Patient Planning Pays Off

For almost the last two years, in light of budgeting and time issues, I've been trying to plan dinner for our family on either a bi-weekly or a monthly basis. It seems to be working out. The only complaint from Alan is that I don't leave enough nights to work on leftovers. So in addition to finding new things to cook, I've been trying to either find smaller recipes or start freezing halves for nights when I'm at work or we're short on time. My biggest goal here is to actually finish all of our leftovers instead of wasting the food and money throwing them out. To help hold me accountable, and to share what I find, I'm going to try posting our biweekly menu (we are only home together five or six nights in that time period--those are the only nights I cook). So please enjoy the below recipes/links. These are also in no particular order, I try to keep the items on hand and cook each thing when it sounds good.

Spinach Tomato Tortellini
Fragrant Lemon Chicken with Lemon Almond Broccoli
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Meatloaf
Chicken Pasta Toss
Grilled Cheeseburgers w/ my mom's ranch pasta salad (no recipe on these, just improv)
BBQ Ribs and Smoky 4 Cheese Macaroni


Chicken Tortilla Soup (Fix It & Forget It Lightly)
16-oz. can fat-free refried beans
15-oz. can black beans, rinsed & drained
14-oz. can fat-free chicken broth
1 1/2 C. frozen corn
3/4 C. chunky salsa
3/4 C cubed, cooked chicken
1/4 C. water
2 C. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 bag baked tortilla chips

Combine all ingredients except cheese and chips in slow cooker. Cook on low 3-4 hours or until heated through. Add half of the cheese. Stir until melted. Serve in bowls with crushed tortilla chips on top, and sour cream or other toppings as desired. It says the yield is seven servings, but we usually only have one good-sized bowl left over.

Meatloaf (thanks, Joey!)
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1/3 C. bread crumbs
1/2 C. milk
1 tsp. salt
1 onion, diced
1/2 tsp. Worscestershire sauce

Topping- 1/2 C. ketchup, 3 Tbsp. brown sugar (packed), 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1 tsp. dry mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except topping and shape into loaf in a 9X5 loaf pan. Combine topping ingredients and pour over top of loaf. Bake for about 1 hour. Makes 8 servings.


Chicken Pasta Toss (thanks again, Joey!)
10 oz. spaghetti
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. butter
3/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 C. chopped green onions
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp each onion powder, rubbed sage, white pepper, black pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
1 C. heavy whipping cream
1/2 C. shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. parsley

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute garlic in butter. Add chicken, onions, and seasoning. Cook uncovered for 3-5 mins or until juices run clear. Stir in cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 4-5 mins or until slightly thickened. Drain spaghetti. Toss with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Serves 4.