Week of Jan 8, 2017

Sun - Meatball Soup
Mon - Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
Tue - Red Beans and Rice with Sausage
Wed - Vegetable Fried Rice and Pot Stickers
Thur - Meatloaf
Fri - Alfredo with Ham and Peas

Red Beans and Rice with Sausage
1 can (15 oz) chili with beans
1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans
1 (13 oz) Hillshire Farm Cajun Style Andouille Smoked Sausage (or regular smoked sausage, if you like less spice)
2 cups Minute Rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
In a large skillet with a lid, cook sausage as directed on package. Remove when browned, slice. Add 1 tbsp canola oil, onion and peppers. Cook on medium heat until tender. Add garlic, cook until fragrant. Pour in broth. Add rice, chili and beans bring to boil. Return sausage. Cover. Take off heat. let set 10 minutes. Serve.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Fried Rice, Egg Roll, Ragoon

1 bag Vegetable Stir-Fry Mix, 16 Oz, (I like Sugar Snap Pea Mix, you can use any you prefer.)
3 cups cooked white rice
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup peas and carrots frozen mix
2 eggs
Scramble eggs, cook. Warm up carrots and peas and veggie mix. In a non-stick skillet heat oil, vinegar and soy sauce on high - med-high. Add in rice. Stir until incorporated. Stir in eggs and veggies. Serve.

Meatloaf (my oven recipe)
2 lb 15% - 7% fat ground beef 
1-1/2 cups bread crumbs 
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp each salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp garlic powder OR 2 cloves fresh garlic pressed
Sauce Topping: 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 tbsp BBQ sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar. Mix together in a small mixing bowl until smooth.
Mix beef, 1 cup bread crumbs, eggs, and seasonings in a large mixing bowl with a fork or by hand. Keep adding bread crumbs until the mixture holds together when made into a ball.
Put in a meatloaf pan with holes to allow the grease to dip out. Bake at 350F 1-1 1/2 hours or until middle is no longer pink and reaches 160F in the middle. If desired, spread the sauce topping over the meatloaf (dab off excess grease, if necessary) and leave in oven for 10 minutes.
Brown Gravy
2 tbsp drippings from meatloaf pan
2 tbsp butter
3-4 tbsp AP flour
1 (14 oz) can beef broth
Add drippings in pan, and butter to a pan. On high heat, using a whisk, add the flour to the pan. Stir until incorporated, then turn down the heat to low and stir for 1-2 minutes or until it smells nutty. Turn the heat back up to high and slowly add the broth, constantly whisking. Boil until the gravy comes to the thickness you like (remember it will continue to thicken off the heat for a bit). Taste, add salt and pepper as necessary.

Alfredo with Ham and Peas  

1 tsp. olive oil

1 Ham Steak, cut into cubes, any bone or fat discarded

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

1 jar (1 lb.) Alfredo Sauce

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

8 ounces linguine, cooked and drained

Directions

Heat olive oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat ham and peas, continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in Alfredo Sauce and black pepper.

Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until warmed. Serve over hot linguine (prepared according to package).