Sunday: Family
AUTUMN BEEF AND CIDER STEW is great for a family day. Add some MIXED GREENS and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. Buy or make a CHERRY PIE for dessert.
Plan
Save enough stew for Monday.
Shopping List
bacon, beef stew meat, coarse salt, pepper, canned condensed French onion soup, apple cider, sweet potatoes, unsweetened dried cranberries, mixed greens, whole-grain rolls, cherry pie.
AUTUMN BEEF AND CIDER STEW
Servings: makes 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: about 2 hours
- 2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 (10 1/2-ounce) can condensed French onion soup
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
In a stockpot on medium, cook bacon until crisp; remove with a slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate. Brown 1/2 stew meat in bacon drippings on medium heat; remove from stockpot. Repeat with remaining beef; season with salt and pepper. Return beef and bacon to stockpot. Add soup and cider; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover tightly and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Add sweet potatoes and cranberries to stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; continue simmering, covered, 20 to 30 minutes or until beef and potatoes are fork-tender.
Per serving: 367 calories, 32 grams protein, 15 grams fat (37% calories from fat), 5.6 grams saturated fat, 25 grams carbohydrate, 102 milligrams cholesterol, 745 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.
Monday: Heat and Eat
Brighten the leftover STEW by adding some frozen green peas when you reheat it. Serve with SALAD GREENS and CRUSTY BREAD. For dessert, PEARS are perfect.
Plan
Make Tuesday's casserole today if time permits.
Shopping List
frozen green peas, salad greens, crusty bread, pears.
Tuesday: Budget
You won't mind saving a few greenbacks with delicious NEW MEXICO-STYLE CHILI-CHICKEN CASSEROLE. Serve with a SLICED AVOCADO SALAD. SLICED KIWI is a simple dessert.
Shopping List
cooking spray, onion, unsalted chicken broth, canned chopped green chilies, reduced-fat sour cream, coarse salt, cumin, pepper, canned reduced-sodium reduced-fat cream of chicken soup, garlic, corn tortillas, shredded cooked chicken breast, shredded 50% reduced-fat cheddar cheese, avocado, salad greens, kiwis.
NEW MEXICO-STYLE CHILI-CHICKEN CASSEROLE
Servings: makes 8 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 to 60 minutes
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 (14-ounce) can unsalted chicken broth
- 2 (4-ounce) cans chopped green chilies, drained
- 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans condensed reduced-sodium, reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 18 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- 1 pound cooked chicken breast, shredded
- 2 cups finely shredded 50% reduced-fat cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Microwave onion 3 1/2 minutes on high (100% power); drain. In a large bowl, combine cooked onion, broth, chilies, sour cream, salt, cumin, pepper, soup and garlic; mix well. Spread 1 cup soup mixture in dish. Arrange 6 tortillas over soup mixture (tearing to fit dish) and top with 1/3 of chicken and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice, ending with the cheese. Spread remaining soup mixture over cheese. Bake 45 to 60 minutes or until bubbly.
Per serving: 376 calories, 34 grams protein, 14 grams fat (33% calories from fat), 7 grams saturated fat, 28 grams carbohydrate, 93 milligrams cholesterol, 851 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Wednesday: Express
You can make TURKEY PHILLY SANDWICHES for a quick dinner. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large nonstick skillet, melt 2 teaspoons butter on medium and cook 1 cup chopped onion and green bell pepper mix (frozen or refrigerated) for 5 minutes or until softened; drain. Divide vegetable mixture and 12 ounces deli sliced turkey breast evenly among bottom halves of 4 split sandwich rolls; top each with 1 slice mozzarella cheese and the other halves of rolls. Place on baking sheet and bake 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
Serve with VEGGIE CHIPS and DILL PICKLES. CHUNKY APPLESAUCE is a good dessert.
Shopping List
butter, chopped onion and green bell pepper mix (frozen or refrigerated), deli sliced turkey breast, sandwich rolls, sliced mozzarella cheese, veggie chips, dill pickles, chunky applesauce.
Thursday: Meatless
Enjoy easy RED PEPPER-SPINACH LASAGNA for a no-meat dinner. Coat a 4-quart or larger slow cooker with cooking spray. Spread 3/4 cup (from 26- to 28-ounce jar) tomato pasta sauce in cooker. In a large bowl, mix 2 chopped medium red bell peppers, 1 chopped small onion and 2 (9-ounce) boxes frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed dry); stir in remaining pasta sauce and 1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce. Layer 3 (of 9 total) (broken to fit) uncooked lasagna noodles in slow cooker. Top with 1/3 (of 16-ounce) jar Alfredo sauce over noodles, spreading to cover. Top with 5 (of 15 total) provolone cheese slices, overlapping if necessary. Top with 1/3 of vegetable mixture (about 2 cups), spreading evenly. Repeat layers twice. Sprinkle 1/4 cup parmesan cheese on top. Cover; cook on low 5 to 6 hours.
Add a LETTUCE WEDGE and some GARLIC BREAD. Enjoy fat-free VANILLA ICE CREAM for dessert.
Plan
Buy enough Alfredo sauce for Friday. Save enough ice cream for Saturday.
Shopping List
cooking spray, jar tomato pasta sauce, red bell peppers, onion, frozen chopped spinach, canned no-salt-added tomato sauce, lasagna noodles, jar Alfredo sauce, sliced provolone slices, parmesan cheese, lettuce, garlic bread, fat-free vanilla ice cream.
Friday: Kids
Treat the kids to RAVIOLI WITH ALFREDO SAUCE tonight. Cook refrigerated ravioli according to package directions and top with leftover Alfredo sauce. Serve with RED AND ORANGE BELL PEPPER RINGS and SOFT BREAD STICKS. Let the kids make COOKIES-AND-CREAM INSTANT PUDDING with skim milk for dessert.
Shopping List
refrigerated ravioli, red and orange bell peppers, soft bread sticks, cookies-and-cream instant pudding, skim milk.
Saturday: Entertain the Family
Serve your lucky family GRILLED SALMON WITH DILL SAUCE (mix 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill and 1 tablespoon capers). Serve with FETTUCCINE tossed with pesto, STEAMED FRESH BROCCOLI and a BAGUETTE. Finish with our favorite, HONEY-RUM PEACH GALETTE topped with leftover ICE CREAM.
Shopping List
salmon fillets, reduced-fat sour cream, lemon, fresh dill, capers, fettuccine, pesto, fresh broccoli, baguette, refrigerated piecrust, sugar, nutmeg, peaches, cooking spray, honey, rum extract.
HONEY-RUM PEACH GALETTE
Servings: makes 10 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: about 30 minutes
- 1 refrigerated piecrust (from 15-ounce package)
- 2 to 4 tablespoons sugar (according to sweetness of peaches)
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 cups sliced peaches
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place room-temperature piecrust on a lightly floured surface; roll into a 12-inch circle and place on a 12-inch pizza pan. Combine sugar and nutmeg. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar mixture over dough. Arrange peaches in a single layer on top of dough starting 1 inch from edge, working from outside edge to center. Sprinkle peaches with remaining sugar mixture. Fold edges of dough over peaches and crimp to fit; coat dough with cooking spray. Bake 30 minutes. Combine honey with rum extract and microwave on high 20 to 40 seconds. Brush mixture over warm tart.
Per serving: 119 calories, 1 gram protein, 6 grams fat (40% calories from fat), 2.4 grams saturated fat, 18 grams carbohydrate, 2 milligrams cholesterol, 110 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.