Tuesday, January 29, 2013

menu call

so, as usual, the beginning of a new year brings me wanting to get a better hold on my menu/meal planning.  and, as always, i seem to be in desperate need of some new ideas.  thus, i am asking anyone who still remembered this blog existed to help me out.  do your own post or even throw your suggestions in the comments.  
please, don't make me beg...

burch house
monday - bbq chicken sandwiches with broccoli, sweet potato fries (cheat), and arugula salad
tuesday - croque madames (fried egg on top) with fruit
wednesday - jessica's pot roast
thursday - farmer's market casserole, grilled chicken and buttered noodles
friday - fondue (super random, but we were cleaning out for a garage sale and came across our old fondue pot and thought we should let the kids use it one time before i decide to sell it)

farmers' market casserole is my new favorite dish thanks to allie.
quick rundown.  fill the bottom of the pan with uncooked israeli couscous, roast egg plant and onions with a little olive oil and seasoning then layer on top of the couscous.  then layer any vegetables you like.  i used italian zucchini, a layer of mozzarella and tomatoes.  then mix together some panko (or your choice of breadcrumbs), some parmesan, some chopped basil and chopped garlic.  sprinkle over the dish and bake at 350 covered for about 30-45 minutes, then uncover and let the top get crispy and delicious.  finally, greedily hope your family doesn't eat all of it, because the leftovers are fantastic as well.  and lunch the next day has been made.
(allie, if you have any variations to add, feel free to chime in!)

we always have a couple of these in the freezer.  my kids are obsessed and when i don't have time to make a side dish, they come in mighty handy.  if you have more kids than me and want to make two bags, pour them on separate trays as they do get soggy when all piled up together, but are super crispy when able to bake in a single layer.  just a suggestion.

and, as a random extra, we made these egg biscuits this weekend.  store bought biscuit dough, rolled out and pressed into a cupcake tray.  crack an egg in the center and top with whatever you like (cheese, salt and pepper, maybe a little meat...).  bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes.  they will make your kids very happy!

5 comments:

  1. Yay! So happy you did this! My only addendum to the Farmers' Market Casserole is that I mix olive oil into the panko/garlic/parm topping. Also, on occasion I've had to add a little stock around the edges if the couscous is still a little hard. I think that part depends on how juicy the vegetables you chose are.

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  2. Well, I am intimidated by the fact that you have meals planned out so well for the whole week. I am not so good at planning that far in advance yet. Here is what we have had so far:
    MON- Green Chile Enchilada Casserole (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quick-and-easy-green-chile-chicken-enchilada-casserole/) I just add some spinach inside to make it healthier only usually only to one side so my kids don't complain. I also just grill the chicken because it is faster then the oven way they say in the recipe. You can get away with two breasts if they are pretty large.
    TUES- Chili
    WED- Gnocci with Pesto and Grilled Chicken
    ... After that probably some left overs and I haven't planned anything else. I am not the most helpful.

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  3. Sunday: Two whole roast chickens
    Monday: Skillet Spaghetti,http://isinginthekitchen.com/2011/03/05/skillet-baked-spaghetti/ , everyone loved this! with breadsticks and salad.
    Tuesday: Leftovers. wah.
    Wednesday: using leftover roast chicken in a pot pie
    Thursday: My very own Pot Roast! Haven't made that since Sam was born!
    Friday: I'm going to try that No Knead Pizza Dough (http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/03/no-knead-pizza-dough) and hopefully we'll have homemade diy pizza.

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