Dirty Dishes: Weekly Meal Plan #2

I’m really happy that so many of you read, liked and even tried some of the recipes that I posted in my last meal plan. Thanks for the feedback! As long as you guys let me know you want me to post more, I will do my best to post my meal plans and recipes. I’m also working on building my stock of photos of my recipes so for now you’ll have to use your imagination and trust me ,this stuff is good.

Here’s what we’re having for dinner this week.

 

Monday

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Meatballs with Brown Rice and Broccoli (recipe below)

 

Tuesday

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup – this recipe was adapted from a recipe that was shared with me by my lovely neighbour whom I miss dearly since moving this summer. This recipe has become a staple in our house. (recipe below)

 

Wednesday

Easy Turkey Manicotti  – from one of my favorite cookbooks written by a local mom turned author and meal planning expert, Sandi Richard. (recipe below)

 

 

 

Thursday

Beef n’ Broccoli with Quinoa (or rice) – I found the recipe on Pinterest but the original blog post for the recipe can be found HERE.

 

Friday

Tacos – You don’t need a recipe for this. It’s as simple as picking up some shells (soft or hard) and seasoning up some kind of meat. Add cheese, salsa, sour cream, voila! TGIF!

 

Weekend Experiment

I’m going to test out a new soup recipe this weekend and if I like it I’ll add it to my plan in the future.

 

Leave me a comment and let me know if you try any of my recipes. Like them, hate them, want me to plan something using your favorite ingredient in future plans? Tell me about it!

 

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Meatballs 

Use 1.5 lbs of ground beef  and make your favorite meat ball recipe. For this recipe I add, 1 egg, 1/2 cup panko crumbs, 1/2 envelope of onion soup mix to the meat and then roll into balls. Place raw meat balls in the slow cooker.

For the sauce:

2/3 cup ketchup

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup water

remaining half of onion soup mix from meatballs (optional)

2 tbsp cornstarch disolved into 1 cup of water

Mix first 4 (or 5 if you are using the onion soup mix that’s left over) ingredients in the same bowl you used to make the meatballs. No need to dirty another bowl. Pour over meatballs and cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, pour cornstarch water mixture into slow cooker and mix with a spoon. Let cook and thicken for 30 minutes or so. Serve over quinoa or rice with a side of steamed veggies like broccoli. YUM!

 

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1- 16oz jar of your favourite salsa

1-32 oz can of crushed tomatoes

1-15oz can of black beans

1 cup of frozen corn

16oz of water (use the empty salsa jar to measure water)

1 envelope of low sodium taco seasoning (I use Old ElPaso)

Place cubed chicken in a skillet and brown. Don’t cook all the way thru. Coat chicken with taco seasoning. Place chicken in slow cooker along with salsa, crushed tomatoes, black beans, corn and water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Serve with a dollop of light sour cream and a sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese. (optional topping: crushed taco chips) ( If you like your soup thinner add more water or visa versa, if you like it thick, reduce the water)

 

Easy Turkey Manicotti (Cooking for the Rushed- The Healthy Family by Sandi Richard page.83) 

 

1  lb of ground turkey

1/2  tsp Mrs. Dash Table Blend

1  tsp curry powder

1/2  tsp pepper

1  can of cream of mushroom soup

1/4  soup can of milk

1  pkg of manicotti noodles

1 –  250g  1% cottage cheese

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (700ml)

2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese

 

preheat oven 375F

brown ground turkey meat until cooked thru. Add spices and seasonings and stir. Add soup and milk and stir. Remove from heat.

Spray a baking dish with grease.

Hold uncooked manicotti noodle and spoon meat mixture into the tube until filled. Place in baking dish. Repeat until all the meat is gone. When all the shells are filled in the pan, spook cottage cheese over top. Pour pasta sauce over top of cottage cheese. Cover dish with tin foil tightly. Shiny side down. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until noodles are tender and cooked. Remove foil and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Return to oven to melt or broil to melt cheese. Serve with caesar salad.