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Tasty Tuesday: Recipes and Tasty Tips from Chesco Mom Steph

Ok, so for the last few weeks (ie: 2 months), we’ve been discussing the idea of having a Meal Rotation. Broken down, a Meal Rotation is the idea of having roughly 10 EASY and QUICK weeknight meals on hand (and that your family likes), and rotating it over the course of 4 weeks. This means 5 meals on hand per week for 2 weeks, which is then repeated the next 2 weeks. So, over the course of 1 month, you have hot meals on the table, no matter how busy your days and weeks might be. You’ll see each meal only twice, which means that you aren’t stuck in the rut of having the same things WEEK after WEEK (after week after week after week). And the rotation aims to leave you some leftovers for lunches the following day.

Your kids will thank you.

I’ve posted Easy Weeknight recipes each week since the end of August, which I’ve encouraged you to put into a rotation. When I say “Easy Weeknight Meal,” my intention is that the meal is SIMPLE to prep/put together (being either a slow cooker recipe or something easily thrown together at the end of the day/between practice and homework) and TASTY (ie: your kids won’t turn their noses up). I’d like to think they are on the healthier side too.


I promised when I had an ample amount of these recipes posted, I would make a “master list” so that you would have a 1-post/page reference point to refer to with a Sample Meal Rotation to work from. Below, each recipe is linked to the recipe post, so you can easily find it or print it out.

~~~~

SAMPLE MEAL ROTATION

for

EASY WEEKNIGHT MEALS

~~~~~

Week 1:
Monday: Birthday Chicken

Tuesday: Carrot Soup

Wednesday: Steph’s Slow Cooker Chili

Thursday: Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken

Friday: Stovetop Veggie-Beef Stew


Week 2:
Monday: Chicken Diablo

Tuesday: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Wednesday: Baked Ziti (this recipe is a favorite in Chesco Mom Sarah’s house)

Thursday: Steph’s One Pot Meal

Friday: Slow Cooker Pork and Saurkraut


Week 3, repeat Week 1.

Week 4, repeat Week 2.


