What's for Dinner?? Share your week night dinner ideas with other Busy Families!

[kimmer]

Sure thing My2CrazyGirls

Beef Vindaloo
Ingredients:
• 1 lb beef stew meat
• Snow peas or green beans (around 2 cups)
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger
• 1 onion
• 6 minced cloves of garlic
• Can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1.5 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp ground mustard
• 1/4 tsp ground clove
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (use less if you don't want it too spicy)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• fresh cilantro


Directions:
Throw the beans/peas, the beef pieces, the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, and ground cinnamon into your slow cooker.
In a bowl, mix your crushed tomatoes with the cumin, ground mustard, cloves, cayenne pepper, salt, and curry powder. Throw that in the slow cooker too.
Cook on low for around 8 hours. You might need to modify your cooking time based on your slow cooker. Ours is old, so it cooks at a really low temp.
Throw some chopped cilantro on top and enjoy.
I like to serve it with Basmati Rice.

Forget where I got that recipe from. I think it may have been from these forums somewhere...

The next one, baked honey chicken, I got from All Recipes.com:

Ingredients
1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.Place chicken pieces in a shallow baking pan, skin side up. Combine the melted butter or margarine, honey, mustard, salt and curry powder and pour the mixture over the chicken. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/4 hours (75 minutes), basting every 15 minutes with pan drippings, until the chicken is nicely browned and tender and the juices run clear.


I can't seem to find my Chicken Shepherd's Pie recipe. I only have my ingredients listed for it which is:
4 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
2 cubes of chicken boullion
1 tsp rosemary
potatoes
corn

Sorry! I haven't made it in quite a while...

 

[Minnesota!]

This week's menu:

Monday - spaghetti and meatballs
Tuesday - bean soup in crockpot, grilled cheese
Wednesday - cheese quesadillas, with fajita peppers/onions, black bean/corn salad, and apple sauce
Thursday - home made veggie/tofu lo mein
Friday - was supposed to be something else but something came up and it will be Subway

weekends we graze. lots of cheese/crackers, etc.

Next week:

Monday - split pea and ham soup (crockpot), grilled cheese
Tuesday - scrambled eggs with ham, cheese, and toast
Wednesday - potstickers, broccoli, rice
Thursday - BBQ chicken sandwiches (make chix in crockpot), cooked carrots
Friday - shrimp pasta

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Okay, not the healthiest, but it's cheap & easy, and everyone in my family EATS it and always has.

Brown a pound of hamburger & drain it
Cook 3 packs of ramen noodles and some peas
Drain the peas & noodles and mix with the burger
Shake on the seasoning packs that come with the noodles

I survived off that in college - my roomate & I once bought a gross of Ramen noodles on sale 12 packs for $1 and we'd buy the nastiest hamburger on sale $.29/pound

 

[qder123]

Some good tips here! I love my food lol

 

[disneymomjcs]

I make a huge pot of gravy with sausage and meatballs and then freeze in microwave reheatable containers about 15 meals. This is our Monday night dinner every week. Take out and defrost/reheat. Make angel hair pasta quick and easy. Some italian bread. Salad too.

I make a bowl of cut up apples red delicious and granny smith add a can of mandarin oranges (keeps from turning brown) I put out with dinners. I also pack for lunches.

I have my same old recipes.

Breaded Chicken Cutlets
Chicken and Gravy
Chicken with pineapples and green peppers on the the Griddle/pannini maker
Turkey Chili
mandarin pork chops
London Broil
Turkey London Broil
Beef Stew
Baked Ziti
Grilled pannini sandwiches
Chicken quesadillas
breakfast for dinner Pancakes/waffles/eggs bacon


Thursdays we pull out all leftovers and reheat and have a buffet of leftovers.

Fridays we do pizza especially during lent.



When our kitchen was being remodeled I would cook all my meals larger portions and freeze. Dinner for two weeks. I would just make sides in the microwave.

 

[clm10308]

I like to buy big packages of hamburger when it is in sale (10-20lbs). I cook it all in one day, divide it up into meal portions, and freeze the cooked meat. That makes meal prep easier on busy days. I will pre-make it into tacos, sloppy joes, meatloaf, and leave some plain.
We do the same thing when DH uses his smoker. We will cook 3-4xs the amount we can eat and freeze the cooked meat.

I was never very successful with detailed meal planning, but I made a list of things I could make with what I had in the freezer/pantry and posted that on the fridge.

I like crockpot cooking, but when I was out of the house for sometimes 10+ hours, a lot of things would be over cooked. I just got a new crockpot that has a timer you acn set to stop cooking and switch to "warm". I wish I had this one many years ago.

 

[minnieandfamily]

I love this website for easy, delicious and healthy recipes:
http://www.skinnytaste.com

I have made several of her recipes and all have been really good!

My family also likes this crockpot chicken marsala recipe:

http://http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/slow-cooker-chicken-marsala/31cd3710-f138-4fa1-bb2f-dd9f7e1da6a0

This is another fairly quick and easy recipe that we like (we use scrod - usually serve with rice pilaf and green beans or broccoli):

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt (we use less)
2 pounds thawed fresh or frozen fish fillets
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
melted butter

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 11 1/2 x 7 1/2 x 2-inch baking dish.
Blend together the milk and salt in a shallow bowl. Combine bread crumbs, paprika, and Parmesan cheese in another bowl.

Dip fish fillets into milk mixture then into crumb mixture. Arrange in the prepared baking dish. Drizzle melted butter over fillets. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, depending on thickness of fillets. Fish should flake easily with a fork when done.

Baked fish recipe serves 6.

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

Sure thing My2CrazyGirls

Beef Vindaloo
Ingredients:
• 1 lb beef stew meat
• Snow peas or green beans (around 2 cups)
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger
• 1 onion
• 6 minced cloves of garlic
• Can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1.5 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp ground mustard
• 1/4 tsp ground clove
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (use less if you don't want it too spicy)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• fresh cilantro


Directions:
Throw the beans/peas, the beef pieces, the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, and ground cinnamon into your slow cooker.
In a bowl, mix your crushed tomatoes with the cumin, ground mustard, cloves, cayenne pepper, salt, and curry powder. Throw that in the slow cooker too.
Cook on low for around 8 hours. You might need to modify your cooking time based on your slow cooker. Ours is old, so it cooks at a really low temp.
Throw some chopped cilantro on top and enjoy.
I like to serve it with Basmati Rice.

Forget where I got that recipe from. I think it may have been from these forums somewhere...

The next one, baked honey chicken, I got from All Recipes.com:

Ingredients
1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.Place chicken pieces in a shallow baking pan, skin side up. Combine the melted butter or margarine, honey, mustard, salt and curry powder and pour the mixture over the chicken. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/4 hours (75 minutes), basting every 15 minutes with pan drippings, until the chicken is nicely browned and tender and the juices run clear.


I can't seem to find my Chicken Shepherd's Pie recipe. I only have my ingredients listed for it which is:
4 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
2 cubes of chicken boullion
1 tsp rosemary
potatoes
corn

Sorry! I haven't made it in quite a while...

Thank you so much! Is there a certain type of mustard you use in the honey chicken? Dijon, spicy brown?

 

[starsweeper]

Here are some recipes I use often that are quick and easy.

Fried Rice (30 min)
Place 20-30 frozen/pre-cooked/tail-less shrimp in lukewarm water to thaw. Prepare 2 cups of White Minute Rice. Scramble 6 eggs with 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, then chop into small pieces. Combine rice, chopped eggs, shrimp, 1 small can of peas, 1 small can of mushrooms, 1/2 cup pre-cooked diced ham, and 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in pan. Cook on medium heat, stirring often. After 5 minutes, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 more minutes before serving.

Baked Penne Pasta (45min - 1hour)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Apply non-stick coating to 9x13 casserole dish. Boil 16-oz box of penne pasta. Brown 1 pound of lean ground beef. Combine 26-oz jar of Prego Traditional Meat-flavored Spaghetti Sauce with 2 cups of shredded Mozzarella cheese and browned beef in bowl and stir together. Drain pasta noodles and pour into casserole dish. Pour beef mixture evenly over noodles. **Cover with foil and place in refrigerator to bake later, or bake now uncovered for 25-30min at 350 degrees. (I often prepare after breakfast and bake for dinner)

Other recipes I use:
Best Ever Meatloaf http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1827,135190-240194,00.html
Easy Baked Pork Chops http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1627,130181-247192,00.html
Chicken, Broccoli, Rice, Cheese Casserole (can use peas instead of broccoli) http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/broccoli-rice-cheese-and-chicken-casserole/Detail.aspx
Chicken and Rice Casserole http://southernfood.about.com/od/chickenrice/r/Chicken-Rice-Casserole.htm
Pasticcio http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1927,148169-231198,00.html

 

[North of Mouse]

Oh, I do love to hear about new recipes. I fixed an easy one tonight - large talipia fillets, cajun seasoned, lightly breaded with half seasoned bread crumbs, half cornmeal, then pan fried med-high heat with a little olive oil - yummy! Just added asparagus, and rice pilaf - nothing time consuming, but good!

 

[Grendalynn]

I checked out this thread while I made out my shopping list. I got some good ideas and am lookiing forward to the change of menu items!

This week was vacation week, so the kids were headed in 100 different directions. It was an easy meal week - here is what we had:

Pizza
Burger's and fries
Beef burgundy and egg noodles
fish sticks and french fries
spinach bisque and ham sandwiches
pork roast, mashes potatoes and corn
BLTs and left over soup

Here is my meal plan this week:

1) American Chopped Suey (also known as Goulosh in certain areas) - Elbow moodles, spagetti sauce and Ground beef

2) Crock Pot chicken - roasters are on sale for 99 Cents so I will get a couple... one will be put in the crock pot for an easy night of crockpot chicken. Served with rice and veggies. Left overs will be turned into Chicken Soup later in the week

3) Chicken fingers and Tatertots with salad

4) Burritos with spanish rice

5) Chicken cordon blue - chicken breasts or patties, topped with shaved ham and swiss cheese. Side of pasta or rice and a veggie

6) Broccoli Alfredo - jar or mix made alfredo sauce, broccoli pieces (i buy a jumbo frozen bags and get 2 meals out of it) and Spaghetti. If check left over, will add some to it as well.

7) Chicken Soup or potpie - made from left overs... chicken, rice or potatoes, veggies....

Looks like lots of chicken this week ... Maybe I will find a good roast on sale when I go to the store and mix it up a little... but this is where my menu is starting out. Next week might be a Beef/Pork week??

 

[PrincessSteph]

I love seeing what everyone else does for dinner, it's giving me lots of new ideas. My family has been eating out way too much and that has to stop!

My plan for the week:

1. Spaghetti (we watched Lady and the Tramp and had a fun evening)
2. Lasagna
3. Chicken Noodle Soup & Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
4. Chicken & Rice dish
5. Hot Dogs & Mac-n-Cheese
6. Pancakes
7. Leftovers