Before I list the menu here are our weekly themes. I have been thinking about changing this again. We changed the themes in January and I am debating on mixing it up again. Stayed tuned for my decision:)
Weekly themes are as follows:
- Mediterranean Monday - We will mostly do Italian or Greek dishes but this day opens you up to try almost any dish.
- Tokyo Tuesday - Asian inspired dishes
- Wrap it Up Wednesday - Wraps, Sandwiches, Burgers, Salads, etc...
- Taco Thursday - Spanish inspired dishes
- Free for All Friday - This day is used for leftovers, dining out, or pot luck
- Slow Cooker/Simmer Saturday
- Seafood Sunday
***Saturday and Sunday are interchangeable depending on your families schedule that week.
As always, at the end of each recipe there will be a link to direct you to the site where I found these meals. You can print from the blog page or from the link that I provided.
Notes
- My daughter has a peanut allergy so we substitute and/or omit items that may be in a particular recipe, please do the same if you or anyone in your family has any allergies/dietary needs/personal preference (vegetarian).
- Some meals that I put on the menu will be my first time making them as well. So feedback is always appreciated
- If there is a meal that I know my kids will not eat I will make a "kid friendly" version of it for them, I will make note of this within the recipe.
- All families grocery budgets vary so please adjust ingredients or brands to fit the needs of your family.
- The majority of the meals are 30 minutes or less. Meals that do take longer will have steps to help you prepare ahead of time. We all have busy schedules!
Monday - Fettuccine Alfredo w/Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- 4-5 boneless skinless chicken breast
- 18 ounces fresh fettuccine
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups grated Parmesan
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
- Broccoli, steamed
Directions
- Preheat outdoor grill or grill pan
- Season chicken and grill until done, set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Drain.
- Steam broccoli until tender, drain and set aside.
- Stir 2 cups of the cream and the lemon juice in a heavy large skillet to blend. Add the butter and cook over medium heat just until the butter melts, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Add the pasta and toss. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream, and Parmesan to the cream sauce in the skillet. Add the lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute.
- Once sauce is slightly thickened add sliced chicken breast and broccoli. Serve immediately.
*The original recipe did not call for chicken and broccoli. I added them to make a complete meal.
Serves 4, Ready in 30 minutes
Food Network/Giada DeLaurentiis fettuccinealfredo
Tuesday - Slow Cooker Char Siu
{Chinese BBQ Pulled Pork}
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed
- 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Rice, prepared
- red and green peppers, sautéed
- Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
- Place in a large zip-top plastic bag.
- Add pork to bag; seal.
- Marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours, turning occasionally.
- Place pork and marinade in an electric slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Remove pork from slow cooker using a slotted spoon; place on a cutting board or work surface. Cover with aluminum foil; keep warm.
- Pour sauce from the slow cooker into a saucepan.
- Whisk broth and cornstarch to create a slurry; add to sauce.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and remove from heat to thicken.
- While sauce is working, slice and sautee the peppers to soften and prepare your rice.
- Shred pork with 2 forks; serve with sauce alongside the rice and peppers.
*Make ahead meal option. You could prepare this up to step 3 and freeze until another day.
*Take any leftovers and label and freeze. Once ready to use thaw and reheat on the stovetop.
Serves 8, Ready in 8hrs 20minutes
Shrinking Kitchen slowcookercharsiuchinesebbqpulledpork
Wednesday - BBQ Chicken Apple Pizza
Ingredients
- 4 small flatbreads or 2 large store bought pizza crust
- 2 c. shredded, cooked chicken
- 1 red apple, thinly sliced
- 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese blend
- 2 rings red onion
- 1/2 c. bbq sauce, plus more for drizzling
- 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Top each flatbread with 2 Tbsp. bbq sauce, 1/2 c.
shredded chicken, 1/4 sliced apple, 1/4 c. cheese, 1/2 ring red onion pieces,
and 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro.
3. Drizzle with
additional bbq sauce and bake on cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.
Serves 4, Ready in 30 minutes
Lemon Tree Dwelling bbqchickenapplepizza
Thursday - Crock Pot Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 can (15 ounces) Ranch Style beans, drained
- 1 can (10 ounces) rotel tomatoes mild, drained
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded colby jack cheese
- 8 flour tortillas
- 1 can (15 ounces) red enchilada sauce
- Mixed green salad
Directions
- Cook beef over medium heat until done; drain.
- Meanwhile saute onion and bell pepper in oil until tender. Add onion and pepper to beef. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, salt, cumin, pepper and garlic powder.
- In a slow cooker place two tortillas side by side, overlapping if necessary. Layer with a forth of the beef mixture and a fourth of the cheese. Repeat layers three more times. Pour enchilada sauce over all.
- Cover and cook on low for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until heated through.
- Serve with a small mixed green salad.
Serves 8, Ready in 2 hours on low
Friday - Free for All
Use this day for whatever you want!!!
Leftovers, go out, breakfast for dinner, etc...
Saturday - Ham w/Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
| Ham, pre-cooked, bone-in, spiral cut |
| Cups of Brown sugar |
| Can pineapple tidbits, undrained |
- 3 medium baking potatoes peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon (or more) whole milk, at room temperature or warmed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Cover the bottom of the crock with brown sugar.
- Place ham on top of the brown sugar and add the pineapple tidbits with the juice. Sprinkle ham with more brown sugar.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
- Add the butter, sour cream and garlic. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or the back of a fork until the ingredients are blended. Add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the potatoes are the desired consistency. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve ham with pineapples and juices with mashed potatoes.
*Use leftover ham for breakfast on Sunday with pancakes, eggs, waffles...whatever you choose.
Serves 8, Ready in 6 hours on low
Key Ingredient crockpotham
Sunday - Salmon w/Sriracha Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 4 salmon filets
- Cooked rice, for serving
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
- Sliced green onions, for garnish
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2-3 tablespoons Sriracha
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
For the Sriracha cream sauce
Instructions
- To make the Sriracha cream sauce, whisk together the mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons Sriracha and condensed milk in a small bowl. Taste for spiciness and add more Sriracha as needed; set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup water; set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic powder, honey and 1 cup water; bring to a simmer.
- Stir in the cornstarch mixture until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine the teriyaki marinade and salmon filets; marinate for at least 30 minutes to overnight, turning the bag occasionally.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat an 13x9 baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Place the salmon filets along with the marinade onto the prepared baking dish and bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 20 minutes.
- Serve the salmon immediately with rice and a drizzle of the Sriracha cream sauce, garnished with sesame seeds and green onions.\
Serves 4, Ready in 1hr 15minutes
Damn Delicious teriyakisalmonwithsrirachacreamsauce
ENJOY and Have a SUPER WEEK!
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