Monday, June 1, 2009

This Week's Meals

For more great meal ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie. Com

What's hiding in the back of your pantry? Mine had cranberry sauce and canned whole potatoes. The inspiration for a Thanksgiving-like meal! Baked chicken, mixed veggies, potatoes and cranberry sauce!

My cabinets, pantry and freezer are becoming well stocked!

In the pantry:



On top of the pantry:



These canisters hold rice, teabags and dry beans.



Now I just have to figure out what to cook from what's in there......... and its time to start getting fresh locally grown vegetables such as squash and fresh potatoes! I am very happy to say that I cleaned out and organized my pantry and used a few cans of food that had been in there a while that got lost in the back.

This is what I'm planning for this week:

Meal Number One:

Saturday I was going to slow roast a chicken for our meals that day and thought, "Why not roast two at the same time, using the same electricity and have a couple of meals ready for next week at the same time?". So that's what I did. I put two chickens that were on sale at Food Lion this week for 69 cents a pound in the same roasting pan. I also boiled the necks and fatty pieces to make some broth. After the chickens had cooled, we made lunch and supper for Saturday:

Lunch: Sliced roast chicken, mixed vegetables, whole baby potatoes and cranberry sauce.

Supper: Sliced roast chicken sandwiches.

Meal Number Two:

Hamburger steaks with onions, rice with gravy, left over mixed veggies and cranberry sauce from meal number one,

Meal Number Three:

I deboned the other roasted chicken, placing the meat in a covered bowl in the fridge. I also placed the broth in the fridge in a covered bowl. I will make a chicken casserole or chicken pot pie from this. I'm not sure which recipe I will be using yet, but most of them contain veggies.

A very frugal, easy and filling side dish is to cook pasta in chicken broth. This goes well with chicken dishes, too.

Meal Number Four:

Pork Chops, Corn, Green Beans and Fruit Salad. I have found that if I mix a can of whole kernel corn with a can of creamed corn, it is delicious. Especially, if you use the more expensive white whole kernel corn.

Meal Number Five:

Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Left over veggies.

Some other options I am considering are: Homemade vegetable soup, chili beans, or lasagna.

TODAY'S TIP:

I would highly recommend that you look around in the back of your cabinets or pantry to see what's hiding in there. It could be the inspiration for a great meal!

8 comments:

The Book Lady Online said...

What a great menu :o)

~JoAnn~ said...

Debbie~ what a great looking stocked pantry! I love your heart shelf. Have a great Monday!

Blessings,Joann

Anonymous said...

Your pantry looks great!

I have slacked in keeping my pantry stocked. Your nicely lined shelves make me want to restock mine. :)

Your menu plan sounds really good!

Melinda

Anonymous said...

Great idea, I just did this in fact and made a thanksgiving inspired casserole- super easy. Layer in a casserole leftover chicken, then a can of green beans, then prepared stove top stuffing, bake at 350 for about 20 minutes and serve with cranberry sauce. Yum, my kids and hubby loved it.

DarcyLee said...

I almost always make 2 roast chickens at the same time. It is a real time and money saver. You have some great ideas here. Chicken pot pie sounds very good right now!

Anonymous said...

I think your pantry looks terrific! You are doing fabulous with that. :)

I am using up and you are stocking up. :) I'm enjoying your pics and seeing what you are doing. Very encouraging!

Little Penpen said...

Everything sounds great. Your pantry is so pretty with all your canned goods!

Kathi said...

Your meals sound wonderful and thrifty. Kathi

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