Meal Plan - September

I know I have been gone MIA lately, but now that I am on a set work schedule for the next 3 months I am hoping I can put more focus on my blog again.  Things have been mighty crazy and in the past month I have worked every single shift making it very difficult for me to do any dinner preparations.  I will say having a meal plan with the recipes written out has really helped my non-cooking husband prepare meals while I am away.

For the next 3 months I will not be home to make dinner so once again I have to plan easy meals that my husband can get on the table quickly.  He does midnight shift work so it is really important for the meals to hit the table quickly.  Not only do the dinners need to be convenient, but taste is always an extremely important factor.  I needed meals that my family will love to eat.

I think this meal plan will be a hit.  There are lots of family favorites on the plan and lots of great comforting meals.  But enough with my rambling...it's time to see what we will be making!

There you have the meals and now for the grocery list.

As always the list includes everything needed to make the meals.  A majority of the items I have on hand and I am sure most of you do too.

There you have it.  My list for the month is cut down quite a bit.  Now on to the best part.  The recipes!

Beef Pot Pie source Allrecipes.com
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 TBS garlic
2 stalks celery, diced
3 small potatoes, peeled and diced
4 carrots, peeled and diced
1 can vegetable beef soup, undiluted
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 pie crust (top and bottom)

• In a large skillet brown ground beef with onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper
• Remove from heat and drain off grease
• Stir in the vegetable beef and cream of mushroom soup
• Pour filling into pie crust
• Cover with the top pie crust, seal, and poke slits to vent
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown

Chicken and Dumpling Stew

1.5 - 2 lbs chicken, diced

1 TBS olive oil
2 TBS butter
3 small russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 carrots ,peeled and diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 TBS poultry seasoning
1/8 cup flour
32 oz low sodium chicken broth
1 small box of biscuit mix (like Jiffy)
1/2 cup warm water
4 tsp dried parsley
1 cup frozen peas

• Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat and add olive oil, vegetables, and bay leaf then cook for 5 minutes while stirring frequently
• Season vegetables with salt, pepper, and poultry season
• Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes while continuing to stir mixture
• Add broth and mix to combine 
• Bring to a boil then add chicken, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes
• Meanwhile add biscuit mix, warm water, and dried parsley in a small bowl then stir to combine
• Drop biscuits by spoonfuls into pot, cover, and steam for 8-10 minutes
• Remove from heat, add peas, and gently stir

Poor Man's Stroganoff
1 lb ground turkey
1 small onion, diced

8 oz sour cream

4 oz cream cheese

1 can cream of mushroom soup

4 oz sliced mushroom, drained

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp pepper
2-3 cups cooked egg noodles or macaroni whatever you have will work fine

• Brown ground turkey with onion and drain off fat
• Add cream of mushroom soup, mushrooms, garlic salt, and pepper to ground turkey and cook over medium heat until heated through, about 10 minutes
• Remove ground meat mixture from heat and add sour cream and cream cheese
• Mix the meat mixture with the noodles

Herbed Chicken

1 TBS olive oil

4 chicken breasts

garlic and onion powder

1 can cream of chicken with herbs

1/2 cup milk

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet
• Season both sides of chicken with garlic and onion powder
• Brown chicken on both sides
• Add soup and milk to the skillet
• Heat to a boil, cover, and cook on low for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through
• Serve over rice or mashed potatoes

Sloppy Joe's
1 lb ground turkey
salt and pepper to taste
1 small onion, diced
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp mustard (I use yellow, but use what you like)
1 TBS worcestershire sauce
1 TBS vinegar
1 TBS minced garlic (remember I LOVE garlic so cut this down if you are not a huge fan like myself)
1/4 cup brown sugar

• Saute the onion in a hot skillet until just tender, about 3 minutes
• Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant
• Add ground turkey, season with salt and pepper, and brown
• Drain turkey and return to skillet
• Add the remaining ingredients and mix well cooking over medium-low heat for 15 minutes

Crock Pot Pork Chops

8 pork chops

1 can chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 packet brown gravy mix