::begin to work on NEW rotation for next month!::

~~~~~

Now, some thoughts on Meal Rotation.

My family is presently tiny: Hubby, my 2 year old and myself (and a little one on the way). We don’t eat as much, say, as a hungry family of 5 or 6. We like to enjoy leftovers, but even then, too much leftover dinner results in food going bad in containers in the fridge. SO, we couldn’t possibly rotate through 5 meals per week. We’d have far too much food leftover. I tend to cook 3-4 meals a week, and eat the leftovers for lunch or dinner the next night. The other nights are reserved for the ever-so-simple frozen pizza with a salad, or the ever-so-rare take out/eat out.

Adjust the rotation for YOU. Larger families who will rip through these meals in a night will need 5 recipes per week. Medium families who enjoy leftovers might need it as well. Smaller families or couples will benefit from aiming for 2-4 meals per week. Start small and see how each recipe feeds you and your family. And add from there.

And as I said with my own rotation, I allow for take-out, eating out or “throw a pizza in the oven or make grilled cheese” nights. We all need them, and are often necessary if you are on the go or just don’t have time to get that more involved meal on the table.

Making the rotation in advance will allow you to use it as you make your grocery list, so the ingredient items are already in your pantry. No last minute (and frantic) trips to the grocery store because you JUST REALIZED you don’t have any ground ginger on hand, or you are short 1 can of beans. I hate doing that.

Feel free to incorporate YOUR Easy Weeknight family recipes into the rotation! These are just a guideline (and an easy reference point, as the recipe names are linked to the recipe post). If your family has a special chicken dish that you LOVE eating, add it to the rotation!

I hope I haven’t confused you TOO much. And I hope that, with the Sample Meal Rotation in your hands, your weeknights might be just a tad less chaotic (and a good bit more tasty). If you have ANY questions or thoughts, feel free to email me at: moderndaydonnareed@gmail.com.

Have a great week!

You can read more about Steph’s life and recipes at her blog, Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Mom.

Tasty Tuesday

Can you believe that this week marks the LAST week of September? Autumn has arrived (although last week’s temperatures would make one believe otherwise), cold nights are in the 7-day forecast, and October is literally around the corner. This means we’ve all survived the start of another school year, as well as the premieres of all our favorite television shows (some good starts, might I add!).

I’ve shared 6 recipes with you over the past 6 weeks, encouraging you to cycle them in a bi-weekly (or tri-weekly – whatever works for you) to make busy weeknights easier in the kitchen. I hope you are enjoying the recipes, and that despite being busy, you are well fed!

This recipe came to me from my step-mom. It was insanely easy and SUPER tasty. I call it my One Pot Meal, because it’s a roast with the gravy and all the veggies thrown in. All you need to do is grab a loaf of crusty bread to sop up the yummy gravy, and your meal is set. This was originally an oven recipe, utilizing an oven bag to cook the roast over about 2 hours. With my fast-paced life, I had to simplify, so it is now a slow-cooker recipe (of course! Did you expect anything less from me?!?). I throw it all in the crockpot first thing in the morning, and it’s ready to go right at dinnertime. My husband particularly appreciates the leftover red wine!

*****

Steph’s One Pot Meal

• 2-4 lb eye round of beef, chuck roast or any bottom cut of beef

• 1 packet of Lipton’s Onion Soup Mix

• 1-2 cups of Red Wine or Water (I do 1 cup of wine and 1 cup of water)

• 4-6 red pototes cut into cubes (skinned or not skinned – either way, it tastes good)

• 1 small bag of baby carrots

Pour the Wine/Water into your slow cooker. Add Onion Soup Mix, Potatoes and Carrots. Stir it around to combine. Top with Beef. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. If liquid gets low, add another cup of water or wine. Feel free to turn the beef halfway through the day if you desire. Enjoy!

** If you have leftovers, shred the beef with the gravy for Shredded Beef Sandwiches the next day!**

*****

This meal is actually cooking in my slow-cooker as we speak. I wish blog posts could convey smell, because the aroma in my house is mouth-watering! Enjoy this recipe! I’ll add 2 or 3 recipes into the rotation for 2 week’s worth of recipes, which gives you a great selection for your rotation! After that, look for some desserts, sides and holiday dishes to add to your (virtual) recipe box!

Have a great week!

You can read more about Steph’s life and recipes at her personal blog, Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom.

Tasty Tuesday

For many, this week marks the Beginning Of School. Some of you lucky people out there may have already begun the school year, and yet others will have one more week of Summer. Hubby (local Chester County teacher) officially starts school tomorrow. Not only does he start school, but he also has his first grad class of the Fall. This means he leaves the house at 6:45am, and will not return until after 7:30pm.
That’s a long day.
I’m sure I am not alone. Whether it is a spouses crazy schedule, kids crazy schedule or YOUR crazy schedule, things are sure to be busy from time to time (or every day) this Fall. In some ways, I welcome it. As much as I don’t like being busy and unrested, I do like the routine and rhythem of the Fall. And cooler weather.
Today, I continue with my theme of EASY SCHOOL YEAR RECIPES. Try them. Love them. Print them. Rotate them. Save yourself the stress! In a few weeks, once I have spit out a solid 2 weeks worth of recipes, I’ll do a sample 2 week rotation, complete with links to the recipes. Hopefully, this will make mealtime easy on all of us.
I’m not really sure where I found this recipe. I made it once last year, and kind of forgot about it. The dish was really good though, so I am actually making it this week. I hope you do too!

6 tasty ingredients + slow cooker = awesome.

~~~~~

Slowcooker Pineapple Chicken

•1 bottle barbeque sauce (plain or choose a flavored one for a different taste)
•1/2 of a 15 ounce can pineapple chunks (WITH juice)
•1/2 green bell pepper, diced
•1/2 onion, chopped
•1 clove garlic, minced
•4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

In a large bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce, pineapple with the juice, green pepper, onion, and garlic. Arrange chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker. Pour sauce over the chicken.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours (varies depending on your slowcooker)

~~~~~

As a side note, this week I will be using a bottle of teriyaki sauce/marinade instead of barbeque sauce. Just to see what happens. And I’m craving a little teriyaki. Can you blame me?

OK – more School Year recipes to come! See you next week!

To read more about Steph’s life and recipes, check out her personal blog, Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom.

Tasty Tuesday

I don’t know about you, but I am not loving all this heat Mother Nature is throwing our way. I am grateful to have central air-conditioning, but even with the AC on, I hate heating up the kitchen when I cook and bake. A great option for keeping your kitchen cool? SLOW COOKERS! The heat is contained, and your kitchen doesn’t become a sauna.

I found this recipe last summer and tweaked it a bit. It smells AMAZING while it cooks all day, and it is equally amazing in your mouth. This easily serves a whole family, and makes great leftovers. I recommend serving it over rice. YUM!

Here’s to keeping cool this summer…

***

Slowcooker Pineapple Chicken

• 1 bottle barbeque sauce (plain or choose a flavored one for a different taste)
• 1/2 of a 15 ounce can pineapple chunks (WITH juice)
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

In a large bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce, pineapple with the juice, green pepper, onion, and garlic. Arrange chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker. Pour sauce over the chicken.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours (varies depending on your slowcooker)

***

Make sure to check out your local farmer’s markets for the onion, pepper and garlic for this recipe. Many of our local farmer’s markets have meat/poultry vendors as well – so you can have a healthy, local, fresh and organic meal!

Have a great week!

You can read more about Steph’s life and recipes on her personal blog, Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom.

Tasty Tuesday

First, I apologize for my Tasty Tuesday absence last week. I, like many people recently, came down with the nasty stomach bug that has been going around. It was NOT fun. At all. I was so weak, I couldn’t get out of bed. Yuck.

So, to make up for it, this week I bring you a 2-for-1 recipe deal. This recipe (which is, as always, SIMPLE and DELICIOUS) can be made with either beef or chicken, technically leaving you with 2 useful recipes. And it’s a slowcooker recipe.

Life does not get ANY better than simple, delicious 2-for-1 slowcooker recipes. Seriously.

~~~~~

Mushroom Beef or Chicken

• 2-3 lb Eye Round of Beef,Bottom Round, Rump Roast, Chuck Roast, etc (whatever kind of bottom beef cut you have will do – I usually go with whichever is on sale that week) –OR– 1 package of Chicken Breasts.
• 1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup (condensed)

1) Place meat of choice into your slow cooker.

2) Cover with Mushroom Soup (undiluted). Feel free to use 2 cans if you really like having a lot of gravy to dip bread in!

3) Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

~~~~~

This is a very tasty meal that comes together in a surprising way. The meat ends up juicy and falling apart, while the mushroom soup thickens into a great gravy/sauce that BEGS for crusty bread. If you are using the chicken, some recommend serving over egg noodles. Try it out!

Until next week….

You can read more about Steph’s life and recipes at her blog, Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom.

Tasty Tuesday

When I first looked over this recipe, passed along to me by my step-mom, I thought it was all wrong. Have you ever done that? As you mentally think over each ingredient, you start to wonder, “how could this taste good?” This concoction, for all intents and purposes, should not go together.

I am the first to admit when I am wrong.

Ok, that’s probably not true. But I ate my words once I got up the courage to make this recipe. I also ate a LOT of this meal. I put it together a few years ago when I hosted a Super Bowl party. I figured I had nothing to lose: If it was a disaster, I’d just order pizza.

From the moment each ingredient hit the slow cooker, I was amazed. And the house smelled scrumptious. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop; the point where I’d say, “See, I knew this wouldn’t work.” And it never happened. Everyone who came to the party could not get enough it. The recipe is perfect for a party, where you have to feed a lot of people (I sometimes double or triple the recipe in 2 slow cookers in these cases). It’s also great for a simple weeknight meal for a hungry family!

