I love the feedback I am getting from some of you regarding these weekly menus! I am so happy to share a few things that have worked for me in the past, and I am glad I saved my old menu calendars! (Since I typically plan out our meals a month at at time, I print out a blank calendar, and write my meals out right onto the calendar template. Then, I hang the calendar up on the fridge, so myself (and my  husband) can know what to expect for dinner.)

Monday: Corn Tortilla Chicken Lasagna

The recipe given, is for TWO 13×9 pans of lasagna, so unless you want to make a batch for the freezer or a friend, I would cut this recipe in half. You can also change out the kidney beans for black beans, or even refried beans (although that would change the texture a bit.) I’ve done it both ways though, and enjoyed it both times! This lady also goes a little overboard with some of her ingredients. I have never used a bottle and a half of salsa, or a can and a half of olives..Use what you have on hand, and what you can afford. If you don’t like something, omit it, and add something else instead! Leave out the green pepper and add diced green chiles or onions instead (or do all three!) Don’t be afraid to play around with recipes!

Tuesday: Meatball Sliders – This is a favorite of ours, and SO simple! Get a bag of frozen meatballs, and heat them up in your favorite marinara sauce. Serve up a couple of meatballs and a spoonful of sauce on a roll. (I like the potato rolls from Winco’s bakery!) We add a slice of provolone cheese to ours. These are SO good, and very easy!

Wednesday: Rice a Roni Casserole – I love to use convenience food and then make it better! My kids LOVE rice a roni, so I like to find ways to make a meal out of it. I like to start by preparing two boxes of any of their chicken flavored mixes. Then, I add chopped chicken breast, (either uncooked with the rice and water), or cooked at the end. Stir in a cup or two of broccoli florets during the last five minutes of cooking. If you like your rice a little creamier, you can add a can of cream of chicken soup (or half a can). Top with cheese. Super easy. There is a version of this recipe found here:

http://www.ricearoni.com/recipes/Cheesy_Chicken_and_Broccoli

Thursday: Frito Pie – (Alert, alert, alert, health nuts should run away now!)

Spread about two cups of Fritos in a 8×8 pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup to 1 cup of grated cheese and 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup chopped onion. Top with 2 cans of your favorite chili. Sprinkle about another cup of Fritos on top of the chili, and top with another 1/2 cup to 1 cup of cheese, and more onions. (This is a silly and fun meal, and one of those recipes that is OKAY to make every once in awhile. ) Serve this up with some salad and sweet tea. (Okay, I’ve gone and made my pregnant self have cravings…)

Friday: Fancy Chicken (I laugh at the title of this recipe…My husband named it this, and it is ANYTHING but fancy, but he loves it for whatever reason.) Arrange your chicken breasts in a baking dish and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle with melted butter. Cook at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and spoon any flavor of Campbell’s cream soup over the top (straight out of the can). Put back in the oven, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Like I said, it is not fancy, but my husband loves this chicken.

Saturday: Pigs in a Blanket – I will post my recipe for this soon, but if you don’t have a good recipe for the “blanket”, you can wrap your hot dogs with canned crescent rolls. You can even stick in a slice of cheese as you wrap it up! My kids love these, and it makes hot dogs something special.

Sunday: Tuna Cakes I found this recipe awhile back, and we really enjoyed it. I really like tuna, so this is a nice change-up from tuna melts or casserole.

Enjoy these recipes! Let me know if any of them work for you! Happy meal planning!!