Meals for Week of September 26, 2011

Today is the first day of fall and in some parts of the country it has begun to be cool, although not where I live.  However, football season both college and the NFL have been in full swing so I wanted to share some fun game day recipes you might want to try.
Bacon Wrapped Artichoke Hearts 
Buffalo Chicken Bites 
Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls
Grilled Corn Guacamole

This week I did a little experiment and baked a breakfast cookie.  I wrote about it and shared the recipe on my other blog, e-mealplanning Recipes.  If you are interested in something different for a quick morning breakfast, check them out.

Meals for Week of September 26, 2011

Pappardelle with Corn- Super simple and made with fresh seasonal ingreadients.  We love pappardelle in our house.

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole-  I love this recipe from The Pioneer Woman and my family likes it too.  But she makes no excuses and goes all out with butter and cream.  However, the base for the sauce can be made with milk instead of the cream if you want to lighten it up. 

Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tostadas- What I like about this recipe, is there no frying of tortillas.  Just bake them to get crisp and then they crisp up some more when you broil it with the toppings.  This method can really just be a jumping off point for your own tostada combinations.  And use whatever kind of tortilla you prefer.

Quinoa Stir Fry with Vegetables and Chicken- Quinoa is a fantastic high protein whole grain that is similar in texture to cous cous, but a tiny bit larger.  This is a great, one dish meal that you can really customize to your own tastes.

Lemon Cream sauce Pasta with Peas- This is a good meatless meal that kids will love.  Or if you need to eat it as a side with roasted chicken or fish. 

Baked Ziti- Great for a weeknight, also good to make ahead, like the recipe says, it’s all the elements of lasagna, but much easier to assemble. 

Carolina Barbecue Pulled Pork- Delicious Carolina style bbq (which means tart with cider vinegar) made in your crock pot!  The key is the liquid smoke, which is easy to find in grocery stores.  This will make a lot so it’s perfect to serve a crowd for weekend football or make it on a weeknight and have leftovers that can be re-done in another meal or eat as sandwiches again.  

Rotisserie Chicken Paprikash- This recipes takes a store bought roasted chicken and spices it up with a peppery sauce.

Cayenne Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa- An easy avocado and lime salsa to eat with spicy chicken breasts.  And it’s just ¼ teaspoon of cayenne to rub on 4 chicken breasts, so it’s not too much heat and you can always reduce that if you need to.  Be sure to wash your hands well after touching the cayenne. 

Side Dishes
Tomato Salad with Crushed Croutons- Such a beautiful and simple dish to use those beautiful garden tomatoes that you probably have an abundance of.
Parmesan Roasted Potatoes- Easy and delicious.  Great side dish with grilled anything. 

Meals for Week of September 19, 2011

School may have only just started within the last few weeks, but with packing lunch every day it seems like it becomes boring or a challenge within a couple days. I wanted to pass along some recipes that might help spark new ideas.  

Turkey Caesar Sandwich- The recipe calls for creating a mayo spread that is like Caesar dressing. Easy, but you could also mix a little bottled dressing with mayo.  

Taco Turkey Wraps- Sour cream mixed with taco seasonings serve as a spread with deli turkey, add some tomato, avocado and lettuce to add some additional good protein and vitamins.  

Pasta Salad with Broccoli and Peanuts- You can make this on a Sunday and have several servings packed in your lunch throughout the week.

Here's a few links to blogs and photos with more lunch box inspiration for you.  

Happy Little Bento- Full of cute bento-style lunches that are healthy and fun for kids. There are recipes too for some of the things she makes.  
Easy Lunch Boxes-- I use these and I love them. I've shared the link many times. Here is their photo gallery with over 100 photos of lunches.  

Meals for the Week of September 19, 2011  

Broccoli and Pork Stir Fry- I tend to always go to chicken, beef or shrimp for a stir fry, but pork is tasty and this recipe is easy. Plus it's perfect to make more so you have leftovers to pack in lunches.  

Polenta Pizza- I really love polenta, it's very easy to make and it's a nice change to pour your spaghetti sauce over instead of pasta. It's also something you can make extra of one night to have with your favorite pasta sauce, then save to use for this recipe.  

Coconut Peanut Sauce Beef- Love this recipe, the sauce is so good! Substitute chicken if you prefer.  

Pineapple Chicken Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette- Easy to prep the night before or morning of and a good way to use leftover or pre-cooked chicken.  

Easy One Pot Mac and Cheese- Delicious creamy pasta, kid-approved, filling for a main dish along with salad or a vegetable side dish.  

Flank Steak Stir Fry with Asparagus and Red Pepper- You can easily substitute chicken instead of the flank steak.  

Pork Chops with Mustard Crust- Seems upscale, but it’s rather simple with just 5 ingredients. Read the comments on this recipe for a lot of great suggestions for substitutions/variations.  

Tomato Pie- another very simple recipe for tomato pie. She calls it “pizza meets cheesy bread in a pie crust.” I've made this twice in the last month and it's such a great way to use up your garden tomatoes. Its important to be sure and drain the tomatoes so the pie crust doesn’t get soggy.  

Roquefort Pear Salad- Add pears to any salad with a vinaigrette and a cheese like feta, Parmesan or any kind of blue cheese. The combination is so good! For this recipe you can make short cuts by using a bottled red wine vinaigrette dressing and candied pecans.