I started my spring break this week and so I told my husband he could pick out our recipes for the week since I’ll have plenty of time to cook.  Plus, I’m in a bit of a “recipe rut” so I was happy for the help!

If you’re new to meal planning or trying to cut your grocery budget, I’ll be sharing a “frugal” or “from the stockpile” recipe several days this month (at least that’s my goal!). To help me with this task, I’ll be having guest posts (if you’re interested in sharing a guest post/frugal recipe, e-mail me!) from some of my favorite frugal bloggers, too!

For those of you who may be doing Weight Watchers, I have included the points per serving calculations for each of my recipes this week. I used the “Recipe Builder” feature on the WeightWatchers.com e-Tools program to input all of the ingredients and calculate the points, so it should be pretty accurate.

You can read more about my $40 weekly budget in this post here.

If you have blogged a menu plan for the week (or even just a favorite recipe), please feel free to comment and share your link. I’m always looking for new ideas and inspiration and will be happy to share a link to your blog if we try your recipe! Check out hundreds of other meal plans at orgjunkie.com!

SUNDAY ~ Perfect Enchiladas – The basis for this recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman, but she uses ground beef and I’m going to use chicken (last time I used pork and that was yummy, too!)  Marci posted the recipe on her blog awhile back and I finally got around to trying it a few weeks ago and it was a hit, so we’re having it again.

Our “filling” – I’m going to put 2 frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot on low with a can of enchilada sauce (red) and some taco seasoning.  I’ll shred the taco meat and that and some cheese will become our “filling”

The sauce (from Marci’s blog)
1 T. canola oil
1 T. flour/cornstarch
1 large (28 oz) can enchilada/red sauce
2 c. chicken broth
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
2 T. chopped cilantro

-In a large saucepan over med. heat, add oil and flour and whisk together to make a paste, cooking for 1 min.
-Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and cilantro, and bring to boil.
-Reduce heat and simmer 30-45 min.

I’m going to use 1 dozen flour tortillas.  Whenever I make enchiladas, I always put a little bit of sauce along the bottom of the pan to keep the enchiladas from stocking to the pan.  I’ll fill each tortilla with the shredded chicken breast and cheese, roll it, and place it in a 9X13 Pyrex baking dish. Then, I’ll cover the rolled enchiladas with the sauce and some cheese and bake it in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 350 until the cheese is melted.

WW points = 9 per serving for 2 enchiladas

MONDAY ~ Lemon chicken saute – This recipe has come to be known as “Grandma’s chicken” around our house because it was a recipe from my husband’s grandmother that his mom used to make for them

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (this is what we need for our family, adjust accordingly for yours)
3 T all purpose flour
PAM no-stick cooking spray
1/3 cup butter or margarine (we use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
3 T lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp sugar

Roll chicken in flour to coat. Spray large skillet with Pam or other cooking spray. Add butter and melt over medium heat. Add chicken breast and saute till lightly browned on one side. Turn and brown on second side, 5-7 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove chicken and set aside. Stir teriyaki sauce, lemon juice, garlic and sugar into skillet. Return chicken to pan and simmer 3 minutes. Turn chicken over, and continue cooking until fork tender (2-3 minutes)

Serve over cooked rice.

WW points – 5 points per serving with chicken; 2 points for 1/2 cup rice or 4 points for 1 cup with rice, 1 point for the asparagus recipe below

Serve with Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce – I got this recipe from Marci’s blog and it sounds yummy!

Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh asparagus
cooking spray
salt and pepper to taste
2 T. butter (We use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
1 T. soy sauce
1 t. Balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Snap ends off of washed asparagus and place on baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 12 minutes or until tender. Melt the butter in a sauce pan or in the microwave. Stir in soy sauce and Balsamic vinegar. Pour over baked asparagus and serve.

TUESDAY ~ BBQ Spare ribs (slow cooker) and baked beans (slow cooker) – these are both recipes from my mother in law and are yummy!

BBQ spare ribs

Ingredients:
Spare ribs
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. catsup
1 med. can tomato sauce
1 to 2 teas. liquid smoke
1 1/2 T. dry mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in crock pot and stir…put meat in and turn the crock pot on low heat – I usually cook them for 8-9 hours and the meat is so tender that it is just falling off!

WW points = 10 points per serving (for 6 people) – this may be slightly off because the only “spare ribs” I could find in the catalog were Hormel Always Tender which may already be seasoned

Baked Beans

for each 1 lb. can baked beans (we use Bush) add:

2 T. brown sugar
1 T. syrup from pineapple juice
1 T. catsup
1 teas. prepared mustard
Add a small can of crushed pineapple or some tidbits drained
You can also add either bacon, hotdogs, or ham pieces.

I place all of this in the slow cooker on low and stir it occasionally until we are ready to serve.

WW points = 2 points per serving (for 6 people)

WEDNESDAY ~ Steak stroganoff (slow cooker) – This is a family favorite!

Ingredients:
2T flour
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 3/4 lb. boneless round steak
2 cans 10 3/4 oz cream of mushroom soup (I use 98% FF)
2 c. water (or 1 can 100% FF beef broth for more flavor)
1 envelope beef stew mix
4 oz can mushrooms, sliced and drained
1/2 c. sour cream
1 T minced parsley

Combine flour, garlic powder, pepper, and paprika in slow cooker. Cut meat into 1 1/2 inch strips. Place in flour mixture and toss until meat is well coated. Add soup, water, and stew mix. Stir until well blended. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours. Stir in mushrooms, sour cream, and parsley and then cook on high 10-15 minutes until heated through. Serve over egg noodles. (Depending on the consistency of the sauce, you may need to add cornstarch to thicken or add more water/broth to thin)

To freeze: Pour into gallon freezer bags (I used Ziploc containers for this one). Allow to cool before freezing.

To reheat: Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Warm on stove and serve over rice or egg noodles. (Add sour cream when warming if you left it out of the initial recipe)

WW points = 7 points/serving, 6-8 servings (add 2 points for 1/2 c. cooked pasta or 4 points for 1 cup)

Sides = “green” veggies (green beans or broccoli) and a green salad

THURSDAY ~ Cheesy rigatoni bake – this recipe came from this cookbook: Girlfriends on the Go: A Busy Mom’s Guide to Make-Ahead Meals (it can be frozen although I have never tried it that way)

Ingredients:
1 16 oz pkg rigatoni noodles
2 Tbsp butter or margarine (we use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 c. milk
1/4 c. water
4 eggs, beaten
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 cups sherdded mozzarella cheese (we use fat free or reduced fat cheese)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour and salt until smooth. Gradually add milk and water. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Drain pasta and place in a large bowl. Add beaten eggs. Spoon into a greased 9X13 pan. Top with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. Spoon white sauce over top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
(I prepare this in the morning and refrigerate. I just pop it in the oven when I get home).

WW points = 10 points per serving, serve with green salad and a “green” veggie (broccoli or green beans)

FRIDAY ~ Sesame chicken – This is another recipe from Marci’s blog that I have been wanting to try for awhile

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
1/4 c flour
2 T peanut or sesame oil
salt and pepper
1/3 c soy sauce
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c green onions chopped

Direction:
(I toasted my sesame seeds in the pan first…no oil, just with heat)
Cut chicken into pieces and add flour and salt and pepper in a bag to coat.
Brown in of oil.
Mix the soy sauce, sugar and green onions and pour the mixture over the chicken.
Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through.
Top with sesame seeds and serve over steamed rice.

SATURDAY ~ Chili (slow cooker)

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (brown in skillet and then place in crockpot)
1 can dark kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can Ranch style beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 packet chili spices

Mix all ingredients in crockpot and cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours. Sprinkle cheese on top.

WW points = 7 points per serving (6-8 servings)

I’m starting my menu with Monday this week.  We were out of town for a family event this weekend, so I didn’t cook at home last night (I’m also working on getting the Walgreens match-ups done since I didn’t have a chance to get them up this weekend and hopefully they’ll be up later today.

If you’re new to meal planning or trying to cut your grocery budget, I’ll be sharing a “frugal” or “from the stockpile” recipe several days this month (at least that’s my goal!). To help me with this task, I’ll be having guest posts (if you’re interested in sharing a guest post/frugal recipe, e-mail me!) from some of my favorite frugal bloggers, too!

For those of you who may be doing Weight Watchers, I have included the points per serving calculations for each of my recipes this week. I used the “Recipe Builder” feature on the WeightWatchers.com e-Tools program to input all of the ingredients and calculate the points, so it should be pretty accurate.

You can read more about my $40 weekly budget in this post here.

If you have blogged a menu plan for the week (or even just a favorite recipe), please feel free to comment and share your link. I’m always looking for new ideas and inspiration and will be happy to share a link to your blog if we try your recipe! Check out hundreds of other meal plans at orgjunkie.com!

MONDAY ~ Peppered steak – this is a family recipe that came from my mother in lawIngredients:
3 cups hot cooked rice
1 lb lean beef round steak (cut into 1/2 inch thick strips)
1 T Paprika
2 T butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 c. beef broth
1 cup sliced green onions
2 green peppers, cut in strips
2T cornstarch
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 lg tomatoes (cut in eighths)

Pound steak to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 1/4 inch wide strips. Sprinkle meat with paprika. Let stand. Brown meat in butter. Add garlic and brother. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in onions and green peppers. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Blend cornstarch, water and soy sauce. Stir into meat mixture. Cook, stirring until clear and thickened, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir gently. Serve over beds of fluffy rice.

WW points = 7 points/serving  (add an additional 2 points for 1/2 cup rice and 4 points for 1 cup rice), this makes 4 servings.

TUESDAY ~ Spaghetti casserole – I found this recipe on Marci’s blog – spaghetti in the slow cooker and we have all of the ingredients…plus, who can go wrong with spaghetti?  We’re looking forward to trying it!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef (Marci’s recipe called for 1 1/2 lbs, but I’m cutting that, I use 93/7%)
1 med onion, chopped
1 (26 oz) jar tomato and basil pasta sauce
1/4 c butter (I’m going to use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
1/4 c all purpose flour
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk (I used 2%)
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese (I use reduced fat)
1/4 t pepper
8 oz uncooked spaghetti, broken into pieces
2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese (Marci’s recipe calls for 3, I’m using 2 and using 2%)

Directions:
-Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet until beef crumbles and is no longer pink; drain and return to skillet.
-Stir pasta sauce into beef mixture.
-Melt butter in a saucepan over med-low heat; whisk in flour/cornstarch until smooth. Cook 1 min, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in milk; cook over med heat, whisking constantly, 8 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. -Remove from heat, and stir in Parmesan cheese and pepper.
-Spoon 1/3 of meat mixture into a lightly greased slow cooker. Spread 1/2 of broken noodles over meat mixture; pour 1/2 of white sauce over noodles, and sprinkle with 1 c cheddar cheese.
-Repeat layers once (1/3 meat, rest of noodles, rest of white sauce, 1 c cheese). Spread remaining meat mixture over cheese. Top with remaining 1 c cheddar cheese.
-Cover and cook on LOW 4 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

WW points – I’m not exactly sure how many servings this makes since I’ve never made it before but I’m guessing 6, so this is 12 points per serving with the modifications I’ve listed above which is more than I realized, so I’ll have to adjust the rest of the day. 


Sides ~ green salad and green beans


WEDNESDAY ~ Chicken licking good pork chops (slow cooker)

Ingredients:
6-8 lean pork chops, 1-inch thick
1/2 cup flour (omit if you don’t brown chops in skillet)
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp oil (omit if you don’t brown chops in skillet)
1 10.5oz can chicken & rice soup

Dredge pork chops in mixture of flour, salt, dry mustard & garlic powder. Brown chops in oil in a large skillet. Place browned pork chops in crockpot. Add can of soup. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3 1/2 hours. If I don’t brown the chops, then I just toss the salt, dry mustard & garlic powder in the crockpot instead of dredging the chops.

*Note: When making this meal, I use a can of family size chicken & rice soup and drain off some of the broth – it keeps the meat tender and there is more of the chicken & rice mixture for everyone! If you don’t have time to brown the chops first in a skillet, I’ve also just dipped it into the flour mixture and put it straight into the slow cooker and it works fine that way, too.

