Week 35 Menu (December 13-19)

I have a lot of Christmas sewing to do yet, as well as two Christmas parties this weekend. So I am trying to stick with quick and easy recipes that I can use for leftovers.

• Rotisserie Chicken, Broccoli, and Onion Rice (I do add some minced garlic to the onions, some herbs to the broth - parsley, basil, pinch of salt - and 1 Tbsp butter)
• White Chicken Chili with fresh bread.
• Fiesta Chicken Casserole
• Peppery Beef Sandwiches, this is one of my new favorite crockpot recipes. It has lots of flavor. I am going to do one substitution, I'm going to use venison roast instead of a chuck roast.
• Roast Pork Loin, mashed potatoes, and corn
• The first Christmas party we just have to bring a gift.
• The second Christmas party we are hosting and I am still working on the menu. I have the desserts figured out, but with only one oven/stove top it's been a little difficult coming up with the main dishes and sides.

Week 33 & 34 Menus (November 29-December 12)

I have been working at potty training my almost 3 year old son very diligently over the last few weeks and last week did not go so well, which is why I didn't get a menu posted. I'm including it below just for reference purposes.

Week 33

• Steak Quesadillas (leftover steak, green peppers, and onions sliced thin+ 1 packet Fajita seasoning + 1/4 c. water + 16 oz. pre-shredded 4 Cheese Mexican blend +16 burrito-size tortillas) with sour cream and salsa
• Pizza
• Parmesan Ranch Baked Chicken with a Parmesan Ranch Sauce, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli, and Crescent Rolls
• Roast Pork Loin, mashed potatoes, and corn.
• Homemade 5 Cheese Mac'n'Cheese and hot dogs
• Spaghetti and French Bread

Week 34

• Easy Slow Cooker Ham, Cheesy Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, and Corn (also, we had Baby Dedication at our church for #3 and I was asked to make an appetizer or sandwiches, I chose the appetizer and made mini quiches)
• Au Gratin Potatoes - the hubby made a twist
• Breakfast Pizza
• Ham Broccoli Braid (I am reading through the reviews and making a few changes based on them.)
• Hamburger Helper (I know, I know, me using a box mix, unheard of! but we were snowed in, 12"-14" of snow, and had temps as low as 10 degrees, which means that I did not get my weekly grocery shopping done and had to use what I had in my house. I had gotten the Hamburger Helper for $ .50 a box shortly before #3 was born so I would have some easy stuff to make while learning how to coordinate 2 toddlers and a newborn.)
• Still working on the rest of the menu...

Pizza Dough

Here is my recipe for homemade pizza dough, it is one that I found and then made changes to:

3 cups AP flour

1 1/4 cups warm water

1 package active yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine water and yeast. Let rest 10 minutes.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add yeast/water mix and oil. Stir until combined, then knead till an elastic ball forms. Spray your work bowl with a bit of non-stick, roll the dough around in the bowl till coated, then let it rest for 10 minutes (during this time I work on my toppings).
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 16" circle. Top with sauce, cheese, and desired toppings. Bake for 25-30 minutes in preheated oven.

Makes 1 - 16" hand-tossed crust cut into 16 slices/squares (68 calories per slice of just dough) or 2 - 14" thin crusts 12 slices/squares (45 calorie's per slice of just dough).

Holiday Leftovers - Ham

We had an 8.5 lb. ham for dinner this past Sunday and I have been trying to find delicious new recipes to use it. I came up with a couple of recipes of my own and my husband threw another one together the other night.

Mini Quiche Appetizer

1/3 c. cooked ham, finely chopped

1/3 c. mushrooms, finely chopped

1/3 c. shredded cheddar cheese

5 eggs

1/4 c. half-n-half

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon dried minced onion

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic

pinch of pepper

1 lb. pizza dough (or you could use biscuit dough, crescent roll dough, etc.)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Divide dough into 24 balls. Roll each dough ball into a 3" circle. Press into the bottom and up the sides of 24 greased muffin cups.
2. In a medium bowl, combine ham, mushrooms, cheese, herbs, and spices. Place 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture into each muffin cup.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and half-n-half. Pour 2 tablespoons over the ham mixture in each muffin cup.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm.

