Week 27 Meal Plan

I am deeming this week "Kid Friendly Week." My sweet little boy (who is not so little these days!) is a pretty decent eater, but sometimes I think our constant variety is hard for him. I want to find a few more of his top favorites so we can throw them in a little more regularly. Although these recipes will be kid friendly, I can assure you they will be adult friendly as well.

We'll see how it goes!


Wednesday- Trying something new!
Stuffing Chicken Casserole, Sauteed Zucchini and Squash

Thursday
Pasta with Fresh-from-the-Garden Sauce, Green Salad, Garlic Bread

Friday
Go Out

Saturday
Homemade Pizza, Broccoli, Cauliflower

Sunday
Viva la Chicken, Green Salad, Corn on the Cob

Monday
Shake 'n Bake Chicken Nuggets, Carrots, Celery

Tuesday
Leftovers

Check out the grocery list here.

Week 27 Grocery List

This week I will be shopping at Maceys.

Ingredients for Week 27 Dinners
I will be purchasing:
1 zucchini
1 squash
5 tomatoes
1/2 c basil
1 head lettuce
carrots
celery
broccoli
cauliflower
pizza toppings as desired
Shake 'n Bake
1 loaf French bread
1 loaf French bread dough or pizza dough

I will be using from my pantry:
4 lbs chicken breasts
sour cream
mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
2 oz Colby Jack cheese (or any kind)
1 head garlic
1 (16 oz) bag frozen mixed veggies
frozen corn
1 lb angel hair pasta
4-6 flour tortillas
tortilla chips (optional)
1 (6 oz) pkg Stove Top Stuffing for Chicken
2 (10 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
1 (7 oz) can salsa verde
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
ketchup
mustard
Ranch dressing
bbq sauce
olive oil
butter
garlic powder
oregano
Italian seasoning
celery seed
minced onion

Chicken Stuffing Casserole, Sauteed Zucchini and Squash

A few weeks ago, I served Stove Top stuffing along with roast chicken. I could not believe how much my little man was eating the stuffing! He keeps talking about "tuffing," so I figure I should try one of the recipes from the back of the box to see if he likes it.

*Ooh, I'll be honest, we did not love this dish. I think we'll keep to eating our stuffing sparingly and on the side.


Chicken Stuffing Casserole
from Kraft

1 (6 oz) pkg Stove Top stuffing mix for Chicken
1 1/2 lb chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1/3 c sour cream
1 (16 oz) bag frozen mixed veggies, thawed, drained

Preheat oven to 400. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package, set aside. Mix chicken, soup, sour cream and vegetables in a 9x13 pan; top with stuffing. Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.


Sauteed Zucchini and Squash
1 zucchini, cut in thin circles
1 yellow squash, cut in thin circles
1 T butter
salt
pepper
Italian seasoning
celery seed
optional: 1/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese

In a frying pan, melt butter on medium heat. Add zucchini and squash and sautee until tender. Add seasonings to taste. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired, and remove from heat.

Pasta with Fresh-from-the-Garden Sauce, Green Salad, Garlic Bread

I found this recipe for a no-cook pasta sauce on AllRecipes last summer. I was so excited because it uses so many fresh ingredients from the garden! We absolutely love this meal, and I'm happy that it's that time of year again.

Pasta with Fresh-from-the-Garden Sauce
5 tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c fresh basil, chopped
1/4 c olive oil
salt to taste
1 lb angel hair pasta
1/3 c Parmesan cheese

Combine tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil in a non-metal bowl. Stir in salt. Cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit at room temperature at least 2 hours, or as long as 10 hours. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Pour uncooked sauce over hot pasta and toss. Pass cheese at the table.


Sides
green salad
garlic bread

Shake 'n Bake Chicken Nuggets, Carrots, Celery

1 envelope Shake 'n Bake
1 1/2 lbs chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

dipping sauces:
ketchup
mustard
Ranch dressing
barbecue sauce
etc.

carrot sticks
celery sticks
any other good dipping vegetables you have on hand


Preheat oven to 400. Empty Shake 'n Bake into the shaker bag. Moisten chicken slightly with water. Shake in batches until all chicken is evenly coated. Place on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through.

Serve chicken nuggets with fresh veggies and a variety of dipping sauces.

Viva la Chicken, Tortilla Chips, Corn, Green Salad

I got this Viva la Chicken recipe from my mother. I remember loving this casserole growing up. The tortillas are pretty flexible in this recipe- you can use flour or corn (but I prefer flour by a long shot!), and you can vary the amount depending on what you have on hand.

I decided to bake this casserole in individual ramekins. Isn't everything more fun when it's small?

Viva la Chicken
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 (7 oz) can salsa verde (or about 1 c if you buy the jarred kind)
1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c milk
1/2 c sour cream
3 T dried minced onion
4 large or 6 small flour tortillas
2 oz grated cheese (I like Colby Jack best)
tortilla chips (optional)

In a large bowl, mix together chicken, salsa verde, cream of chicken soup, milk, sour cream, and onion. Spray a 2- quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Rip up half the tortillas into small pieces (about 2 square inches), and place tortillas in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour half the chicken mixture over the tortillas. Repeat by topping with 2 more torn tortillas and remaining sauce. Top with grated cheese. (You can make this in the morning and bake it at dinnertime.) Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips, if desired.


Sides
frozen corn
green salad

Microwave frozen corn and season with salt and pepper.

Prepare green salad.

Homemade Pizza, Broccoli, Cauliflower

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 1/2 t oregano
1 t garlic powder
Italian seasoning

grated cheese
pizza toppings as desired

1 loaf French bread dough from your grocery store's bakery counter
or pizza dough (refrigerated or frozen)
olive oil
garlic powder

broccoli florets
cauliflower florets

Make pizza sauce by mixing tomato sauce, paste, oregano, garlic, and a few good shakes of Italian seasoning.

Prepare pizza toppings.

If using refrigerated or frozen pizza dough, follow package directions. If using French bread dough: Let dough rise on the counter for 1 hour. Spray two pizza pans or one cookie sheet with cooking spray; sprinkle with cornmeal. Roll dough to fit pans. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake at 400 for 7 minutes. Top with sauce, cheese, and toppings. Bake for and additional 7-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and crust is to desired brownness.

Steam broccoli and cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper.