This week’s menu is a day late, but better late than never! A late post is simply proof that as much as we may get done, plan for, set out to accomplish etc, there will ALWAYS be more we could have gotten done. Anyways, here is another week’s worth of menu ideas for you to try out. In keeping with my tardiness, I have come up with a week’s worth of meals that can be made VERY quickly…We’re talking put Rachael Ray to shame quickly here folks. Let’s face it, even when we menu plan, life happens! The kids fight…The laundry beckons..We look at the clock and realize our husband will be home in half an hour, and we haven’t started dinner! Yikes! Well, try out any one of these uber quick meals the next time you find yourself in 5:00 panic mode!
Monday: Bagel Pizzas – (Watch for an upcoming post on more ideas on creative pizzas!)
Tuesday: Soup-can Spaghetti (This was my FAVORITE meal as a child, and is still probably the way I prefer spaghetti, despite having grown-up, and even despite knowing how to make home-made marinara! I think sometimes we just have a fondness for things we grew up with.) This is about the most basic spaghetti sauce in the world. You mix together a can of golden mushroom soup (cream of mushroom works when you don’t have the golden), a can of tomato soup, and an envelope of spaghetti seasoning. This takes about five minutes and is a great meal to make in a time-crunch. (And I almost always have the ingredients on hand!)
Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner – Scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, and fruit
Thursday: Quesadillas – Who says you can’t have a quesadilla past the age of about 9? Often we think of these as “kid food”, but they are so much fun to make. (Plus, we got about 5 quesadilla makers when we got married, so hey, we HAVE to make them once in awhile!) I like to poach and shred some chicken and season it up with taco seasoning (I leave it plain for my children who prefer it that way.) I grate up our favorite cheese, and have a few toppings to pick from. I like to use canned green chiles on mine, and sometimes bell pepper strips if we have them. Serve these up with some salsa and sour cream (and guacamole if you are one of those crazies who likes avocados.) =)
Friday: Tuna Mac – Again, not gourmet, and some of my readers with more sophisticated palates, no children, and/or money, may turn up their nose at this one. For our family however, this is quick, CHEAP, and everyone eats it. (Again, the holy trinity of a good meal.)Make up a box of macaroni and cheese (I don’t want to hear about the evils of boxed macaroni!) and add in a can of tuna (or 2), vegetables of your choice (if you are using canned, add them in at the end so as not to squish them), and a bit of extra grated cheese. I have also added in things like sour cream, or half a can of cream of mushroom soup. I sometimes will throw some crumbled Ritz crackers or breadcrumbs on top, during the last few minutes in the oven (just to make it SEEM fancy.)
Saturday: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Soup (I often have homemade soup in the freezer, but you can definitely cut yourself some slack and serve a canned soup. There are actually some really high quality canned soups available now, and buying the family size can, saves you money!) You can also “fancy this up” by using different types of cheese. Don’t always reach for the cheddar or the American. Try a grilled cheese with Swiss or Provolone. Use mozzarella, and throw on some fresh tomato (if you are lucky enough to actually have some red ones!) You can add some deli meat, or some veggies to your sandwich as well.
Sunday: BLT Salad with Chicken – I am always very happy when I find a salad my husband will eat! He likes this one. Toss your favorite greens with chopped tomatoes, bacon, and sliced grilled chicken breast. We also like to add some cheese, and I throw in green onions into mine. This is a good recipe to make when you do happen to have breakfast for dinner during the same week, as I always forget about the rest of my bacon. I will find it weeks later when it is blue. =( This recipe helps to use it up for us, as we’re not really the “sit-down” breakfast type of family. If your kids don’t like salad, (mine don’t), simply give them the grilled chicken with slice of the bacon on a whole wheat sub roll.
Allright ladies, when you think the clock has beaten you, smile your supermom smile, and declare victory!
