March 30

Monday Night

Poppyseed Chicken

1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of mushroom
1c sour cream
6 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or cut into chunks (big timesaver is to get a rotisserie chicken if you're looking for a quick supper)
salt and pepper to taste
2T poppy seeds
1 stack Ritz crackers, crushed
1 stick melted butter

Place chicken in casserole dish. Mix soups, sour cream and poppy seeds. Pour mixture over chicken. Mix crackers and butter; spread over casserole. Bake 20-30 min at 350 until golden brown.

Tuesday night

Spaghetti Casserole

1c onion, chopped
1c green pepper, chopped
1T butter
28oz can tomatoes, undrained
4oz can mushrooms, drained
3.8oz can sliced black olives, drained
2t dried oregano
1lb ground beef, (or ground turkey), browned and drained
12oz spaghetti, cooked and drained
2c cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can cream of mushroom
1/4c water
1/4c parmesan

In a large skillet, saute onion and green pepper in butter until tender. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and oregano. Add meat and simmer, uncovered for 10min. Place 1/2 of the spaghetti in a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Top with 1/2 of the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with 1c cheese. Repeat layers. Combine soup and water; stir until smooth. Pour over casserole. Sprinkle with parmesan. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30-35 min or until heated through. Makes 12 servings.

Tuesday Night

Aussie Chicken

Chicken & Rice Casserole

3 c diced, cooked chicken
1 med onion, diced and sauteed
8 oz can water chestnuts, drained and chopped (optional)
2 (14oz) cans French green beans, rinsed and drained
4oz pimientos, rinsed and drained (optional)
1 can cream of celery soup
1 c mayo
1 6oz box of long grain and wild rice, cooked
1 c grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 300. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a 3qt casserole dish. Bake 25 min.

Redbox code tonight

Tonight, Wednesday March 25th's REDBOX code is MMM325.
Just enter this code in the promo code box at the redbox kiosk
and viola! free movie

...You're welcome :)

This week's meals & savings March 23

Today I went to Publix and spent $52 and saved $59. Publix isn't my favorite grocery store, but I do try to hit their deals every week. For instance, this week they have the Tropicana 50 OJ on BOGO, $3.79 for 2, I had $1 off coupon for each bringing my total for each $.88. Also Ocean Spray Cranberry juice was BOGO, $3.99, I had $1 off so I got one of those for $1. Post Select Grains cereal was BOGO 4.19, I had $1 off bringing each box to a little over $1.50 each and this cereal is good. Betty Crocker cake mix is BOGO $1.59 and I had a coupon for a free reusable Publix shopping bag when you buy 2 Betty Crocker Products. Actually I had two of these coupons, so I bought the BOGO Hamburger Helper. Spray and Wash was BOGO $2.99, I bought one for $1.50 and had $1 off coupon bringing the total to $.50. Entemann's Little Bites are BOGO, they're usually $3 or $4 a box depending on where you are, I got them for $2.14. Dole little fruit bowls are BOGO, 2 for $2.35 (great for kid's lunches). Smart Balance is BOGO $3.59 and I had get a free Smart Balance Milk coupon. So I got the Smart Balance butter and smart balance milk for $1.79. Sparkle big roll of paper towels-8ct was $5.49 and I had $.75 off bringing each roll to $.57!. Fast Fixin chicken nuggets BOGO $5.99, I bought one for $3 and had $.75 off.

So, just a few little hints for this week's shopping trip. Publix' sale does end tomorrow, Tuesday by the way.



Now, on to this week's meals. I need an easy week seeing as I'm leaving Thursday afternoon to go to New York/Connecticut/Rhode Island to see my brother that's in the Navy. I'm so excited.

MONDAY
Greek Salad

Bag of Romaine Lettuce (or whichever you prefer)
sliced banana peppers
sliced red onion
feta cheese
sliced black olives
Caesar dressing

This is so yummy!!

TUESDAY
Pizza Meatloaf Cups
-good with potatoes and green beans or corn on the cob

1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
additional pizza sauce (optional)

Directions
1In a bowl, combine the egg, pizza sauce, bread crumbs and Italian seasoning.
2Fold beef into mixture and mix well.
3Divide meat mixture into 12 greased muffin cups.
4Press mixture into bottom and up the sides.
5Fill center with cheese.
6Bake at 375° for 15-18 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.
7Serve immediately with additional pizza sauce and cheese if desired.
8Or cool, place in freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
9To use frozen pizza cups:
10Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
11Heat in microwave on high for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
12Top with additional pizza sauce and cheese if desired.

WEDNESDAY

Creamy Italian Chicken (for the slow cooker)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 envelope Italian salad dressing
1/4 c water
8oz cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of chicken
4oz can mushrooms, drained
hot cooked rice or noodles

Place the chicken in a slow cooker. Combine salad dressing mix and water; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and soup until well blended. Stir in mushrooms; pour over chicken. Cook 1 hour longer or until chicken juices run clear. Serve over rice or noodles.

Thursday

Cheesy Beefy Stuffed Shells
-can serve with side salad and/or garlic bread

18 jumbo pasta shells
1 med onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2c grated mozzarella
1/2 c grated parmesan
1/2 c bread crumbs
1/4c fresh chopped parsley
1 egg, slightly beaten
14oz jar spaghetti sauce
1-lb ground beef (or ground turkey of course)
dash pepper

Cook pasta adding 1T salt and 1T olive oil. Cook until tender, drain and set aside. Brown ground meat and drain. Add onion and garlic; cook 5 min longer. Stir in mozzarella, bread crumbs, parsley, egg and pepper; set aside. Spoon 1/4 of the spaghetti sauce into a lightly greased baking dish. Stuff the shells with the meat mixture. Arrange in a baking dish. Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan. Cover. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.



Friday

Wings & Things Chicken Tenders

2 1/2 lbs chicken tenders
1/2 c butter
2T white vinegar
1C Frank's original Red Hot cayenne pepper sauce

Deep fry chicken tenders. Melt butter and hot sauce together. Add vinegar to the butter and hot sauce mixture; pour over cooked chicken tenders.

Serve with fries (sprinkled with seasoned salt straight from the oven or deep fryer)

New Deal Finds

Okay, I've found a few new blogs that I quite enjoy and I'd thought I'd pass the savings on to you guys.

If you have Dish Network, which we do, you can get two free movies until 4/30.
Just fill out this form. I'm so glad I found this, we rented a movie the other night because we were so bored (Nights in Rodanthe--don't bother!!)

http://www.dishnetwork.com/freemovie

(found this on frugal coupon living)

The deal is ending soon and this is a fantastic deal...the $5 Huggies coupon. I've bought 3 packs of diapers for my sister using this coupon and only paid $4.88/pack! This week until Sat Ingles has the Huggies for $9.88. $9.88 - $5 coupon is only $4.88!! Stock up people.


This is a handy little chart. I carried one around with me similar to this when I had little ones. Of course, it wasn't this fancy, most likely it was written on an old bill envelope or church bulletin. Anyway, it has the diapers listed with how many is in each pack, etc.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/5364437/HowManyDiapersPerPack

Also on babycheapskate.blogspot.com they say Nordstrom has baby Robeez on clearance for $15.90 and they SHIP FREE!! Just use CODE: SHOES

Kodakgallery.com Free shipping on orders $4.99 and over! Use code SPRING2020 and get 20% off of everything!!

www.Freebies4Mom.com is another useful website I found!

Cellfire.com is an awesome coupon site where you can electronically add up to 50 coupons straight to your rewards card. Unfortunately, the only store anywhere near us is Kroger where it would be of any use to me. Still, occasionally I like to go to the Kroger in Jefferson when they're running good specials.

Menu for the Week of March 16

Monday Night

Easy Chicken Alfredo Night

4 chicken breasts, sliced thinly and cooked

1 jar of Alfredo sauce

Fettucini noodles, cooked

After the chicken is brown, add the jar of alfredo sauce and heat until warm throughout. Serve with pasta. I like to add onions and mushrooms but the kids like it without of course. Serve with a side of steamed broccoli.

Tuesday Night is St. Patrick's Day, we're going to have something green of course



1 whole chicken (or just chicken breast)
2 onions (1 halved, 1 chopped)
1 red pepper, finely chopped (optional)
3-4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon cumin seed
1 bunch cilantro (about 3/4 cup chopped)
2 cans green chilies
salt and pepper
1 quart water (about)
1 cup canned or jarred tomatillo salsa



Directions

1In a fairly shallow soup pot, place chicken, water, 1 onion, halved, 2 cloves garlic, halved, and salt and pepper.
2Bring to a boil and simmer 1-2 hours until chicken is very tender and falling off bones.
3Remove chicken, and allow to cool enough to handle.
4Strain stock, and discard veggies, reserving the stock in the same pot.
5When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred chicken, by pulling it apart, discarding skin and bones.
6Add meat to soup pot.
7Add remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, 1 hour, or until desired thickness of sauce is achieved.
8Serve in burritos with rice, beans, cheese, sour cream and guacamole.








Lucky Lime Drinks


Put one, or two small scoops of lime sherbet in a clear glass ice cream cup, or beer mug. Pour 7-Up over the sherbet. Add a dollop of whipped cream, green sugar sprinkles and a green maraschino cherry!





How to make green beer: (from http://www.myrecipes.com/)





Instructions:Place 2 drops of green liquid food coloring in the bottom of a beer mug or glass. Add the beer. No stirring needed. Voila. Green beer. Two drops seemed to be the right amount to get a nice olive-green sort of color. Three drops resulted in more of a kelly green shade.





Dark Beer vs. Light Beer


We experimented with a light lager and a dark brown lager and got good results with each. Obviously, the darker beer was a slightly darker green, but it was still a nice olive green color. We used the same amount of food coloring (2 drops) for each, and got good results.





Tips:Use liquid food coloring instead of the gel because the liquid will disperse into the beer instantly. Be careful with the food coloring. When you're adding it to the beer, it's easy to get some of it on your hands. It's water-soluble, but the green does linger on your fingers a while. It will probably stain tablecloths and clothing as well. We did so a bit of sampling to see if we could (1) taste the food coloring or (2) if it turned our lips green. No on both counts. We did not, however, test what the results might be after a whole evening of green beer drinking. Here's to the drinking of the green!








**To make the night a lot of fun, add just one or two drops of green food coloring to the kid's bathwater. Don't put more than this, you don't want your tub green or even worse your kids going to school looking like we little leprechauns.

Wednesday-Crockpot Roast Beef, a classic

1 shoulder roast
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 onion, sliced
1 can of carrots
1 can of sliced or whole potatoes

Put the shoulder roast in the crock pot. Salt and pepper both sides. Pour the cream of mushroom over the roast. Fill up the empty can with water then pour over the roast. Add the vegetables and cover. Let cook all day for about 8 hours and you'll have the perfect roast. Serve with mashed potatoes! * Save the leftovers, you'll need them for tomorrow night's meal.

Thursday-Chimichangas

Using the leftover roast beef from last night


3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked beef
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
2 (8-count) cans crescent rolls
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped green onions
Serves 4

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic powder. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add beef. Cook until heated through. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup Cheddar.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Unroll crescent roll dough. Separate into 8 rectangles. Pinch perforations to seal. Spread 1 tablespoon salsa over each rectangle to within 1/2 inch of edges.
Step 3
Grease a baking sheet. Spoon 1/3 cup beef mixture over each rectangle. Roll up dough from short end; press edges together to seal. Place chimichangas seam side down on baking sheet.
Step 4
Bake chimichangas until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Top with remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and green onions.



