My husband is Mr. Chef again as I will be at work in the evenings for a few weeks.  These should be easy enough to get prepped for him, and tasty enough for lunch leftovers. 

Monday 

Bisque-ish Crock Pot Gumbo

(Sorry no picture ’cause I made this up from several different recipes)

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 10 oz package Chicken Sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 2 cups frozen green beans
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup dried onion flakes
• 1 quart (or 2 14.5 oz cans) diced tomatoes, undrained.  If desired, puree for a smoother texture (this is what makes it more like a bisque).
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked regular long-grain rice
   

In small saucepan, combine flour and oil; mix well. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring constantly, about 8 to 12 minutes or until mixture turns a light red-brown. Place flour and oil mixture in 3 1/2 to 4-quart crockpot. Stir in all remaining ingredients except rice and broth. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, cook rice according to package directions. Serve gumbo over the hot cooked rice. 

Cornbread

An awesome recipe, picture, and expression of love for a cast iron skillet (which I share) is here.

Tuesday

Some Kind of Sauce 

(Again with the making up thing)

I don’t know what this is called, but it is really good.  My Dad gave us some really good bacon from a farm near him, and it is going to be excellent in this dish.  I also need to figure out a way to use up the banana peppers I canned a few months ago, because they taste good but are mushy.

Fry 1 lb of bacon and set aside to cool slightly.  In some of the bacon grease (you can drain some if there is a lot), fry two chopped banana peppers until they just begin to look a little crispy.  Chop the bacon and retun to pan.  In another pot, start water to boil for spaghetti noodles.  To the bacon and peppers, add one jar of good quality spaghetti sauce.  Mix together, and then add 1/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk.  Boil spaghetti noodles according to package directions.  Drain and rinse; the add to sauce.

Serve with a green salad.

Wednesday

Chicken Pot Pie

• 1 package (16 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

• 1 cup cut-up cooked chicken

• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup

• 1 cup biscuit mix (like Jiffy or Bisquick)

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1 egg

Heat oven to 400ºF. Mix vegetables, chicken and soup in ungreased 2-quart casserole. 
Stir remaining ingredients in small bowl with fork until blended. Pour into casserole. 
Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.

This recipe is from Betty Crocker.

Serve with applesauce.

Thursday

I made this last month, and will be making it again.  The recipe is here: Easy Roast Beef Au Jus

Served with fruit.

And for the adults.. Beaujolais Nouveau of course! No wine snobs allowed today. It’s a fun wine to drink and doesn’t pretend to be anything else

Friday

Pizza from our favorite, J.B.’s Pizza!  Their pizza is much better than their website.

For more Menu Plan Monday, check out “I’m an Organizing Junkie!”

 

I have a part time, seasonal job for a few weeks.  Mr. Binder will be preparing and serving all of the meals while I am at work.  I am doing my best to make it easy on him.  I will get things started before he gets home and try to keep the preparation to a minimum.

I’ll keep the sides simple and just decide that day; probably a lot of rice, potatoes, salad and frozen vegetables.  

Monday

Stromboli (or is it a Calizone?)

• Morningstar Farms Philly Cheese Steak Burgers
• 1 loaf frozen bread dough
• 1 14.5 oz can pizza sauce
• 8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

Let Philly Cheese Steak burgers thaw.  Dice burgers. Roll bread dough out into a large circle.  On one half of the circle, spread sauce on dough; then layer diced burger and cheese.  Fold other half of dough over and seal with a few drops of water.  Bake on pizza pan in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Tuesday

Enchiladas

I made these a while ago, and have them in the freezer.  The recipe is here.

I am also going to make Pumpkin Bread Pudding from a recipe I got from Smitten Kitchen via Mama Sutra .  I am very, very excited to make this…

Wednesday

Hash Brown Quiche (I froze it a while ago;  recipe is here)

Thursday

Roasted chicken

• 3-4 pound whole chicken
• 2 lemons
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 1 cup chicken broth

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the giblets and any fat from the chicken cavity. Roll the lemons on the counter with your hand to soften them, then prick thoroughly with a fork, going all the way through the rind to the flesh.
In a small bowl, mash the garlic with the salt until a paste forms. Rub half this paste inside the chicken and then stuff the lemons into the cavity. Rub the remaining paste on the outside of the chicken. Place in a shallow roasting pan, on a rack (you can use sliced onions for a rack for even more flavor), pour the chicken broth around the chicken, and roast for 60-65 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees F, juices run clear when pricked with a fork, and the drumstick moves easily in its socket. Cover the chicken and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with the pan juices (don’t eat the lemons!).

This recipe is from About Busy Cooks.

Friday

Ravioli

I have a package of Buitoni 100% whole wheat four cheese ravioli in the freezer; so this plus a can of sauce even Mr. Binder can do

Click here for more Menu Plan Monday.