Sunday: Family
Prepare your own BAKED HAM for the family today. Alongside, serve COUSCOUS SALAD WITH DRIED CHERRIES. Add steamed fresh GREEN BEANS and DINNER ROLLS. Buy a DEEP-DISH APPLE PIE for dessert.
Plan
Save enough ham and pie for Monday.
Shopping List
ham to bake, fat-free chicken broth, couscous, dried tart cherries, carrots, cucumber, green onions, pine nuts, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, coarse salt, pepper, salad greens, fresh green beans, dinner rolls, deep-dish apple pie.
Monday: Heat and Eat
With Sunday's leftover ham, make HAM AND THREE-BEAN SALAD. Add CRUSTY BREAD and, of course, leftover PIE.
Shopping List
fresh sliced mushrooms, jar roasted red peppers, canned reduced-sodium cannellini beans, canned reduced-sodium kidney beans, canned reduced-sodium black beans, celery, parmesan cheese, reduced-fat Italian dressing, parsley, salad greens, crusty bread.
Tuesday: Express
Decrease your food expenditures and your calories with this OPEN-FACE TURKEY REUBEN SANDWICH. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Make a lighter Russian dressing by combining 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise, 1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup and 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish; mix well. Rinse and squeeze dry 1 cup refrigerated sauerkraut. Toss together the dressing and sauerkraut in a medium bowl. Arrange 4 slices rye bread on a rimmed baking pan. On each slice, layer 1 thin slice Swiss cheese (cut to fit bread), 2 thin slices deli turkey, 1/2 cup sauerkraut mixture and 1 more slice of Swiss cheese. Bake 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Serve with OVEN FRIES (frozen) and DILL PICKLES. Add SLICED CANTALOUPE for dessert.
Shopping List
low-fat mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet pickle relish, refrigerated sauerkraut, rye bread, sliced Swiss cheese, sliced deli turkey, frozen oven fries, dill pickles, cantaloupe.
Wednesday: Budget
Save some money and time and serve ITALIAN CHICKEN WITH NOODLES. Sprinkle 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs with 2 teaspoons dried thyme and 2 teaspoons dried oregano. In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, add 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free chicken broth, 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added undrained diced tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrots and 1 large thinly sliced onion (separated into rings). Top with chicken; cover. Cook 7 hours on low.
Stir in 3 cups uncooked no-yolk egg noodles and 3/4 cup frozen peas. Cover; cook 15 more minutes on high or just until the noodles are tender.
Add a LETTUCE WEDGE and GARLIC BREAD. Fresh PINEAPPLE is dessert.
Shopping List
boneless, skinless chicken thighs, dried thyme, dried oregano, canned fat-free chicken broth, canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes, carrots, onion, no-yolk egg noodles, frozen peas, lettuce, garlic bread, pineapple.
Thursday: Meatless
PIMENTO CHEESE SANDWICHES have always been high on my list of favorites. I look for the refrigerated low-fat version of the cheese (or you can make your own). Add some seeded, chopped jalapeno peppers to the cheese, fill the sandwich with lots of lettuce and tomato slices, and eat it on whole-grain bread or toast.
You can add baked POTATO CHIPS and SWEET PICKLES on the side. Serve with your favorite deli SOUP. Add STRAWBERRIES for dessert.
Shopping List
refrigerated low-fat pimento cheese, jalapeno peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, whole-grain bread, baked potato chips, sweet pickles, any deli soup, fresh strawberries.
Friday: Kids
TACO CASSEROLE is kind to your budget and nice to your taste buds. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brown 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high; drain. Stir in 1 (1.25-once) package less-sodium taco seasoning mix, 1 (16-ounce) can reduced-sodium rinsed pinto beans, 1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce and 1 (11-ounce) can drained Mexican-style rinsed corn. Bring to boil; Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes. Spoon into a 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese and 1 cup coarsely crushed tortilla chips. Bake 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese melts.
Serve with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced avocado and reduced-fat sour cream.
Instant VANILLA PUDDING made with 1 percent milk makes dessert easy.
Shopping List
lean ground beef, packaged less-sodium taco seasoning mix, canned reduced-sodium pinto beans, canned no-salt-added tomato sauce, canned Mexican-style corn, reduced-fat cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, reduced-fat sour cream, instant vanilla pudding, 1 percent milk.
Saturday: Easy Entertaining
PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH ROASTED TOMATOES AND WHITE BEANS was a big hit with our guests. Add a ROMAINE SALAD and SOURDOUGH BREAD. LIME SHERBET and BUTTER COOKIES are a refreshing dessert.
Shopping List
extra-virgin olive oil, skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts, cherry tomatoes, garlic, coarse salt, pepper, dried rosemary, any canned reduced-sodium white beans, romaine, sourdough bread, lime sherbet, butter cookies.