Category Archives: Monday Menu

Monday Menu

Posted by Melissa in Food, Monday Menu

After all that holiday gluttony, it’s time to get back to the routine. The kids are all back in school today, my to-do list is yards long and I finally have a hope of accomplishing some of it, so I was thrilled to read the Dinner: A Love Story post full of dinner ideas for me to steal. A couple of them even match the stuff that’s already in our fridge and pantry, so I can put off shopping until tomorrow. It couldn’t have come at a better time, because as we all know, the hardest part of getting dinner on the table is coming up with an idea. I got up early this morning, showered, did the dishes, started the laundry, made the lunches, and have almost finished with my grocery list. I’m counting on this desperate burst of productivity to carry me through the rest of the day.

If you need some fresh ideas for dinner, go check out DALS right now. You won’t be sorry.

Monday: Crispy Black Bean Tacos/Quesadillas and guacamole

Tuesday: Lamb meatballs, pita, hummus

Wednesday: Moosewood Tomato Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, salad

Thursday: David Lebowitz’s Olympic Seoul Chicken, rice, edamame

Friday: Taco pizza

Saturday: Pasta with caramelized cabbage, anchovies and breadcrumbs

 

Are you trying a new recipe this week, or sticking with old favorites?

Monday Menu

Posted by Melissa in Food, Monday Menu and tagged with , , ,

After a weekend packed with holiday fun (concerts, elementary school dance, dinner with friends, the annual trek to Home Depot to pick out a Christmas tree), and more to come this week, we are keeping it simple in the kitchen. We’ve got to pace ourselves–and save some time and energy for cookie baking.

Everything on the menu is a pantry or freezer meal (several are pulled straight from the freezer and just need reheating), and the only grocery shopping required was for a few supplies for this final week of packed lunches and some cookie ingredients.

Monday: Roast chicken, Thanksgiving sides pulled from the freezer

Tuesday: Potato soup

Wednesday: Lemon-parsley pasta with chicken, fruit salad

Thursday: Hoisin burgers, sesame noodles, edamame

Friday: White bean and ham soup, sandwiches, broccoli salad

 

Do you have enough in your freezer or pantry to put together a few meals this week?

Monday Menu

Posted by Melissa in Food, Monday Menu

After a weekend of birthday excess for Little Now-I’m-Five, this week is all about cleaning up, getting back into a routine, and looking forward to Christmas. Once again, the Hub did the meal planning and shopping, and I’ll be in charge of execution. It’s a very good division of labor. (We still need to train some more dish washers, though.)

Monday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, Carrots with tahini dressing

Tuesday: Creamy roasted broccoli soup

Wednesday:  No-Pain Lo Mein, edamame

Thursday: Veal stew, rice, salad

Friday: Pasta (sauce TBD)

 

What are you cooking this week?

 

Monday Menu

Posted by Melissa in Food, Monday Menu and tagged with

Miss Seven and I are curled up in the family room right now, working away. She’s at home for some R & R after an unfortunate injury during a Sunday afternoon game of catch. She’s blasting through her school work and rejecting all the ice packs I’ve offered, so I think her recovery will be quick. But our evening trip to the ER derailed our lazy Sunday, and I never got around to making a menu, maybe sneaking in an extra trip to the grocery, or helping Little Four decorate his construction paper gingerbread man for preschool. The kids and I did hang our two strings of snowflake lights on the porch, though. That’s an accomplishment.

But what to eat for dinner this week? I don’t want to drag my patient through the grocery store when she should be resting on the couch watching Arthur. We have enough running around today just getting everyone to dance class and Christmas Eve mass reader practice and choir practice. I’m still not sure when we’re going to eat dinner tonight. Succumbing to the McDonald’s drive-thru seems like giving up. Luckily, I read enough food blogs that there are plenty of good ideas out there to steal. The grocery shopping can wait until tomorrow.

Monday: Homemade Hot Pockets (with the no-knead dough in the fridge, leftover beef roast, and cheese–maybe some broccoli and cheese ones, too)

Tuesday: Spaghetti with roasted eggplant pesto

Wednesday: Harvest Roast Chicken with grapes, olives and rosemary (from the new Smitten Kitchen cookbook)

Thursday: Tomato soup and panini (some of them with caramelized onions…)

Friday: Little Almost-Five’s Birthday! He gets to choose the menu!

 

Monday Menu

Posted by Melissa in Food, Monday Menu and tagged with ,

With a fridge still stuffed with Thanksgiving leftovers, you’d think I wouldn’t need to plan meals this week. But as much as I love turkey and trimmings, we’re ready to see them dressed a little differently. I made some turkey noodle soup last night, which will make some nice lunches this week. I got a request for turkey tetrazzini, and I plan to recast the gravy, potatoes and cranberry sauce with some Swedish meatballs. My plan today is to repackage and freeze everything else and make another batch of turkey stock. I’ll also my part to make sure the pies don’t go to waste. You can count on me.

Monday: Spinach pesto, fruit salad

Tuesday: Swedish-style meatballs, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes

Wednesday: Chili

Thursday: Pork chops, barley with carrots and scallions

Friday: Turkey Tetrazzini, green beans

 

What’s your favorite post-Thanksgiving meal?

Monday Menu: Thanksgiving Week

Posted by Melissa in Food, Monday Menu and tagged with , , , , ,

So sorry I’m late with the week’s menu. Instead of blogging, I was busy getting my Smitten Kitchen cookbook signed by Deb Perelman herself. There were even salted brown butter crispy treats to sample. It was a pleasure meeting Deb–however briefly–and I would have liked to invite her over for dinner. (Preferably one of those “let’s all cook together” dinners.) I’m just warning you now: you’ll be seeing a lot of recipes from this book. I suggest you go get one right away. It will just be easier for all of us.

