Weekly Menu - May 28 - June 3

Well it's the end of May and Memorial Day weekend. We are getting summer kicked off! I hope everyone has some fun and safe plans for this weekend. We will be going to a barbecue at my sister-in-law's house with friends. Really looking forward to spending time with them! There were a few things that just didn't get made last week. Between night shift and the pregnancy, I was just too tired to actually make dinner so we had pizza instead. So I've put them back on the menu for this week.

Hash Brown Casserole 

Open Faced Thanksgiving Sandwiches

Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken & Beans

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin

Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken

This was really good. I didn't get to eat it the night I made it, but it does reheat well. Hubby said it was yummy and gave it a thumbs up. I don't have a picture since I forgot to take one before I left for work. Next time I make it I will add a pic!

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken

adapted from AllRecipes.com

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 8 hours

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs of chicken breasts

2 TBS unsalted butter

1 packet of dry Italian dressing

2 can cream of cheddar soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

8 oz light sour cream

1/2 cup of milk

Hot, cooked rice

Directions

Cut the chicken into cubes and place in crockpot with butter. Sprinkle with Italian dressing. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

 

In the last 30-45 minutes of cooking, add in the soups, milk and sour cream. Serve over hot, cooked rice (or noodles - whatever your preference!). 

 

Enjoy! 

Stovetop Mac & Cheese

This was so easy and yummy! Very versatile and you could easily change up the type of cheese that you use for a more sophisticated taste. We gobbled it down. 

Stovetop Mac & Cheese

adapted from Alton Brown

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

1/2 lb elbow macaroni

4 TBS unsalted butter

2 eggs

6 oz evaporated milk

1 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

3/4 tsp dry mustard

10 oz shredded sharp cheddar (or whatever other cheese you might like!)

Directions

Boil water and add the macaroni. Cook according to the box (usually about 10 minutes) and drain. Return to the pot, add the butter and toss to coat. 

While the pasta is cooking, combine the eggs, evaporated milk, salt, pepper and mustard. Whisk until well combined. Pour over the macaroni and stir to combine. Add cheese and stir. Over low heat continue to stir as cheese melts about 3 minutes or until creamy. 

Enjoy!

Weekly Menu - May 21-27

As some of you might have heard, I'm pregnant! This has been quite a challenge to keep the blog running while battling aversions and cravings. Not to mention the fatigue, too! I'll soon be moving into the second trimester so I'm hoping that some of the aversions and cravings will go away so I can eat and function like a normal person. I'm excited about this week's menu and I hope that it doesn't look like it is coming from the kitchen of a preggo lady!

Marinated Flank Steak

Cheese Conies & 3-ways

Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken

Open Faced Thanksgiving Sandwiches

Wheatberry Salad

I've been making this for a couple of years and every where I take it people love it! It's so fresh, healthy and yummy. You're probably wondering, what's a wheatberry and where do I get them? Wheatberries are the entire wheat kernel except the hull. They also are a great source of fiber. I usually pick mine up at Fresh Market or Whole Foods. This is great with some grilled chicken on the side or roasted chicken mixed in with the salad. 

Wheatberry Salad

from Ina Garten

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 cup hard winter wheatberries

1 cup finely diced red onion

6 TBS olive oil

2 TBS balsamic vinegar

3 green onions, white and green parts minced

1/2 red bell pepper, small diced

5-8 baby carrots, thinly sliced1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

Directions

Put wheatberries in a saucepan with 3 cups boiling water. Cook uncovered on low for 45 minutes or until soft. Drain.

Saute the red onions over medium heat with 2 TBS of olive oil until translucent. Turn off the heat, add remaining olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Let the salad sit for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve at room temperature. 

Enjoy!

Weekly Menu - May 7-13

So excited that school is finally over and I am back in action! Only in a couple of weeks, I will start an internship where I work 7am-7pm or 7pm-7am three days a week - not very conducive to menus and dinner. We'll just have to play it by ear. 

 On the menu this week:

Wheatberry Salad
Fluffiest. Pancakes. Ever.

