I apologize that this is a really sparse menu. We have a lot going on these two weeks. We will be gone over one of the weekends, I have DKG, we are going to a baseball game, and it’s Mother’s Day weekend. HOWEVER, many of these recipes provide for leftovers (unless you are feeding a lot at each meal), so leftovers throughout the week is the plan.
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, Spanish rice, refried beans
Mexican food is my favorite, and sour cream chicken enchiladas are usually my go-to when I am ordering for just myself and not sharing with someone else. My family also really likes them – even my husband, who says he does not like sour cream! I found this recipe in a cookbook our church did one year when we lived in Louisiana. It was done in memory of a dear friend who passed away from Lou Gharig’s Disease. The cookbook is called Sharing Our Best. The recipe was shared by Harold Kiel. I looked online for recipes, and I found some that were similar but not exact, so I will share the recipe here:
12 corn tortillas (I can usually do about 15 or 16 with this recipe)
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded 1 onion, chopped and sauteed
1 (8 oz) carton sour cream 1 small can chopped green chilis
1 can cream of chicken soup 1 lb grated cheddar or Jack cheese
Divide onion, chicken, and half of the cheese among the tortillas. Roll up and place in a large baking dish, seam side down. Heat soup, undrained green chilis, and sour cream until heated through. Pour over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F until bubbly – about 20 to 25 minutes. Do not overbake or enchiladas will become crusty.
Now, here are my suggestions based upon how many times I have cooked these. First, I suggest mixing the sauteed onion and chicken before putting them in the tortillas. It makes it easier. Second, make sure your tortillas are warmed so that they are soft and pliable. This will help in rolling them up and having them stay rolled. Also, don’t overfill them. If you do, you won’t be able to keep them rolled. Use full-fat sour cream. It is necessary for the required flavor and consistency. Next, when you pour the sauce over the enchiladas, make sure you completely cover them. Otherwise the areas not covered will be hard from being in the oven. Lastly, I’m really not sure how much cheese I use, but I know it’s not a pound. Usually I use the bagged Mexican cheese that is already shredded. You do that as you like.
I usually just prepare a packaged Spanish rice mix and canned refried beans with this. Rice-a-Roni and Knorr both have good rice sides and my favorite refried beans are the canned ones from Taco Bell.
Chicken and noodles, pudding
At this point I don’t think describing this meal is necessary if you have been following along the entire time. However, if you need or want to know more, see Menu #2. That is the first time it appears. This should be the last as DKG is winding down for the school year.
Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice with Sausage, rice, salad, cornbread
We really like good red beans and rice and sausage. I have not always been able to prepare them very well, but this recipe from thriftyjinxy.com is really a great one. The beans are flavorful and cook down nice and soft. Of course, the better the sausage you use, the better these will be. We try to always use a good andouille sausage, which I know is not available to everyone. Serve these over some rice, prepare a nice green salad, and add some cornbread, and you have a wonderful meal.
Chicken Pot Pie, salad
I discovered this recipe several years ago in one of my many Taste of Home cookbooks. It can also be found at tasteofhome.com. If you like pot pie at comfort restaurants, you are really going to love this one. It is one of my family’s favorites. It is not difficult and it uses mostly kitchen staples, but you do need a little time to get everything chopped and prepped and then time for it to cook. But it is so worth it. And it makes a large pot pie, so you should be able to have leftovers at least once. A green salad or fruit salad pairs nicely with this.
Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup, salad
My husband loves the gnocchi soup from Olive Garden, so I found a copycat recipe from lecremedelacrumb.com that is pretty close to the real thing. I make lots of soup, especially in the winter, but I’m not above making it in the warmer months as well. I’m especially good at semi-homemade recipes. This one uses store-bought gnocchi, so it is super easy. Pair a nice green salad with it, and you have a complete meal.
If you like egg rolls, you are definitely going to like this recipe. It tastes just like the inside of an egg roll. The recipe is from stylishcravings.com, and it is super easy. You only need a few simple ingredients. I will say that I use more soy sauce than what the recipe calls for and I just use regular soy sauce, not the low sodium. You can pair this with some egg drop soup or dumplings if you like. If you make the whole recipe, it makes a very large portion. I usually half it for just the two of us.
Saturday Supper Pie, green beans
I have been cooking this recipe for a very long time. I originally found it in some recipe cards that I got in the mail YEARS ago. Most people don’t even know what it is like to receive things like that in the mail any longer. However, I also found the same recipe at cooks.com. The only difference is that this recipe uses a frozen pie crust and my original had you make your own. I think I like this idea a lot better! When my kids were growing up, this was one of their favorites and it still is. It is basically a pizza quiche. I do like to use extra pizza sauce on mine. I have also found that it usually takes a little longer to set in the middle than the recipe states. Just watch it carefully so that it is done without being overcooked. Canned, frozen, or fresh green beans with some seasonings round out the meal. There should also be some leftovers here unless you are feeding several.
Leftovers – lots!
We should have at least a few leftovers from the Chicken and Noodles, Chicken Enchiladas, Red Beans and Rice, Chicken Pot Pie, Gnocchi Soup, and Saturday Supper Pie. Now you know why I planned a few meals and lots of leftovers. Yours will depend on how many you are feeding at each meal. Hopefully by this point you have tried plenty of recipes that you can go to if you need more ideas.
Managing the Mundane 
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