Menu Plan Monday

We are off to an amazing start this week. We have had an awesome weekend, and I think I am back on track with the menu planning. I was much more motivated this week. Let’s just blame it on the beautiful spring weather that has finally hit the “Sunny South.”

This week, I will be making:
Macaroni, cheese and ham casserole
Roast chicken (not sure which recipe, but leaning toward something with lemon and rosemary), sweet potato fries
Ham shank, salad and fresh bread
Spaghetti and meatballs, salad and fresh bread
Easy Cheesy Manicotti*, salad
Balsamic chicken with spring vegetables*
And for the weekend – hopefully grilling something, salads, and fresh bread

For the first time, I am planning a “just in case” meal. I had planned to grill today, but ended up with rain and had to go to plan B. I wasn’t prepared for that. As a result, I have decided to have a standby recipe that uses ingredients that will not spoil quickly. So … I am planning to try a Cheesy Chicken Casserole if one of my other meals gets thwarted.

I hope you are enjoying a wonderful week full of good food. If you are feeling a little stymied, check out the menus at OrgJunkie.

Easy Cheesy Manicotti

1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 box manicotti shells
Mozzarella string cheese (same number as shells you are preparing)
Parmesan cheese
Shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 F
Cook manicotti shells according to package directions.
Cool shells in cold water then drain on paper towels
Spread about ¼ of the jar of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish
Stuff each shell with one mozzarella cheese stick and Parmesan cheese. Lay in pan on top of sauce.
Pour the remaining sauce over the shells
Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Use as much as desired
Bake until sauce and cheese on top are bubbly.

Balsamic Chicken with Spring Vegetables

4 6-ounce skinless frozen chicken thighs
1 whole head of garlic
2 Zucchinis
2 Yellow Squash
1 Orange bell pepper
1 Yellow bell pepper
1 Red onion
¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and Pepper

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. If chicken is frozen, dump seasonings on top.
Put chicken in the crockpot
Wash and cut all of the vegetables, and put into a mixing bowl. Peel the head of garlic, but keep the cloves in tact.
Toss the vegetables with the balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.
Pour the vegetables on top of the meat.
Cover and cook for 6-8 hours.