I posted a lot of information about my family and how we plan meals in this initial post.

Sunday – Creamy chicken noodle soup

Since I’ve been sick this weekend, this was the only thing that really sounded good. I make all (but the noodles) in the crockpot.

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts
3 carrots (sliced)
3 celery stalks (sliced)
3 cans chicken broth
2 cans cream of chicken soup
Seasonings (to taste): garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and parsley
noodles (I use “Country Style” ones that are just like homemade ones!)

Place chicken breasts, carrots, celery, broth, and cream of chicken soup in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 5+ hours. Shred chicken breasts, and whisk everything together. Add seasonings. Cook noodles, drain, and add to the mixture. Let everything cook for 30 more minutes on low.

Monday – Easy Cheesy crockpot chicken

Tuesday – Salisbury steak (in the slow cooker)

Wednesday – Kielbasa and sauerkraut in the slow cooker

Thursday – Teriyaki chicken (I joined a freezer cooking group, and this is one of the meals that I got. Unfortunately, I don’t have the recipe)

Here’s a teriyaki chicken once a month cooking recipe you can check out, though:
Teriyaki Chicken
1/2 C. soy sauce
1/2 C. sugar
1 1/2 T. red wine vinegar
2 t. veg. or sesame oil
1 sm. minced garlic clove
3/4 t. ground ginger.

Stir ingredients together and pour into a gallon sized ziploc bag with 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts. On serving day, thaw and pour into a baking dish. Bake in preheated at 350 for 35 min. Serve over rice. To stretch this out, I add a bag of frozen, stir fry style veggies in before baking.

Friday – Chicken Fried Steaks with Creamed Pan Gravy and Biscuits
(This recipe comes from the Rachael Ray Classic 30 minute meals The All Occasion Cookbook)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds round steak (1/2 inch thick)
1 c. (plus 2 T) all purpose flour
1/3 c. cornmeal
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly grund black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
2 T water
4 T vegetable oil
1 1/4 c beef broth or stock
1/4 c. half and half or cream
1 pkg bake-off biscuits (prepared to directions)

Preheat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Set steaks ona waxed-paper-lined work surface and cover with another piece of waxed paper. Pound steaks to a 1/4 inch thickness. Set steaks aside.

Line work surface with more waxed paper. Make a pile of 1/2 cup flour on both ends of work space. Add cornmeal, paprika, salt, and pepper to one pile of flour. Beat eggs and water in a pie plate or shallow dish.

Cut steaks into 4 portions and coat first in plain flour, then in egg, and then in the seasoned flour and cornmeal mixture.

Add 2 T oil to hot skillet and brown 2 steaks at a time. As they brown, remove from the pan and add more oil, as needed. When the last 2 portions are browned, add the first two back into the pan witht he others. Cover pan, lower heat to medium-low, and cook, covered, 15 minutes. Remove steaks to serving platter and pour off all but 2-3 T drippings. Add 2 T flour to the drippings and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and seasons with salt and pepper. Add half and half or cream and whisk into gravy. When gravy bubbles, remove from heat. Serve steaks and warm biscuits with gravy on top.

Saturday – Creamy chicken burritos

3 chicken breast halves cooked and cubed (I used canned chicken when I’m in a hurry)
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup salsa
1 can red enchilada sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 15 oz can pinto beans
1 1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9×13 baking dish.
Add cream cheese and salsa to large sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until cheese is melted and blended with salsa. Add garlic, beans and chicken. Mix well. Fill tortillas, roll up and place in baking dish. Mixture will be a runny so be careful not to burn yourself filling tortillas. Pour red sauce over the tortillas. Sprinkle burritos with cheese cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, olives etc.

Get ideas for planning your menu here: