Here is a look at my completed dinner menu!
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| click to enlarge! |
I hope everyone can find some new recipes they like!
Now for the recipes. I'll start on day one. This one is in the crock pot right now, and smells so good! I love my crock pot!
Chicken Tacos recipe source
5-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (they can be frozen)
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 (16oz) jar of salsa
Directions:
Place chicken in crock pot, cover with salsa and top with taco seasoning. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low 6-8 hours. When finished remove from crock pot and shred. Return to crock pot and stir. Serve with hard or soft taco with whatever topping you'd like!
*Freezer friendly
*Freezer friendly
I actually have this left over from my mom and dad's farewell, but here is my BBQ chicken recipe.
Shredded BBQ Chicken
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast (they can be frozen)
1 bottle BBQ sauce-I always throw in a bit more on top after it's done cooking
1/4 C vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less to your preference)
1/4 C brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
Directions:
Mix BBQ sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, and garlic powder. Place chicken in crock pot. Pour sauce over it and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Done. You can eat it as is or shred chicken and serve over rice, with mashed potatoes, or on buns.
*Freezer friendly
This is a meal my mom made and I have always loved it. There's no real recipe, but here's how you make it.
Parmesan Chicken Patties
Breaded Chicken Patties
Spaghetti Sauce
Sliced Cheese
I usually buy the Tyson's breaded chicken patties. Place them on baking sheet, put a spoonful of your favorite spaghetti sauce on each one, top with a slice of cheese (I prefer mozzarella). Bake as directed on chicken patty package. I always serve this with mashed potatoes because it's oh so good to cut off a piece and dip it in the mashed potatoes before you eat it!
BBQ Chicken Pizza
1 can refrigerated pizza dough
6 Tbsp BBQ sauce
Shredded cheese
1/2 C mayonnaise
2 cooked and diced chicken breasts
2 Tbsp ranch dressing
Directions:
Preheat oven as directed on pizza dough and bake as directed. Meanwhile mix mayo and ranch dressing together; spread over crust. Mix chicken and BBQ sauce together and sprinkle top. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Place back in the oven until cheese is melty, about 5 minutes.
These are so dang good!
Chicken Roll-Ups
2 -3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 package cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 package ranch dressing mix
2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls (those ones that are scary to open)
1/4 C melted butter
bread crumbs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Boil chicken breasts and shred. In a large mixing bowl combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing mix. I also add in garlic sometimes because I like it. Unroll crescent rolls and place a large spoonful of mixture on the wide part of each roll. Roll up and place on a cookie sheet. Brush each roll with melted butter, and sprinkle with bread crumbs. (you don't have to do this last part, but it makes them more tasty and fancy) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Lasagna (this recipe is from Louis' mom)
Enough lasagna noodles for how many pans you want (12 noodles to each 9X12 pan)
1 lb ground beef
2 cans spaghetti sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
16 oz cottage cheese per pan
1 egg
1/4 C oil
Directions:
Brown ground beef and drain. Mix in with spaghetti sauce. Put a full ladle of sauce int he bottom of the pan. Layer with 3 noodles lengthwise and one horizontal (you usually have to bread the horizontal one to fit). Ladle sauce to cover noodles. Mix the cottage cheese with beaten egg and the oil. Spoon on half of the cottage cheese mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top. Repeat the process again. Finish off with noodles and then cover with sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Cover with tin foil. Preheat oven to 425 and bake for 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 for 30 minutes. Take off foil and cook another 15 minutes.
*Freezer friendly
I saw a friend pin this a few weeks ago and it sounded yummy! I couldn't find the actual recipe though.
Grilled Cheese with Avocado recipe source
Whole wheat bread
Avocado
Mozzarella cheese
Goat cheese (if you like that kind of thing)
Directions:
Butter both pieces of bread, load it up, grill it up. Devour
Probably our favorite recipe ever. It was from my mom, but I'd say I've made it my own by shredding the chicken and eating it as a dip.
Chicken Dip
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast (frozen)
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 jar of salsa
1 package cream cheese
Place chicken in crock pot. Top with corn, black beans, and salsa. Cook on high 4-5 hours. Remove chicken from crock pot and shred. Return to crock pot and stir together. Throw cream cheese on top and let sit in crock pot for half an hour. Stir together. You can have this with chips, as nachos, in a tortilla with cheese. . .
*Freezer friendly
Pesto Chicken (My friend Tina gave me this recipe)
Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Pesto sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Put a layer of pesto in a glass baking dish where you will lay each chicken breast, then put the chicken breasts on top. Add more pesto to the top (a nice thick layer), sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.
Baked Tacos recipe source
2 lbs ground beef
1 small onion diced
1 small can diced green chilies
1 package taco seasoning
1 can low sodium tomato sauce
1 can refried beans
2 C shredded cheese
18-20 hard taco shells
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. In a large skillet brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat. Drain off excess liquid. Return to pan, add chilies, refried beans, tomato sauce, and taco seasoning. Mix well and cook for a few minutes. Spoon the taco meat mixture into the taco shells and place, standing up, into a 9X13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat mixture in each shell. Bake 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Remove from oven and top with whatever you want, ranch, salsa, sour cream, lettuce, etc.
Chicken and Veggies
10 medium red potatoes
1 lb baby carrots
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 tsp garlic powder
Directions:
Cut potatoes into chunks. Place cut potatoes and carrots in crock pot. Place chicken breasts on top of veggies. Combine the soups and garlic powder and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Spanish Spaghetti (A Keeffer family classic!)
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, diced
3 cups spaghetti
3 cans tomato soup
shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
Break spaghetti into thirds and place in large boiling pot of water. Cook as directed. Meanwhile brown ground beef and onion. Drain excess grease. Drain spaghetti and add in ground beef and tomato soup. Pour into a 9X13 inch baking dish top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
This recipe is easy because it's all cans! Just open drain and dump!
Chicken Taco Soup (recipe source)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (sometimes I use kidney beans instead)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can sweet corn, drained
1 can chicken breast, drained (I never buy canned chicken, substitute 4-5 boneless skinless chicken breast, it needs to be defrosted)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 can chicken broth
1 package taco seasoning
Directions:
Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Dump all the ingredients into slow cooker and stir together. Cook on low heat for 2-3 hours. If you didn't use canned chicken this is when you need to shred the chicken. Serve with shredded cheese and tortilla chips. I also almost always add brown rice to this recipe for some more fiber.
*Freezer friendly
Easy Stromboli
1/2 lb ground beef
1 can refrigerated pizza crust (or make your own)
1/2 C spaghetti sauce
1 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
Directions:
Heat oven to 400. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Brown ground beef in medium skillet over medium high heat until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain and set aside. Unroll dough on cooking sheet. Starting at center, press out dough to form 12X8 inch rectangle. Spread sauce over dough to within 2 inches of long sides and 1/2 in of short sides. Place cooked ground beef lengthwise down center, forming 3 inch wide strip and to within 1/2 inch of short sides. Top with cheese and Italian seasoning. Fold long sides of dough over filling; press edges to seal. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Tuna Melts
Bread
Canned Tuna
Mayonnaise
BBQ sauce
Shredded cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Open Tuna and drain. Mix BBQ sauce or mayonnaise (whichever you prefer) with tuna. Distribute evenly onto bread. Top with whatever cheese you prefer. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
Crock Pot Orange Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped into small chunks
1/3 C flour
Olive oil
1/2 Tbsp salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp ketchup
6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate (thaw or put it in microwave for 45 seconds)
4 Tbsp brown sugar
Directions:
In a bowl, mix the orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, and ketchup. Pour the flour in a small bowl. Cover the chicken breast breast chunks in flour and shake off the excess. Pour small amount of olive oil in a skillet and brown the flour-covered chicken. The chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked since it's going in the crock pot. After the chicken is done cooking, pour the pieces into a smaller crock pot. Then cover the chicken with your sauce mixture and give the pot a stir. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Serve over rice and even add veggies if you want a healthier meal.
Taco Salad
1 lb ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
Salsa
Corn
Chopped Avocado
Lettuce
Olives (if you like those gross things)
Shredded cheese
Tortilla chips
Directions:
Brown ground beef, drain and add taco seasoning as directed. Serve with whatever seasonings you'd like, salsa, corn, avocado, lettuce, olives, shredded cheese, etc. Eat with tortilla chips.
This recipe is from my mom and I've never made it before.
