Week of Oct 17, 2011

Mon - Spaghetti and Meat Sauce 
          (packages noodles, jar sauce with browned/drained ground beef)
Tue - Mexican Turkey Crescent Bake (Pillsbury recipe, link below)
Wed - Chicken and Rice Casserole
Thur - Filipino Adobo (Foodnetwork.com)
Fri - Three Bean Chili
Sat - Homemade Make n' Cheese


TUESDAY = http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/mexican-turkey-crescent-bake/e7ac45ea-6adb-4e95-82ba-8a1afb58fc77/?WT.dcsvid=Njc1ODkwMTg0MwS2&rvrin=3AC57D31-8533-4DCE-B83D-2E89FBE7B47&WT.mc_id=Newsletter_PB_PB_2011_10_4_Dynamic%20Content%20Send


Chicken and Rice Casserole
4 skinless, boneless breast filet
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I perfer Campbell's Healthy Choice)
1 1/2 cans of water
2 cups dry Long Grain White Minute Rice
2 tsp Salt
Salt and Pepper to taste
Grease a 9x13 pan with butter. Sprinkle Chicken Beasts with salt and pepper - both sides. Mix rice, salt, soup and water in the pan. Evenly spread out rice. Place chicken on top. Cover with foil. Bake in 350F oven for 40-60  minutes, or until rice is done and chicken is no longer pink and liquid is adsorbed.

THURSDAY - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/filipino-chicken-adobo-recipe/index.html I will be doing a pork shoulder instead of the chicken thighs. 




Three Bean Chili

1 lb ground beef

1 15.5 oz can Pinto beans

1 15.5 oz can Black beans

1 15.5 oz can Kidney beans

2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes (use ones with chilis, for hotter chili)

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 onion, diced

2 small cloves garlic

1 green and/or red bell pepper

2 cups beef stock

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp oil

Brown beef, drain. In a large stock pot sauté onions and bell peppers in oil on medium until onions are translucent. Add garlic, cook until fragrant. Add beef, beans, tomatoes with the juice, paste, and stock to pot. Bring to a boil. Boil over medium heat for at least 30 minutes, up to 6 hours on med-low heat. 

OR cook in slow cooker (with the browned beef) on high for 8 hours. Taste and add salt and pepper accordingly.
I will be serving this with corn bread - a box of Jiffy and the ingredients listed on the package to make, it plus 1 tbsp honey.

NOTE: This makes a lot of chili! You can refrigerate, after cooling completely, for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months if in an airtight container.

Mac n' Cheese

2 1/2 cups dry elbow macaroni

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

3 cups milk

3 cups sharp cheddar, shredded (feel free to use other cheeses, or combinations - such as 1 cup Cheddar, 1 cup Provolone  and 1 cup Smoked Gouda is fantastic with crispy bacon!)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fresh black pepper

Topping (optional): 3 tbsp butter,1 cup bread crumbs. 

 if you desire a crispy topping: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Boil the pasta to al dente. The water, like all pasta water, should be salted before hand until it tastes like salt water.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter on a high heat. Whisk in the flour, turn down the heat to low, and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Turn the heat back up to high and stir in the milk, simmer, stirring constantly, until it starts to bubble. Turn down heat to medium. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix. Taste, add more salt and pepper if needed. May serve now, if desired, top with remainder of cheese.

 If you desire to bake to get a crispy crust: Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.