Menu #7

This has been a really busy time of year for us – church activities, family birthdays, football, fall activities, and the list goes on and on. Because of that, I have combined two sets of menus together for this one since there were so many nights when we were out or eating leftovers, or doing something else. This list of menus may be enough to last you two weeks – or maybe longer – if your fall has been anything like ours. Hopefully these will be helpful to you.

Chicken packets, fruit

We make these fairly often on a Sunday evening. You can grill them or bake them in the oven. We usually grill them. I use boneless, skinless chicken. Tear off large pieces of foil for each piece of chicken. Spray the middle of each piece with a little bit of cooking spray. Lay your chicken on the foil and season it how you like. Then add any veggies that you like. We use potatoes cut into small cubes, cut-up carrots, sliced onions, fresh sliced mushrooms, and frozen green beans. You use whatever you like or what you have. I don’t recommend any veggies that cook too quickly if you are cooking potatoes and carrots. They will turn to mush before the rest is cooked through. I season mine with seasoning salt and a little pepper. Go wild with your favorites. Fold up the foil around everything and seal it tightly. My husband cooks these on the grill over medium heat, usually for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Hamburgers, chips, baked beans

This one is pretty self explanatory. These are planned for a family birthday. My advice to you is to buy good quality hamburger patties or make your own. I just season these with some Worcester sauce and some seasoning salt. Then my husband grills them nice and slow. Put out all the veggies and condiments that you like for burgers. You can make homemade baked beans or you can use baked beans straight from the can and maybe doctor them up a bit. I make homemade baked beans. My recipe is from an old recipe book called Pots, Pans, and Pioneers  that I received as a wedding gift. Here is the recipe:

1 large can pork and beans

1 small chopped onion

2 tsp parsley flakes

½ cup maple syrup

½ cup BBQ sauce

¼ cup ketchup

4 slices bacon, cut up

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ cup brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon until almost crisp. Add onion, parsley, and garlic; cook until bacon is crisp. Add drained beans and other ingredients. Cook slowly for 30 or so minutes.

I do like to prepare the beans ahead and time so that all the flavors mix well. You can cook on the stove or in the oven. I have kind of played around with the portions to get it to the flavor that we like.

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. With the weather getting cooler, I make lots of soup. I’m especially good at semi-homemade recipes. This one uses store-bought gnocchi, so it is super easy. Throw some breadsticks and salad with it, and you have a complete meal.

Instant Pot Goulash, zucchini

I enjoy cooking with my instant pot. The name is a little deceiving as it is not exactly instant, but it is quick, and it usually makes for an easy clean-up. This goulash from idonthavetimeforthat.com is very much like a spaghetti dish but with elbow noodles instead of spaghetti noodles. It also makes a nice, large portion, so you can feed quite a few people, or you can have some for leftovers. You can also freeze the leftovers and have a quick meal another night. 

For the zucchini, I just slice it up, put a little oil in a pan to sauté it, and season it with some Mrs. Dash and a little salt. You can cook it however you like it best. 

Brisket Baked Potatoes, salad

We love baked potatoes when they are cooked well. I like to cook them slowly. I wash the potatoes well, prick them a few times with a fork, and wrap them with foil. I cook them at 350 degrees for about 3 hours. When I do these for a weeknight, I set my oven with the timer, so that they come on to cook during the afternoon and are ready for dinner at the correct time.  For these I have some leftover beef brisket that I will chop up and sauce with BBQ sauce, and serve it with the potatoes. I like mine on top of my potato. My husband likes it on the side. Serve also with all your favorite potato toppings like butter, sour cream, cheese, and chives. A quick salad of your choosing completes this simple meal. 

Quesadillas, Mexican Rice

I don’t really have a recipe per se that I use for these. I do have a seasoning recipe that I use for the chicken most of the time though. It is from The George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine Cookbook. It is actually a seasoning for chicken fajitas. I cook the chicken in a pan on the stove using the seasoning. I save back a little of the seasoning to cook some onions as well. Then I cut up the chicken when it has cooled down. I take a tortilla and spread it with some refried beans. I top it with some of the chicken and the cooked onions. Then I spread it with shredded cheese and top with another tortilla. I cook the quesadilla in a pan on the stove. You can do them on a griddle as well. I use cooking spray on the tortillas to help them crisp up. Cook on one side until it is browned. Flip and do on the other side. Cut up into portions and serve with the toppings you like. We like lettuce, tomato, sour cream, black olives, and jalapenos. We like Rice-a-Roni Mexican Rice as a side.

Seasoning for the chicken:

1 Tbsp chili powder

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1 Tbsp brown sugar

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp cumin

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Mix up all the seasonings thoroughly on a large plate. Press each piece of chicken into the spices on both sides. Cook until cooked through. 

Crockpot Spicy Vegetable Beef Soup, cornbread

My slow cooker recipe is one that I have used for years from Taste of Home. It is almost a complete dump-and-go recipe that you can put on in the morning and have a delicious meal when you get home on a cold day. The attached recipe from spicysouthernkitchen.com is not identical to the one I use, but it is very close. It has a few more ingredients than the original one, but it is still very easy to throw together. Make a pan of cornbread to go with it, and you are set. I like Gladiola’s Yellow Cornbread mix, but you can use whatever you like. 

Chicken Wraps with rotisserie chicken, chips

This is just a made-up recipe in order to use what I have on hand. I will use some of the rotisserie chicken I have already shredded and frozen. I have some flour tortillas to use as well. Put some chicken down the middle of the tortillas and then top it with things you like – lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion (for my husband), and Caesar dressing. You can prepare them any way that works for you. We will just have potato chips for a side. 

White Beans with Sausage, cornbread, salad

This is a good southern recipe. People who don’t live in the South don’t know what they are missing. I especially love this recipe from food.com  because you don’t have to soak the beans overnight. You can cook them in about three to four hours. I like to cook mine a day ahead so that they have time to really absorb all the flavors. I also like to fry up some andouille or smoked sausage links and serve them on the side of the beans. We like these with a side of cornbread and a nice green salad. If you are making cornbread for the vegetable soup, you may have enough leftovers to use for this recipe as well.

Chili

I found this recipe several years ago and it is perfect for a cold day, especially if it is rainy or snowy.! It is actually called Wendy’s Copycat Chili. We really like the chili from Wendy’s and this is pretty close. It also makes a large pot, so it’s great for a large group, for leftovers, or for freezing some for later. This is another recipe that I like to cook the day before and let it sit in the fridge to meld all the flavors together. I also don’t like crunchy veggies in soups and stews, so I alter the recipe just a little bit and cook the veggies down before adding the beef in to cook and while the beef is cooking. It does have beans in it, so some will say it’s not chili, but we like it with the beans. We have some good saltine crackers with it, but some like to have chili with rice or fritos. My son likes to put sour cream and cheese in his. You do you!

Breakfast for Dinner

There is no recipe for this one. We just like to have breakfast items for dinner sometimes, especially on a Sunday evening. We usually have bacon or sausage, eggs (I like scrambled and my husband likes fried), sometimes hash browns, and either pancakes or waffles. I use a mix for the pancakes and waffles. My favorite is Hungry Jack, and I really like the kind where you add your own milk, eggs, and oil. I’m not a fan of the mix where you only add water. You use what you like best. 

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, mashed potatoes with white gravy, green beans

I enjoy making homemade chicken tenders. I think they are better than most frozen ones you can buy. I also like to use the air fryer when I can. It cooks quickly and also keeps me from having to turn on the oven. I especially like it because you are not deep frying things in a lot of oil. This recipe from mommysfabulousfinds.com makes some really flavorful and crunchy chicken tenders. I have noticed with the recipe that I usually have to double all of the ingredients to have enough to use with all the chicken. I make homemade mashed potatoes, and I make white gravy using a mix from Pioneer. I don’t use a recipe for mashed potatoes, but the one I have linked from kristineskitchenblog is pretty much how I make potatoes. I do use my hand mixer to whip them instead of using a potato masher. It’s quicker and more efficient, in my opinion. Canned or frozen green beans round out the meal. I season mine with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.