Sunday: Family
Make a family-friendly POT ROAST for today's gathering. Accompany the flavorful combination with MASHED RED-SKINNED POTATOES, STEAMED SLICED ZUCCHINI, a MIXED GREEN SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. For dessert, scoop LEMON SHERBET.
Plan
Save enough beef, vegetables, mashed potatoes and sherbet for Monday.
Shopping List
onions, garlic, beef chuck roast, packaged Italian dressing mix, red bell peppers, unsalted beef broth, coarse salt, black pepper, red-skinned potatoes, fresh zucchini, salad greens, whole-grain rolls, lemon sherbet.
POT ROAST
Servings: makes 10 servings
Prep time: less than 15 minutes
Cook time: 8 hours on low, or 5 hours on high
- 2 large onions, cut into 8 wedges
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 (3- to 3 1/2-pound) beef chuck roast
- 1 (0.7-ounce) package Italian dressing mix
- 2 red bell peppers, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup unsalted beef broth
- Coarse salt and black pepper to taste
Place onions and garlic in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Rub roast evenly with salad dressing mix; place on top of onions. Add bell peppers and broth. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or high 5 hours. Remove roast and vegetables. Strain cooking liquid; skim fat. Heat defatted broth in microwave on high (100 percent power) 1 minute per cup of broth or until hot. Let roast stand 5 minutes. Slice roast across grain, salt and pepper to taste, and serve with vegetables and heated broth.
Per serving: 188 calories, 27 grams protein, 5 grams fat (26 percent calories from fat), 2 grams saturated fat, 6 grams carbohydrate, 52 milligrams cholesterol, 368 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.
Monday: Heat and Eat
Slice and heat the leftover beef and vegetables and make OPEN-FACE BEEF SANDWICHES. Pile the heated leftover peppers and onions, along with the broth and sliced beef, over whole-grain bread.
Make POTATO PATTIES with the leftover potatoes: Mix them with a lightly beaten egg, dust with flour and pan-fry in a nonstick skillet until heated through and browned on both sides. Add a SPINACH SALAD. Leftover SHERBET is your dessert.
Shopping List
whole-grain bread, eggs, flour, fresh spinach.
Tuesday: Wild Card
Sometimes you want Breakfast for Dinner, so HASH BROWN EGG CUPS are fun for a change. Serve them with crisp BACON SLICES and a GREEN SALAD. STRAWBERRIES over ANGEL FOOD CAKE are a terrific dessert.
Shopping List
unsalted butter, yellow onion, frozen sweet potato tots, frozen potato tots, cooking spray, eggs, coarse salt and pepper, bacon, salad greens, strawberries, angel food cake.
HASH BROWN EGG CUPS
Servings: makes 8 egg cups
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: about 45 minutes
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cups frozen sweet potato tots, thawed
- 2 cups frozen potato tots, thawed
- 8 eggs
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in a medium nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, 5 or 6 minutes or until softened. Add all potato tots and cook, using a wooden spoon to stir and break up potatoes, 10 minutes or until potatoes resemble hash browns. Remove from heat. Line a large colander with several paper towels; add hash brown mixture. Cover with paper towels and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Coat 8 medium muffin tins with cooking spray. Divide hash brown mixture evenly among cups (a few tablespoons each). Press down mixture into bottom and up sides of cups, creating a tight nest. Spray again. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven; crack 1 egg into each cup. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Return to oven; bake 6 to 8 minutes or until whites are set and yolks are desired degree of doneness; serve warm. (Adapted from "Siriously Delicious" by Siri Daly, Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of Meredith Corporation, New York, NY. All rights reserved.)
Per egg cup: 272 calories, 9 grams protein, 17 grams fat (56 percent calories from fat), 6.5 grams saturated fat, 21 grams carbohydrate, 201 milligrams cholesterol, 602 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Wednesday: Meatless
Make TEX-MEX STUFFED POTATOES for dinner and skip the meat. Bake four large potatoes, slash the tops, squeeze ends and top the potatoes with a heated mixture of 1 cup drained salsa, 1 (15-ounce) can rinsed reduced-sodium black beans and 1 (11-ounce) can rinsed corn with peppers. Add a dollop of plain yogurt. Serve with a packaged CAESAR SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. Dessert is FRESH PINEAPPLE garnished with SHREDDED COCONUT.
Shopping List
potatoes to bake, salsa, canned reduced-sodium black beans, canned corn with peppers, plain yogurt, packaged Caesar salad, whole-grain rolls, fresh pineapple, shredded coconut.
Thursday: Express
Make it quick tonight with this TURKEY REUBEN LOAF. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread bottom half of a split loaf of Italian bread with reduced-fat Russian dressing. Top with rinsed and drained refrigerated sauerkraut, deli sliced turkey and Swiss cheese. Replace top, wrap in foil and bake 30 minutes. Cut into serving-size portions and serve with deli GERMAN POTATO SALAD and PICKLED BEETS. APPLESAUCE is a light dessert.
Shopping List
Italian bread loaf, reduced-fat Russian dressing, refrigerated sauerkraut, deli sliced turkey, sliced Swiss cheese, deli German potato salad, pickled beets, applesauce.
Friday: Kids
Surprise the kids with PASTA SUNDAES tonight. Cook 8 ounces spaghetti according to directions; drain. Fill 4 ice cream sundae glasses half full with the spaghetti. Divide and pour 2 cups heated marinara sauce over the spaghetti. Top with 1 or 2 meatballs (from frozen) and some freshly grated parmesan cheese. Add a CHOPPED LETTUCE SALAD on the side. For dessert, make instant CHOCOLATE PUDDING with 1 PERCENT MILK. Stir in some sliced BANANAS for a different flavor.
Shopping List
spaghetti, marinara sauce, frozen meatballs, parmesan cheese, lettuce, instant chocolate pudding, 1 percent milk, bananas.
Saturday: Easy Entertaining
"Yum, yum!" will be what your guests say when you serve them ALMOND-CHIVE SALMON. Serve with RICE PILAF (from mix), FRESH CARROTS, a RED-TIPPED LETTUCE SALAD and BAGUETTES. Buy FRUIT TARTS for dessert.
Shopping List
sliced almonds, chives, fresh parsley, lemon, whole-grain or white bread, coarse salt, salmon fillets, black pepper, rice pilaf mix, fresh carrots, red-tipped lettuce, baguettes, fruit tarts.
ALMOND-CHIVE SALMON
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: less than 15 minutes
Cook time: about 10 to 15 minutes
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (yellow part only)
- 2 (1-ounce) slices whole-grain or white bread, without crust and torn
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, divided
- 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, about 1 inch thick
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 lemon wedges
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine almonds, chives, parsley, lemon zest and bread in a food processor with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Process until finely chopped. Sprinkle salmon with pepper and remaining salt. Top fillets evenly with bread-crumb mixture; press gently to adhere. Place salmon on baking sheet lined with nonstick foil. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork or desired doneness. Serve with lemon wedges.
Per serving: 295 calories, 38 grams protein, 11 grams fat (35 percent calories from fat), 1.6 grams saturated fat, 9 grams carbohydrate, 80 milligrams cholesterol, 420 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.