I posted a lot of information about my family and how we plan meals in this initial post. I’m in a bit of a meal planning slump right now…I think it’s due to burn out. But, here’s the menu I came up with our family for the week (and I only have to cook five nights this week!)

Sunday – I didn’t have to cook! We had our Dave Ramsey class and my mom’s birthday dinner

Monday – Lemon chicken – this is from Girlfriends on the Go: A Busy Mom’s Guide to Make Ahead Meals (these are coming out of my freezer)

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tsp dried thyme
3 tsp salt
1 clove garlic
1 cup lemon juice

Mix spices and lemon juice in a bag. Add chicken breasts. Marinate for several hours or overnight. Place in slow cooker for 4-6 hours on low. You can also bake or grill instead.

If freezing, place in a freezer bag. The chicken will marinate while thawing.

Tuesday – Beef Burgundy – slow cooker – I found this recipe on the Taste of Home website and I’m excited to try it!

Wednesday – Chicken lime tacos – I have been wanting to try this recipe since I saw it on Marci’s blog a few weeks ago – I plan to put the chicken and other ingredients in my slow cooker, cook it on low all day, and then shred the meat

Thursday – Country style pork loin

Katie (Katiedid) from Taste of Home

1 boneless whole pork loin roast (3 pounds)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground mustard
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
Hot mashed potatoes, optional

Cut pork roast in half. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, onion powder and mustard. Add pork, one portion at a time, and shake to coat. In a large skillet, brown pork in oil over medium-high heat on all sides. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Pour broth over pork. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until tender. Remove pork and keep warm. For gravy, strain cooking juices and skim fat; pour 2-1/2 cups cooking juices into a large saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice pork; serve with gravy and mashed potatoes if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

*This recipe was SOOOO yummy! Even my kids loved it. It is definitely a keeper at our house!

Friday – Salisury steaks (slow cooker)

Saturday – Domino’s Savory Surprises House Party – we get to try out the new Domino’s bread bowl pasta AND I don’t have to cook!

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

Sunday – Easter dinner (my mom cooked!)

We did have Baked Chicken Nuggets. I first tried some of these through a freezer swap. My husband asked why we would spend the time to MAKE chicken nuggets when you can get them for next to nothing at the grocery store. That was before we tasted them. They are sooo good that my kids and I are hooked on them now (and I feel like they’re a lot better than what you get at the store or from fast food, too).

Monday – Black Bean Chicken burritos

Tuesday – Steak Stroganoff

Wednesday – Lemon chicken – this is from Girlfriends on the Go: A Busy Mom’s Guide to Make Ahead Meals (these are coming out of my freezer)

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tsp dried thyme
3 tsp salt
1 clove garlic
1 cup lemon juice

Mix spices and lemon juice in a bag. Add chicken breasts. Marinate for several hours or overnight. Place in slow cooker for 4-6 hours on low. You can also bake or grill instead.

If freezing, place in a frezer bag. The chicken will marinate while thawing.

Thursday – Meatloaf on a bed of potatoes

I’m making this salsa recipe for a shower I’m going to tonight. It’s a favorite around my house, so I thought I’d share this as well:

TOMATILLO SALSA

Ingredients:
*Herdez Green Sauce (They sell this at Walmart here. If they don’t have this brand in your area, you can probably substitute another green sauce….look for something with tomatillos and serrano peppers)
*1 or 2 avocadoes (peeled and pitted)
*1 bunch cilantro, washed very well
*8 oz sour cream
*1/3 white onion
*garlic powder and salt to taste

For spicier version: add one serrano pepper

For a more liquidy version: add another jar Herdez Green Sauce

For a creamier sauce: 16 oz sour cream

I dump everything in the blender and mix well. I also add a dash of lime. It is SO good!

Friday – Savory crockpot chicken – I don’t remember where I originally got this recipe, but I found it when I was going through my e-mail inbox the other day cleaning out old e-mails. I haven’t tried it yet.