Stovetop Mac & Cheese

Salmon Patties

Chicken Tortellini Bake

Weekly Menu - April 16-23

Well I'm getting to the home stretch of the semester. This is my last full week of classes and next week I only have one day. Then it's finals week! Luckily, I only have finals Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I can't wait to be done! I hope everyone has great plans for Passover or Easter. I can't wait to celebrate with my family. Looking forward to the menu this week. 

Copycat Hashbrown Casserole
Fluffiest. Pancakes. Ever.

Reubens

Potato Pancakes

Honey Ham

Herbed Quinoa

Citrus Chicken

Update and Giveaway!

For all those who don't know, I'm currently on a two week hiatus. Basically, I have a test in every class over the next two weeks plus clinical rotation Friday, Saturday and Sunday. My next free day is Wednesday, April 6th! Yep, I'm tired. I will be back then and as a bonus there is only a month of school left. I'll be back full force in May once finals are over. 

But what I am really posting about is a fun giveaway for Schwan's! You just need to hop on over to my friend Amber's blog, This Mommy Cooks. The link will take you straight to the giveaway and then you just need to follow the directions to enter. It's super easy! 

Miss you all and can't wait to be back in the kitchen making delicious food.

Copycat Hashbrown Casserole - The Remix

Okay so the first time I made these they were all kinds of jacked up. I did a little research and think that we've come up with the perfect version. I've made this version 3 or 4 times now and it's just fabulous.

Copycat Hashbrown Casserole - The Remix

adapted from multiple recipes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

2 lb bag of frozen shredded hash browns, thawed

1/4 cup diced onion

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cups shredded colby cheese

1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a large bowl, mix together the soup, butter, onion, pepper and cheese. Stir in the potatoes until well mixed.

Put the potato mixture in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes and broil before removing to get a nice, golden top. 

Enjoy!

Fluffiest. Pancakes. Ever.

Oh my goodness. These pancakes were the bestest, everest. They are so light and fluffy. I could probably eat them every day. Seriously. I am not joking. Your mouth will thank you.

Fluffiest. Pancakes. Ever.

adapted from Allrecipes.com

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2-4

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 TBS sugar

1 1/4 cup milk

1 egg

3 TBS unsalted butter 

Oil for cooking

Directions

In a large bowl, sift the flour. Add baking powder, salt and sugar with a fork until just combined.

In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Let it cool slightly. Lightly beat the egg with a fork into the butter, just until blended. Add the milk and again just lightly beat until blended. 

Make a well in the dry mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix just until well combined. It will look very runny, but I promise it will come out okay! 

Heat 2-3 TBS oil in a skillet and add 1/4-1/2 cup of batter. I add a 1/2 cup because I like big pancakes. Cook until you see lots of bubbles in the wet batter on top, or until the bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook until bottom is golden brown. 

Enjoy!

Honey Ham

I keep thinking about Easter coming up and eating ham. It just sounded so yummy and I decided that I just couldn't wait. This is such an easy recipe. You will honestly never again buy one of those pricey hams from the retailer-who-shall-remain-nameless (but y'all know who I am talking about)! I have used several different ham sizes and I just follow the package recommendations for cooking if it's larger or smaller than the recipe. Yum, I'm still thinking about this ham.

Honey Ham

adapted from Allrecipes.com

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Serving: 15

Ingredients

5 lb spiral sliced ham 

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup honey

2/3 cup butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325.

In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the cloves, sugar, honey and butter. Once well combined, turn heat to low. You want to keep this warm while the ham is cooking.

Place the ham in foil lined pan and brush the glaze over the ham. Continue to baste the ham every 15-20 minutes while it is cooking. In the last 5 minutes, turn the oven broiler on to caramelize the glaze and form a nice crust. 

Enjoy!

Italian Turkey Burgers

I was feeling adventurous last night and decided to make up a recipe for our turkey burgers. I didn't want something same old, same old blah blah so I winged it. We were definitely rewarded! I personally would slightly reduce the Italian seasoning and add more mozzarella (I love me some cheese), but hubby thought that they were perfect!

Italian Turkey Burgers

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground turkey 

1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese

2 TBS grated parmesan

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

Olive oil for sauteing 

Directions

Heat olive oil in a skillet or grill pan over medium heat. 

Combine all ingredients (except oil) in a bowl. Form patties. Cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side. I cooked mine on each side for about 5 minutes and then put them in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes. They were perfectly cooked!

Enjoy!

Salmon Patties

This recipe is so easy and quick. Plus it's loaded with Omega-3's so it's kinda healthy. I was going to add some cheddar cheese into mine and forgot, but I definitely think it would be yummy with it. Might try to remember to do that next time. My sister-in-law said that these were still very tasty when she heated them for lunch the next day. They also didn't make her office stink!

Salmon Patties

adapted from multiple recipes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

2  6oz pouches of boneless, skinless salmon (I used Chicken of the Sea)

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder 

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 egg

1/4-1/2 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese (optional)

Veggie or Canola oil for frying

Directions

Put all ingredients except the oil into a bowl and mix well with your hands. Form into patties. Heat about 2 TBS oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook about 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. 

Serve with your favorite sauce.

Enjoy!

Weekly Menu - March 13-19

Very excited to be celebrating St. Patty's Day this week! As you know there is always a meal to go with the holiday as well. This week is also my first week of Pediatric clinical rotation so Saturday nights will now be spent with the little ones at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. Poor hubby is on his own, but luckily he loves some frozen pizza!

Italian Turkey Burgers

Orzo Pasta Salad

Honey Ham

Fluffiest.Pancakes.Ever.

Copycat Hashbrown Casserole - The Remix

Guinness Beef Brisket

Slow Cooker Saucy Beef Tips

So we have had a few bad runs with the slow cooker dinners. As you might know, I have class on Tuesdays from 9am-6pm and dinner is usually done in the slow cooker. Hubby and I have found that most things don't do well in the slow cooker if left in there for more than 8-10 hours. The only thing that seems to work is red meat. Chicken tends to disintegrate and soups get yucky. Yes, yucky. So I found this and we loved it!  I've made changes to the original recipe and you can definitely take out the red wine. I just thought that it might add a little 'je ne sais quoi' (that's 'I don't know what' in French, for all my mono-linguals out there).

Slow Cooker Saucy Beef Tips

adapted from Mommy's Kitchen

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 8 hours

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

2lbs stew meat, cubed

1 can low sodium cream of mushroom soup

1 packet lower sodium brown gravy mix

1 packet dry onion soup mix

1 cup Ginger ale

4 TBS red wine (I used Merlot)

Cooked egg noodles

Directions

Put everything in your slow cooker with the exception of the egg noodles. Set it on low for 8 hours. Serve over hot cooked egg noodles.

Enjoy!

Red Beans & Rice

This is probably one of my favorite recipes, but I don't make it much because of the time commitment. I mean it's not like you have to stand over the stove and watch it, but it does have to sit there for a good 2 hours. I'm certain there are ways to cut the time down, yet I wonder if you would have the same end result. It was a little spicier than usual as I think I recalled something different when adding the cayenne pepper. If you want something a little more tame, just cut the cayenne pepper to 1/4 tsp.

I'm not sure how many of you know the tradition behind this meal or even if you want to know, but I'm tell you anyway! Traditionally, Red Beans & Rice is eaten on a Monday. Why? Because it is laundry day. This is one of those meals that you can leave on the stove unattended for at least 30 minutes while you go out back to scrub the wash. Just a little bit of trivia for you.

Red Beans & Rice

adapted from multiple recipes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 hours

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients

2 TBS vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped 

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

5-6 garlic cloves, minced

3 bay leaves

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp Tabasco

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

8 cups water

1 pound dry small red beans

1 package smoked turkey sausage (or 1lb andouille sausage)

Hot cooked white rice

Directions

Heat the oil in a 5-7 qt dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the Holy Trinity (aka onion, bell pepper and celery). Saute until the onion and celery are translucent. Add the salt and pepper. Toss in the garlic, cook 1-2 minutes and stir frequently. Add the thyme and cayenne pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except the sausage. Turn the heat to high and let it come to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring about every half hour.

Uncover and turn heat up slightly to increase the simmering. Cook for another 30-40 minutes. Toward the end I like to use a potato masher to mush my beans and make the consistency a little thicker. I also add the sausage once I have mashed the beans.

While you are waiting for the beans to finish, start cooking your rice. Once everything is done, scoop a little rice into your bowl and cover with a generous helping of red beans. 

Enjoy!

Weekly Menu - March 6-11

I'm back! Things have been so crazy that getting recipes and menu plans posted has been almost impossible. The blog has been taking a backseat to nursing school. I'm trying to get better about it and hopefully I will get some stuff posted this week since I am on spring break. I'm very excited about our menu this week since we are celebrating Mardi Gras! The only thing that would make it better is if I was actually in NOLA.  :)

Shrimp Po'Boys

Red Beans & Rice

Gumbo

Salmon Patties

Cafe au Lait

Homemade Pizza

Open-Faced Cheddar Burgers

The original recipe was recently in February 2011 issue of Rachael Ray's magazine. It's kind of a cross between Welsh rarebit and a burger. Now, the original called for ground sirloin, but you know I love my ground turkey. It also called for 2 lbs of said sirloin. Um yeah that makes a 1/2 lb burger per serving. Don't you think that is a little excessive? I cut it down to 1/4 lb portions and they were perfect. Also while it called for a stout beer (she recommends Guinness), I used Foster's Premium Ale since it was the darkest thing I could find in a single serving-type portion. We aren't big drinkers here, much less would we be consuming 5 additional bottles of Guinness anytime soon. Yuck! I would definitely be interested in trying it with ground sirloin and stout next time!

Photo from Rachael Ray Magazine 

Open-Faced Cheddar Burgers

adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey

1 1/2 TBS worcestershire 

1/2 TBS dried parsley

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

2 TBS butter, plus some softened

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

4 slices 1" thick white bread (French or Italian would work well)

1 TBS flour

1/2 cup dark ale (I used Foster's)

2-3 dashes Tabasco

1 tsp ground mustard

1 cup grated extra sharp cheddar cheese (yellow, not white)

2 eggs, beaten

Directions

Heat a cast-iron, heavy skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. In a bowl, combine the turkey, worcestershire, salt, pepper and parsley. Form 4 patties, thinner at the center for even cooking. Spray or rub with olive oil and place in the pan. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, flipping once.

Preheat the broiler. Put the bread slices on a baking sheet. Toast the bread on each side until lightly golden. Spread the softened butter on each side once you remove it from the oven.  Leave them on the baking sheet.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 TBS butter. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until translucent and soft, about 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle flour in the pan and cook for a minute. Lower the heat to medium-low, stir in the beer, Tabasco and ground mustard. Stir in the cheese until melted. Add the eggs and stir constantly until the sauce thickens. 

Place each burger on top of a slice of toast and pour some sauce over it. Place under the broiler until the sauce browns. 

Enjoy!

 

Weekly Menu - January 23-28

 

We are quickly approaching the end of January, but it's still snowing around here! Very unusual for us here in Tennessee. The meals this week are filling to combat the cold temps. I've also included a slow cooker meal. Tuesdays I have classes from 9am-6pm so it's a busy day and I definitely don't want to cook once I get home.  Looking forward to this week's meals!

Cilantro Lime Rice

Jambalaya

Chicken Pot Pie

Easy White Chicken Lasagna

Italian Pot Roast

This was very easy and yummy! It was great for leftovers the next day, too. I served mine with some oven fries as I was all out of milk to make mashed potatoes. I will definitely be making this again and with no changes. It was that delicious!

Italian Pot Roast

adapted from Southern Living

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 8 hours

Servings: 4-6 

Ingredients

1 large Vidalia onion thinly sliced
2-3 lb boneless tender chuck roast
1 tsp pepper
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
14oz can beef broth
1/2 cup red wine (I used Merlot)
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 TBS cornstarch

Directions
Spray the inside of the crockpot with cooking spray. Place the onion in the bottom of the crockpot. Place the roast on top of the onion. Sprinkle with pepper and onion soup mix. Pour the tomato sauce, merlot and beef broth over the roast.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove the roast and roughly shred with forks. Keep warm.

Mix together the cornstarch and 2 TBS water. Add this mixture and the Italian seasoning into the juices in the crockpot. Turn to high and cook for 20-40 minutes.

You can either add the roast back in, pour the sauce over the roast or dip into the sauce.

Enjoy!

Dinner Rolls

You all know that I am not good with baking or breads, but these were so easy and delicious. I had tried another roll recipe last week, but they turned out really crunch and dry. No bueno in this house. We like Bays Southern Bread's rolls - if you aren't from here then you have no clue what I am talking about, but this company makes the bread for Cracker Barrel. They have the best rolls, but I never have cash or time to go buy them. While these weren't sourdough, they were a good substitute.

Dinner Rolls

adapted from Allrecipes

Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus 2 hours rising time

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 16 rolls

Ingredients

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup warm milk

1 egg

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup white sugar

1 tsp salt

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 pkg dry active yeast

Directions

Mix together water, milk and sugar in the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer. Add the yeast and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Stir in the butter, egg and salt. Using the dough hook, begin by adding flour half a cup at a time until the dough is "cleaning" the sides. It will be slightly tacky, but not really sticky. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 45 minutes to an hour. 

Punch the dough down and divide it into 16 balls (maybe the size of tangerines?).  Place them on a baking sheet (I greased mine with a little butter), cover with a towel and let them rise another hour. 

Preheat the oven to 350. Bake the rolls for 15 minutes. When they start to turn slightly golden brown, I brush mine with a little butter. You could also do an egg wash. 

Enjoy!

Fried Rice

This was good, but it wasn't quite right. Personally, I thought that it needed less pepper and more soy sauce. It was also a little too sticky for my tastes as I like a drier fried rice. This might have been due to the fact that I made the rice that day, rinsed it and placed it in the fridge. I was thinking that the rice might have to be made the day before or picked up from a Chinese restaurant and be refrigerated overnight. That might help suck some of the moisture out of the rice. Other than that it's great paired with the Honey-Soy Chicken Planks.

Fried Rice

adapted from Allrecipes.com

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients

2 eggs

2 TBS water

2 TBS butter

2 TBS vegetable oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

4 cups cooked white rice, cold

6 TBS soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper (this was a little too much for us)

Directions

In a bowl, beat together the eggs and water. Melt butter over medium heat and add the eggs. Leave it flat until cooked. Slide onto a plate and slice it into shreds or bite sized pieces. Set aside.

Heat oil in the same skillet. Add the onion and saute until translucent and soft. Add the remaining ingredients (except for the egg) and cook for 5 minutes. Add the egg and mix together. Cook for 2-3 minutes more. 

Enjoy!

Honey-Soy Chicken Planks

These were so delicious! They were flavorful and crunchy without being high in fat. I don't often make Chinese-type food as stir-fry often contains the dreaded vegetables. I found a recipe from Rachael Ray for some honey mustard chicken planks and became inspired for something more Chinese-y. These were also great paired with the Fried Rice. 

Honey Soy Chicken Planks

adapted from multiple recipes

Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus 3 hours for marinating

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 TBS vegetable oil

1 TBS sesame oil

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 TBS chopped ginger

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

2-3 TBS toasted sesame seeds

Directions

In a bowl, mix together the oils, honey, soy sauce, garlic and ginger. Cut the chicken breasts into 2 1/2 -3 " wide strips (about 1/2" thick) and put in the honey-soy sauce marinade. Let it sit for 3-4 hours.

Remove the chicken from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. 

Preheat the oven to 425. Place a baking rack on a baking sheet with a rim and coat the rack with cooking spray.

In a shallow pan, mix together the panko and sesame seeds. Remove the strips from the marinade, shake off excess liquid and place them in the breading. Press the breading lightly into each side. Place the chicken on the rack and lightly coat with cooking spray. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Enjoy!

Weekly Menu - January 8-14

School starts back this week! Tuesday nights will most likely be our slow cooker nights as I have class from 9am-6pm. I will just have to remember to get the food in the crockpot before I leave for class. Short list this week as we are having soup and grilled cheese one night and my sister-in-law is making us dinner another night. 

Honey-Soy Chicken Planks

Fried Rice
Chicken Tortellini Bake

Sweet Dinner Rolls

Stovetop Lasagna

Hubby and my niece chowed down on this. My niece was almost finished with her plate before we made it to the table. Hubby didn't know there were veggies in it until my niece mentioned something about "salad" being in it. She had helped me make the puree and saw the spinach. We kept trying to shush her, but it eventually came out. Of course, weird faces were made after that and it tasted "different". This was all from hubby, not my 4 year old niece. Rule of thumb for the future - make the puree ahead of time and don't let hubby know! I also apologize for the picture - we started serving before I took a pic so it looks like a hot mess.

Stovetop Lasagna

adapted from The Sneaky Chef

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

1 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion (1/2 of a medium onion)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb ground turkey

3/4 cup Green Puree (<---Click the link for the recipe)

6 oz can tomato paste

1/4 cup oat bran 

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp basil

9 oz box of lasagna noodles, broken 

24 oz jar of pasta sauce (I like Prego traditional)

1-1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 

Directions

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, deep skillet that had a lid. Saute the onions until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic in the last few minutes of cooking. Add the turkey and cook until no longer pink.

In a bowl, combine the puree and tomato paste. It will turn an unappetizing brown color, but don't be alarmed! Add it to the skillet and mix. 

Stir in the oat bran, basil and oregano. Top the mixture with the lasagna noodles. Pour tomato sauce over the noodles. Add 2 1/2 cups of water to the pan and stir into the sauce.

Bring it to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. 

Top with cheese and cover for about 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. 

Enjoy!

Hot Ham & Cheese Slices

These were so yummy! Hubby raved about them. It's a great twist on hot sandwiches and they are very easy to make. You could even change it up with the types of meat and cheese. I used swiss slices, but they didn't melt too well. Next time, I will be trying it with shredded swiss and patting the ham down to reduce some of the moisture.

Hot Ham and Cheese Slices

adapted from Taste of Home

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 TBS Dijon mustard

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1/4 to 1/3 lb of thinly sliced ham

1/4 to 1/3 lb sliced Swiss cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400.

Unfold the pastry sheet and roll it out until it's thin. Almost paper thin, but not so thin that it's completely transparent and ripping. 

Spread the mustard all over the dough. On half of the sheet, put down a layer of cheese, top with ham and then additional cheese. Fold the other half of the sheet over the cheese and ham and seal the edges. I sort of rolled and then pinched my edges together. 

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I wouldn't recommend foil unless it's the non-stick kind. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes and then slice with a serrated knife. 

Enjoy!

Weekly Menu - January 1-7

It's been a while since I updated with a weekly menu. It's been a wild and crazy few weeks here, but I'm finally getting back into a routine. Next week school starts back and I'm strangely excited. I think it's part of that whole "routine" thing again. A few new things this week, hubby has made a resolution to incorporate veggies, but he HATES them. Being the "good" wife that I am, I am going to try some recipes from The Sneaky Chef in an attempt to help him out. He won't know that there are veggies in it though. This should be very interesting...

Hot Ham & Cheese Slices

Creamy Chive Chicken 

Sesame Chicken Planks 

Cold Sesame Noodles (Sneaky Chef)

Honey Mustard Chicken

Speedy Stovetop Lasagna (Sneaky Chef)