Sunday: Family
This meal-in-a-dish HERB-ROASTED CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES is perfect for family day. Serve the easy combo with a ROMAINE SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN BREAD. PEACH COBBLER will be a welcome dessert.
Plan
Save enough chicken and vegetables and peach cobbler for Monday.
Shopping List
less-sodium, less-fat cream of mushroom soup, 1 percent milk, dried oregano, fresh baby carrots, potatoes, boneless skinless chicken breasts, paprika, romaine lettuce, whole-grain bread, peach cobbler.
HERB-ROASTED CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES
Servings: Makes 8 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
- 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can less-sodium, less-fat cream of mushroom soup
- 1/3 cup 1 percent milk
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
- 2 cups fresh baby carrots
- 4 medium potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine soup, milk and 1 teaspoon oregano; mix well. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, add carrots and potatoes. Pour soup mixture over vegetables and stir well. Top with chicken. Sprinkle chicken with remaining oregano and the paprika. Bake, uncovered, for 50 minutes or until chicken is 165 degrees and vegetables are fork-tender. Cut breasts into 8 portions.
Per serving: 214 calories, 27 grams protein, 4 grams fat (17 percent calories from fat), 0.9 gram saturated fat, 17 grams carbohydrate, 75 milligrams cholesterol, 278 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Monday: Heat and Eat
Tonight all you have to do is reheat the extra CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES you prepared on Sunday. Add a LETTUCE WEDGE SALAD and CRUSTY ROLLS. Warm the leftover PEACH COBBLER for dessert and top with frozen VANILLA YOGURT.
Plan
Save enough frozen yogurt for Wednesday.
Shopping List
lettuce wedge, crusty rolls, frozen vanilla yogurt.
Tuesday: Express
Make it an easy night with SOUP (lentil) and SANDWICHES (grilled deli turkey and Swiss cheese on rye with honey-mustard dressing). Serve with PICKLED BEETS. Peel TANGERINES for dessert.
Shopping List
lentil soup, deli turkey, Swiss cheese, rye bread, honey-mustard dressing, pickled beets, tangerines.
Wednesday: Kids
The kids can help prepare this easy RAVIOLI CASSEROLE. Crumble 1 pound lean ground beef in a 2-quart microwavable dish. Add 1/4 cup minced onion. Cover and microwave on high (100 percent power) 5 or 6 minutes or until beef is no longer pink; drain well. Stir in 2 (15-ounce) cans beef ravioli. Cover and microwave 5 to 7 minutes or until hot; stir several times. Sprinkle with 4 ounces 50 percent reduced-fat cheddar cheese. Cover and let stand until cheese melts.
Alongside, serve BABY CARROTS with DIP and BREAD STICKS.
For dessert, WAFFLE SUNDAES are fun. Prepare frozen waffles according to package directions; top each with a scoop of leftover frozen vanilla yogurt and drizzle with frozen raspberries in syrup (thawed).
Shopping List
lean ground beef, onion, canned beef ravioli, 50 percent reduced-fat cheddar cheese, baby carrots, any dip, bread sticks, frozen waffles, frozen raspberries in syrup.
Thursday: Meatless
HOMESTYLE SCRAMBLED EGGS sound like breakfast, but they're dinner tonight. Serve with deli COLESLAW. Boost the flavor of the coleslaw with a little chili powder and chopped fresh parsley. Add toasted WHOLE-GRAIN ENGLISH MUFFINS. PEARS and OATMEAL COOKIES are dessert.
Plan
Buy enough coleslaw for Saturday.
Shopping List
eggs, coarse salt, butter, refrigerated or frozen hash-browned potatoes, fresh zucchini, tomato, deli coleslaw, chili powder, fresh parsley, whole-grain English muffins, pears, oatmeal cookies.
HOMESTYLE SCRAMBLED EGGS
Servings: Makes 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: about 10 minutes
- 4 whole eggs
- 4 egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup refrigerated or frozen hash-browned potatoes (thawed)
- 1 small fresh zucchini, chopped
- 1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
Beat eggs, egg whites, salt and water. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook potatoes, zucchini and tomato 4 minutes or until hot, stirring occasionally. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture. As mixture begins to set at bottom and sides, gently lift cooked portions with spatula so the thin, uncooked portion can flow to bottom. Do not stir. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until eggs are thickened throughout, but still moist.
