Menu Monday, a few days late.

This week’s meal plan:

Monday: Cowboy Casserole and Peas. I actually found a version of this dish on Pinterest. I don’t fare well with always following recipes but just took the idea and went with it. The result – a dish the boys devoured. And I mean, devoured. Best part, it was easy peasy!! It might not be the healthiest option for me, but that’s where portion control steps in.

-1 Lb Ground Beef. Baked Beans. Little bit of BBQ Sauce. Jiffy Cornbread Mix and Ingredients: Brown your beef and season like you would a burger; I really liked the Weber Gourmet Burger seasoning so that’s what I used. Once it’s done, drain any excess grease, put in a casserole dish (I used a small rectangular one, so maybe 8x10?) Spread a thin layer of BBQ sauce on top – it doesn’t have to be precise, more or less whichever works. Open can of Baked Beans (big can, not the canned veggie size can) and pour on top. Mix cornbread mix together with ingredients, and pour on top of everything. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, give or take. I found adding cheese on top of beans, under the cornbread mix was really good too.

Tuesday: Taco Tuesday!

Wednesday: Chicken Pot Pies! These I make in a muffin pan using Pillsbury Flakey Biscuits, so they make individual mini pot pies. It’s a huge favorite round my house, and pretty simple to boot.

-Boiled Chicken breast, either 1 large one or 2 smallish ones, most of the time I do 2 and freeze the leftovers for next time (which always comes in handy!), can of cream of chicken soup, frozen bag of mixed veggies (or steam your own fresh ones). Mix the cream of chicken with just a bit of milk – maybe a quarter of the can – and about a cup or so of shredded cheddar cheese. Boil the chicken breasts and cut/chop into bite size pieces, not chunks, and throw in the soup/cheese mix. Then add in the frozen veggies. Mix together. Flatten out the biscuits and mold them into the muffin pan, make sure it’s buttered up so they don’t stick, and then spoon in the pot pie mixture. Sprinkle with more shredded cheese and bake for the 350 for 20 minutes or until the biscuits are done (I normally go by the temperature on the can of biscuits).

Thursday: Sausage Casserole. This is another favorite here. It’s supposed to be cold on Thursday so I wanted something warm and something to bake in the oven to help warm the house. It’s super easy and always a hit. The great thing is that it is an anytime dish.

                - You’ll need: roll of sausage (Jimmy Dean Country Mild is my pick or a Medium spicy one), 2 bags of Kraft Mexican Shredded Cheese (or Market Pantry, or Sargento, I mean really – just take your pick), 1 can of cream of chicken soup, 1 16oz container of Sour Cream (regular, non fat, low fat any kind just plain ol sour cream), 1 bag of frozen hash browns. Now it is crucial that you get the little cubed hash browns NOT the shredded kind. Cook the sausage completely, like you would ground beef. In a super large mixing bowl, mix the sour cream with the cream of chicken; add in one of the bags of shredded cheese. Once the sausage is cooked, drain and add to the mixture. Then add in the hash browns. Mix it all together, and put it in a large casserole dish (9x13” I believe?) bake at 375 for 45 minutes, pull it out, sprinkle the last bag of cheese on top, bake another 10-15 minutes until its golden. Allow it to cool off before you eat it.

Friday: This is still up in the air. I have unstuffed cabbage soup, but my cabbage went bad. So – not quite sure yet.

Saturday: Shrimp Linguine Caprice. This will be my first try at this, I’ll update with a recipe next week.

Sunday: Steak and cake day! J This is a reward day for me so we will grill steaks, and then sweet potatoes and broccoli will be a side with cake for dessert.

Note: While my recipes aren’t exactly healthy, portion control and tricks are crucial. On Taco night, I will just have a taco salad and omit the shells/tortillas from my plate. Cowboy casserole and Sausage casserole are a portion control night. These foods don’t have to be completely avoided but they should be eaten with control in mind. I haven’t tried substituting plain Greek yogurt for sour cream yet, but that’s a project to try in the future! If you try it, let me know how it comes out!

What’s on your menu? Any suggestions/new recipes to try?