Fruited Caesar Salad

Croutons:   Place 2T olive oil and 2 cloves garlic in a small bowl.   Let stand half an hour.    Toss 2 cups french bread cubes in oil and place them on a sheet pan.    Bake at 400 degrees 7-9 minutes , stirring several times during the baking . Or until the cubes are a golden colour.

Salad:

Romaine
Apples
Grapes if desired
Chopped walnuts

Parmesean cheese

1. Wash and tear romaine 
2. Cut apples, soak or toss with lemon juice  to lessen darkening.   
3. Wash grapes, if desired 
4. Chop walnuts 
5. Grate cheese 

Toss a ingredients.   Dress with salad dressing .  

For a dinner salad, add cubed , cooked, chicken.   

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie is a mainstay in our family.    We didnt have it growing up. When my mother was widowed and had health problems. I made her meals for the freezer that she could just heat up while I was batch cooking.   One of them was Chicken Pot Pie.   She called me.  How do you make that?    I think she ate it for months.    LOL 

Chicken Pot Pie : scratch 

• Cook a chicken breast in the insta pot or poach in the microwave. Cut into small cubes.  
•  Make a batch of cream soup base.

•  Add cooked chicken and a cup of frozen mixed vegetables, OR peas and carrots to a  greased baking pan. (9X9).

•  Top with bisquick biscuits and bake according to directions.   OR top with a pie crust and vent, cook according to the crust directions.   

Parmesean, garlic pepper bread in a machine

Bread machines are a dime a dozen so to speak at the goodwill.  They were really popular a few year back.   Some of them cost upward of 200 dollars.   It is common to see them less than five bucks.   Homemade bread is the best any shape it is in.    It lacks ingredients you cant pronounce, and there is nothing better than hot, crusty bread , especially in the winter with a hot hearty bowl of soup or chilli.

1 cup water, lukewarm, less than 80 degrees
2-1/2 Tablespoons butter
1T honey
3 cups flour
1/2 cup parmesean cheese, grated
1-1/2 tsp garlic pepper
2-1/4 tsp dry yeast

In bread machine pan, layer ingredients in order.   This is important for the yeast to work.  Choose a basic bread setting, and medium color, 1.5 pound loaf when programming the machine.  

Chicken wraps

One of the things you can do to make meals easier and faster to prep during the week is to cook in multiples.   We used to call that stair stepping.   The chicken you cook today should last three days under refrigeration .   The chicken breast can be for chicken and cheese sandwiches, chicken pot pie and a chicken wrap for a lunch.   

Chicken Wrap 

1 cup diced chicken or chicken shreds , cooked 

1-1/2 cup shredded lettuce 

1/4 cup salsa 

1 chopped green onion . 

2T cilantro 

4 flour tortillas , warmed 

Mix chicken and lettuce with a little salsa.

Spread on flour tortillas.  Top with salsa, green onion, and cilantro.  

Wrap up the tortilla.  

Cut in half diagonally.  

Meal Plans for week of September 3 , 2017

This is a meal plan based on a pantry purge.

• Chicken pot pie
• Pizza 
• Chicken, cheese sandwiches, tomato soup 
• Taco soup 
• Pork chops, sweet potatoes, green beans 
• Salmon, rice mix, veggie 
• Belgian waffles, eggs, fruit.   

Bacon chicken ranch speghetti

https://youtu.be/t1In2NEg3K8

The link is here.    This is a good recipe because it is something that you can make and that you most generally have hanging around the kitchen.

   Bacon bits can be purchased and frozen.
 .Chicken is easily made in the insta pot from frozen or you can use a can of chicken breast.   They can be about a dollar and you can get them at costco or dollar tree in a pinch.  

Cream can be subbed  with less milk.  

Ranch dressing mix is a seasoning that you can make at home.  

This can be made as they did in a slow cooker, or you could make the sauce in a large skillet and add the cooked chicken and garnish.  

Fast food in the slow cooker, or faster in the insta pot and on the stove.    On the stove would make a quick pick up meal.  

Having some on the shelf dinners for emergencies or those times when bleep happens is a sure fire way to avoid the take out fairy.  

Instead of buying ready made things, or buying a box of.....buying basics ingredients that are versatile is a better way to stretch your food dollar.  

Breakfast Muffins take a long.