1 packet onion soup mix

• Place pork chops in the slow cooker
• In a bowl combine remaining ingredients and stir to combine
• Pour over the pork chops, cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours

Shepherd's Pie source Allrecipes.com

1 lb ground beef

1 TBS garlic

1 TBS worcestershire sauce

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

1 small onion, diced

1 cup shredded cheese

2 cups prepared mashed potatoes

• Brown ground beef, garlic, and onion until cooked through
• Drain off fat and mix with frozen vegetables, wrocestershire, and cream of mushroom soup
• Pour mixture into a casserole dish
• Top with cheese and then mashed potatoes
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes

Roasted Sausage and Potatoes
4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-1/2 in cubes

1 lb baby carrots

1 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced into large strips

1 large sweet onion, cut into wedges

1 TBS minced garlic

2 TBS olive oil

2 tsp italian seasoning

3/4 cup beef broth

4-5 italian sausage links

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees
• Place the potatoes, baby carrots, bell pepper, and onion in a large roasting pan
• Mix the garlic, olive oil, italian seasoning, and beef broth in a small bowl
• Pour over vegetables and toss to cook
• Place in the oven uncovered for 35 minutes stirring once halfway through
• While vegetables are roasting brown italian sausages in a skillet over medium high heat
• Cut in half and arrange sausage over vegetables
• Drizzles balsamic vinegar over and place back in the oven for 30 minutes
• After 30 minutes give everything a gentle stir, flip sausages, drizzle juices over sausages, and cook for an additional 15 minutes

Goulash

1 lb ground turkey

salt and pepper

1 onion, diced

1 TBS minced garlic

1 TBS worcestershire sauce

Bay leaf

1 box noodles (macaroni, spiral, whatever you like), cooked and drained

2 cans tomato soup

2 cans diced tomatoes, drained

1 can stewed tomatoes, drained

• Brown turkey with onion and garlic seasoned with salt and pepper
• Drain fat and return to skillet 
• Combine remaining ingredients except the noodles and simmer for about 20 minutes
• Remove from heat and stir in the cooked noodles

Salisbury Steak

1 can french onion soup, undiluted

2 lbs ground beef

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 onion, sliced

1 TBS minced garlic

1 TBS flour

1 cream of mushroom soup

1 onion soup mix

2 TBS ketchup

1 TBS worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp ground mustard

• Mix the ground beef, 1/3 can of french onion soup, bread crumbs, egg, salt, and pepper until combined
• Form into 6 patties
• In a large skillet brown each side of each patty
• Place patties in a glass baking dish
• Add onions to the skillet and cook until softened, about 10 minutes
• Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute
• In a bowl combine remaining ingredients and add to the skillet
• Scrape up the browned bits and cook until bubbly
• Pour over the patties and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until patties are cooked through

Chili

2 lbs ground turkey
1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS garlic
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14 oz) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can mild chili beans
1 can hot chili beans
2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
3 TBS chili powder
1 TBS ground cumin
1/2 TBS ground coriander
1/2 TBS cocoa powder
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp oregano
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

• Brown ground turkey and drain
• In a soup pot heat olive oil over medium-high heat 
• Add onion and saute for about 5 minutes
• Add garlic and cook for 1 minute
• Combine everything else, mix well, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1-2 hours stirring occasionally

Pot Roast

3 lbs beef roast

salt, pepper, garlic powder

2 large onions, cut into chunks

1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

4 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

2 stalks celery, diced

1 TBS minced garlic

1/2 cup red wine

5 sprigs thyme

• Generously season roast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat
• Add 2 TBS oil and brown roast on all sides
• Place roast in the crock pot
• Add onions, carrots, potatoes, celery, and garlic to the skillet
• Season with salt and pepper
• Saute for about 10 minutes or until veggies are bright in color
• Add wine to scrape up all the browned bits from the skillet
• Pour vegetable mixture over the roast and add the thyme
• Cover and cook on high for 6 hours
• ****Make the gravy****
• Combine 1 TBS cornstarch with 2 TBS cold water
• Place 1 1/2 - 2 cups of the meat juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil
• Whisk in cornstarch mixture and continue whisking until thickened

Chicken and Rice Casserole

4 chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet onion soup mix
1 cup rice
2 cups water
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup broccoli pieces
paprika
seasoning salt
garlic powder
black pepper

• Mix the mushroom soup, onion soup, water, and rice in a small bowl
• Pour mixture into a glass baking dish
• Add your vegetables and mix to combine
• Place chicken on top of rice mixture and seasoning with paprika, seasoning salt, garlic powder, and black pepper then cover with aluminum foil
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through
• Remove foil and return to the oven to bake for about 15 minutes just to brown the top a bit

Irish Beef Stew

3 TBS olive oil

3 lbs beef stew meat

salt, pepper, and garlic powder

1 TBS minced garlic

6 oz tomato paste

2 cups beef stock

12 oz beer

2 tsp dried thyme

2 bay leaves

3 carrots, peeled cut into bite size pieces

1 large onion, cut into large chunks

1 rutabaga, peeled and cut into bite size pieces

2 medium parsnip, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
6 red potatoes, quartered
1/2 cup frozen peas

• Season beef with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
• Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat
• Brown meat in batches in a single layer (I did 4 batches)
• When all beef is browned return to pot and add garlic then saute for 2 minutes
• Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute stirring 
• Add stock, beer, thyme, bay leaves, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper 
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover
• Transfer pot to a 325 degree oven and bake until beef is tender about 2 hours
• Meanwhile in a large skillet heat remaining olive oil over medium high heat
• Add vegetables and saute until vegetables become bright and take on a golden hue, about 3-5 minutes
• Add vegetables to the beef mixture and stir to combine
• Return to the oven, uncovered, and bake for about 1 hour or until sauce is slightly reduced and veggies are tender
• Remove from oven, stir in frozen peas, and allow to sit for about 5-10 minutes

Quick and Easy Mock Jambalaya
1 package smoked sausage, sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 TBS minced garlic
2 TBS butter
1 box Rice-A-Roni spanish rice (or anything else you have like jambalaya mix or dirty rice)
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups water
1 TBS Old Bay Seasoning (or creole seasoning)
Hot Sauce (we add this to each individual bowl since some don't like and others do)

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over high heat
• Add onion, bell pepper, and rice (not the seasoning) and saute for about 5 minutes (just to soften veggies and brown vermicelli)
• Add garlic and saute for 1 minute
• Mix in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil
• Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is done
• Stir and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes to cool and thicken a bit

Gravy and Stuffing Chicken Bake source Allrecipes.com

1 Rotisserie Chicken, shredded

1 can corn

1 can sliced carrots

1 jar chicken gravy

a jar turkey gravy

1 box prepared stuffing

• Place corn and vegetables in the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish
• Mix in the gravies and top with the prepared stuffing
• Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until heated through

Super Easy Meatloaf

2 lbs ground beef

1 box chicken stuffing mix

1 cup V8

2 eggs beaten
1 small onion, diced

1 TBS Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar 

• In a large bowl combine everything except ketchup and brown sugar together (I use my hands...it just works better for me)
• Shape into a loaf pan
• In a small bowl stir together ketchup and brown sugar
• Pour over the top of the meatloaf
• Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for 60 minutes or until done

Crock Pot Cubed Steak

6 cube steaks

1 package onion soup mix

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 onion, sliced

• Place onions in the bottom of the crock pot
• Top with cubed steaks
• Sprinkle onion soup over top
• Pour cream of mushroom soup on top
• Cook on low for 8 hours

Beef Barley Soup
2 lbs Chuck Roast cubed or Stew Meat
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
oil for browning
4 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 TBS minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups beef stock
2 cups V8
2 TBS worchestire sauce
2 TBS parsley chopped
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 TBS white sugar
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 16oz bag of frozen veggies
2/3 cup barley

• Season meat with salt, pepper, and garlic powder meanwhile heat oil over medium-high heat and add meat once pan is hot.  Brown all sides (about 5 minutes or so) and place in crock pot
• Add carrots, celery, onion, potatoes, and garlic to skillet and season with salt and pepper.  Saute for about 5 minutes.  Pour everything in crock pot (juice and all)
• Add beef stock, V8, parsley, stewed tomatoes, worchestire sauce, sugar, and spices to crock pot.  Stir to combine and cook on low for 8 hours
• Add barley and frozen veggies about 1 hour before serving.  Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed

Oven Fried Potato Dipped Chicken source Betty Crocker

1 packet cheddar mashed potatoes

3/4 cup plain yogurt

4 chicken breasts

1/4 cup butter, melted

• Dip each chicken breast in yogurt and coat
• Roll chicken in potato flakes and place in a greased baking dish
• Drizzle chicken with melted butter
• Bake in a 400 degree oven for 25-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and coating is browned

There you have it.  Lots of old favorites and great comforting meals that are incredibly simple to prepare.  I am confident my husband will have no problems preparing these dishes and I know my family will enjoy them!   

Meal Plan

Things are changing a bit.  I just reentered the workforce which is why I have been MIA lately.  I am back to shift work and that means cooking duties will be shared with my husband.  He isn't much of a cook so I will be making it as easy as possible for him to cook yummy meals.

I think the best way to keep it simple for him is to make freezer meals or quick and easy crock pot meals.  Either way I will prep them the night before so he can just turn it on or heat it up.  You will notice I have decided to repeat my meals every two weeks.  For me it is easier to split meals for my small family and freeze in batches.  Once I get into a routine and know my schedule I will start adding some more involved meals again.

Now that we know what we are making it is time to build the grocery list.

If you will be using foil pans make sure you add those to the list too.  Below is what I need to buy for the month.

Not too bad for a month of groceries.  Now onto the recipes!

Meatloaf
2.5 lbs ground beef
2 small onions, diced
2 sleeves saltines or ritz crackers, crushed
4 eggs
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup honey mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
2 TBS worcestershire sauce
Glaze:
1 cup ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
2 TBS cider vinegar

• Mix all the meatloaf together using your hands until fully combined
• Shape into 2 loafs
• Place into loaf pans (I used an aluminum loaf pan to freeze 1 loaf)
• If freezing cover with aluminum foil, label, and write instructions on the pan
• To prepare right away mix 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1 TBS cider vinegar per loaf then spread evenly on top of the loaf
• Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven
• Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cooked through
• To prepare from frozen: Defrost in the fridge overnight and then follow the instructions for normal preparation

This recipe makes 2 loafs.  I will be freezing one for later this month.

Biscuit Breakfast Bake source The Shady Porch

1 can refrigerated biscuits

1 lb crumbled breakfast sausage, cooked and drained

1 1/2 cup shredded cheese

1 small onion, diced

3 chopped green onions
1/4 cup milk
6 eggs

1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

• Mix milk, eggs, onions, and cheese in a large bowl
• Cut the biscuits into fourths and stir them into the egg mixture
• Add the cooked and crumbled sausage
• Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish making sure the biscuits are in a single layer
• Bake in a 250 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through

I have this scheduled twice, but it is not a freezer meal.  I will prepare this the day we plan to eat it.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas 

2 can cream of chicken soup

2 1/2 cups sour cream

1 tsp chili powder

3 - 12 oz cans of chicken, drained

2 TBS butter

2 4oz can diced green chile's, drained

6 TBS green onion, diced

2 small onion diced

1 1/3 cup water

2 package taco seasoning (or 4-6 homemade taco seasoning)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

2 TBS lime juice

2 package tortillas

6 cups shredded cheese

2 can enchilada sauce

4-6 TBS green onion, diced (for topping)

2 - 4 oz sliced black olives, drained 

• Combine soup, sour cream, and chili powder in a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over low heat and stir frequently.
• While sauce is heating, heat butter in a skillet.  Add chopped onion and saute until translucent.  Add the chicken, chopped green chile's, green onion, water, and taco seasoning.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir in lime juice, garlic powder, and onion powder; simmer for an additional 10 minutes (add more water if needed).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stir approximately 2 cups of the soup mixture in with the chicken mixture.  Spread the remaining soup mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
• Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture and shredded cheese, fold, and place seam side down in the prepared pan.
• Once all the enchiladas are in the pan pour enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas.  Top with the remaining cheese.  Sprinkle with the green onions and black olives, then bake until cheese is melted and bubbling, approximately 25 minutes.
• TO FREEZE:  Once topped with cheese cover with foil, label, write instructions, and freeze
• TO PREPARE FROM FROZEN:  Defrost overnight, top with sliced green onions, and black olives then bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly

This recipe makes 2 batches.  I will be freezing one for later in the month.

Lasagna Casserole source Money Saving Mom

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground italian sausage

1 onion, diced

16 oz Rotini noodles

2 jars of spaghetti sauce

4 eggs, beaten

4 cups ricotta cheese

16 oz mozzarella cheese

1 tsp italian seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

• Brown ground meat with onion until cooked through and drain
• Prepare noodles as directed on the package for al dente
• Mix spaghetti sauce with cooked meat
• Set aside 1 cup shredded mozzarella for topping
• Combine the remaining mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and eggs
• Stir the pasta into the cheese mixture and combine 
• Divide the noodles between 2 pans and top with each with 1/2 of the meat sauce mixture
• Top each with 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until bubbly
• TO FREEZE: After you top with cheese cover, label, and freeze
• TO PREPARE: Thaw overnight and bake for 30-45 minutes in a 350 degree oven

This recipe makes 2 casseroles that fit in a 9x9 aluminum pan.  I will freeze one for later use this month.

Chicken Ala King

2 green peppers, seeded and diced

1 cup butter

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp pepper

4 cups milk

2 cups chicken broth

4 cans chicken, drained

8 oz pimento, drained

• Melt butter in a large skillet
• Saute green pepper until just softened, about 7 minutes
• Add flour and pepper and whisk until combined
• Cook about 2 minutes to cook off the flour flavor
• Whisk in broth and milk
• Bring to a boil and continue to cook for about 1 minute or until thickened
• Stir in chicken and pimento and stir to combine
• Serve over hot cooked rice, biscuits, noodles, or toast points
• TO FREEZE: Store in a gallon freezer bag
• TO PREPARE: Defrost overnight and reheat in a saucepan until warmed through

This recipe is doubled so I can freeze 1 batch for later in the month.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

1 uncooked pizza crust

1 can chicken, drained

3/4 cup BBQ sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 small red onion, sliced thin

• Prepare pizza crust as directed on the package until lightly browned
• In a small bowl combine chicken and BBQ sauce
• Sprinkle 1 cup cheese on the pizza crust
• Top with chicken and then sliced onion
• Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and bake for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted

Spinach and Cheese Manicotti

2 box manicotti noodles

2 - 15oz container of ricotta cheese
8 oz fat free cream cheese
1 Cup shredded parmesan cheese
16 oz shredded mozzarella, plus 16 oz for topping
4 large eggs
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp parsley
3 jars of spaghetti sauce
2 - 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed with moisture squeezed out

• In a medium bowl mix together ricotta cheese, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, 8 oz mozzarella cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley until fully combined
• Put 1.5 cups of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and spread evenly
• Place the filling mixture in a piping bag or ziploc bag and pipe into the manicotti shells.  Hold the shell in one hand and squeeze bag from top to fill shells.  Put enough filling to over flow both ends and then place in sauce lined pan.  Repeat for the rest of the shells or until you run out of filling.
• Cover the pasta with the remaining sauce, top with cheese, and cover with foil
• At this point you can either place it in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to bake or bake it in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes.  Remove Foil and continue to bake uncovered for 10 more minutes
• TO FREEZE:  Cover, label, and write instructions for preparation
• TO PREPARE: Defrost overnight in the fridge and then follow the normal baking instructions

The above recipe is doubled and I will be making 2 dishes.  One of the dishes I will freeze in a 9x13 aluminum pan to use later this month.

