Week 2 Menu and Shopping List

Cream of Potato Soup and Rolls
Sour Cream Enchiladas with Cilantro Rice
Hawaiian Haystacks with Malorie's Orange Jello Salad
Personal Pizzas with Green Salad
Ginger Soy Pork Chops with Oven Roasted Veggie Kabobs
Orange Chicken and Rice Pilaf


Shopping List: There are several items you might have left from last week

Veggies:
one salad mix or your favorite greens
Cilantro (have any left from last week?)
Garlic
Green Onions
Red onion
white or yellow onions
green bell pepper x2 meals
yellow bell pepper
red bell pepper
summer squash or crook neck squash
zucchini
celery
tomatoes
cucumber
potatoes
lime

Frozen:
Rhodes Texas Rolls frozen dough x 2 meals (one bag of 24 should do it)
Cool Whip ( 8 oz.)
1 small can frozen Orange Juice

Bread:
8- 10 pack of small flour tortillas

Pasta Aisle:
1 jar pizza sauce or marinara sauce

Oriental and Mexican Aisles:
one bag Chow Mein noodles
soy sauce
one small can green chilis

Soup/ Rice Aisle:
Cream of Chicken soup x 2 meals - one family size will work for both meals
Chicken Broth- 2 quart size boxes
Rice -x 3 meals- however you prefer it; minute or otherwise. I love the Jasmine rice especially for the hawaiian haystacks

Meat:
8-12 chicken legs (how many do you think your family will eat?)
Cooked ham - around 12 oz.
Chicken breast for 2 meals (about 4 breasts) or I cheated this week and bought 1 rotisserie chicken from Costco for 2 meals- saves so much time! And its so flavorful!
6 -8 Pork chops
sliced pepperoni
sliced Canadian bacon or deli ham

Dairy:
small container of cottage cheese
sour cream
milk
butter (please don't use margarine! Your soup will taste so much better if you use the real thing)
Cheddar Cheese about 4 cups needed (here's another Costco deal for me. I buy the giant bag of shredded cheese, divide it into about 3 gallon ziplocs and freeze it. It lasts about 3 months)

Baking Aisle:

one small box orange jello
olive oil (hopefully you have this on hand now)
flour
garlic salt
molasses (save what you don't use for some gingerbread cookies this fall!)
cornstarch
paprika
Mrs. Dash (its good on cottage cheese too!)

Condiment Aisle:
Favorite salad dressing for green salad
2 large cans of olives (one for pizza, one for hawaiian haystacks)
Ketchup
Mustard

Canned Fruit:
one 15 oz. can mandarin oranges (you can use two small, it doesn't have to be exact)
1 can crushed pineapple
1 can pineapple tidbits



CREAM OF POTATO SOUP WITH WARM RHODES ROLLS



First Remember to pull out your Rhodes dough in the late morning or early afternoon. There are directions for thawing on the back that only takes 1-2 hours, if that works better for you.


This can be Cream of Whatever You Wish Soup. What's your favorite? Broccoli (my kids favorite), cauliflower, mushroom, its all up to you. For the sake of the recipe I'll just use potatoes. This Recipe uses a base, then you add what you want to it.

I used the rest of my red potatoes from last week. Wash and cut into bite sized pieces. Boil until fork tender. Drain and set aside. I use the same pot to cook the potatoes and to make the soup.

Soup Base:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 small onion, finely diced
2 tbsp. Mrs Dash
3 cups milk
1 quart chicken broth
Salt and pepper (potato soup definitely needs more salt)

Add Ham and Cheese later

Melt the butter in a large stock pot over medium. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add the flour and Mrs. Dash and use a whisk to blend. Cook for at least 5 minutes in order to cook out the flour taste. It will be bubbly and thick, stir continually.

Add the milk and whisk as you pour, stirring constantly, until very thick and bubbly.

Slowly add the chicken stock and stir until it returns to a boil and is thickened. Now you can add the potatoes back into the pot. Dice the ham and add to soup. Now add 1 cup cheddar cheese, stir until melted. Ready to eat.

Top with a little sprinkle of cheese in each bowl and if you like green onions, add as a garnish

For Cream of Broccoli soup I boil the broccoli (fresh or frozen) until tender, then drain off 1/2 the juice. Next puree it and add when the soup base is done. I also add a cup of cheese. This is fun for St. Patricks Day, its nice and green. My kids really love it.





SOUR CREAM ENCHILADAS

2 cooked chicken breasts or 1/2 of your Costco rotisserie chicken, shredded
one 5 oz. can diced green chiles
one small can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 C. sour cream
2 Cups shredded cheese
1/2 medium onion, diced
8-10 flour tortillas (If you buy costco's from the refrigerated section, cook before using)

I had a friend tell me she purees the onion and chiles so her kids don't know its in there. She made them for us once, and everyone gobbled them up so fast! I guess there is nothing to pick out if you don't know its there!

