Family Briefs

Can’t believe another week has gone by! It’s scary to think that by NEXT Monday’s menu plan, we’ll be talking about Thanksgiving!!! The days just seem to go by faster and faster - does anyone know how to slow this train down?

Oh well . . . here’s my plan from last week:

MONDAY
Lunch - ham sandwiches, chips, apple slices
Dinner - Eat with Grandaddy at Cici’s (we’re SO glad he’s back in town!)

TUESDAY
Lunch - leftover pizza pot pies, salad, orange slices from the citrus Grandaddy brought back from Orlando
Dinner - chili con carne with cheddar cheese & sour cream, salad, Pillsbury breadsticks

WEDNESDAY
Lunch - baked potato bar (broccoli, cheese sauce, bacon bits, sour cream, Ranch dressing, tomatoes), canned soup or leftover chili

**Check out this really great video for fixing potatoes in your microwave**

Dinner - chicken tetrazzini, salad, mandarin oranges, grape tomatoes

THURSDAY
Lunch - Kids Cuisine frozen entrees for the kiddos, leftover ribs, au gratin potatoes, and green beans for me and hubby
Dinner - Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes & Sausage , salad, rolls

FRIDAY
Lunch - grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, apple slices, crackers
Dinner - Movie Nite!! chicken nuggets, fries, popcorn, grape tomatoes, apple slices

SATURDAY
Lunch - Tex Mex Shells & Cheese, sliced apples
Dinner - Chicken & Green Bean Dinner, cooked carrots, rice

SUNDAY
Lunch - Leftover Buffet: chicken tetrazzini, chili, baked potato bar
Dinner - hard and soft tacos, refried beans, chips/salsa

Now for the recipes!

Chili Con Carne (I modified this from a recipe from BH&G “20 Minutes to Dinner”)

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1/4-1/2 cup chopped onion (I use frozen)
4-6 teaspoons of chili powder (to taste)
2 large cans cut stewed tomatoes
3-8 oz. cans red kidney beans
1 tsp minced garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
hot sauce (optional)

Brown ground beef with onion and chili powder over med-high heat until beef is no longer pink and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Then I transfer my ground beef to my stew pot and add undrained tomatoes and undrained kidney beans, garlic, and pepper sauce. Bring to a boiling and reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (I let mine stew longer - I find it brings out the flavors a little more and it thickens up a bit)

Chicken/Turkey Tetrazzini (from my mom)

~3 cups chicken or turkey
1-8oz. pkg spaghetti
1 can mushroom soup
1 can chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped or slivered blanched almonds
1/4 cup green pepper
1/2 cup finely cut celery
3/4 tsp paprika
2 small cloves of garlic
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups grated cheese
1 cup cut up ripe olives
1/2 cup chopped pimento (good for color, but I omitted)
salt and pepper to taste

If you start from scratch and boil the hen, save your broth. I used a rotisserie chicken and canned broth. Cook spaghetti, celery, pepper, onion, and garlic in boiling broth until tender (add water if necessary). Add remaining ingredients except for cheese. Drain. Pour into 13 x 9 casserole dish. Cover with the cheese. May add bread crumbs if you like. Bake at 300^o for 30-40 minutes.

Slow Cooker Scalloped Potato and Sausage Supper (from Bettycrocker.com a long time ago )

1 4.9 oz package Betty Crocker scalloped potatoes
1 1/4 cups water
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom with garlic soup (I just used cream of mushroom and sprinkled in a little garlic powder)
1 pound fully cooked kielbasa sausage, cut diagonally into 2-inch slices
1 cup Green Giant frozen sweet peas, rinsed to separate and drained

1. Spray inside of 3 1/2-to-6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place uncooked Potatoes in slow cooker. Stir together sauce mix, water an.d soup; pour over potatoes. Top with sausage
2. Cover and cook on low heat setting 4-5 hours or until potatoes are tender.
3. Sprinkle peas over potatoes. Cover and cook on low heat setting about 5 minutes or until peas are hot.

Chicken & Green Bean Dinner (from an old Reynold’s Oven Bags Insert)

1 Reynolds Oven Bag, large size (14 x 20)
1 tablespoon flour
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 9-oz package frozen cut green beans, defrosted
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (2.8 oz) French-fried onions, divided
6 boneless, skinless chicken pieces seasoned with salt and pepper

1.Preheat oven to 350^o.
2. Shake flour in Reynolds Oven bag; place in 13×9x2-inch baking pan.
3. Add soup, green beans, chicken broth, pepper and 1/2 can of onions to bag. Squeeze bag to blend in flour. Arrange ingredients in an even layer. Sprinkle chicken with seasoned salt and pepper. Place chicken in bag: sprinkle with remaining onions.
4. Close bag with nylong tie; cut six 1/2-inch slits in top.
5. Bake until chicken is tender, 45-50 minutes. To serve, stir sauce.

Y’all enjoy this week, now. Ya’ hear?? Oh, and be sure to head over to Laura’s for more great menus!