Breakfast Tot Casserole

1 lb ground breakfast sausage, cooked and drained

3 cups shredded cheese

2 cups milk

4 eggs

1 bag tater tots

• Spread sausage in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish
• Top with shredded cheese
• In a bowl mix together eggs and milk
• Pour over the sausage and cheese mixture
• Top with frozen tater tots
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until tater tots are cooked through and golden brown

Beef Enchiladas

2.5 lbs ground beef

2 small onions, diced

4-6 TBS taco seasoning

2/3 cups water

2 can cream of mushroom soup

2 cans tomato soup

2 cans mild enchilada sauce

2 packages tortilla shells

4 cups shredded cheese

• Cook beef and onions in a large skillet until no longer pink and drain
• Return to beef mixture to the skillet, add the taco seasoning and water, and simmer for about 10 minutes
• In a bowl combine soups and enchilada sauce
• Add about 1 1/2 cups of the sauce to the meat mixture
• Spread about 1 cup of the sauce divided in the bottom of 2 separate 9x13 pans
• Add approximately 1/4 cup of the meat mixture to each tortilla shell and top with about 2 TBS of shredded cheese
• Roll each enchilada and place seam side down in the prepared pans
• Top with reserved sauce
• Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes
• Uncover, top with cheese, and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted
• TO FREEZE: Before topping with cheese cover, label, write instructions, and freeze
• TO PREPARE: Thaw overnight in the fridge and prepare using the above method

Chicken Pot Pies source Meal Planning Magic

1 onion, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup evaporated milk

2 cans chicken, drained

1 cup frozen peas

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

4 unbaked pie crusts

• Roll out pie crusts and place 2 of them in the bottom of pie plates (set aside the remaining pie crusts for topping later)
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat
• Saute onion, celery, and carrots for about 3 minutes or until tender
• Add flour and cook for about 1 minute stirring constantly
• Add chicken broth and evaporated milk
• Stir constantly until thickened and bubbly
• Stir in chicken, peas, salt and pepper
• Cool completely before pouring into pie crusts
• When cooled and poured into pie crusts cover with the top crusts
• Crimp the crusts and poke slits in the top
• Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes
• Cover with foil and bake 30 mire minutes
• Let rest 10 minutes before slicing
• TO FREEZE: After crimping cover with foil, label, and write preparation instructions on the container
• TO PREPARE: Defrost overnight in the fridge and prepare according to the above instructions

This recipe makes 2 pies.  I will freeze one for later this month

Lasagna
1 package of no boil lasagna noodles
1 lb italian sausage
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion, diced
2 TBS minced garlic
1 can italian diced tomatoes, drained
2 jars of spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese

• Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until cooked through and drain
• Add tomatoes, seasonings, and spaghetti sauce to the meat mixture and stir to combine
• In a separate mixing bowl combine the ricotta cheese, egg, spinach, and 1/2 tsp salt
• Spoon about 1/4 cup sauce in the bottom of each pan
• Layer uncooked noodles, sauce, ricotta mixture, shredded mozzarella, and parmesan cheese in each pan until all ingredients are used up ending with sauce and cheese (I got 2 complete layers of each)
• Cover with foil, label, and freeze
• When ready to bake thaw overnight in the refrigerator
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour - 1.5 hours or until heated through 

This recipe makes 2 lasagnas.

BLT Ranch Pizza source Food.com
1 refrigerated pizza crust (like pillsubury)
2 cups lettuce, torn
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
8 oz cream cheese softened
1/2 cup ranch dressing, divided
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup sliced olives
1/4 cup onion, diced finely
6 sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

• Bake crust according to instructions and cool completely
• Combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup ranch dressing, and garlic
• Spread evenly over the crust
• Top with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, onions, olives, and bacon
• Drizzle with remaining dressing.

There you have it!  My meal plan for the next month.  I have quite a few easy meals which I think my family will love.  Hopefully, this made it super easy for my husband so we don't have to order pizza or live on hot dogs for the next month ;)  

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What I am Eating - Townsend House