In a large saucepan, combine the chicken, onion, chiles, sour cream cream of chicken soup and milk. Heat to a boil. Add 1 cup of the cheese. Place the mixture in a tortilla shell then roll up and place in a greased 9x13 dish. Repeat the process with the remaining tortillas. Save some sauce to pour over the top of all the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for about 30- 35 minutes.

These are very mild, my pickiest child eats these right up!

CILANTRO LIME RICE

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cup rice of your choice
3 cups chicken broth
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
zest from one lime
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. salt

Add the oil to a large sauce pan and heat on low. Add the garlic and rice to the oil and saute for 2 minutes on medium heat stirring frequently.

Add the chicken broth, salt, lime juice and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes or according to directions on the rice package

When the rice is done, add lime zest and chopped cilantro and stir to mix in. Serve immediately.

If you are using regular long grain rice, follow the cooking directions on the box regarding the amount of liquid to use and the cooking time.

HAWAIIAN HAYSTACKS

3-4 cups cooked rice - here's where you save time. the crockpot orange chicken needs rice too. double the rice so you have enough for both meals, then you are one step ahead!

one small can cream of chicken soup or 1/2 of your family size can
1-2 Chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or diced, or the rest of your Costco chicken!
You can use your imagination for what you want to top them with. these are our favorites:
chopped celery
diced tomatoes
sliced olives
shredded cheese
pineapple tidbits
chow mein noodles

In a medium saucepan mix the chicken soup according to the directions.
Add the shredded chicken.
This is your 'gravy'

Serve the veggies and toppings in separate bowls, buffet style.

Start with the rice, gravy next, I like the cheese next because it melts. Top with your favorite toppings.

Other ideas:
shredded coconut
slivered almonds
chopped green onions
Your imagination is the limit!

MALORIE'S FAVORITE ORANGE SALAD

1 Can crushed pineapple, drained
1 large or 2 small cans mandarin oranges, drained
1 small box orange jello
1 cup cottage cheese
2 cups cool whip

In a medium sized bowl add the pineapple and oranges. Add the jello and stir until the jello is mixed in. Add the cottage cheese and cool whip and gently stir until well blended. Serve immediately or chill until ready.

My daughter makes this for Sunday dinner at least once a month.


PERSONAL PIZZAS

This is so easy my older children make them all the time without my help.

12 Rhodes frozen Texas rolls
pizza sauce of your choice (or spaghetti or marinara sauce)
Shredded Cheese
All of your favorite pizza toppings

Pull the dough out of the freezer a couple of hours before you need it. Or you can zap them in the microwave 6 at a time on a plate covered with saran wrap. Heat for 25 seconds, flip them over and cook another 25 seconds.

Let the kids make their own! Stretch the dough on a greased cookie sheet until you have the desired shape. Don't over do it or the dough gets tough. Now everyone can put on their favorite toppings!
Bake @400 for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is done and the cheese is bubbly.

My favorite:
Fresh avocado
Fresh tomato
Fresh Basil
Deli Ham or sausage
Black olives

GREEN SALAD
Make a salad with all of your favorite veggies in it!
Our favorite:
boiled eggs
cucumber
tomato
cilantro
sliced olives

GINGER SOY PORK CHOPS
6-8 Pork chops
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. minced or pressed garlic
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

In a small bowl mix all ingredients minus the pork chops. Sprinkle the pork chops with the sauce and put in a gallon ziploc or a shallow dish. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes or up to 2-3 hours. Coat a grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray. Preheat the grill or turn the oven to broil. Cook the pork chops 4" from the heat, turning once halfway through cokking time, about 10-12 minutes. Or until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees, and juices run clear.

OVEN ROASTED VEGGIE KABOBS
zucchini, thickly sliced
summer squash, thickly sliced
green bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
yellow bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
1 red onion, thickly sliced
3 tbsp oolive oil
salt
pepper

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place all the veggies on a cookie sheet. toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper, until well distributed. Skewer the veggies onto a kabob, alternating veggies until you have used them all. If you don't have kabobs, just roast the veggies on the cookie sheet. Roast for about 30 minutes turning or stirring occasionally, utnil the veggies are tender.


CROCKPOT ORANGE CHICKEN
8-10 chicken drumsticks
1 red bell pepper cut into strips
1 green bell pepper cut into strips
1 cup canned chicken broth
1/2 cup prepared orange juice
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. molasses
1 tbsp. prepared mustard
1/2 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 green onions, sliced

Cooked rice (any leftover from the haystacks? the jasmine rice is good for this too)

Place the chicken in your crockpot, top with the pepper strips. Combine broth, juice, ketchup, soy suauce, molasses, mustard, and garlic salt. Pour over chicken.

Cover, cook on low for 6-7 hours.

Remove the chicken and veggies from the crockpot and keep warm. Measure out 1 cup of cooking sauce from the crockpot. Put in a saucepan and bring to boil. Stir cornstarch into 1 Tbsp cold water. Add to the boiling sauce in the pan. Stir until thickened. Arrange the chicken over cooked rice.