Meal Planning

 Dinners around the table with family don't need to be a thing of the past.  Watch this video for a simple plan to cook at home and enjoy family dinners.  

Shopping List 

Meal Planning Sheet 

My cookbook is available 

https://mascotbooks.com/mascot-marketplace/buy-books/cookbooks/all/homemade-the-american-family-cookbook/

Soup, There It Is! - Chicken and Noodles

Chicken and Noodles

Your favorite cut of bone-in skin on chicken (I used a 1/2 chicken)

A couple stalks of celery with leaves attached

a couple of un-peeled carrots

1/2 large dice onion

1 cup water 

1 chicken bullion cube

1 package of your favorite egg noodles

Seasoned salt

Extra chicken stock (if needed)

Directions

1. Add chicken (sprinkled with seasoned salt) vegetables,  water and bullion cube to a crock pot and cook for 6 hours on low. 

2. Strain liquid into a stock pot

3. Discard the vegetables 

4. Remove all the bones from the chicken and shred chicken with a fork

5. Bring your liquid up to a boil and add the noodles, boil for about 20 mins

6. Add the chicken and more stock if needed. 

Serve and enjoy!

You say tomato, I say tomato: Canned Tomato Recipes

Courtney's Chili

1. Brown 1/2 lb ground beef (remove and discard grease) and add 1 Tbsp steak seasoning

2. In a dutch oven saute 3 sweet peppers and 1/2 small onion until tender

3. Add 1 can pork-n-beans, 1 can of red kidney beans, 1 jar of tomatoes and the ground beef. 

4. Stir in the following spices: 

2 Tbsp Chili Powder, 1/2 Tbsp season salt, 1 tsp cumin, 1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp oregano

5. Cover and let simmer for at least 10 min. 

6. Then serve with your favorite fixin's 

Chicken and Tomatoes

1. Using your choice of bone-in/skin-on chicken place in a glass baking dish, dot with butter and sprinkle with season salt. Bake at 275 degrees for an hour or until the internal temp reaches 165 degree. 

2. Remove the skin and remove bones. Dice chicken

3. In a dutch oven add 1 package of dry onion soup mix and 2 cups of water

4. Add 1 can of home canned tomatoes and 1 can of store bought canned tomatoes

1 tsp basil and the diced chicken

5. Cover and simmer for about 45 min or until the liquid reduces to form a stew consistency

6. Serve over rice. 

Slow Cooker Swiss Steak

1. Cut 1 lb or more of round steak into portion size piece, salt and pepper each side. 

2. Dredge in flour and brown for a couple of min on each side in hot oil. 

3. Thinly slice 1 medium onion and 2 bell peppers. 

4. In a crock pot layer steak, peppers, onions and tomatoes until all in in the pot. Salt and pepper

5. Allow to cook for 6-8 hours

6. Serve over mashed potatoes 

For a how to video on Mashed Potatoes see my Easter Feaster video

here

 Hats (Aka Macaroni and Tomatoes) 

1. Cook 1/2 lb of pasta to al dente, drain and put back in the pot

2. Add 1/4 cup butter and stir until melted

3. Add 1 jar of canned tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste

4. Can be served with or without shredded mozzarella cheese 

Soup, There It Is! - Broccoli Cheese Soup

1. Finely chop 3 stalks of celery and between 1/2 and 1 onion (depending on how much you like onions)

2. Saute in the bottom of a dutch oven or stock pot in 1/4 cup butter until tender (5-10 min) over medium heat. 

3. Add 1 carton of either chicken broth or chicken stock and 2 bunches of broccoli heads cut into small pieces (or 1 bag of frozen broccoli). Cover and cook until broccoli is soft (about 10 min)

4. Add 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of half-n-half.  

5. Cut 16 oz of Velveeta cheese into small cubes and add to the pot, stir until all the cheese is melted. 

6. To thicken the soup remove about 1/2 cup of the liquid and mix in 2 Tbsp flour then stir back into the pot. This is supposed to keep lumps from forming but it they do just whisk away ;)

7. Let thicken and serve with sourdough bread. 

Homemade Ramen

Ramen Broth

1. In a very large stock pot place: beef bones, pork bones (ham bone works as well), bony part of chicken (wings), celery, carrots, onion, 2/3 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp fish sauce, fresh ginger, dried mushrooms, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 Tbsp salt, 6 quarts water and 1 Strip of dried seaweed (Kombu) 

2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 2 or more hours (remove Kombu after about 30 min)

3. When meat is cooked, skim of fat and strain liquid. Discard solids. 

4. Cook and serve ramen immediately or divid broth in quart size bags and freeze for Ramen anytime

Ramen Assembly

Cook Ramen Noodles in boiling water until soft. 

In a bowl combine ramen, broth and desired toppings

Some common ones are

Cooked strips of beef, green onions, dried mushrooms, bok choy, bean sprouts, napa cabbage

marinated eggs

Marinated Eggs

1. Steam 4-6 eggs for 10 min, immediatley place in ice water to cool

2. Peel eggs

3. In a bowl combine 3/4 cup Mirin, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp rice wine vinegar and 1 Tbsp water

3. Add egg and let soak for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight. 

Video Here 

Honey Wheat Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread

 

1. In a bread Machine place

1/2 cup sourdough discard

1 cup water

2 cups white flour

1 cup wheat flour

1/4 cup honey

2 Tbsp oil

2 tsp salt

2 tsp yeast

2. Start Machine 

3. Let cool and slice

4. Store in a ziplock bag for several days

Corn Chowder

 I love soup, but I find that when I make a pot a lot of it goes to waste.  I have discovered these great silicone soup freezers and now I can have a different soup each day of the week! You can purchase them on Amazon.  I have a soup making week and then I'm set for months of lunches!

Directions and Ingredients: 

1. Dice 1/2 cup onion and 2 celery stalks and saute (in butter or oil) in a heavy bottom pot until tender. 

2. Add 1/3 cup bacon bits or cooked crumbled bacon

3. Add 2 cups vegetable stock and 2 cups milk

4. Add 3 cups frozen, canned or fresh corn, 1 can of potatoes, diced, 1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers and 2 tsp Mrs Dash (salt free seasoning)

5. Heat over medium heat (careful not to curdle the milk) 

6. To thicken mix 1/3 cup flour or corn starch with 1/2 cup water and add to pot, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Heat until desired thickness is reached. 

7. To freeze for later, pour 1 cup of each in each section of the silicone soup freezers.  Freeze until solid and the pop them out of the molds.  Store in a labeled ziplock bag in the freezer for individual servings. 

 

Soup, There It Is-Soups! - Roasted Kale Potato Soup

 

Ingredients

 1 bunch fresh Kale leaves

5 golden potatoes

3 cups milk

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp bacon grease (optional)

2 tbsp flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)

1/4 cup bacon bits

2 tsp onion powder

4 slices  or 1 cup smoked gouda cheese

Directions

1. Remove kale from stems and coat with vegetable oil.  Spread out on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.  Roast kale at 425 for 10-15 min (until crisp) Cut into small pieces for the soup. 

2. Meanwhile, peel and dice 5 golden potatoes.  Boil until soft.  Drain water and transfer to a stand mixer.  Add 1/2 cup milk and beat until smooth (like mashed potatoes)

3. In a sauce pan melt butter and bacon grease. Add flour and salt and cook for a min or so

4. Add remaining 2 1/2 cups milk and stir, then add mashed potatoes and stir.  Add stock and onion powder and stir

5. Add bacon bit, kale and cheese and stir until cheese has melted.  Serve and enjoy.