WW points = 6 servings, 7 points per serving

THURSDAY ~ Shepherd’s Pie (slow cooker) This recipe comes from the 101 Things to Do With a Slow Cooker cookbook

One of the most common questions I see posted on some of the “frugal” and “debt free” message boards I belong to is “How can I save money on or cut my grocery expenses?” In addition to using coupons, of course, one of the biggest ways to save money on groceries is to start meal planning and to plan your meals around what you have and what’s on sale (check out my “menu planning tips” post for more information about this).

If you’re new to meal planning or trying to cut your grocery budget, I’ll be sharing a “frugal” or “from the stockpile” recipe EVERY day this month (at least that’s my goal!). To help me with this task, I’ll be having guest posts (if you’re interested in sharing a guest post/frugal recipe, e-mail me!) from some of my favorite frugal bloggers, too!

For those of you who may be doing Weight Watchers, I have included the points per serving calculations for each of my recipes this week. I used the “Recipe Builder” feature on the WeightWatchers.com e-Tools program to input all of the ingredients and calculate the points, so it should be pretty accurate.

You can read more about my $40 weekly budget in this post here.

If you have blogged a menu plan for the week (or even just a favorite recipe), please feel free to comment and share your link. I’m always looking for new ideas and inspiration and will be happy to share a link to your blog if we try your recipe! Check out hundreds of other meal plans at orgjunkie.com!

SUNDAY ~ Creamy Corn Chowder – I found this recipe on Our Best Bites (if you haven’t checked out Our Best Bites yet, you really should because they have some great recipes!)

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter (I’m going to use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. water
2 1/2 c. milk (I’m going to use skim)
2 regular-sized chicken bouillon cubes, 1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube, or 2 tsp. chicken base
1/2 lb. bacon (optional, I’m going to use crumbled bacon pieces)
1 onion, minced
2 red potatoes, diced into small cubes
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can corn, drained
Salt and pepper to taste (you’ll need a considerable amount of salt–probably at least 1/4 tsp. More about this later – when I made this, we didn’t need any extra salt)
A few dashes of hot sauce (like Tabasco or Cholula)

Fry bacon until crisp. In the meantime, melt butter over low heat in a soup pot. When melted, add flour to make a roux and whisk until it comes together in a little ball. Add water and whisk until completely combined and there are no lumps. Add milk and chicken base or bouillon and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes, onions, and garlic, and simmer (but don’t boil!), stirring very frequently, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add crumbled bacon and corn and heat through. Add a few drops of hot sauce and then salt to taste.

The reason why I don’t have an exact measurement is that while the soup REALLY needs salt, bacon also really differs in its saltiness, so it can be super easy to make this soup waaaaay too salty. Start with about 1/4 tsp., give it a few minutes, and then add more if you need it.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with extra bacon and/or cheese if you want.

WW points – On the Our Best Bites site, it lists this as being 3 points per serving, but when I put all of the ingredients into the Recipe Builder on WW.com, it came out to 8 points per serving (for 4 servings).   The bulk of that was from the bacon pieces, so you could cut down the points by cutting that.  You would need to add additional points if you add cheese.

MONDAY ~ Golden Chicken & Noodles (slow cooker) – This is another Taste of Home recipe.   I haven’t tried it yet, but I have yet to have a bad experience with a Taste of Home recipe, so I’m hoping it wil be good!

Ingredients:
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 pounds) – I’m going to use 3 for my family
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed broccoli cheese soup, undiluted (my husband is not very fond of broccoli, so I’m going to use cream of mushroom and cream of chicken  – both 98% fat free – instead)
2 cups milk (I’m going to use skim)
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, optional
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Hot cooked noodles

Cut chicken pieces in half; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Combine the soup, milk, onion, salt if desired, basil and pepper; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 5-6 hours longer or until the meat juices run clear. Serve over noodles. Yield: 6 servings.

