Sunday: Family
For family day, enjoy HEARTY SHEPHERD'S POT ROAST PIE. Serve it with a MIXED GREEN SALAD. APPLE PIE makes a perfect family day dessert. The pie will be extra-special warmed with VANILLA ICE CREAM on top.
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Plan
Prepare an extra shepherd's pie for Monday. Save enough apple pie for Tuesday and enough ice cream for Saturday.
Shopping List
refrigerated fully cooked boneless beef pot roast with gravy or au jus, refrigerated mashed potatoes, dried thyme, shredded Italian-blend cheese, frozen mixed vegetables, mixed greens, apple pie, vanilla ice cream.
HEARTY SHEPHERD'S POT ROAST PIE
Servings: makes 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: about 25 minutes; standing time: 10 minutes
- 1 package (24 ounces) refrigerated mashed potatoes, divided
- 1 package (17 ounces) refrigerated fully cooked boneless beef pot roast with gravy or au jus
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Italian-blend cheese, divided
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat mashed potatoes according to package directions. Meanwhile, remove pot roast from container; reserve gravy or au jus for another use (or to serve with pie). Shred pot roast in medium bowl with 2 forks; stir in thyme. Coat an 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread half of potatoes over bottom of dish; sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Top evenly with shredded beef and vegetables; sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Spread remaining potatoes over the top; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake, covered, 15 minutes. Uncover and continue baking 10 to 12 minutes or until heated through and edges begin to brown. Let stand, loosely covered, 10 minutes before serving.
Per serving: 491 calories, 30 grams protein, 27 grams fat (48% calories from fat), 12 grams saturated fat, 36 grams carbohydrate, 102 milligrams cholesterol, 1,235 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.
Monday: Heat and Eat
Enjoy the fruits of your labor by reheating the SHEPHERD'S PIE from yesterday. Add COLESLAW. Make dessert light with KIWIS.
Shopping List
coleslaw, kiwis.
Tuesday: Budget
A tasty way to save money is by making TUNA-MUSHROOM MELT SANDWICHES for dinner: In a small bowl, combine 1 (6-ounce) can drained water-packed albacore tuna, 1/4 cup chopped celery and 2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise; stir until blended. Set aside. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil on medium. Add 4 medium-sized portobello mushroom caps (6 ounces total), gill side up with stems removed; cover and cook 4 minutes. Uncover and turn. Cover and cook 3 minutes or until tender. Turn mushrooms, top each one with tuna mixture and 1 slice low-fat American cheese (on each mushroom). Cover and cook 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Place each mushroom on 1 slice toasted whole-grain bread.
Serve the open-faced sandwiches with HASH BROWNS (from frozen) and a MIXED GREEN SALAD. Warm the leftover PIE and top it with light whipped cream.
Shopping List
canned albacore tuna, celery, low-fat mayonnaise, olive oil, portobello mushrooms, low-fat American cheese, whole-grain bread, frozen hash browns, mixed greens, light whipped cream.
Wednesday: Meatless
No need to take a trip to southern Italy for SICILIAN PASTA when you can make your own: Cook 8 ounces bow tie pasta according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium. Add 1 cubed small eggplant (about 3 cups), 1 medium red bell pepper cut into strips and 1 medium onion cut into wedges; cook and stir 10 minutes or until softened. Add 1 (26-ounce) jar red pasta sauce with mushrooms and ripe olives (or another flavor); simmer 10 minutes. Spoon over pasta.
Serve with an ITALIAN SALAD and GARLIC BREAD. For dessert, PEARS are easy.
Shopping List
bow tie pasta, olive oil, eggplant, red bell pepper, onion, jar red pasta sauce with mushrooms and ripe olives (or another flavor), Italian salad, garlic bread, pears.
Thursday: Express
Make dinner quick tonight with a ROTISSERIE CHICKEN. Serve the chicken with SCALLOPED POTATOES (from frozen). Add any MIXED VEGETABLES (from frozen), a packaged GREEN SALAD and CRUSTY ROLLS, and you have a fine dinner. For dessert, CHUNKY APPLESAUCE with cinnamon is easy.
Shopping List
rotisserie chicken, frozen scalloped potatoes, any frozen mixed vegetables, packaged green salad, crusty rolls, chunky applesauce, cinnamon.
Friday: Kids
Make the little angels happy tonight with this CHEESEBURGER MACARONI. Add STEAMED FRESH SPINACH (see TIP) and SOFT ROLLS.
Teach the kids to make DESSERT SANDWICHES for a sweet treat: Spoon 2 tablespoons thawed whipped topping (from frozen) between 2 chocolate graham cracker squares. Freeze for 1 hour before serving.
Tip
Make the little angels happy tonight with this CHEESEBURGER MACARONI. Add STEAMED FRESH SPINACH (see TIP) and SOFT ROLLS.
Teach the kids to make DESSERT SANDWICHES for a sweet treat: Spoon 2 tablespoons thawed whipped topping (from frozen) between 2 chocolate graham cracker squares. Freeze for 1 hour before serving.
Shopping List
small elbow macaroni, lean ground beef, ground turkey breast, onion, canned Italian stewed tomatoes, ketchup, cayenne pepper, coarse salt, shredded 50% reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, fresh spinach, soft rolls, frozen whipped topping, chocolate graham cracker squares.
CHEESEBURGER MACARONI
Servings: makes 6 servings
Prep time: less than 15 minutes
Cook time: about 10 minutes, plus macaroni
- 6 ounces small elbow macaroni
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground turkey breast
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans Italian stewed tomatoes, with liquid
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 cup shredded 50% reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
Cook macaroni according to directions, but without oil; drain. Cook beef, turkey and onion in a large nonstick skillet on medium for 5 or 6 minutes or until no longer pink; drain well and pat with paper towels. Return to skillet. Add tomatoes with liquid, ketchup, cayenne pepper and salt to skillet; mix well. Cook 4 minutes or until heated through. Stir in cooked macaroni. Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.
Per serving: 309 calories, 27 grams protein, 8 grams fat (23% calories from fat), 4.1 grams saturated fat, 33 grams carbohydrate, 47 milligrams cholesterol, 800 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Saturday: Easy Entertaining
Treat your guests extra-special and serve them POMEGRANATE-AND-LIME CHICKEN THIGHS. Serve the savory dish with BROWN RICE, STEAMED YELLOW SQUASH and SOURDOUGH BREAD. For dessert, spoon warm caramel sauce over leftover ICE CREAM.
Shopping List
Greek yogurt, pomegranate juice, coarse salt, garlic powder, bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, pomegranate arils (seeds) if desired, sugar, lime, honey, Dijon mustard, brown rice, yellow squash, sourdough bread, caramel sauce.
POMEGRANATE-AND-LIME CHICKEN THIGHS
Servings: makes 8 servings
Prep time: Marinating time: 2 hours to overnight
Cook time: chicken: 30 to 40 minutes; glaze: 20 to 25 minutes
- 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- Pomegranate arils (seeds) for garnish (optional)
- For the glaze:
- 4 cups pomegranate juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. For marinade, combine the yogurt, pomegranate juice, salt and garlic powder in a large resealable bag. Add chicken; turn to coat. Cover; refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight, turning several times. To prepare the glaze, whisk together the glaze ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook 20 to 25 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat a stovetop grill pan on medium-high. Remove chicken from marinade. Let the excess liquid drip off before setting the chicken, skin side down, on the pan; discard marinade. Do not move chicken for a minute to allow the skin to sear and create dark grill marks. Turn chicken; cook one minute more; transfer to a parchment-lined large rimmed baking pan. Repeat with remaining thighs. Bake the chicken about 30-40 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Spoon a generous amount of glaze over the chicken, and garnish with pomegranate seeds if desired. Serve immediately.
Per serving with skin: 408 calories, 22 grams protein, 14 grams fat (31% calories from fat), 3.8 grams saturated fat, 48 grams carbohydrate, 122 milligrams cholesterol, 510 milligrams sodium, no fiber.