A Week of Recipes! (#1)

So - I put together a week's worth of recipes. They're all pretty simple to follow and 4 of the 6 are crock pot recipes (because who doesn't love "setting and forgetting" a meal?!) There's also a grocery list to go with the recipes. I plan to make this a weekly thing, so check back weekly!

Week 1 Menu

Day 1 – Beef and Broccoli

Day 2 – Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

Day 3 – Crockpot Spaghetti

Day 4 – Scalloped potatoes and ham

Day 5 – Smothered Pork chops and Yellow rice

Day 6 – Crockpot Beef Veggie Soup

Day 7 – Shepherd’s Pie

Day 1 – Beef and Broccoli

You need:

2 cups instant white rice, uncooked

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 lb. beef stir fry strips (or grilling steak, sliced thinly)

2 cups frozen broccoli florets

¼ cup hoisin sauce

¼ cup Catalina dressing

1 tbsp jarred minced ginger (or ginger root)

Cook the rice as directed on the package. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium high heat.  Add meat and cook for 3 minutes, or until evenly browned. Add broccoli, hoisin sauce, catalina dressing, and ginger. Stir well.

Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until heated through.

Day 2 – Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

THIS NEEDS TO COOK FOR 6-8 HOURS ON LOW!!!! THIS IS ALSO A 2 PART RECIPE!!!!

You need:

2 cups frozen green beans

2 cups frozen carrots

2 cups chicken broth

¼ cup all purpose flour

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. thyme

¼ tsp. pepper

½ cup chopped onion

1 tbsp. minced garlic

Combine the chicken broth, flour and spices, blend until smooth. Pour broth mixture and veggies in crock pot. Add the chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

The dumplings need about an hour to cook, so these need to be done about an hour before you’re ready to serve.

DUMPLINGS (Drop biscuit recipe):

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp white sugar

1/8 tsp salt

2 tbsp and 2 tsp. melted butter

1/3 cup milk

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. (This will not turn out a smooth dough, these are sticky drop biscuits.)

Spoon large drops of biscuit mix on top of the chicken soup, cover and let cook for 45 min to an hour. Dumplings are finished when a knife (or toothpick) inserted in center comes out clean.

Day 3 – Crockpot Spaghetti

THIS NEEDS TO COOK ON LOW FOR 8 – 10 HOURS!!!!

You Need:

3 cans diced tomatoes

1 15oz can tomato sauce

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 tbsp. sugar

¼ red wine

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp basil

1tbsp thyme

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained.

1 1lb pkg. spaghetti or angel hair pasta

Add all ingredients and cook on low for 8 -10 hours.  Boil pasta to preference.

Day 4 – Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

THIS NEEDS TO COOK HIGH FOR 4 HOURS OR LOW FOR 8 HOURS!!!!

You need:

1 ½ lbs. white potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped cooked ham (or coarsely chopped ham steak)

½ can (10.75 oz) cream of mushroom soup

¼ cup water

¼ tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

Mix potatoes, cheese, onion, and ham. Put in the slow cooker. Mix soup and water. Add spices and pour over potato mixture. Cook on high for 4 hours OR low for 8 hours.

Day 5 – Smothered Pork Chops and Yellow rice

You need:

2lbs pork chops

1 family size can cream of mushroom soup

Milk

2 cans green beans

1pkg yellow rice

Salt, pepper, and garlic salt and onion powder

Preheat oven to 375

Prepare yellow rice as directed on package. Season the pork chops with spices. Pan fry them until they’re almost done – leave them a little pink. Drain the green beans and mix with cream of mushroom soup and half a can of milk. Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Put the pork chops in the bottom of the pan. Top with soup mixture. Cover with aluminum foil. Cook for 30 minutes or until the soup mixture is bubbly.

Day 6 – Crockpot Beef Veggie Soup

THIS NEEDS TO COOK FOR 8 HOURS!!!!!

You need:

1 onion, chopped                                                                             2tbsp. parsley

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained                                               2 tsp. basil

2 cups frozen carrots                                                                      ½ tsp thyme

6 red potatoes, chopped                                                              1 tsp salt

1 can tomato sauce                                                                         1 tsp pepper

2 cans diced tomatoes                                                                   2 tbsp sugar

2 cups frozen green beans                                                           1 ½ cups water

½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce                                                      15 oz beef broth

1 tbsp garlic salt

Brown ground beef with onion and garlic salt. Drain. Place all ingredients in crock-pot. Cook  on low for 8 hours.

Day 7 – Shepherd’s Pie

You need:

2 lbs. ground beef

1 family size can cream of mushroom soup

Milk

2 cups frozen green beans, drained

2 cups corn (frozen or canned – drained if canned)

6 servings of instant mashed potatoes, prepared

Shredded cheddar cheese

Salt, pepper, garlic salt, onion powder

Preheat oven to 350

Brown ground beef with spices and drain. Spray the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and put ground beef in baking dish. Mix corn and green beans then put on top of ground beef. Mix soup with half a can of milk, then pour on top of vegetables. Put prepared mashed potatoes on top of soup mix. Cover mashed potatoes with shredded cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Grocery List

2lbs (minimum) white potatoes

2 whole onions

6 (minimum) red potatoes

1 pkg white mushrooms

Basil (dried, in the seasoning aisle)

Thyme (dried, in the seasoning aisle)

Parsley (dried, in the seasoning aisle)

1 14oz pkg frozen carrots

1 14oz pkg frozen green beans

1 14oz pkg frozen broccoli

1 box of instant mashed potatoes

1 pkg yellow rice (depends on how many you’re serving, but usually a family size)

1 box instant rice (brown or white)

2 regular cans tomato sauce

5 regular cans diced tomatoes

2 family size cans cream of mushroom soup

1 regular can cream of mushroom soup

2 cans green beans

Catalina dressing

Hoisin sauce

Worcestershire sauce

1 small jar minced ginger (or a small ginger root)

15oz (minimum) beef broth

15oz chicken broth

1pkg chopped, cooked ham (or dice a 1lb ham steak)

2lbs chicken (whatever you prefer for chicken and dumplings)

1lb beef stir fry strips (or 1lb of grilling steak, sliced thinly)

2lbs pork chops (whatever cut you prefer)

1 16oz pkg shredded cheddar cheese

Helpful hint: Please keep in mind that some things are a staple in my house (flour, milk, baking powder, sugar) and so are not included in the grocery list. Check the recipes to make sure you have all items in your cabinets and not just the grocery list.