Holiday Leftovers Breakfast Pizza

1/2 c. sour cream

1/4 c. ranch dip (I made some for Thanksgiving and only had 1/4 c. left)

1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard

1 c. ham (you could also use crumbled bacon or sausage, or a combination of all three, just don't exceed 1 cup total)

1/2 a medium onion, cut into 1"x1/4" strips or so

2 c. fresh mozzarella, finely crumbled and/or shredded (I did a little bit of both)

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (I prefer sharp or even extra sharp)

8 eggs

1/2 c. milk

1 teaspoon parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried chives

1/4 teaspoon garlic

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

pizza dough (my recipe is enough for a 16" hand-tossed style pizza crust)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, spices, and herbs. Pour into a large buttered sauté pan (we're making scrambled eggs), cook till just firm. Remove from heat; add ham and onion (this is also where you would add mushrooms, peppers, cooked hash browns, etc. if you chose), stir till combined.
3. In a small bowl (I just used the dip container), combine sour cream, dip, and mustard.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 16" circle. Place on a greased pizza pan. Spread the sour cream mixture over the dough evenly up to 1/4" from the edges. Top in this order: 2 1/2 cups of the cheese, egg mixture, 1 1/2 cups cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Some other good toppings: mushrooms, green peppers, hash browns.

Yield: 12 - 4" squares (feeds 4-6 people)

If you make this for dinner like I did, the leftovers make for a delicious breakfast the next morning.

Twist on Potatoes Au Gratin and Ham

I had planned to make potatoes au gratin with ham for dinner, but then the hubby got home from work just a little early (and the munchkins were still napping). We had just gotten about 2"-3" of snow and I'm a work-at-home mom all but one day of the week. So we decided to trade duties, the hubby made dinner and I shoveled (it felt good to get some fresh air and exercise in the peace and quiet of shoveling). Because of this trade, I do not have the exact measurements for most of ingredients, but you can play around with the ones that I have listed.

6 medium Idaho potatoes, sliced to 1/4" or so thick

6 Tablespoons butter

oil for the pan

1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked ham, chopped

1-2 teaspoons hot sauce (yes, my husband LOVES including Tabasco sauce in everything from eggs to casseroles)

2 teaspoons or so yellow mustard

1 cup whole milk or half-n-half

1-2 cups cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon each parsley, basil, and chives

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

1. Layer 1/2 potatoes, 1/2 the herbs, garlic, salt, pepper, 1/2 butter, hot sauce, 1/2 potatoes, 1/2 the herbs, garlic, salt, pepper, 1/2 butter, and hot sauce in a large sauté pan or skillet. Cover. Cook till al dente, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together milk/cream and mustard. Add mixture, ham and cheese to potatoes, stir. Cook another 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a 2-qt. casserole. Place under the broiler (on low) for about 5 minutes. Remove and serve.

Sweet & Spicy Roast Pork Loin

2 1/2 pound boneless pork loin
2/3 cup maple syrup
4 tablespoons mustard
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic or cider vinegar (I prefer the balsamic)
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons cherry jam
1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle Tabasco sauce
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small saucepan, stir together the maple syrup, mustard, vinegar, soy sauce, jam, Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Simmer over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Place pork roast in a shallow roasting pan, 9x13 Pyrex, or 8x8 Pyrex depending on the size (the smaller the dish, the less like the glaze is to burn). Spread glaze evenly over pork roast.
4. Roast pork in the preheated oven uncovered, until internal temperature measured with a meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), about 1 1/2 hours; basting every 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven, and let rest about 10 minutes before slicing to serve.

Tip according to a few similar recipes: "If you've got the time, the pork can be made fabulously moist by setting the oven temperature between 180-200 F. It will take about 3-3.5 hours for the internal temperature of the roast to reach 160 F - at which point its perfectly cooked - but it is worth it."

Ranch Dip Mix

I was having company over and forgot to get ranch dip mix to add to my sour cream, which I had planned to serve with a relish tray. So I threw together some spices and things to create my own ranch dip mix. It turned out really well, so I'm posting it for your benefit.

1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon paprika
dash cayenne pepper

For dip, combine all ingredients with 1 - 16 oz. container sour cream (you can use light or fat free to cut the calories). Refrigerate 30 minutes or more so flavors can meld.

I encourage you to play around with the different herbs and spices to create your own flavor combinations.

You can combine just the herbs and spices for use as a substitute for store-bought ranch dressing mixes.

Parmesan Ranch Baked Chicken with a Parmesan Ranch Cream Sauce

Baked Chicken
3 large chicken breasts (pound to 1/2" thick)

1/4 c. milk

1/4 c. sour cream

1 packet ranch dressing mix

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing mix, sour cream, and milk. Combine bread crumbs and cheese in a pie plate. Dip chicken in milk mixture. Then coat it in bread crumb mixture.
2. Place in a greased 9x13 Pyrex pan. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven.

Sauce

1/2 c. chicken broth

3/4 c. half-n-half

1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp. parsley

1/4 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. dried minced onion

1/4 tsp. salt

a pinch dill

garlic powder

a pinch pepper

2/3 c. grated Parmesan.

1. In a small saucepan, combine chicken broth, herbs, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. In a small bowl, which together half-n-half, cornstarch, cheese. Add to chicken broth. Reduce heat to a simmer. Stir till thickened.
2. Pour over baked chicken.

Week 32 Menu Change

Today (Friday) we were invited over some friends' for an "after-Thanksgiving" game night. I ended up making a couple of side dishes instead of my planned pork loin and other dishes. I made

Taco Dip

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (16 ounce) container nonfat sour cream
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix (I made my own taco seasoning)
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3 chopped tomatoes
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 can black olives, drained and sliced

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning. Spread this mixture in a 10 inch (or larger) round serving dish. Top the mixture with lettuce, Cheddar cheese, tomatoes, green onions and black olives.

I also made Cocktail wieners (Lil' Smokies, BBQ sauce-not a vinegar based sauce, and grape jelly).

Week 31 & 32 Menu (Nov. 15-28)

Week 31

• California Medley Soup and French Bread
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Mini Meatloaf, Glazed Baby Carrots, and Cheesy Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes
• Waffles with Mixed Berry Syrup, Cheesy Scrambled Eggs, and Sausage Links
• Chicken Alfredo, French Bread, and Squash

Week 32

• Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato Soup
• B's Cordon Bleu Bundles (I'm planning to make my own Crescent Roll dough instead of buying it, and I'm using regular smoked ham instead of prosciutto to $ave)
• Pork Loin, Baked Potatoes, and Broccoli
• Grilled Chicken over Penne with Spinach and Asiago Cheese
• Steak, Sweet Potato Fries, and either Caramel Apple Pie or Cherry Cheesecake (haven't decided which to make yet)

Week 29 & 30 Menus: November 1-14

Life has been pretty crazy over the last two weeks. Beside being a mom of 3-under-3, I am also an insurance agent 1-2 days a week, and a freelance seamstress/designer. Last week, I had one very large window treatment project (5 insulated roman shades measuring 88"x46")with a deadline of October 31. And then, next weekend is my baby sister's wedding, sniff, sniff;) I have been finishing up 4 bridesmaid separates, and still have to make the vest, tie, and pillow for my son (who is the ring bearer) and do the hemming, etc. on his suit. Whew...I get tired just thinking about the next few days! Anyway, I say all that to let you know why I have not posted this week's menu until just now. I will also be posting next week's menu below.

Week 29

1. Pizza - homemade pepperoni, black olive, and mushroom
2. Sloppy Joes:
   
   • 1 lb. ground beef
   • 1/2 a bell pepper, rough chopped
   • 1/2 an onion, diced
   • 1/2 cup tomato sauce (or you can even use 1/2 can of condensed tomato soup)
   • 3/4 cup BBQ sauce (I prefer either honey or hickory)
   • 1 tablespoons honey
   • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
   • salt and pepper to taste (you can also add other seasoning i.e. cayenne, crushed red pepper flakes, etc.)
   • 6-8 cheese slices
   • 6-8 rolls
3. Chicken Casserole (chicken, bacon, mushrooms, onions, and spiral pasta in a garlic cream sauce) - the hubby and I just kind of threw things together.
4. Tater Tot Casserole

Week 30

1. Rotisserie Chicken, Potatoes, Gravy, Fresh Bread
2. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup
3. White Chili served with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and Frito's
4. Chicken Quesadillas
5. Pizza