7-Day Menu Planner
A week’s worth of quick, healthful meals for budgetminded families
SUNDAY: Prepare your own baked ham for the family dinner. Add a special dish such as Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Apples With Pecan Streusel Topping (see recipe), along with green peas (from frozen) and dinner rolls. You’ll love how easy Raspberry Shortcake can be using sliced pound cake with fresh raspberries and light whipped cream for dessert. Plan ahead: Save enough ham for Monday; save enough cake for Tuesday.
MONDAY: Use the leftover ham for Grilled Ham and Swiss Cheese Sandwiches on rye. Serve with tomato basil soup and a lettuce wedge. Fresh pineapple is your dessert.
TUESDAY: The kids will be all over Tortilla Casserole tonight. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a 7-by-11-inch baking dish, combine 1 (10- to 13-ounce) package refrigerated cooked carved chicken breasts, 1 (14.75-ounce) can creamstyle corn, 1 (15-ounce) can black beans (rinsed) and 2 medium tomatoes (seeded and chopped) until well blended. Smooth top. Cover and bake 35 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle top with ½ cup coarsely crushed baked tortilla chips and ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese. Bake 2 more minutes or until tortillas are toasted and cheese is melted. Serve with a chopped lettuce salad. Slice the leftover cake for dessert and top it with sliced peaches.
WEDNESDAY: Skip meat and have Fettuccine With No-Cook Tomato Sauce for an easy meal. In a medium bowl, combine 12 chopped, seeded plum tomatoes, ¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette, ¼ cup chopped fresh basil and 1 teaspoon minced garlic; mix well. Toss with hot cooked fettuccine and serve. Add a spinach salad with hard-boiled egg wedges and garlic bread. Try fresh tropical fruits for dessert.
THURSDAY: Layered Beef Salad is on the menu tonight! In a glass serving bowl (straight sides if available), layer shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, canned artichokes (drained) and strips of deli roast beef and any cheese. Repeat layers once. Top with ranch dressing. To serve, spoon through all layers. Serve with deli minestrone soup and flatbread. Buy or make tapioca pudding for dessert.
FRIDAY: It’s inexpensive and has lots of flavor, two good reasons to put Santa Fe Rice and Beans (see recipe) on the menu tonight. Serve with a sliced avocado and lettuce salad and corn tortillas. Plums are good for dessert.
SATURDAY: Invite extra-special friends for the spring flavors in Pan-Seared Paprika Salmon With Spicy Green Beans (see recipe). Add brown rice, a bibb lettuce salad and a baguette. For dessert, buy a coconut cream pie.