INGREDIENTS:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 (12 ounce) jar turkey gravy
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt-free herb seasoning blend
1 teaspoon soy sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Place chicken and gravy into a slow cooker. Season with paprika, seasoning blend and soy sauce. Cook on high for 4 hours or for 6 to 8 hours on medium. Tear chicken into pieces. Serve over rice, noodles or potatoes.

Saturday – Chicken enchiladas – our entire family loves this recie!

Ingredients:
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use the 98% FF kind)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use the 98% FF kind)
2 cans green enchilada sauce
1 8 oz-16 oz. tub of sour cream (depends how spicy you want the enchiladas….I usually ad the 16 oz to tone it down some for my kids)
2-3 chicken breasts, shredded (if I’m in a hurry, I use canned chicken)
1 lb. cheese, shredded
1 dozen flour tortillas (you could use corn also)

Add cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, and enchilada sauce to a pan. Cook on medium low heat, stirring occasionally. When sauce is will mixed and starts to thin, add sour cream. Continue stirring occasionally until the sauce is well mixed and thinned out. Place a layer of the sauce along the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish. Fill each tortilla with the shredded chicken, sauce, and cheese. Roll and place in the baking dish. When you have filled all of the tortillas (this should make 1 dozen), pour the remain sauce over the top of the enchiladas and then cover with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is well melted.

Here’s my menu plan for the week. I posted a lot of information about my family and how we plan meals in this initial post.

Sunday – I don’t have to cook dinner on Sundays because it’s provided at our Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class, but it was our week to help contribute and I had to make dessert for 50-60 people (and I hate baking!) It was quite a project!

Monday – Crescent chicken casserole (This is another recipe from my BBC board – I have been listening to everyone rave about it, so I decided to try it myself!)

Ingredients:
1 package of chicken tenders or breasts (boneless, skinless — at least 4)
1 can of crescent rolls (8)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 soup can full of milk
1 cup of shredded cheddar
1/2 cup sour cream

First, boil the chicken until done. Set the chicken aside to cool while mixing the sauce.

For the sauce, mix the cream of chicken soup, cheese, milk, and sour cream together over medium heat (until the cheese is melted and it is well blended).

Cut the chicken into small pieces. Roll out the crescent rolls and put the chicken pieces inside. Roll up the crescent rolls like normal and place in a baking dish.
Pour sauce over top.

Optional: Sprinkle a little more cheese on top.

Tuesday Three Cheese Baked Spaghetti– – this is coming out of my freezer (I first saw this one on Mom of Littles, which I believe is “Money Saving Mom’s” personal blog, when she was talking about preparing freezer recipes to use after her baby is born. I made three batches – one for my brother/sister in law, one for my parents, and one for us – over spring break. I haven’t tried it yet, but everyone else who has says it’s GREAT!)

Wednesday – Foil baked Asian Chicken – This comes from the April issue of All You Magazine

Ingredients:
8 tsp olive oil
4 cups baby spinach
4 4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
4 tsp teriyaki sauce
salt

Preheat over to 450 degrees. Tear off four 10-inch square sof aluminum foil (great sure for all that foil I stocked up on at Walgreens last week!). Brush each square with 2 tsp olive oil. Place 1 cup spinach on each square, slightly off center. Top with a chicken breast half and some mushrooms. Drizzle 1 tsp teriyaki sauce over each portion. Sprinkle with salt.

Fold each piece of foil over to cover chicken and vegetables. Crimp edges together tightly to seal. Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Thursday – French dip sandwiches (crock pot)

Friday – Dinner at Chuck E. Cheese (it’s my son’s 2nd birthday!0

Saturday – Colorful Kielbasa (another BBC recipe – thanks Jake~and~Olivia)

Ingredients:
1 link kielbasa, cut in bite-size pieces
3/4 cup white rice (not minute rice)
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can water (refill soup can)
1 tsp. butter
1 20-oz. pkg. frozen mixed vegetables
1 can mushrooms
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

In large saucepan, combine soup, water, and butter, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, add in rice and kielbasa, cover, simmer 18 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vegetables and mushrooms, cover, simmer 15 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top, remove from heat, stir after cheese is melted. Serve.