Friday-Have a night in with this great meal!

Alana's Stuffed and Wrapped Hot Dogs with Blue Cheese Chips

1 pkg of your favorite hot dogs-Nathan's All Beef works really good
(I now use turkey dogs)
8oz block or shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 slices bacon
(I use turkey bacon with turkey dogs)
8 buns (I prefer the top slit for this recipe but the others will do)
1 onion, sliced and sauteed in 2T olive oil until caramalized

Take the hot dog and slice it down the middle longways (don't go all the way through. Stuff the slit with cheese and then wrap with a piece of bacon. Place on broiler pan or grill. Broil for 5-10 minutes until the bacon is brown and crispy. Serve with caramalized onions and the toppings of your choice.

1 bag of plain Kettle Chips (must be Kettle)
1 bottle of chunky blue cheese dressing (Must be Chunky)

Put the bag of chips in a deep pan and pour the dressing on top. Bake at 400 until the dressing is melted and the chips start to brown.

Menu for week of March 9

Mexican Manicotti



1 pound lean ground beef
1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
2-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 package (8 ounces) uncooked manicotti shells
2-1/2 cups water
1 jar (16 ounces) picante sauce
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican cheese blend
1/4 cup sliced green onions
Sliced ripe olives, optional



Directions: In a large bowl, combine the uncooked beef, beans, chili powder and oregano. Spoon into uncooked manicotti shells; arrange in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Combine water and picante sauce; pour over shells. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. Uncover; spoon sour cream over the top. Sprinkle with cheese, onions and olives if desired. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Yield: 8 servings.








Broiled Salmon with Pesto Mayonnaise


-w/Rice and Black bean Bake





INGREDIENTS:


1 1/2 lbs center-cut fresh salmon fillet, 1 inch thick, cut into 4 pieces


1/2 cup Italian Dressing



For Pesto Mayonnaise


3 Tbsps Mayonnaise


1 Tbsp prepared Pesto (store bought)



PROCEDURE:1. Preheat broiler. Rinse salmon with cold water, pat dry with paper towels. Line baking sheets or broiler pan with aluminum foil and set aside.2. In a ziplock bag combine salmon and dressing. Squeeze air out from bag and seal. Gently massage bag to coat fish, set aside.3. For Pesto Mayonnaise - combine mayonnaise and pesto, stir, set aside.4. Remove salmon pieces from bag and place on the baking sheet flesh side down. Discard marinade. Broil fish 4 to 6 inches from heat for up to 10 minutes until flesh flakes easily when tested with a fork. 5. Serve salmon with pesto mayonnaise on top.





Rice and Black Bean Bake
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 jar (8 ounces) picante sauce
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Corn or tortilla chips



Directions: In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Stir in the rice, sour cream and 1 cup of cheese. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve with corn or tortilla chips. Yield: 6 main-dish or 8-10 side-dish servings





Cajun Turkey Burgers w/Creole Curly Fries



Ingredients
For Fries
1 (28-ounce) bag curly fries (recommended: Ore-Ida)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper



For Burgers:
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
1 cup frozen chopped onions and bell peppers, thawed
1/4 cup real bacon pieces
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 onion buns
4 leaves butter lettuce
4 slices tomato
4 slices red onion



For Sauce:
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 scallion, finely chopped



For Curly Fries:
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In large bowl combine all ingredients and toss until fries are well coated. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until crispy.



For Sauce:
In small bowl combine all ingredients and mix until blended. Set aside.



For Burger:
Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
In a bowl mix together the ground turkey, onions and bell peppers, bacon pieces, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, salt, and ground black pepper.
Wet hands to prevent sticking, and form 4 patties of equal size. Spray grill pan with cooking spray.
Reduce heat to medium and cook patties for 5 to 7 minutes per side or until cooked through.
For the sauce:
Place all the ingredients into a small serving bowl and stir until combined.
Place the cooked burgers on the buns and serve with lettuce, tomato, onion and ranch dressing.








Five Veggive Four Cheese Lasagna





Chicken Tacos


(serve with spanish rice for a complete meal)





8oz cream cheese


1/3 c milk


1 1/2 c cooked chicken, chopped or shredded


4oz can chopped green chilies, drained


1/2 t salt


1/4 t chili powder and 1/4 t cumin


10 taco shells, hard or soft


shredded lettuce, tomato, sour cream (for toppings) optional





Combine cream cheese and milk in saucepan; stir over low heat until smooth. Stir in chicken, chilies and seasonings; heat thoroughly stirring occasionally. Fill shells with meat mixture, lettuce and tomatoes.





Chinese Style Pepper Steak


(serve with frozen eggrolls for a complete meal)





2lbs boneless top round steak


1/4 c veg oil


1/2 c onion, diced


2 garlic cloves, minced


2 green peppers, chopped


1 c beef broth


1t salt


1/4 t pepper


1/2 c soy sauce


1/4 c water


2T cornstarch


hot cooked rice





Partially freeze steak. Slice across the grain into thin strips. Brown steak in hot oil in large skillet. Combine soy sauce, water and cornstarch; set aside. Add onion, peppers, broth, salt and pepper. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer 15 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture. Cook, stirring constantly until thick. Serve over rice.

White Cheese Chicken Lasanga

(serve with a salad and garlic bread for a complete meal)

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
9 lasagna noodles
1/2 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the flour and salt, and simmer until bubbly. Mix in the broth and milk, and boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Season with the basil, oregano, and ground black pepper. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Spread 1/3 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer with 1/3 of the noodles, the ricotta, and the chicken. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over the chicken, and layer with 1/3 of the sauce mixture, spinach, and the remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange remaining noodles over cheese, and spread remaining sauce evenly over noodles. Sprinkle with parsley and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven.

The Dessert of the Week is: Key Lime Pie!!

1-9" graham cracker pie shell
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks (whites not used)
1/2 cup Nellie & Joe's key west lime juice

Combine milk, egg yolks and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Pour filling into pie shell and bake at 350°F degrees for 15 minutes.
Allow to stand 10 minutes before refrigerating. Just before serving, top with freshly whipped cream and garnish with lime slices, if desired--or serve with fat free Cool Whip!

March Deals!

I love going to the Redbox at Wal-Mart in Winder or there's also one now at the Kangaroo in Winder across from Video Warehouse. If you go to their website http://www.blog.redbox.com/ every Wednesday you'll get a code for a free movie. Also if you sign up to get texts to your phone from Redbox, they will text you a code for a free movie on Mondays. For now, I believe this is only for March but they always run some kind of specials like this. I just think this is an awesome deal. (as long as you return it the next day by 9:00pm you only pay $1 for a movie--where else can you get a deal like that?)

Also, I noticed while I was at the Chick Fil A at the Mall of GA (the one outside the mall), I read this thing they had on the table that said "Receipt Day", so of course I was curious. Okay, so here's how this works. On Thursday, March 5 if you go to that Chick Fil A and buy anything and keep that receipt, you can take that receipt back to that Chick Fil A and get the same items free. So...if you have a family of five and you get 2 chick fil a combos and 3 kids meals on March 5....you can take that same receipt (yes, this means you have to keep up with it) to that Chick Fil A anytime in March they will give you 2 chick fil a combos and 3 kids meals free! I think this is a great deal if you're going to be up around the Mall of Georgia that day.

Until March 12, you can go to www.snapfish.com and order 75 prints for $9.99 including shipping. This is a great deal! I'm going to do my uploading right after Kyndall's birthday party. Yeah!


Also, one of my other tips as I'm printing my weekly Hobby Lobby coupon...I don't ever get a Hobby Lobby sales flyer but you can go to their website at http://www.hobbylobby.com/ and print their weekly coupon for 40% off and regular priced item. I love this coupon! This week is Kyndall's birthday, so I'm going to use my coupon to buy the doll skirt cake pan I've been wanting. It's $17.99, so I'll get it for $10.80. Because I also have a 40% off coupon at Michael's, which is always in the Sunday paper, I will go there and get a helium tank for balloons for Kyndall's party for almost 1/2 off!! I also printed off a Party City coupon for $5 off a $25 purchase. You can sign up at www.partycity.com and sign up for their email and you'll get another coupon. One of my favorite websites for promo codes and coupons is www.retailmenot.com. Anytime I am purchasing something online from pizza to American Girl dolls, I check this website for promo codes. 9 times out of 10 they usually work and if they don't, try another one. I can ALWAYS find a promo code for Papa John's pizza buy one get one free. I ordered an American Girl doll online and got $10 off my purchase with a code from this website, so the shipping was basically free.


If you got your Savvy Shopper in the mail, don't toss it in the recycling bin before you look in it! This week, there's Johnny's Pizza coupons-family meal deal for $21.95 includes large 2 topping pizza, 2 salads and cheese stix. There's also a coupon for $5 off of $30 and free chips & drinks with sub purchase.
Dakota's Grill & Bar in Auburn has some coupons in the Savvy Shopper as well. 20% off of lunch and dinner coupons. We've been there twice and it's pretty good. A little different than Beef O'Bradys and Loco's but still the same concept--way better food if you ask me. Just don't order kids drinks there-they are $1.99 just like the adult drinks! Drink water people-that's a ripoff!

Menu for March 1-March 8 Paula Deen Week

Monday--Alana's Buffalo Ranch Chicken Pizza

**This is great with a salad**

This recipe will make 2 whole pizzas, so if there's just two of you....save one of the crusts and 1/2 everything else in the recipe. Or...go ahead and make it and if you have a vaccum sealer...seal it and make your own frozen pizza!!

1 package pre made pizza crust (I like to use Mama Mary's) Publix also has freshly made pizza dough balls in the deli section that are great!

4-5 bonless, skinless chicken breasts

4-5T Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided

1C Frank's buffalo wing sauce

1/2 stick butter

1C ranch dressing

1-1/2C pizza blend cheese or mozzarella

Parmesan cheese

Slice the chicken very thinly on the diagonal and cook in about 3T olive oil. (may need to add more as the oil cooks down). While the chicken is cooking, in a microwave or small saucepan, melt the butter and Frank's hot sauce together; stir and set aside. Drizzle the pizza crusts with olive oil. Spread the ranch dressing over the crust. When the chicken is done, add the wing sauce mixture and stir to coat. Place the chicken on top of the ranch. Sprinkle with cheese. Sprinkle the outside crusts with parmesan cheese. Bake at 450 for about 10-15 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Can serve with an extra side of ranch and/or Frank's hot sauce.

Tues-- Gold Medal Sizzling Fajitas (from Pauladeen.com)
**These are great alone or get a bag of tortilla chips and salsa to go with them or maybe some spanish rice.**

Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided

3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Dash hot sauce
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds meat (boneless, skinless chicken breast, skirt steak or peeled and deveined shrimp)
1 medium onion, halved and sliced lengthwise
1 green bell pepper, sliced*
1 red bell pepper, sliced*
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 lime, juiced*
for topping: Sour cream*, Salsa*, Guacamole*, shredded Cheddar cheese*
*all of these are totally optional but sure make it delicious!

Directions
In a heavy duty resealable plastic bag, combine 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, hot sauce, salt, pepper and your choice of meat. Seal and toss the bag around to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator. *Cook’s Note: 15 minutes for shrimp, 20 minutes for chicken and 1 hour for skirt steak.
Preheat your cast iron servers in a preheated 400 degree F oven for at least 20 minutes, to get a good sizzle when you plate the fajitas. (if you happen to have these)
Heat the outside grill or a large indoor grill pan to medium-high heat. Remove the meat from the marinade and place it on the hot grill, discard the marinade. Cook chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, skirt steak about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare and about 2 minutes for shrimp. Slice the chicken and steak into strips if you are using.
In a large skillet heat up the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and fry the onions and bell peppers until crisp-tender with some salt and pepper.
Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm them in the oven with the servers for 15 minutes.
When you are ready to serve, remove the cast iron servers from the oven and quickly arrange the meat and peppers and onions on it. It will immediately start to sizzle from their fat and moisture. Serve sizzling immediately with the warm tortillas and other accompaniments.



Wed--Shepherd’s Pie (Alana's modified version, taken from Pauladeen.com)
**This doesn't even need side items, it's a whole meal on it's own. Of course, if you wanted you could fix some biscuits or another vegetable side.

Ingredients:

"Beef" Filling:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I like to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I use ground turkey)
16 ounces canned tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups cooked mixed vegetables (peas, diced carrots and corn)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Mashed Potatoes:5 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cups low fat or fat free milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup red fat or fat free sour cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cornbread Crust:1 (12-ounces) boxed cornbread mix

Directions
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the onion in oil. When the onion is soft add the ground meat, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon and brown. Stir in tomato sauce and mixed vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.
In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the potatoes about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well and return to the pot. Whip the potatoes with an electric mixer until moderately smooth. Add milk, butter and sour cream and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Adjust consistency with more milk, if desired.
Follow directions on box to make cornbread batter.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease 6 (8-ounce) ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.
Spoon the mashed potatoes into the bottoms of each prepared ramekin, spreading them evenly with a rubber spatula. Then add the meat filling, spreading that evenly over the mashed potatoes. Pour the cornbread batter evenly over the meat layer in each ramekin.
Bake for about 30 minutes until the cornbread is cooked through and golden on top.


Thurs--Northern Italian Pasta Shell Stuffing (from Pauladeen.com)

**Pair this with a salad and some garlic breadsticks**

Ingredients:
3 packages frozen, chopped spinach

3 pounds ground round (or ground turkey--or meatless)*

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (go low fat for less calories)

2 large onions, chopped

Grated Parmesan

Salt and pepper

2 jumbo eggs

1 (1-pound) package jumbo pasta shells

2 cups tomato sauce (your own or ready-made)

Directions
Place frozen spinach in a strainer and run under hot water until thawed. Squeeze all of the water out and place in a large bowl. In a large saute pan, cook the ground round until browned. *If you're sing turkey you'll have to brown the meat in about 2T of olive oil since the turkey doesn't make it's own fat like the ground beef.*Drain meat, reserving 2 tablespoons fat in the pan, and place meat in the same bowl with the spinach. Stir in the cream cheese until blended with the meat and spinach. Saute the chopped onions in the reserved meat fat until transparent. Transfer onions to the bowl with the other ingredients and stir to combine. Add grated cheese, salt, and pepper, to taste, and combine. Let mixture cool and then add the eggs. The filling can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook pasta shells in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and cool to the touch. Stuff the shells with the meat mixture. Place shells in a large baking pan and cover with tomato sauce. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 1 hour. Serve. Recipe courtesy of Barbara Plutoni

Fri--Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf (from Pauladeen.com)

**This is great with mashed potatoes and green beans or corn on the cob.**

Ingredients:
1 pound ground chuck (OR ground turkey)

10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (OR turkey bacon)

1 (8-ounce) package sharp Cheddar, grated

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup bread crumbs, toasted

1/4 cup mayonnaise (can use light mayo)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/3 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons prepared mustard

1 (3-ounce) can French fried onions

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck and next 8 ingredients, mixing well.
In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and mustard. Stir 1/4 cup ketchup mixture into meat mixture, reserving remaining ketchup mixture.
Press meat mixture into a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan, or shape into a loaf and place on a rack in a broiler pan. Spread remaining ketchup mixture over loaf. Bake 40 minutes. Top with French fried onions; bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink.