What's For Dinner?

Would you rather go to the dentist than plan what's for dinner? Well, we have a meal plan for the week sure to please your tribe (and your wallet).

Some of these meals are easy enough to put together pretty quickly. Yet they will taste like you spent a lot of time on them.

Monday night:
Chili - it's a great "comfort" food and a beginning of the week meal
This is one I recently threw together with whatever was in my freezer and pantry and my husband raved about it! 
1/2 lb-1 lb of cooked turkey sausage or turkey burger (this sausage was crumbled up in my freezer from a month ago)
1 15 oz. can no salt or low salt corn (no need to drain)
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 15  oz. can dark red kidney beans (drained)
1 jar of Pioneer Woman's Rustic Bolognese pasta sauce (I bought this as a BOGO - buy one get one free - at my local grocery store. I needed some more tomatoes to put in the chili but didn't have any cans of crushed tomatoes - which is what I usually use - so this was my substitute. I think using this sauce is what made my husband rave!)
1-3 T. garlic powder (remember, I like garlic so I load it on, if you want to use just enough go with 1 T.)
1 T. fennel seed (I find whenever cooking a recipe with ground meat, fennel adds a nice flavor.)

Put all ingredients in the pot and let simmer boil (bring to a slight boil then turn down to a simmer) for about 20 minutes. Then your delicious dinner is done!

Optional toppings: 
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Sour Cream or Low-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
Crackers

Tuesday night:
Chicken Spaghetti
A friend introduced this recipe to me years ago and it's been a hit in our home ever since! 
1 box angel hair or spaghetti noodles cooked (I love thin noodles so the angel hair - surprise! - is my fave. Make it healthier by using wheat pasta or veggie pasta.)
1 container sauceless pulled chicken (I buy Curly's Roasted and Seasoned Pulled Chicken when it's BOGO.)
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1-3 T. garlic powder (see my note on garlic above)
1/2 c. Italian dressing
1 T. dry basil leaves
1 T. oregano

Combine all of the above ingredients (except the cooked noodles) in a pot. Let simmer for 20-25 minutes. You can also put the sauce in a crockpot on low for 4 hours (although to make it worth your while, double the recipe if you do this.)

Sides:
Broccoli is my go-to veggie for spaghetti.
Garlic bread anyone?!?

Wednesday night:
Parmesan Chicken
This one is so simple but tastes soo good.
Breaded frozen chicken breasts cooked according to package directions (you can also use chicken tenderloins or Boca Original Chicken veggie patties for this)
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce or 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes with basil 
2 c. shredded mozzarella or - for a nice kick - pepper jack cheese

Don't overcook the chicken. If it says 8-10 minutes to bake, then take them out at 8 minutes. Spoon enough spaghetti sauce or crushed canned tomatoes over each chicken breast to cover - but do NOT saturate. Then put cheese on top of the sauce. Put back in the oven for 5-8 minutes, until cheese melts. Viola! You are an Italian chef!

Sides:
A green veggie of your choosing (red and green just look pretty together!) or a nice salad
Garlic bread (we use the frozen kind but you can buy a fresh loaf from the bakery and dip it in olive oil and pepper)

Thursday night:
Left Over night! There should be some left overs from your earlier meals to take the night off tonight.

Friday night:
Sub night
Remember the sauceless chicken we bought BOGO earlier in the week? Well, buy the bbq version with it for Sub night!
1 container BBQ Chicken (warmed)
4-6 sub rolls
1 small onion sliced for subs
Sliced Cheese of your choosing (cheddar, provolone, gouda, pepper jack...)

Slightly toast the sub rolls on 325 degrees for about 3-5 minutes. Put the warmed bbq chicken in the rolls, put onions on top. Bake for 5-7 minutes. Take out of oven and put sliced cheese on top. Bake for another 3 minutes until cheese has melted.

Sides and optional toppings:
Pickles, jalapenos, cut carrots, fruit, and either potato chips or fries 

There you go! Your week of meal planning is done. Simple and easy. Enjoy!

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