WW points = 3 points per serving (add 2 points for 1/2 cup noodles and 4 points for 1 cup noodles), serve with green beans and a salad

TUESDAY ~ Shepherd’s Pie (slow cooker) – This recipe comes from the 101 Things to Do With a Slow Cooker cookbook

For those of you who may be doing Weight Watchers, I have included the points per serving calculations for each of my recipes this week. I used the “Recipe Builder” feature on the WeightWatchers.com e-Tools program to input all of the ingredients and calculate the points, so it should be pretty accurate.

You can read more about my $40 weekly budget in this post here.

If you have blogged a menu plan for the week (or even just a favorite recipe), please feel free to comment and share your link. I’m always looking for new ideas and inspiration and will be happy to share a link to your blog if we try your recipe!

SUNDAY ~ Country ham and macaroni casserole – This recipe was originally posted by Sandy (Bettyinthekitchen) on the BBC Cooking for Your Family board. It has since become a favorite for my family and it’s super easy to make!

1 lb country ham slices or regular smoked ham in one piece
1 large onion, diced (we omit this)
1 lb elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz) – we use reduced fat
1 cup sour cream – we use reduced fat
1 can cream of chicken soup – we use 98% fat free
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine, melted – we use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter
1 cup dry plain bread crumbs

1. Heat oven to 400º.
2. Bring 4 quarts water and ham to boiling in large pot. Once water begins to boil,
remove ham to a plate. Add onion and macaroni to pot. Return water to boiling; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Coarsely chop ham, discarding any fat and bones.
4. Drain macaroni and onion and return to pot. Add ham, cheese, sour cream and soup. Scrape into a 13x9x2 baking dish. Pour melted margarine over top. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.
5. Bake in heated 400º oven 30 minutes or until heated through and top is golden brown.
Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Note: Prepare in two 8×8 casserole dishes, bake one and freeze one (unbaked) for another day. If freezing, top with crumbs and margarine right before baking.

WW points = 7 points per serving (makes 8 servings)

Serve with green beans and a salad (check out my “weekly salad bag” post)

MONDAY ~  Sloppy joes (freezer meal) – I got this recipe from Christy’s Once a Month Cooking site -serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped (I use 1/3 Cup dried minced onion to make it quicker)
1/2 cup ketchup
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon brown mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

TO Freeze: I brown and drain the ground beef, you can either sauté the onion with the beef or just add the minced dried onion without cooking it. I let the ground beef cool, toss in a freezer Ziploc bag, add the minced onion, and all the other ingredients, and freeze.

When you’re ready to eat it, thaw it, and reheat in a pan until it’s warmed up. If you’re just making it without freezing it, you would brown the beef and sauté the onion. Then add all the other ingredients and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes until sauce has thickened and divide between 4 hamburger buns and serve. (We like it over “homemade” bread machine bread, instead of worrying about having hamburger buns around). Nice and easy! I like that! =) Hope you enjoy! =)

WW points = 4 points per serving for the meat mixture (add another 3-4 points for the bun)

Serve with corn and cantaloupe slices

TUESDAY ~ Creamy bacon chicken 
Ingredients:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 3 oz package precooked bacon bits (not artificial)
1 can roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. sour cream

Place chicken in slow cooker. Mix all remaining ingredients together and pour over chicken.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Serve over egg noodles or rice.

WW points – Makes 4-6 servings, 8 points for 4 servings, 5 points for 6 servings (add 2 points for 1/2 cup rice or pasta or 4 points for 1 cup rice or pasta)

Serve with green beans and green salad

WEDNESDAY ~ Kahlua Pork – I got this recipe from a BabyCenter Crock Pot Cooking board and am looking forward to trying it

Ingredients:
6-7 lb. bone in pork shoulder (I’m using a 4 lb boneless one that I have on hand)
1/2 cup soy sauce (we’re using low sodium)
1/4 cup worchestershire sauce
fresh garlic
salt
2 capfuls liquid smoke

Directions:  rub pork with garlic and toss it in the slow cooker with all the other ingredients.  5 hours on high, or 9 on low will create a super tender pulled pork, hawaiian barbecue tasting pork.  YUMMY!  I threw some rice in the rice cooker to accompany it or you can put the pork and some bbq sauce on a bun and have sandwiches

WW points = 7 per serving (makes 8 servings), add 2 points for 1/2 cup rice or 4 points for 1 cup rice

Serve w/ sliced pineapple

THURSDAY ~ Red Chicken Chili with Cornbread Muffies – Carrie posted this recipe on her blog (complete with pictures) and it looked yummy!  I have seen lots of recipes for “white chicken chili” but this was the first recipe I have seen for “red chicken chili.”  I’m going to put all of the ingredients in my crockpot on low for the day.