~~~~~

Tasty Tuesday

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef

• 1 Beef Roast (Eye Round preferable, but any Bottom Round, Chuck Roast or Rump Roast will do)
• 1 jar of Chili Sauce (found near ketchup in the grocery store)
• 1 Large Jar of WHOLE Kosher Dill Pickles
• 1-4 cloves of garlic, minced (how many you use is up to your palate. I ofted just use 2ish teaspoons of the jarred minced garlic)

Put Roast into the slowcooker, and top with the chili sauce, pickles and garlic. Set on low for 6-10 hours (adjust for your individual crockpot). You will know the meal is done when beef gets tender and falls apart/shreds easily. At this point, REMOVE the pickles. Shred the beef in the crockpot (or shred on a plate and put back into the crockpot). Let the meat soak up the cooking juices (it will take up most of it).

Serve on kaiser rolls. ENJOY!

~~~~~

Just grab a bag of chips and coleslaw or macaroni salad, and you have yourself dinner! For a more formal meal, do not shred the beef. Slice it up and serve alongside garlic smashed potatoes and a vegetable.

SUPER YUM!

If you try this out, I’d love to hear how it goes for you!

Have a great week, friends! Next week, in honor of nicer weather, I’ll post a great grilling recipe!

You can read more about Steph and her recipes at her other blog, Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom.

Tasty Tuesday

Hello Friends! And welcome back to Tasty Tuesday!

You will learn pretty quickly that I love love love simple (and delicious) meals. LOVE THEM. Because of this, I simply cannot live without my slow cooker.

I’m not even kidding. If I had to be stranded on a desert island with only 3 items from my former life, my slow cooker would absolutely be in my top 3. Even if it didn’t work because there was no electricity on the island.

I love my slow cooker. Passionately.

And so should you! Whether you are a working parent, getting home at 5:00pm while still holding the household together, or a stay-at-home mom who spends her day jumping from errand to errand and has dinner ready on time (quite a feat!), slow cookers are an essentialkitchen item. The simplicity of prepping your dinner quickly in the morning, throwing it into the enamel pot, and letting it simmer all day long just cannot be beat.

And you come home to a house that smells AMAZING. Double Score.

One of the best accompanying cookbooks to a slow cooker is “Fix It and Forget It” by Dawn J. Ranck. I have so many recipes cataloged from this book, it’s ridiculous. But they are SO good! One of my favorite recipes is the roast that I will share with you today.

I have a lot of slow cooker roast recipes, most of which end up tasting awseome, but somewhat the same. They usually involve a packet of Onion Soup mix (another pantry staple), and I always enjoy every bite. This recipe caught my eye because the combination of ingredients was intriguing. It does a great job of balancing savory and sweet, thus it’s name….

Savory and Sweet Pot Roast

(from Fix It and Forget It Cookbook by Dawn J Ranck)

• 3-4 lb chuck roast (note from Steph: feel free to use rump roast, blade, eye round or whatever good beef roast is on sale. I’ve tried them all and they all turn out great!)
• Oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) of cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp prepared mustard
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1) Brown meat in oil on both sides in a saucepan. Place in slowcooker (note from Steph: if you are realllly strapped for time, you could forgo this step, and still have a tasty meal. Browning meat just enhances the flavor)

2) Blend together remaining ingredients. Pour over meat.

3) Cover. Cook on low 12-16 hours (note from Steph: in my slowcooker, it was fine to eat around 6-8 hours. 12-16 would have been far too long).

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

I serve this roast alongside mashed potatoes and corn. Make sure to have a loaf of crusty bread on hand to sop up the gravy. It is delectable! The leftovers make great shredded beef sandwiches (shred with a fork) or as the base for a Shepherds Pie (substitute the beef for lamb).

Nothing smells better as it cooks all day long! I literally salivate for the 8 hours it is cooking. In these winter months, when the weather is cold (and snowy – let’s hope the worst of it is over!), this meal is hot and filling.

Check back next week for more recipes!

You can read more about Steph and her recipes at her other blog, Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom.