Friday, November 7, 2008

MMC - 30 Minute Menus November 9

Wow! The holiday season is upon us! One trip to to the grocery store (or any store) is all it takes to see the holiday displays. The menus this week are cost-wise to help with any money concerns because of the holidays or the current economic situation.

Two of our children are visiting us this week-end because they can't come for Thanksgiving. I will be serving a spiral sliced ham Sunday for a special dinner for them. The extra bonus for me is that I have included the leftovers in two menus during the week! I just love bake-once / eat-twice or three times.

This is my favorite time of year and I do enjoy entertaining! We will be hosting a dinner party next Saturday to bring in the season. It will be a small party but very festive and quite elegant. Since I like to enjoy the party, too, I have developed several 30-minute menus to make the prep a snap; Saturday's menu is one of them.

In addition to the menus listed below, I have several appetizers to pull together quickly for both this week-end with our children and Saturday for our dinner party. I will be mixing and matching:
  • cheeses (brie, smokey Gouda, cheddar, chevre, bleu) with baguettes and crackers plus tapenade for an extra touch;
  • veggies with dips (Ranch with bleu cheese, Asian wasabi, artichoke/spinach);
  • deli items (smoked salmon, roast beef, roasted turkey); and
  • fruits (grapes, sliced pears with apple butter, sliced red and green apples with bourbon-infused honey).

We should do quite nicely with these quick and easy foods.

I have started a new feature on my web page - 30-Minute Complete Menu Plans. I am creating Complete Menu Plans using the 30-minute menus from this blog:

  • The Complete Menu Plans give you recipes and step-by-step instructions for preparing the complete meal (not just the entree as most meal plans do) in 30 minutes - flat!
  • I even include a grocery list to save unnecessary trips to the grocery store.
  • These are eComplete Menu Plans so you can purchase the menu plan now and use it for dinner tonight!
  • You won't have to spend your precious time thinking of menu ideas and then looking up the recipes - I will send it all directly to you!
  • You can purchase a Complete Menu Plan for the introductory price of .25 each.
  • If you have found my 30-minute menus helpful, then you must check out the 30-Minute Complete Menu Plans!

You will find that I use several cooking methods, mix and match, to get dinner on the table quickly! You can always substitute your favorite made-from-scratch recipes when you have more time.

I hope you have a great week!

Sunday:
Spiral Sliced Ham with Bourbon Glaze (purchased fully-cooked spiral sliced ham)
Quattro Fromage (bagged shredded cheeses or thinly sliced at deli counter)
Peas and Mushrooms (frozen mix)
Lemon Pound Cake with Strawberries (purchased pound cake; save half of the pound cake for Wednesday)

Monday:
Grilled Fish Packets (white fish in foil pouch with butter, lemon, and splash of white wine)
Potato Stacks
Slaw Wedges (jarred slaw dressing)
Grilled Pears (halved and grilled with skin on and honey glaze)

Tuesday:
Stuffed Spuds (bagged cut veggies and shredded cheese)
Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges (bagged baby spinach and canned oranges)
Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies (purchased cookie dough; save half for Friday)

Wednesday:
Ham and Cheddar Strata (ham from Sunday, bagged shredded cheese)
Broccoli / Bell Pepper / Mushroom Stir Fry (bagged cut broccoli and sliced mushrooms)
Toasted Pound Cake with Ice Cream and Chocolate Syrup (pound cake from Sunday)

Thursday:
Mexi Mac & Cheese (canned or cooked chicken, canned Ro*tel tomatoes, boxed mac & cheese, bagged shredded cheese)
Green Beans
Chocolate Pies (purchased tart shells, instant chocolate pudding mix)

Friday:
Ham and Asparagus Bake (ham from Sunday)
Pear Salad (bagged greens, canned pear halves)
Chocolate Chip Cookies (purchased cookie dough from Tuesday)

Saturday:
Crab Stuffed Chicken Breasts (boneless, skinless chicken breasts, canned crab)
Pasta with Fresh Veggies (broccoli slaw mix)
Crabapple Salad with Pink Mayo (jarred sliced crabapples)
Banana Napoleons (puff pastry, instant banana pudding mix)


Get inspired for your weekly menus at OrgJunkie!

I sincerely hope you have fun with your meal planning and preparation,
Elizabeth Randall and Family

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