Menu Plan for Week of 3/12...

So, how was last week?  Let's take a look...


MONDAY:  Teriyaki Chicken with Bacon Ranch Packet Potatoes
All I can say is OHMYGOODNESS THIS IS YUMMMMMM...
(I found out that gman liked it so much that he even told my hairdresser about it!  LOL)


I found the Teriyaki Chicken on allrecipes.com, but changed it up a bit for us.
1 T cornstarch
1 T cold water
1/2 C brown sugar (I think 1/4 c honey would be good too!)
1/2 c soy sauce (I used reduced sodium soy sauce)
1/4 c cider vinegar (I used balsamic vinegar--rice vinegar would be good too)
2 cloves garlic, minced (recipe calls for 1 clove, but we like garlic!)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (recipe calls for 12 skinless chicken thighs)


1)  In small saucepan over low heat, combine the cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper.
Let simmer, stirring frequently until sauce thickens and bubbles
2)  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3)  Place chicken pieces on a layer of heavy duty foil.
Pour sauce over chicken evenly.  Turn and brush bottom with sauce as well.
Put layer of heavy duty foil over chicken and crimp edges to create a packet.  (could place this in an oven cooking bag instead of the foil if you prefer.)
4)  Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until juices run clear.
(the original recipe places chicken in baking dish and brush with sauce every 10 minutes during cooking, but I like the packet or bag cooking which bastes it as it cooks)


I found the Bacon Ranch Packet Potatoes at Cassie Craves, but changed it just a touch.
10-12 baby red potatoes, quartered
6 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon (I used the Hormel precooked bacon crumbles)
1 packet ranch dressing mix
Salt & Pepper to Taste (I used only fresh ground pepper since there is salt in the ranch dressing mix)
3 Tbsp Butter
Sour Cream for serving, if desired (we used fat free)


Put ranch dressing mix and Pepper into large ziploc bag.  Dump in the quartered red potatoes and shake until coated.


Lay out a sheet of heavy duty foil and dump potatoes onto foil spreading evenly.  (or place them into an oven cooking bag if preferred)


Put bacon crumbles on top of potatoes and butter on top of the bacon.


Cover with a sheet of heavy duty foil and crimp edges to create a packet.


Bake in 425 degree oven for 45 minutes or until potatoes are done.  Let stand for 10 minutes in the packet before serving.  Serve with Sour cream if desired.


This is a good recipe to put on the grill in the summer too but only in the foil--don't use the oven bags on the grill!


Since they were both baked items, they worked really well together to bake.




Tuesday:  ITALIAN SKILLET
Yep--It made the cut!  Basically this is spaghetti made in one pan--how easy is that??
Original recipe calls for canned spaghetti sauce, but that has lots of sodium so:


1 lb extra lean ground beef, cooked and drained
(original recipe calls for 26 oz spaghetti sauce)
~~~~~~~~~~~~ My spaghetti sauce
3-8 oz cans tomato sauce--no salt added
6 cloves garlic (less if you aren't crazy about garlic like I am!)
1 small onion diced
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper (or to taste)
Pinch of salt
Simmer for at least 1/2 hour
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
back to the recipe:
1 cup green bell pepper (chopped) (I added this to my spaghetti sauce to cook)
8 oz spaghetti noodles, broken in pieces
2 c water
1 c shredded Italian Blend Cheese


In lg skillet or saucepan, brown ground beef and drain.
Stir in spaghetti sauce and water; mix well and bring to boil.
Stir in spaghetti noodles and green bell pepper.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until spaghetti is tender.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Cover for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Serve with tossed salad and Italian bread (or reduced fat crescent rolls)


Wednesday:  CHICKEN BREASTS DIJON
Yep this one definitely made the cut too!  Yummmmmm...


1/3 c dried bread crumbs
1 T Parmesan cheese (I used grated)
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 T Dijon mustard
1.5-2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp margarine (I used all olive oil)


Combine first 5 ingredients in small bowl, stirring well.
Brush both sides of chicken with mustard;
dredge in breadcrumb mixture.
Heat olive oil and butter in large skillet over med high heat until butter melts.
Add chicken breasts; saute' 6-8 minutes on each side until chicken is done.


Original menu called for buttered noodles, but I had a box of herb and garlic angel hair pasta that was calling out, so I fixed that as the side.


Thursday:  MEXICAN BLACK BEAN CHILI WITH TORTILLAS
Oh yes!!!!  This is a keeper!  yum...


1 lb extra lean ground beef cooked and drained
1 c chopped onion
1 c chopped green bell pepper
15 oz can beef broth (I used reduced sodium)
1 T chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 T minced garlic
2-14 oz cans dice tomatoes (I used no salt added)
2-15 oz cans black beans, drained (I cooked my black bean from scratch in the crock pot along with all of the spices and broth--7 oz dry beans=1 can of beans)
1 c shredded 2 % cheddar cheese
8 ct pkg flour tortillas, warmed (I used low carb tortillas)


Original directions:  In Dutch oven,  ground beef, onion and bell pepper and cook until crumbly, drain. 
Add broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, minced garlic, diced tomatoes and drained black beans.  
Simmer for 30 minutes or until thick. 
(My Directions:  Bring black beans to boil in pan and let soak for 1 hour, drain.  Add low sodium beef broth to cover beans and then another 15 oz beef broth.  Add cooked and drained ground beef, spices, bell pepper, onion, diced tomatoes and cook on high 5-6 hours)
Top with shredded cheddar cheese.
Serve with Tortillas


FRIDAY was supposed to be eat out at a fish fry, but my niece and her family came up to visit mom and dad and asked if we would all like to go to a Chinese buffet--uh, sure!!!!  It was such a lot of fun!  Their 3 kids are great!


This week's menu (not cooking--nope I'm not!  We are eating leftovers for a while because the freezers are full from the last 3 weeks.  LOL)


Hope you have a great week!  Bon Appetite!