisk in evaporated milk and broth; bring to a simmer and let cook 1 minute. Whisk in mustard and season with salt; cover and keep warm.
3. Steam asparagus until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Divide asparagus among 4 plates, and top each with sauce.
Tuesday
Cheesy Chicken Skillet
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
Serving size: 4
Ingredients
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 pkg. (14 oz) Kraft Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese Dinner
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 Tbsp. Catalina Dressing
Directions
1. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and thyme; mix well. Cook 5 minutes, or until chicken is browned, stirring frequently.
2. Add milk, water, and macaroni; cover. Cook 10 minutes or until macaroni is tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in Cheese Sauce, peas, and dressing. Cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Note from Allison and Danny: We really didn’t like the thyme-y taste of the meal. If you like thyme, leave the recipe the same. Otherwise you might want to switch the seasoning to oregano or parsley. We didn’t add a side vegetable since meat, pasta, and peas were all rolled into the same dish.
Wednesday
Broiled Boneless Chicken
Total Time: 20 minutes
Serving size: 4
Ingredients
• About 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to uniform thickness if necessary and blotted dry
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic, slivered
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon wedges
• Chopped parsley leaves for garnish
Directions
1. Heat a broiler to medium heat and put the rack 4 inches from the heat source.
2. Put the chicken in the pan in which you’ll cook it and toss with the oil, garlic, and some salt and pepper. If you like, cover and set aside for an hour or so to develop the flavor.
3. Broil the chicken very quickly, turning once, no more than 3 or 4 minutes per side. To check for doneness, cut into a piece with a thin-bladed knife; the center should be white or slightly pink. Sprinkle with lemon juice and parsley. Serve immediately.
Note from Allison and Danny: We haven’t really had broiled chicken before. Just a little note, if you are broiling something 4 inches from the heat source, that’s the TOP of the oven, not the bottom. :) The chicken had a little of a softer texture than we are used to, and it was hard to determine when the chicken was really done.
Quick-Glazed Carrots
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serving size: 4
Ingredients
• 1 pound carrots, cut into coins or sticks
• 2 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly grounded black pepper
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Directions
1. Combine the carrots with the butter or oil in a saucepan with a bottom no more than 6 inches in diameter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add about 1/3 cup water (or white wine or stock if you prefer). Bring to a boil, then cover and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers. Cook, more or less undisturbed, until the carrots are tender, and the liquid is pretty much gone, around 10 to 20 minutes.
2. Uncover and boil off the remaining liquid, then add the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot, or within an hour or two, garnished with parsley.
Thursday
Leftovers
Self-explanatory. You find something in your fridge that is remaining from a previous meal, you heat it up, and you eat it.
Friday
Homemade Pepperoni Pizza
Total Time: 1 ½ hours
Serving size: 1 large pizza (4-6 people)
Ingredients
For Dough:
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For topping:
• All-purpose flour for stretching or rolling the dough
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or more as needed
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni
Directions
1. Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor or electric stand mixer. Turn on the machine and add 1 cup water and olive oil.
2. Mix for about 30 seconds, adding more water, a little at a time, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch. If it is still dry, add another tablespoon or two of water and mix for another 10 seconds.
3. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand for a few seconds to form a smooth, round dough ball. Put the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let rise until the dough doubles in size, 1 to 2 hours.
4. When the dough is ready, form it into a ball. Put ball on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle with flour, and cover with a towel. Let rest until it puffs slightly, about 20 minutes.
5. Heat the oven to 500 degrees F or higher. Roll or lightly press dough into a flat round, lightly flouring the work surface and the dough as necessary (use only as much flour as you need). Let the round sit for a few minutes; this will relax the dough and make it easier to roll out. If you have a peel and a baking stone, roll or pat out the dough on the peel, as thinly as you like, turning occasionally and sprinkling it with flour as necessary. If you’re using a baking sheet, oil it, then press the dough ball into a flat round directly onto the oiled sheet.
6. Drizzle the round with the olive oil, then top them with the sauce and cheese; sprinkle with salt and pepper and add pepperonis. Put the baking sheets in the oven or slide the pizza directly onto the stone and bake until crust is crisp and the cheese is melted., usually 8 to 12 minutes. Let stand for several minutes before slicing to set up the cheese.
Note from Allison and Danny: This pizza is amazingly delicious! You will never eat frozen pizza again! We didn’t do a side dish because we had enough lettuce left over to make another simple green salad (see Sunday’s recipe).
Saturday
Skillet Pork Chops
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serving size: 4
Ingredients
• 4 shoulder or center-cut loin pork chops, about 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 tsp minced garlic or 2 tablespoons minced shallot, onion, or scallion
• ½ cup chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon butter or more olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or vinegar
• Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
Directions
1. Sprinkle the chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Put a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the olive oil; as soon as the first wisps of smoke rise from the oil, add the chops and turn the heat to high. Brown the chops on both sides, moving them around so they develop good color all over, no longer than 4 minutes total and preferably less.
2. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the wine and the garlic and cook, turning the chops once or twice, until the wine is all but evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, turn the heat down to low, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, turning the chops once or twice, until the chops are tender but not dry. When done, they will be firm to the touch, their juices will run just slightly pink, and, when you cut into them (which you should do if you’re at all unsure of their doneness), the color will be rosy at first glance but quickly turn pale.
3. Transfer the chops to a platter. If the pan juices are very thin, cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced slightly. Then stir in the butter or a few drops of olive oil over medium heat; add the lemon juice, pour over the chops, garnish with parsley, and serve.
Note from Allison and Danny: YUMMY!
Baked Potatoes
Total Time: 1 hour
Serving size: 4 servings
Ingredients
• 4 large starchy potatoes, like Idaho or other russets
• 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt
• Whatever toppings desired (butter, sour cream, cheese, salt, pepper, etc.)
Directions
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Scrub the potatoes well.
2. Rub each potato with about a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. Then rub each all over with a fair amount of sea salt.
3. Use a skewer or thin-bladed knife to poke a hole or two in each potato.
4. Put the potatoes in the oven, right on the rack if you like, or on a rimmed baking sheet. The potatoes are done when a skewer or sharp knife inserted in one meets almost no resistance.
5. The potatoes will stay hot for a few minutes. To serve, cut a slit lengthwise into each about halfway into the flesh and pinch the ends toward the middle to fluff, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then top with desired toppings.
Note from Allison and Danny: These are by far the best baked potatoes we’ve ever had. We will never wrap our potatoes in foil again!
Dessert of the Week
Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Brownies
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Serving size: 24 brownies
Ingredients
• 1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup butter or margarine, melted
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 36 miniature chocolate-covered Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped (from 15.6 oz bag)
• ½ cup milk chocolate chips
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (if using dark or nonstick pan, heat oven to 325 degrees F). Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or spray with cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, butter, peanut butter, vanilla, and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until well blended. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut 12 of the candies into fourths (about ¾ cup). Stir cut-up candies and chocolate chips into batter. Spread in pan.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately press remaining 24 candies in brownies in 4 even rows of 6 candies each. Cool completely, about 1 ½ hours. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows (a mini Reese’s peanut butter cup should be in the center of each brownie).
Note from Allison and Danny: If we could eat this all day every day for the rest of our lives, we WOULD! Allison’s favorite dessert to date.
Appetizer of the Week
Cream Cheese Corn Dip
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serving size: 8
Ingredients
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 Packet dry Ranch Dressing
• 1 small can chopped green chilies, drained
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 chopped fresh red pepper
Directions
1. Add ranch dressing to softened cream cheese. Mix well.
2. Add all other ingredients and mix together.
3. Serve with tortilla chips or Frito Scoops. YUM!