Ingredients:
1 bag sliced white mushrooms
1 can (15.5 oz) light red kidney beans, rinse and drain
1 16 oz jar chipotle salsa (I’m going to use my leftover homemade fresh salsa from last week)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
3 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup sour cream
6 oz American ale beer (I’m going to omit this)
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons minced garlic (not dried)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons flour

Boil chicken breasts in water for 40 minutes, shred with fork.

Combine all ingredients except flour. Mix flour with just enough hot water to make a paste. Add to ingredients. Bring to a simmer and continue for 1 hour. Cool for 15 minutes. Top with extra cheese and sour cream.

WW points = 5 per serving (I’m estimating 6 servings although I’ve never made this before, so I’m not 100% sure)

FRIDAY ~ Taco bar!  We’ll have all of the fixings for tacos and everyone can make their own.

SATURDAY ~ Bourbon chicken – I made this a few weeks ago thanks to a link Keli posted in my comments section.  We all loved it and I decided it’s time for a repeat!

Ingredients:
1 1/2-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
1-2 T olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 tsp ginger
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 c. apple juice (in the comments section on Recipezaar, some people substituted pineapple juice or orange juice)
1/3 c. light brown sugar
2 T ketchup
1 T cider vinegar (in the comments section on Recipezaar, some people substituted balsamic vinger or did half and half)
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. soy sauce

Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned. Remove chicken. Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium heat until well dissolved. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over hot rice.

NOTES: On Recipezaar, some people mixed cornstarch and water and added it at the end to thicken the sauce.

WW points = 7 points per serving (for 6 servings), add 2 points for 1/2 cup of rice and 4 points for 1 cup of rice


Serve w/ steamed broccoli or other steamed veggies

For those of you who may be doing Weight Watchers, I have included the points per serving calculations for each of my recipes this week. I used the “Recipe Builder” feature on the WeightWatchers.com e-Tools program to input all of the ingredients and calculate the points, so it should be pretty accurate.

You can read more about my $40 weekly budget in this post here.

If you have blogged a menu plan for the week (or even just a favorite recipe), please feel free to comment and share your link. I’m always looking for new ideas and inspiration and will be happy to share a link to your blog if we try your recipe!

SUNDAY ~ Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells – I saw this recipe in the latest issue of All You Magazine and decided to try it out.  My husband loves manicotti, but I don’t make it often because I hate stuffing the shells.  This is basically the same thing but SO much easier.  It was a hit with everyone and my daughter declared that “It’s a keeper.”

Ingredients
* 24 jumbo pasta shells
* 1 15-oz. container ricotta
* 2 cups shredded mozzarella
* 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
* 1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* Salt and pepper
* 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
* Pinch of ground nutmeg
* 1 26-oz. jar spaghetti sauce

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Mist a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Cook pasta shells according to package label directions; drain and set aside to cool. While pasta cooks, in a large bowl, stir together ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach, egg, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and nutmeg.

2. Spread 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce over bottom of baking dish. Stuff shells with cheese-and-spinach mixture and place in dish. Spoon remaining sauce over shells and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella.

3. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake about 10 minutes longer, until bubbly and cheese begins to brown.

WW points = 11 points per serving (makes 6 servings)

We served with Marci’s Roasted Parmesan Asparagus and with a salad.

I made this for my husband for dessert:

Philadelphia 3 step cheesecake
Ingredients:
2 packages (8 ounces each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese (I use the 1/3 less fat and it works fine)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 Honey Maid graham cracker pie crust

Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Stir in fresh lemon juice and grated lemon peel. Pour into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool and refrigerate 3 hours (or overnight). I add a can of cherry pie filling on top.
  
MONDAY ~ Melt in your mouth meatloaf (slow cooker) – This is a carryover from last week!

Ingredients:
2 eggs
3/4 c. milk (we use skim)
2/3 c. seasoned bread crumbs
2 tsp dried, minced onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I’m going to try this with ground turkey instead)
1/4 c. ketchup
2 T brown sugar
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well (mixture will be moist.) Shape into a round loaf; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon over the meat loaf. Cook 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

WW points = 5 per serving with the ground turkey, ground beef may be more (makes 6 servings according to the recipe, I haven’t tried this one yet)

TUESDAY ~ Saucy Mexican Chicken – I found this recipe in my Kraft Food & Family holiday issue.  From prep to finish it takes 30 minutes!

Ingredients:
4 small chicken breasts
1 jar Taco Bell Home Originals Thick ‘N Chunky Salsa (I’m going to make Marcis’s fresh salsa recipe)
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 cup Kraft 2% shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Cook chicken in a nonstick skillet on medium high heat 4 minutes on each side until browned on both sides.  Add salsa and beans.  Bring to boil.  Cover.  Simmer on medium low heat 5 minutes or until chicken is done.  Top with cheese.  Remove from heat.  Let stand, covered, 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

WW points = 7 per serving (makes 4 servings)

Fresh Salsa (from Marci’s Blog)
Ingredients:
2 29oz cans whole peeled tomatoes
1 can diced green chiles
3-4 diced jalapenos (deviened and deseeded)
2 bunches of green onions (white and green parts)
4 cloves garlic
1 bunch of cilantro
salt

Directions:
Put it all in a blender (my blender is not big enough for it all so I put all but 1 can of tomatoes in the blender).
Pour that first mix into a bowl and then blend the second can of tomatoes (can leave a little chunky if preferred).
Mix the two together and either simmer or refrigerate.

I’m serving this with Cilantro Lime Rice (this recipe also comes from Marci’s blog!)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter (I use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
1 1/2 cups rice
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 large lime (juice and zest)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions:
In a skillet, melt butter and add rice. Let cook for 1-2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients (except cilantro) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 18-20 minutes. Add cilantro with a few minutes before done. Fluff with fork and serve.

WW points = 3 points per serving (makes 4 servings)

WEDNESDAY ~ Beef tips (slow cooker) – I found this recipe in Taste of Home Magazine. We have eaten it a few times now and my whole family (even my picky eater kids) loves it!

Ingredients:
1 beef top sirloin steak (1 pound), cut into 1-inch cubes
2 to 3 medium carrots, chopped
1 to 1-1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed golden mushroom soup, undiluted
1/2 to 1 cup white wine or beef broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
Hot cooked egg noodles

Directions:
In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the beef, carrots, celery, onion, soup and wine or broth. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until meat is tender.

Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into cooking juices. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes or until thickened. Serve with noodles. Yield: 4 servings.

WW points = 6 per serving (add 2 points for 1/2 cup pasta/rice or 4 points for 1 cup pasta/rice)

THURSDAY ~ Broccoli chicken bake – I saw this recipe on my Babycenter message board this week and it sounded yummy!

Ingredients:
1 bag (14 oz) frozen broccoli florets
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup – I’ll use 98% fat free
1 package stuffing mix (6 oz)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 c. water
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan w/ foil.   Mix broccoli, soup, stuffing mix, 1/2 cup cheese and water together in a large bowl until wet and blended.  Spread evenly in foil-lined pan.
Top with chicken.  Sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until chicken reaches 170 degrees F and juices run clear.  Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.  Cover with sheet of nonstick foil; let stand until cheese melts.

Number of Servings: 4

WW points = 9 per serving

FRIDAY ~ Shepherd’s Pie (Slow cooker) – This recipe comes from the 101 Things to Do With a Slow Cooker cookbook

SATURDAY ~ Pizza – I haven’t decided if we’ll have a frozen pizza or make french bread pizzas (we buy french bread, cut it in half lengthwise, spread some sauce across the top, and everyone gets to add their toppings…we bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted)