Meal Planning Monday

Monday
Shrimp with Creamy Tomato-Basil Sauce (the meal my husband made me when he proposed!)

2 Cups (8 oz) Penne Pasta
1 tsp olive oil
1 large onion (for 1 cup chopped)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
1 tsp bottled minced garlic
1 1/2 cups smooth marinara-style pasta sauce (I use Gorrozzos diablo sauce)
1/3 cup heavy or whipping cream
1 lb peeled raw shrimp, fresh or frozen

Place the penne in 2 1/2 quarts of boiling water and cook until tender.

While the onions cook, rinse the basil, pat it dry with paper towels and remove the leaves from the stem. Coarsely chop. Set aside.

When the onions are soft, reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, pasta sauce adn cream to a skillet. Reduce the heat to low and stir well. If the shrimp are frozen, put them in a colander and run warm (not hot) water over them to defrost slightly, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp to the skillet. Simmer, stirring frequently to turn the shrimp, until the shrimp are pink, about 5 minutes.

When the shrimp are done, remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the basil. Drain the penne and place a portion on each serving plate. Top each serving with shirmp and serve at once. Delish!



Tuesday
Mom's Tuna Casserole

Wide Egg Noodles (use about 3/4 of the smallest bag - sorry not sure what size it is)
1 can of tuna (9oz)
1 can cream of mushroom
1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk (the more milk the creamier)
1 can of peas
1 cup of celery, chopped fine
1/2 onion, chopped fine

Cook noodles. When noodles are done, drain, then add the tuna, cream of mushroom, milk, peas, celery and onion to the pan and stir. Add a dash of garlic powder and salt and pepper. Pour into baking dish.

To make topping, melt 1 cup of butter in pan that you just used. Add 1 TBSP of garlic powder to the butter. Tear up 5 pieces of bread into small pieces and add to the butter mixture. Stir until coated. Pour topping on top of the casserole.

Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. If topping is not crispy enough, broil for a few minutes.


Wednesday
BBQ Chicken w/ Mashed Potatoes

1 lb chicken breasts or chicken tenders
Favorite BBQ sauce (I like to use Gates original)
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
Country Crock Mashed Potatoes (I use for simplicity. If that offends you, by all means make the real stuff.)

Thaw chicken and place in a round or 9x9 baking dish.
Pour BBQ over chicken (enough to coat chicken and be pooled around it). Spoon garlic and onions over the top of the chicken.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 min to 1 hour.
Make mashed potatoes according to package directions.
Serve chicken and bbq sauce over mashed potatoes.



Thursday
Crockpot French Dip - My Mother-in-law's Recipe

1 chuck roast (3 lbs)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp garlic
3 or 4 peppercorns
2 cups water

Place roast in crock pot. Add water, soy sauce and seasonings.
Cook on high 5-6 hours.
Serve on crusty rolls with juice from roast.


Friday
Homemade Pizza

Find the recipe here:
http://www.superhealthykids.com/pizzacrust.html