But back to the menu. Though all our attention is on the big feast (we’re having two), we do have to eat the rest of the week. It’s not a week to try new recipes or shop for unusual ingredients. Pantry meals are where it’s at. The kids are home from school all week, and it’s time to put them to work making pies, peeling potatoes and cooking the cranberry sauce.

Monday: Hoisin burgers, Asian slaw, fruit salad

Tuesday: Spaghetti cacio e pepe, green salad

Wednesday: Homemade pizza

Thursday: Migas (brunch), Thanksgiving Dinner, Take 1

Friday: Turkey sandwiches, more pie

Saturday: Thanksgiving Dinner, Take 2

Monday Menu

Posted by Melissa in Food, Monday Menu

Let me tell you, that freezer inventory is working really well. You know, as long as I remember to cross off the things I’ve used up. I just realized that the Hub made this menu based on the inventory, but the ground chicken is long gone, eaten up in last week’s chili. While I was at Aldi on Saturday, congratulating myself on only spending $25 for the week’s groceries, I should have grabbed more chicken. Ah, well–I have to return later in the week, anyway, to stock up on Thanksgiving essentials.

Monday: Pasta with Guiltless Alfredo Sauce, bacon and cherry tomatoes; roasted beet salad with feta

Tuesday: Split pea soup

Wednesday: Spaghetti and meatballs, salad, garlic bread

Thursday: Gingery ground chicken, rice, edamame, fruit salad

Friday: Sandwich Night

Are you clearing space in your refrigerator for Thanksgiving?

Monday Menu

Posted by Melissa in Food, Monday Menu and tagged with , , , , , ,

After a summer with empty cupboards in the basement (our overflow pantry) and a mostly empty extra freezer, we have finally restocked some staples. Staples that we stockpile a little include cereal, pasta, frozen vegetables, canned goods (like beans and artichoke hearts), juice, flour, shredded cheese and condiments. Oh, and bacon. You know, things that have a high turnover.

I’ve saved a significant amount of money by coupon shopping in the past year, but it does take a little more preparation and concentration, difficult to achieve with three kids in tow during the summer months. But yesterday while Mr. Nine was at a birthday party, I had a couple hours to leisurely cruise Dominick’s and Walgreens with my coupon file. So when I made this week’s menu, I consulted the pantry and freezer first.

Monday: Pasta with artichoke hearts and oven-dried tomatoes

Tuesday: Mexican beef and tortilla casserole (Oh 1980s, we have not forgotten thee!)

Wednesday: Veal schnitzel, arugula and tomato salad, spaghetti squash

Thursday: Chicken noodle soup

Friday: Spinach and cheese lasagna (though for a weeknight, I’ll be making this with jarred sauce and no-boil noodles)

 

What staples do you stock up on?

Monday Menu

Posted by Melissa in Food, Monday Menu and tagged with , , , , , , ,

We are way ahead of the game, here, and if I don’t watch it, I could get pretty smug. By Saturday afternoon, not only was the weekend’s menu all planned, but all of next week’s, too! AND the grocery shopping was done, AND the freezer was cleaned out. By Sunday afternoon, the Hub had already cooked the soup and pasta sauce for later in the week, and had dinner well on its way. The Hub took the lead on all these tasks, but I washed a lot of dishes and cleaned the gunk out of the bottom of the freezer drawer. I’d say we’re even. If I make some dessert, he’ll say we’re even.

Monday: Mote pillo (an Ecuadorean hominy dish), green salad

Tuesday: Garlic-Potato Soup, kale chips

Wednesday: Rustic Slow-Simmered Tomato Sauce with Meat, pasta, broccoli, Halloween candy for dessert

Thursday: Quiche (I’d like to try this crust recipe, but will streamline the rest), Carrot Salad with Creamy Lemon, Yogurt & Chive Dressing

Friday: Chili (I don’t exactly use a recipe, but this one is the same general formula), tortilla chips, fruit salad

Last week on Home Baked

Käsekuchen in America

Homemake Halloween costumes

Monday Menu

Do you have a special dinner planned for Halloween, or at least something you can heat up after trick-or-treating?

Monday Menu

Posted by Melissa in Food, Monday Menu

The leaves are green and gold outside the window, and I am stretched out on the living room couch with the cat, still full from Sunday dinner, and grateful that I have cooked so much this weekend that I can take it easy in the kitchen for the next couple of evenings. There’s even a tin full of gingersnaps in the cupboard and a container of addictive mixed nuts (though let’s be real–these won’t last). Maybe I’ll take a few moments to restock the empty granola canister or mix up some bread dough. Even though these recipes don’t really take more than five or ten minutes, I often stumble over a mental block of the Must-Make-Dinner-No-Time-for-Anything-Extra variety.

The light is fading and it’s time to call the kids inside and give them a snack before bedtime. I need everyone tucked in by 8 p.m. so I can watch Upstairs, Downstairs.

Monday: Steak sandwiches, Crash Hot Potatoes, Salad

Tuesday: Fried rice with edamame and leftover beef short ribs

Wednesday: Pasta with Kale and Ricotta

Thursday: Roast Chicken, Pan-Roasted Asparagus with Anchovy Bread Crumbs

Friday: Cheeseburgers

Saturday: Chicken salad, Beet & Cabbage Borscht with Dill

 

What do you like to cook when you have extra time in the kitchen?