MMC 30-Minute Menus for February 21, 2010

Have you been enjoying the Olympics on television? I sure have and I have been inspired to prepare healthier meals for my family so we can all perform as well as the athletes! These menus are healthy and are also easy on the budget.

The BBQ Chicken Quarters for Thursday can be easily broiled if your weather just does not permit grilling this time of year. While it does have a pre-step to marinate the chicken quarters earlier in the day, the extra step is well worth the effort!

Friday's Double Bean Tortilla Stacks are great fun for the whole family. Everyone can stack and dress their dinner to their liking - making it easy on Mom, too!

You may think that the Beef Bourguignon on Saturday is company-fare (and it can be) but it is prepared with a frozen vegetable blend making this an elegant and easy supper to serve anytime.

Do you have a party in your plans? If so, check out the latest feature on my website - 'Party in a Bag'! The Bags are designed to help you pull your party together in 30 minutes - flat! I love to entertain but don't often have the time required to pull off a big, fancy 'do', so, over the years, I have learned a few short-cuts; I will share them with you.

If you are planning a dinner party or family gathering, take a look at the Holiday and Special '30-Minute Complete Menu Plans' on my website. You will find menu ideas to help with your celebration or 'do'.

The Family Meals '30-Minute Complete Menu Plans' are developed to help with both weeknight and special dinner prep. I create 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.
• 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! (The ingredients in parenthesis show some of my quick-prep steps.) You can always substitute your favorite made-from-scratch recipes when you have more time.

I hope you have a great week!

Sunday:
Stuffed Pork Chops with Maple Glaze (boxed cornbread stuffing mix)
Harvard Beets (jarred Harvard beets)
7-Layer Salad (frozen peas, bagged lettuce, prepared mayo)
Berry Topped Cupcakes (purchased cupcakes)

Monday:
Turkey Tetrazzini Especialle (boxed pasta, pre-cooked or canned poultry, sliced mushrooms, grated Parmesan cheese)
Broccoli Vegetable Medley (frozen blend)
Ice Cream with Pecan Shortbread Cookies (purchased ice cream and cookies)

Tuesday:
Fried Oysters over Spinach Salad (bagged baby spinach, canned oysters)
Hush Puppies (frozen hush puppies)
Peach Kuchen (yellow cake mix, canned peaches)

Wednesday:
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry (bagged and pre-cut broccoli, sliced mushrooms)
Rice
Sesame Cuke Salad
Phyllo Raspberry Creams (purchased phyllo shells, instant pistachio pudding mix

Thursday:
BBQ Chicken Quarters (prepared orange juice and bottled teriyaki sauce)
Curried Pineapple Slices (canned pineapple slices)
Potato Salad (canned potatoes)
Green Beans
Spiced Oatmeal Cookies

Friday:
Double Bean Tortilla Stacks (vegetarian; purchased tortillas, jarred salsa, canned black beans and kidney beans, shredded cheese)
Condiments and Veggies (jarred condiments, bagged shredded lettuce)
Spanish Rice (canned diced tomatoes)
Chocolate Pear Tart (chocolate cookie pie crust, canned pears, jarred marmalade, bottled fudge topping)

Saturday:
Beef Bourguignon (frozen potato and green bean mix with rosemary butter sauce)
Avocado and Romaine Salad
French Bread, Butter
Cherry Vanilla Pie (prepared graham cracker crust, instant vanilla pudding mix, cherry pie filling)

Get inspired for your weekly menus at OrgJunkie!

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