So while waiting at the bus stop with one of my Coastie wife friends, it was brought up that some of my recipes are a little involved for the more novice cook or busy parent. This week, I tried to simplify the menu a little and plan meals that can be prepped and cooked quickly and have side dishes that can be bought at he store, such as bagged coleslaw or pre-cut frozen veggies. Remember that I link the recipes to most of the dishes, so all you need to do is click on the dish and it brings up the detailed recipe. If you didn’t score a good deal on a whole chicken like I did last week, feel free to just pick up a $4.99 rotisserie chicken from Costco instead of roasting your own on at the end of the week. I try to not buy many pre-made or processed foods, but they are great shortcuts when you are short on time. Instead of making your own sauces and dressings, there are some delicious bottled ones available at the store. You can buy your bread products instead of making them from scratch. I have to tell you though, that once you take the plunge and make homemade breads, you will quickly learn how easy it is as most of it is down time for rising. There is nothing quite as satisfying as smelling the delicious aroma of baking bread and then taking a bite of warm bread fresh from the oven. I’m posting the menu a bit earlier this week too, to give you extra time to go to the store…the struggle is real with kids in a shopping cart!
Friday
- Italian chicken sausages with sauteed peppers and onions on buns
- Sweet potato fries ( buy frozen or for fresh sweet potatoes, peel and slice into finger sized pieces before coating in oil and season salt. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until slightly browned, about 30 minutes)
- Coleslaw (Litehouse makes a great tasting coleslaw dressing if you don’t want to make your own)
Saturday
- Freezer meal, mussgo, or meal not cooked from last week
Sunday
- Onion topped herb pork roast (Crock pot meal!)
- Mashed potatoes
- Roasted broccoli
- White chocolate cranberry oat cookies ( Make a double batch and freeze half for slice and bake cookies. I made PB cookies too for my husband and his friends hanging out in the basement.)
Monday
- General Tso’s tofu ( I linked the recipe, but even I use bottle sauce for this one!)
- Veggie fried rice (this is a great way to use up anything laying around in your fridge or use frozen stir fry mix)
Tuesday
Wednesday
- Pan fried tilapia ( I used season salt in place or salt and pepper)
- Baked potatoes with sour cream
- Spinach salad with feta and dried cranberries
Thursday
- Mussgo
- Use tonight to roast a chicken simply seasoned with season salt, cool, and refrigerate. I will have 2 recipes to use this roast chicken to make 4 freezer meals in next Saturday’s meal plan. If you don’t have the time or energy, simplify by picking up a rotisserie chicken from the store.
Well, after seeing my food photos, I must go clean off the camera or my iPhone so that my food looks as good as it tastes for next time!
-Mussgo Momma