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
2 boneless skinless chicken breast
Mayonnaise
Green onions
Craisins
Sliced Almonds
Directions:
Okay I'm making this up as I go, because like I said, I've never made it before. My mom just explained how to make it. Boil chicken and shred. Mix in Mayonnaise until it looks good. . .Add in chopped green onions, craisins, and almonds. Eat on yummy rolls.
*Freezer friendly
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast (they can be frozen)
1 bottle BBQ sauce-I always throw in a bit more on top after it's done cooking
1/4 C vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less to your preference)
1/4 C brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
Directions:
Mix BBQ sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, and garlic powder. Place chicken in crock pot. Pour sauce over it and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Done. You can eat it as is or shred chicken and serve over rice, with mashed potatoes, or on buns.
*Freezer friendly
This is a meal my mom made and I have always loved it. There's no real recipe, but here's how you make it.
Parmesan Chicken Patties
Breaded Chicken Patties
Spaghetti Sauce
Sliced Cheese
I usually buy the Tyson's breaded chicken patties. Place them on baking sheet, put a spoonful of your favorite spaghetti sauce on each one, top with a slice of cheese (I prefer mozzarella). Bake as directed on chicken patty package. I always serve this with mashed potatoes because it's oh so good to cut off a piece and dip it in the mashed potatoes before you eat it!
BBQ Chicken Pizza
1 can refrigerated pizza dough
6 Tbsp BBQ sauce
Shredded cheese
1/2 C mayonnaise
2 cooked and diced chicken breasts
2 Tbsp ranch dressing
Directions:
Preheat oven as directed on pizza dough and bake as directed. Meanwhile mix mayo and ranch dressing together; spread over crust. Mix chicken and BBQ sauce together and sprinkle top. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Place back in the oven until cheese is melty, about 5 minutes.
These are so dang good!
Chicken Roll-Ups
2 -3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 package cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 package ranch dressing mix
2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls (those ones that are scary to open)
1/4 C melted butter
bread crumbs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Boil chicken breasts and shred. In a large mixing bowl combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing mix. I also add in garlic sometimes because I like it. Unroll crescent rolls and place a large spoonful of mixture on the wide part of each roll. Roll up and place on a cookie sheet. Brush each roll with melted butter, and sprinkle with bread crumbs. (you don't have to do this last part, but it makes them more tasty and fancy) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Lasagna (this recipe is from Louis' mom)
Enough lasagna noodles for how many pans you want (12 noodles to each 9X12 pan)
1 lb ground beef
2 cans spaghetti sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
16 oz cottage cheese per pan
1 egg
1/4 C oil
Directions:
Brown ground beef and drain. Mix in with spaghetti sauce. Put a full ladle of sauce int he bottom of the pan. Layer with 3 noodles lengthwise and one horizontal (you usually have to bread the horizontal one to fit). Ladle sauce to cover noodles. Mix the cottage cheese with beaten egg and the oil. Spoon on half of the cottage cheese mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top. Repeat the process again. Finish off with noodles and then cover with sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Cover with tin foil. Preheat oven to 425 and bake for 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 for 30 minutes. Take off foil and cook another 15 minutes.
*Freezer friendly
I saw a friend pin this a few weeks ago and it sounded yummy! I couldn't find the actual recipe though.
Grilled Cheese with Avocado recipe source
Whole wheat bread
Avocado
Mozzarella cheese
Goat cheese (if you like that kind of thing)
Directions:
Butter both pieces of bread, load it up, grill it up. Devour
Probably our favorite recipe ever. It was from my mom, but I'd say I've made it my own by shredding the chicken and eating it as a dip.
Chicken Dip
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast (frozen)
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 jar of salsa
1 package cream cheese
Place chicken in crock pot. Top with corn, black beans, and salsa. Cook on high 4-5 hours. Remove chicken from crock pot and shred. Return to crock pot and stir together. Throw cream cheese on top and let sit in crock pot for half an hour. Stir together. You can have this with chips, as nachos, in a tortilla with cheese. . .
*Freezer friendly
Pesto Chicken (My friend Tina gave me this recipe)
Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Pesto sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Put a layer of pesto in a glass baking dish where you will lay each chicken breast, then put the chicken breasts on top. Add more pesto to the top (a nice thick layer), sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.
Baked Tacos recipe source
2 lbs ground beef
1 small onion diced
1 small can diced green chilies
1 package taco seasoning
1 can low sodium tomato sauce
1 can refried beans
2 C shredded cheese
18-20 hard taco shells
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. In a large skillet brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat. Drain off excess liquid. Return to pan, add chilies, refried beans, tomato sauce, and taco seasoning. Mix well and cook for a few minutes. Spoon the taco meat mixture into the taco shells and place, standing up, into a 9X13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat mixture in each shell. Bake 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Remove from oven and top with whatever you want, ranch, salsa, sour cream, lettuce, etc.
Chicken and Veggies
10 medium red potatoes
1 lb baby carrots
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 tsp garlic powder
Directions:
Cut potatoes into chunks. Place cut potatoes and carrots in crock pot. Place chicken breasts on top of veggies. Combine the soups and garlic powder and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Spanish Spaghetti (A Keeffer family classic!)
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, diced
3 cups spaghetti
3 cans tomato soup
shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
Break spaghetti into thirds and place in large boiling pot of water. Cook as directed. Meanwhile brown ground beef and onion. Drain excess grease. Drain spaghetti and add in ground beef and tomato soup. Pour into a 9X13 inch baking dish top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
This recipe is easy because it's all cans! Just open drain and dump!
Chicken Taco Soup (recipe source)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (sometimes I use kidney beans instead)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can sweet corn, drained
1 can chicken breast, drained (I never buy canned chicken, substitute 4-5 boneless skinless chicken breast, it needs to be defrosted)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 can chicken broth
1 package taco seasoning
Directions:
Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Dump all the ingredients into slow cooker and stir together. Cook on low heat for 2-3 hours. If you didn't use canned chicken this is when you need to shred the chicken. Serve with shredded cheese and tortilla chips. I also almost always add brown rice to this recipe for some more fiber.
*Freezer friendly
Easy Stromboli
1/2 lb ground beef
1 can refrigerated pizza crust (or make your own)
1/2 C spaghetti sauce
1 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
Directions:
Heat oven to 400. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Brown ground beef in medium skillet over medium high heat until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain and set aside. Unroll dough on cooking sheet. Starting at center, press out dough to form 12X8 inch rectangle. Spread sauce over dough to within 2 inches of long sides and 1/2 in of short sides. Place cooked ground beef lengthwise down center, forming 3 inch wide strip and to within 1/2 inch of short sides. Top with cheese and Italian seasoning. Fold long sides of dough over filling; press edges to seal. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Tuna Melts
Bread
Canned Tuna
Mayonnaise
BBQ sauce
Shredded cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Open Tuna and drain. Mix BBQ sauce or mayonnaise (whichever you prefer) with tuna. Distribute evenly onto bread. Top with whatever cheese you prefer. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
Crock Pot Orange Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped into small chunks
1/3 C flour
Olive oil
1/2 Tbsp salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp ketchup
6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate (thaw or put it in microwave for 45 seconds)
4 Tbsp brown sugar
Directions:
In a bowl, mix the orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, and ketchup. Pour the flour in a small bowl. Cover the chicken breast breast chunks in flour and shake off the excess. Pour small amount of olive oil in a skillet and brown the flour-covered chicken. The chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked since it's going in the crock pot. After the chicken is done cooking, pour the pieces into a smaller crock pot. Then cover the chicken with your sauce mixture and give the pot a stir. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Serve over rice and even add veggies if you want a healthier meal.
Taco Salad
1 lb ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
Salsa
Corn
Chopped Avocado
Lettuce
Olives (if you like those gross things)
Shredded cheese
Tortilla chips
Directions:
Brown ground beef, drain and add taco seasoning as directed. Serve with whatever seasonings you'd like, salsa, corn, avocado, lettuce, olives, shredded cheese, etc. Eat with tortilla chips.
This recipe is from my mom and I've never made it before.
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
2 boneless skinless chicken breast
Mayonnaise
Green onions
Craisins
Sliced Almonds
Directions:
Okay I'm making this up as I go, because like I said, I've never made it before. My mom just explained how to make it. Boil chicken and shred. Mix in Mayonnaise until it looks good. . .Add in chopped green onions, craisins, and almonds. Eat on yummy rolls.
*Freezer friendly
Enjoy!
1 comment:
Oh that's a good idea! My MIL just started doing the meal planning by the week just to get used to it. Then she plans on doing it by the month. I'll have to share some of your recipes with her and the calendar idea thing. That's brilliant.
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