Per serving: 165 calories, 12 grams protein, 8 grams fat (43 percent calories from fat), 3.4 grams saturated fat, 12 grams carbohydrate, 194 milligrams cholesterol, 407 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.
Friday: Budget
Rely on your slow cooker for money-saving recipes such as this TORTILLA SOUP. In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, combine 1 (10- to 12-ounce) can drained chicken breast (shredded), 1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn (thawed), 2 (14-ounce) cans unsalted chicken stock, 2 (14-1/2 ounce) cans undrained stewed tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 cup salsa and 1 tablespoon cumin. Cover and cook on high 3 hours or on low 6 hours.
Meanwhile, bake 3 corn tortillas (cut into 1/2-inch strips) on a rimmed baking pan in 350-degree oven for 10 minutes or until crisp.
To serve: Ladle soup over tortilla strips and garnish with 50 percent reduced-fat shredded jalapeno cheese and chopped cilantro.
Serve with CHOPPED LETTUCE and extra CORN TORTILLAS. For dessert, CHUNKY APPLESAUCE is easy.
Shopping List
canned chicken breast, frozen whole-kernel corn, canned unsalted chicken stock, canned stewed tomatoes, garlic, salsa, cumin, corn tortillas, 50 percent reduced-fat jalapeno cheese, cilantro, lettuce, chunky applesauce.
Saturday: Easy Entertaining
Turn a tough cut of beef into company fare with this FAJITA-STYLE FLANK STEAK. Accompany the tender steak with Dutch yellow POTATOES O'BRIEN. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet on medium. Add 1 pound diced Dutch yellow potatoes, 1/3 cup diced green bell pepper, 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper and 1/3 cup diced yellow bell pepper, 1 medium diced sweet onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and black pepper to taste. Stir to combine; cook 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
Serve with STEAMED FRESH BROCCOLI, leftover COLESLAW and CRUSTY ROLLS. FRUIT TARTS are for dessert.
Tip
Turn a tough cut of beef into company fare with this FAJITA-STYLE FLANK STEAK. Accompany the tender steak with Dutch yellow POTATOES O'BRIEN. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet on medium. Add 1 pound diced Dutch yellow potatoes, 1/3 cup diced green bell pepper, 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper and 1/3 cup diced yellow bell pepper, 1 medium diced sweet onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and black pepper to taste. Stir to combine; cook 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
Serve with STEAMED FRESH BROCCOLI, leftover COLESLAW and CRUSTY ROLLS. FRUIT TARTS are for dessert.
Shopping List
beef flank steak, Italian dressing, salsa, lime, fresh cilantro or parsley, hot sauce, butter, Dutch yellow potatoes, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, sweet onion, garlic, coarse salt, black pepper, fresh broccoli, crusty rolls, fruit tarts.
FAJITA-STYLE FLANK STEAK
Servings: Makes 6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes; marinating time: 8 to 24 hours
Cook time: 13 to 18 minutes
- 1 1/2-pound beef flank steak
- 1/4 cup Italian dressing
- 1/4 cup salsa
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime zest (green part only)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
- 1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
Trim fat from steak. Place steak in a large resealable plastic bag in a large shallow dish.
For the marinade, in a small bowl, stir together Italian dressing, salsa, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro or parsley and hot sauce; mix well. Pour over steak; seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator 8 to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.
When ready to cook, drain steak; reserve marinade. Place steak on unheated rack of broiler pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat 13 to 18 minutes for medium-rare to medium, turning once and brushing with marinade up to the last 5 minutes of broiling. Pour any remaining marinade into small pan; boil 1 minute. Thinly slice beef across grain. Serve steak with marinade.
Per serving: 214 calories, 25 grams protein, 11 grams fat (48 percent calories from fat), 4.1 grams saturated fat, 2 grams carbohydrate, 53 milligrams cholesterol, 209 milligrams sodium, no fiber.