7day menu planner
SUNDAY: Impress the family with your own broiled lamb chops. On the side, you’ll further make a good impression with creamy Mashed Potato Bake (see recipe). Add Green Peas With Cucumbers. Cook frozen petite green peas according to package directions; drain, then stir in 1 cup diced seedless cucumber, 1 tablespoon butter,
½ teaspoon dried dill and ½ teaspoon coarse salt. Add wholegrain rolls. Colorful Cherry Pie Cups (see recipe) are dessert. Plan ahead: Save enough Mashed Potato Bake and Cherry Pie Cups for Monday.
MONDAY: For a quick meal, buy a ham steak and prepare it according to package directions. Accompany the ham with leftover mashed potato bake, green beans and crusty bread. Enjoy the leftover cherry pie cups for dessert.
TUESDAY: Make low-cost Creamy Chicken Dijon for dinner. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet on medium and cook 4 (5- to 6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts 3 minutes per side or until browned. Mix together 1 (10 ¾ -ounce) can cream of celery soup, ⅔ cup water, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and
⅛ teaspoon pepper; spoon over chicken. Heat to boil. Cover and cook over low 5 minutes or until chicken registers 165 degrees. Serve with rice, fresh broccoli and whole-grain rolls. For dessert, peaches hit the spot.
WEDNESDAY: For a no-meat night, use your slow cooker for Vegetable Soup With Cheese. In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, combine 1 (15-ounce) can cream-style corn, 4 red potatoes (scrubbed and quartered), ½ cup shredded carrots, ½ cup chopped onion, ¼ teaspoon pepper and 2 (14-ounce) cans vegetable broth; mix well. Cook on high 4 hours or on low 6 to 8 hours. Ladle into bowls and garnish with shredded cheddar cheese. Serve with egg salad sandwiches with lettuce and sliced tomatoes on whole-grain toast. Fresh pineapple is good for dessert.
THURSDAY: See how fast you can make Sloppy Joes for the kids in your pressure cooker. In the cooker, heat 1 teaspoon canola oil on medium. Cook 1 large chopped onion and 1 chopped green bell pepper for 3 minutes. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 pound lean ground beef. Cook 3 minutes and drain grease. Add ¾ cup of your favorite barbecue sauce; mix well. Lock lid in place; on high heat, bring to high pressure. Reduce heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook 6 minutes. Turn off heat. Allow pressure to come down naturally, about 10 minutes. Tip lid away from your face and remove. Spoon mixture on toasted whole-grain hamburger buns and serve with oven fries. Halve cherry tomatoes and serve with ranch dip. Orange sections are a good dessert. Plan ahead: Save enough sloppy joe mix for Friday.
FRIDAY: Serve the leftover sloppy joes over split, toasted cornbread, along with deli bean soup and coleslaw. For dessert, keep it light with plums.
SATURDAY: Your guests will welcome Mustard-Crusted Salmon (see recipe) for dinner tonight. Serve with sugar snap peas and couscous. Add a spinach salad and baguettes. For a showstopper dessert, serve Maple-Sauced Pears. In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, place 6 peeled and cored pears upright. Mix together ½ cup packed brown sugar, ⅓ cup maple (or maple-flavored) syrup, 1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine, 1 teaspoon orange zest and ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger. Pour over pears. Cover and cook on high 2 to 2 ½ hours or until tender. Remove pears; place upright in serving dish. Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice; stir into sauce in cooker. Cover and cook on high 10 minutes or until thickened. Spoon over pears. Tip: Core pears from bottom using a melon baller, leaving stems attached.
THE RECIPES
Mashed Potato Bake
4 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and quartered ½ cup hot milk 1 (8-ounce) package
Neufchatel cream cheese 1 cup sour cream 2 teaspoons parsley flakes ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon coarse salt ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 6 ounces shredded cheddar
cheese 4 slices cooked bacon,
crumbled
Cook potatoes in boiling water about 15 minutes or until tender; drain. Combine cooked potatoes, milk, cream cheese, sour cream, parsley flakes, garlic powder, salt and nutmeg. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high until potatoes are fairly smooth and creamy. Spoon mixture into a 9-by-13inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bacon. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot. Makes 14 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with skim milk and reduced-fat sour cream and reduced-fat cheddar cheese) contains approximately 213 calories, 10 g protein, 9 g fat, 25 g carbohydrate, 30 mg cholesterol, 272 mg sodium and 3 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1 ½
Cherry Pie Cups
2 refrigerated pie crusts (from 2-crust box), softened as directed 1 (21-ounce) can light cherry
pie filling Heat oven to 425 degrees. Unroll crusts on work surface. With 3 ½ - or 4-inch round cutter, cut 6 rounds from each crust; discard scraps. Fit rounds into 12 ungreased standard (2 ½ -inch) muffin cups, pressing in gently. Spoon about 2 tablespoons pie filling into each crust-lined cup. Bake 14 to 18 minutes or until edges are golden-brown and filling is bubbly. Makes 12 pastries. Nutrition information: Each pastry contains 136 calories, 1 g protein, 7 g fat, 17 g carbohydrate, 3 mg cholesterol, 153 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1.
Mustard-Crusted Salmon
1 ¼ pounds center-cut salmon filets, cut into 4 portions Coarse salt and ground black pepper to taste ¼ cup sour cream 2 tablespoons coarse-grained
mustard 2 teaspoons lemon juice Lemon wedges
Heat broiler. Line broiler pan with foil, then coat with cooking spray. Place salmon, skin side down, on pan. Season with salt and pepper. Combine sour cream, mustard and lemon juice. Spread evenly over salmon. Broil 5 inches from heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until salmon is opaque in center. Serve with lemon wedges. Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving (prepared with reducedfat sour cream) contains 216 calories, 30 g protein, 8 grams fat, 1 g carbohydrate, 74 mg cholesterol, 298 mg sodium and no fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 0.