Menu Plan Monday

We had a great week, food-wise. We tried some new recipes, and found some new things to add to our rotating menu (the Coq au Vin and the chicken picatta). We tried some others and ditched the recipes (Swiss Steak was one of those). That is one of the things that I LOVE about having access to all of the menus that are posted every Monday at OrgJunkie's Menu Plan Monday. There are always interesting ideas for us to try so that the meals do not get boring!

This week has a few stand-bys as well as a few new recipes. I am hoping for a couple of new hits to add into the rotation. All recipes not listed as a link will be added at the end of the post.

Monday - leftover lasagna, salad

Tuesday - Beef Stroganoff, egg noodles, peas

Wednesday - Zesty Potato Soup (or maybe my old stand-by recipe), bread

Thursday - Poppyseed chicken, rice, broccoli

Friday - Spaghetti and meatballs, salad

Saturday - Beef fajitas

Sunday - Lamb in dill sauce, salad

Monday - meatloaf, salad, pasta?

Poppyseed Chicken

2-3 cups cooked, cubed chicken

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of celery soup

8 ounces sour cream

*Mix above ingredients and spread in a 9x13 dish.

*Melt 1 stick of margarine and mix with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of crushed Ritz crackers. Put on top of chicken mixture.

*Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp poppyseeds.

*Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes and serve over rice.

The following recipes come from 365 Favorite Brand Name Slow Cooker Recipes and More.

Beef Stroganoff

1 1/2 pounds stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 Tbsp cooking oil

1 jar (4 oz) sliced mushrooms (I will use fresh)

1 Tbsp dried minced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced OR 1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried crushed oregano

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp dried crushed thyme

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 cups beef broth

1/3 cup dry cooking sherry

1 carton (8 oz) dairy sour cream

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup water

4 cups hot cooked noodles or rice

*In a large skillet, brown beef in hot oil. Drain off fat.

*In slow cooker, combine beef, mushrooms, onions, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Pour in beef broth and cooking sherry. Cook, cover on Low 8-10 hours or on High 4-5 hours. Discard bay leaf.

*If using Low heat, turn to High heat. Mix together sour cream, flour and water. Stir about 1 cup of hot liquid into sour cream mixture. Return to cooker; stir to combine. Cover and cook on High 30 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Serve over noodles or rice.

Beef Fajitas

1 1/2 pounds beef flank steak

1 chopped onion

1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 Tbsp cilantro

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp salt

1 can (8 oz) chopped tomatoes

12 (8 inch) tortillas

toppings of your choice

*Cut flank steak into 6 portions. In slow cooker, combine meat, onion, green pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, cumin, coriander, and salt. Add tomatoes. Cover and cook on Low 8-10 hours or High 4-5 hours.

*Remove meat from slow cooker and shred with a fork. Return meat to slow cooker and stir. To serve fajitas, spread mixture into tortillas and top with toppings of your choice. Roll up and serve.

Lamb in Dill Sauce

2 large boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp dried dill weed or 4 sprigs of fresh dill

1 bay leaf

2 pounds lean lamb stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 cup plus 3 Tbsp water, divided

2 Tbsp flour

1 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Fresh dill (optional)

*Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the following order: potatoes, onion, salt, pepper, dill, bay leaf, lamb, 1 cup water. Cover and cook on Low 6-8 hours.

*Remove lamb and potatoes with slotted spoon; cover and keep warm. Remove and discard bay leaf. Turn heat to High. Stir flour and remaining water in small bowl until smooth. Add half of cooking juices and sugar. Mix well and return to slow cooker. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Return lamb and potatoes to slow cooker. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with Fresh dill, if desired.