Dinner Magic Menus November Week 4

Pork Chops with a Spicy Rub
Mushroom Grits
Three Bean Salad

Italian Eggplant over Polenta


Sweet Ribs with Roasted Root Vegetables


White Fish in a Wine Sauce
Green Beans
Toast Points


Turkey and Ham Monte Cristo Sandwiches


Turkey Pot Pie

Turkey and Ham Monte Cristo Sandwiches

This delicious Monte Cristo will use up leftover cranberry sauce, turkey, and ham. It can be served any time of day or night, breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s perfect for using up leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner.

Ingredients:
Sliced Texas toast or firm homemade white bread
Sliced turkey breast
Sliced ham
Cranberry sauce
Provolone cheese
Dijon mustard
Maple syrup
Butter
1 egg, ¼ cup of milk, and ¼ tsp cinnamon for each sandwich

Preparation:
Whip the egg and milk together with the cinnamon.
Dip each slice of bread in the egg mixture and grill on one side in butter.
Flip the bread, then while it is still in the pan:
Spread Dijon mustard on the cooked side.
Add the meat and cheese.
Top with a spoonful of cranberry sauce.
Place the second slice of bread on top of the sandwich and continue cooking.
Flip the sandwich once, and cook until the cheese melts.
Warm the maple syrup in the microwave.
Serve the sandwich with the maple syrup.

Turkey Pot Pie

Make this dinner with Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. This is the dinner to make when all you have left are bits and pieces of turkey and the best pieces are all gone.

Ingredients:
1 lb turkey meat, cut into small pieces
1 jar of turkey gravy, or 2 cups of gravy if you still have some leftover
1 package of frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup of chopped celery, onion, and carrots, mixed
2 frozen pie crusts
2 Tbsp olive oil
Tossed salad ingredients:
½ head of iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
Dried cranberries
¼ cup of chopped pecans
White wine viniagrette salad dressing

Preparation:
Set the pie crusts on the counter to thaw out.
Cook the celery, onion, and carrots in hot oil until tender.
Remove the vegetables and drain the oil from the pan.
Mix the turkey, celery, onion, carrots, mixed vegetables, and gravy in the pan and warm through.
Pour the mixture into the bottom pie crust.
Remove the top pie crust from the pan and lay over the top of the other crust.
Crimp the edges together with finger and thumb.
Cut slats into the top crust.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
While the pot pie bakes, toss the salad ingredients together with ¼ cup of salad dressing.

White Fish in a Wine Sauce

Green Beans
Toast Points

Yes, toast points. This may be something you’ve only heard of from your grandmother. Toast points are basically pieces of toast cut into triangles with the crusts cut off. They’re used to soak up sauces in dishes like this one. Have a retro dinner tonight with toast points.

Ingredients:
2 pounds of white fish, such as cod or tilapia
¼ cup butter
2 Tbsp flour
½ tsp dried dill
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup wine
1 lemon, sliced
1 pound fresh green beans
4 slices of toast

Preparation:
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Bake the fish at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until the fish is flaky.
While the fish is cooking, prepare the white sauce.
Melt the butter in a pan, and stir the flour into the butter with a whisk.
Slowly add the milk and then the wine, allowing the sauce to simmer. Add the dill, salt, and pepper.
Steam the green beans with ¼ cup of water in the microwave for 4-6 minutes.
Toast the bread. Trim the crusts and cut into triangles.
Place the fish on a platter and spoon the white sauce over the top.
Place the toast points around the edges of the platter.

Dinner Magic Menus November Week 3

Chicken Breasts with Pumpkin Risotto
Steamed Broccoli


Baked Salmon with Carrots and Parsnips
Homemade Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

Saucy Beef Crockpot Stew


Chicken Paprikash over Egg Noodles
Peas and Carrots


Country Chicken Stew with Dill Dumplings


Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches
Creamy Tomato Soup


Tamale Pie

Dinner Magic Shopping List November Week 3

Meats:
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloins
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 pounds wild caught salmon
2 pounds beef stew meat
1 pound lean ground beef

Dairy:
Butter (real butter, not margarine)
¼ pound feta or bleu cheese
¼ pound Parmesan
Sliced Provolone
16 ounce container of sour cream
½ pint of half and half
Milk
Eggs

Frozen Food:
1 package of peas and carrots

Fresh Food:
Broccoli florets
1 small fresh pumpkin
3 onions
1 bunch of parsley
One bunch of chives
1 lemon
7 carrots
4 russet potatoes
6 small new potatoes
1 green bell pepper
1 pound fresh green beans
1 purple eggplant
Tomato soup from the deli department, or tomato soup in a box

Canned Food:
1 jar of crushed garlic
6 cans chicken stock
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
2 cans condensed tomato soup
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can cream style corn
1 small can sliced black olives
1 can of diced green chilis

Dry Food and Staples:
Olive oil and cooking spray
Arborio or risotto rice
Egg noodles
Orowheat Sandwich Thins
Baking mix, such as Bisquick
Cornmeal
Flour
Yeast

Spices and Condiments:
Salt and Pepper
Dried sage
Dried thyme
Dried dill weed
Garlic powder
Ground cumin
Red pepper flakes
Paprika
Kitchen Bouquet Browning & Seasoning Sauce
1 package taco seasoning mix

Other items needed for personal shopping list:

Italian Eggplant over Polenta

If you’re not a fan of eggplant, you might be after you taste this dish. For this photo, I added a bit of rotisserie chicken.

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into cubes (about 2 cups)
1 cup of sliced carrots
1 can of red kidney beans, drained
1 can of garbanzo beans, drained
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 can of diced tomatoes
6 ounce can of tomato paste
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp basil
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp crushed red pepper
1 bay leaf
3 cups of vegetable broth
2 cups of corn meal
2 cups of water
2 cups of broth

Preparation:
Sprinkle salt over the eggplant and allow it to sit for 30 minutes.
Mix the other ingredients except the last three, (the cornmeal, water, and broth) and stir to blend the spices with the liquid.
Rinse the eggplant and add to the mixture.
Pour into the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours.

In the afternoon:
Bring the water and broth to a boil.
Add the cornmeal and cook until thick, about 3-4 minutes.

Never miss a post. Follow DinnerMagic on Twitter.



More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.


Put the hot polenta in a bowl and top it with the eggplant mixture from the slow cooker.

Pork Chops with a Spicy Rub

Mushroom Grits
Three Bean Salad

This is a great dinner to prepare when you’re in a big hurry and you only have a few moments to cook.

Ingredients:
4 pork chops, sirloin cut or center loin cut
2 tbsp Creole seasoning
8 ounces of crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cups of chicken stock
¾ cup of grits
1 jar of three bean salad

Preparation:
Wash and dry the pork chops and rub them on both sides with the Creole seasoning.
Boil the chicken stock in a saucepan.
Add the grits. Lower heat to a simmer and cook until thick, about 4-5 minutes.
While the grits are cooking, place the pork chops in an indoor barbeque grill .
Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan.
Saute the mushrooms in the oil and butter until dark brown.
Stir the mushrooms into the grits.
When the pork chops are done, serve them with the grits and bean salad.

This little indoor grill will cook up the chops fast and has easy cleanup.

Country Chicken Stew with Dill Dumplings

This recipe will make enough to serve for dinner one night with plenty left over for another meal. Before serving, put half of the stew in a freezer safe dish, label, and freeze. Then, on a cold winter night, when you don’t feel like cooking, just pull it out of the freezer and reheat. It tastes just as delicious the second time around.

Ingredients:
1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tsp crushed fresh garlic
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 lb fresh green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths
6 small new potatoes, or 2 russet potatoes, cut up
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups of chicken broth
1/3 cup of milk
1 cup of baking mix, such as Bisquick
1 Tbsp dill

Preparation:
Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray.
Place the vegetables in first, and the chicken on top of the vegetables.
Sprinkle with the garlic, salt, and pepper.
Pour the broth into the crock pot.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

In the afternoon, make the dumplings:
Stir together the milk, baking mix, and dill just until moistened.
Drop by spoonfuls on top of the hot stew in the crock pot.
Cover and cook another 30 minutes, until the dumplings are firm.
The dumplings will thicken the sauce on the chicken and vegetables.
This is nice served with a crisp white wine.

Saucy Beef Crockpot Stew

Hot Homemade Bread




For this dinner, everything is prepared in the morning. All you have to do is take the bread out of the bread machine in the afternoon and slice it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. beef stew meat, trimmed of all fat
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped into quarters
1 onion, sliced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
2 cans condensed tomato soup
1 Tbsp Kitchen Bouquet Browning & Seasoning Sauce-32 oz.

Flour and yeast for the bread machine bread

Preparation:
Spray the crock pot with cooking spray or a thin coating of cooking oil.
Place the vegetables in the crock pot.
Place the meat in the crock pot on top of the vegetables.
Stir together the soups, red pepper flakes, and Kitchen Bouquet.
Pour over the meat and vegetables.
Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
Place all the ingredients for the bread in the bread machine according to directions.
Set the delay bake function to have the bread ready 20 minutes before the stew.
Serve the beef stew with the hot homemade bread.


I've used Kitchen Bouquet for years, and there's nothing quite like it for browning and seasoning beef. There isn't any substitute for it. It has it's own unique flavor which is quite tasty. One bottle will last a long time in the kitchen. Store it in the refrigerator for best results.

Chicken Paprikash over Egg Noodles

Peas and Carrots




Ingredients:
1 lb of boneless, skinless, chicken breast tenderloins
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp real butter (not margarine)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp paprika
1 cup of chicken stock
1 cup of sour cream
¼ cup of chopped chives
1 bag of egg noodles
1 bag of frozen peas and carrots

Preparation:
Melt the butter and heat the oil in a skillet.
Add the onions and cook until transparent.
Add the chicken tenderloins and the paprika.
Cook until the chicken is well done.
Add the chicken stock and simmer while the noodles cook.
Cook the noodles in boiling, salted water according to package directions.
Cook the vegetables in the microwave while the noodles cook.
Drain the noodles.
Stir the sour cream into the chicken and onion mixture.
The sauce should be thick. Warm it through.
Stir the noodles into the sour cream and chicken mixture.
Sprinkle chives over the top. Serve with the vegetables on the side.

Tamale Pie

This versatile recipe can be cooked in the slow cooker, or it can be baked in the oven. Both ways are given.

Ingredients:
1 lb of lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 envelope of taco seasoning mix
1 tsp ground cumin
1 can (15 ounces) of diced tomatoes
1 small can ripe olives, sliced and drained
1 can (15 ounces) whole kernel corn
1 small can diced green chilis
Corn bread topping:
1 cup of corn meal
1 cup of flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 tsp salt
½ cup of milk
1 can (15 ounce) of cream style corn

Preparation:
Cook the meat until well done.
Drain the meat and add the spices. Stir well.
Add the tomatoes, onion, olives, corn, and ½ the can of green chilis and warm through.
Pour into the bottom of a crock pot or a 2-1/2-Quart Casserole Dish.
Make the corn bread topping:
Stir together the corn meal, flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir in the egg, salt, milk, and cream style corn.
Pour over the top of the meat mixture.
If cooking in a crock pot, cook for 6-8 hours on low. The top should get brown around the edges.
If baking in the oven, bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until the corn bread is golden brown and bounces back when touched with a finger.

This is tasty dish with a side salad and ranch dressing.

Baked Salmon with Carrots and Parsnips

Homemade Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 lb of wild caught salmon
1 lemon
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp dill weed
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
2 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced
½ cup of chopped parsley
2 Tbsp real butter, melted
Baking mix
Milk
Egg
¼ cup of grated cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp real butter, melted

Preparation:
Place the prepared vegetables in a covered baking dish.
Melt 2 Tbsp of the butter and add the parsley to it.
Pour the melted butter and parsley over the vegetables. Toss to coat.
Cover with foil.
Place in the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Wash and dry the salmon and place in a foil lined baking dish.
Cut the lemon and sprinkle the juice over the salmon flesh.
Sprinkle with sea salt and dill weed.
Prepare the biscuits according to the package directions, adding the ¼ cup of cheese.
Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet.
Melt 2 Tbsp butter and stir in the garlic powder.
Brush the melted garlic butter over the biscuits.
After 45 minutes, turn the oven up to 425 degrees.
Test the vegetables to see if they are done. If they are tender, remove them and keep them warm. If not, continue to bake them with the salmon and biscuits.
Place the salmon and the biscuits in the oven.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown and firm, and the fish flakes with a fork.

Using baking dishes that go from oven to table makes cooking and cleaning much easier. This baking dish works perfectly for the vegetables, as well as for Chicken Parmigiana and other baked recipes.

Dinner Magic Menus November Week 2

Click here for the Dinner Magic November Week 2 Shopping List.

Hearty Minestrone Soup
Warm Homemade Bread


Creamy Ranch Potatoes with Ham
Winter Vegetables


Beef Pot Pie
Tossed Salad


Crock Pot Chili in Sourdough Bread Bowls


Baked Stuffed Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes
Tossed Salad with Black Beans


Mediterranean Chicken Dinner in the Crock Pot


Creamy Tortellini Soup with Chicken

Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches

Creamy Tomato Soup

This is a nice fall dinner that cooks up quickly. Also, did you know that today is National Eggplant Day? I'm not sure who thinks up these days, but since I love eggplant, I'll go along with it. This is a way to use up the last of the eggplant that is still be in the markets. It uses the Orowheat Sandwich Thins which are a new whole wheat or multi-grain bun that is thinner than a regular sandwich bun.

Ingredients:

Orowheat Sandwich Thins
1 eggplant, peeled and sliced
4 slices of provolone cheese
Dijon style mustard
Tomato soup from the deli department
½ cup of half and half
Grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:
Heat the soup over medium heat in a saucepan.
Stir in the half and half and keep warm while cooking the sandwiches.
Spray the plates of a George Foreman Grill with cooking spray.
Grill the sliced eggplant on an indoor grill for one minute.
Spread the mustard on the Orowheat Sandwich Thins.
Remove the eggplant.
Stack the eggplant and provolone cheese between two slices of sandwich thins.
Grill the sandwich for another minute, until the cheese melts and the grill marks appear on the bread.
Serve the sandwiches with a cup of soup. Garnish the soup with grated Parmesan cheese.



Photo credit for eggplants: Kevin Connors

Chicken Breasts with Pumpkin Risotto

Steamed Broccoli



For this recipe, I bought a small pumpkin. I used half the pumpkin for this risotto dish, and I baked the other half of the pumpkin to use later in Pumpkin Oatmeal. If you aren't going to use the pumpkin right away, scrape it out of the shell freeze it.


Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 tsp dried crushed sage
1 tsp dried crushed thyme
½ tsp sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp real butter, melted
1 small head of broccoli florets
1 lb fresh pumpkin, cut up into small cubes (You don't need to peel it.)
½ tsp dried sage
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 sweet onion, chopped fine
2 cups of Arborio rice
4 cups of chicken stock
¼ cup of feta or bleu cheese
¼ cup chopped parsley

Preparation:
Place the olive and melted butter in a Bakers Quarter Sheet 13 X 9 pan.
Place the pumpkin, garlic, and onions in the pan and sprinkle the spices over the top. Toss the vegetables to coat with the spices, oil, and butter.
Turn the pumpkin pieces flesh side down.
Bake the pumpkin in a 400 degree oven for ten minutes.
While the pumpkin is baking, begin cooking the risotto in 1 cup of chicken stock.
Remove the pumpkin from the oven and scrape it from the shell. Mash it gently, leaving it slightly chunky.
When the risotto has absorbed the chicken stock, add another cup. Continue to do this until all four cups of chicken stock have been used. It takes about 25-30 minutes.
Pound the chicken between two pieces of waxed paper with a mallet.
Sprinkle the sage, thyme, salt and pepper over the chicken breasts.
Grill in an indoor grill, such as the George Foreman grill until done. When the chicken is well done, the juice will run clear.
Remove from the grill and keep warm.
Steam the broccoli in the microwave in a small amount of water.
When the risotto is cooked, stir in the pumpkin.
Garnish the pumpkin risotto with the cheese and parsley. Serve with the chicken breasts.

To make clean up faster, I bought the George Foreman grill with removable plates. If you're looking for a kitchen grill, this is one to consider.

Dinner Magic Menus November Week 1

Here are this week's menus. Remember, substitutions are fine. Create the meals with your family's taste in mind. All the meals serve 4-6 hungry people.

Click here for this week's shopping list.


Pork Paprikash in the Slow Cooker
Mashed Baked Potatoes
Broccoli with Lemon Juice
Crusty White Bread

Serve this up with mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes, a green vegetable, and some bread hot out of the bread machine for a delicious, warm dinner that serves four to six.




Vegetable and Tofu Curry Dinner

This vegetarian fare is a filling dinner in a dish. Add chopped, cooked chicken if you prefer to have meat in the dish.



Baked Chicken Parmigiana
Green Beans
Romaine Salad with Homemade Caesar Dressing

This tasty Italian style dinner will have them asking for seconds!




White Bean Chicken Chili
Warm Corn Bread
Fresh Garden Salad

This simple meal takes only minutes to make and tastes delicious. Leftovers can be frozen in single portion sizes to be reheated for a warm lunch at work.

Roast Chicken in the Crockpot
Baked Butternut Squash
Fresh Whole Wheat Bread
Garden Salad with Craisins and Pecans

With roast chicken this simple, you’ll want to make it again and again. Turning it on HIGH at the end will make the skin crispy and brown.




Taco Soup with Tortilla Chips
Yogurt and Blueberry Dessert

A favorite of my family’s for years, this soup is tasty any time of year.




Carnitas Burritos
Refried Beans
Spanish Rice
Shredded Salad Toppings

The trick to making tender carnitas is to cook is slowly all day.

Shopping List November Week 1

Crock Pot Chili in Sourdough Bread Bowls

This chili cooks all day in the slow cooker to boost the flavor. The secret to this recipe is browning the chili spice before adding it to the recipe. It’s fun to put it in sourdough bowls like they do at the ball park, however, you can always put it in a bowl and serve sourdough rolls on the side. This recipe makes enough chili for four people. It can be easily doubled.

Ingredients:
2 cans of kidney beans, drained
1 lb of ground beef, cooked and drained
1 clove of garlic, chopped, or 1 tsp of crushed garlic from a jar
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
1 can diced and roasted green chili peppers
1 can of Ro-tel tomatoes, hot or mild (If you can’t find Ro-tel, use regular tomatoes, and add one packet of taco seasoning mix)
1 (13 ounce) can of tomato sauce
1 onion, chopped
3 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt (if you use taco seasoning mix, omit the salt)
1/2 cup of leftover black coffee
Sourdough bread rounds.

Preparation:
Pour the chili powder into a hot skillet and heat it until it begins to have a distinct smell. Do not burn the chili, simply let it get a brown tinge to it.
Mix all the ingredients together in the crockpot.
Cook on low for 8 hours.
Cut the sourdough bowls in the center and pull out the top, forming a bowl.
Pour the chili into the sourdough bowls.

Photo: Chili in Sourdough Bowl
Creative Commons License

Baked Stuffed Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes

Tossed Salad with Black Beans

Dinner doesn’t get much easier than baked stuffed potatoes and salad. I’ve listed suggestions for stuffings, but you can use whatever your family enjoys. This also makes a terrific potluck idea. One person provides the potatoes, and everyone else brings a different stuffing.

Ingredients:
One baked potato or baked sweet potato per person
1 can of black beans, drained
½ head of green and red lettuce, chopped
Tomatoes, cut into quarters
Croutons
Italian dressing

Stuffing ideas:
Grated cheeses: mozzarella, asiago, cheddar, American, hot pepper jack
Cooked meats: chopped cooked chicken, ground turkey with seasoning, ground beef, crumbled bacon, cooked Italian sausage
Chili: red chili or white bean chicken chili
Chopped green onions or red onions
Sliced olives
Sour cream
Chopped chili peppers
Beans: red, kidney, navy, black, or pinquito

Preparation:
Cook the potatoes in the oven or the microwave.
While the potatoes cook, chop the lettuce and tomatoes.
Toss with ½ cup of black beans and 2 Tbsp of Italian dressing.
Use the remaining black beans on the potatoes.
Place the stuffing ingredients on the table and let everyone make their own creation.

Photo by Balakov on Flickr

Beef Pot Pie

Tossed Salad with Walnuts and Mandarin Oranges

Pot pies don’t have to be hard to make. Use ingredients that are already prepped to make it quick to prepare.

Ingredients:
1 lb beef stew meat, cut into small pieces
1 jar of beef gravy
1 package of frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup of chopped celery, onion, and carrots, mixed
2 frozen pie crusts
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
Tossed salad ingredients:
½ head of iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 can of mandarin oranges, drained
¼ cup of chopped walnuts
Asian style salad dressing

Preparation:
Set the pie crusts on the counter to thaw out.
Wash and dry the beef stew meat and place it in a Ziploc bag.
Add the flour, salt and pepper to the bag.
Toss the meat to coat in flour.
Cook in hot oil until it is well done.
Remove the beef to a separate dish and cook the celery, onion, and carrots in the oil until tender.
Remove the vegetables and drain the oil from the pan.
Mix the beef, celery, onion, carrots, mixed vegetables, and gravy in the pan and warm through.
Pour the mixture into the bottom pie crust.
Remove the top pie crust from the pan and lay over the top of the other crust.
Crimp the edges together with finger and thumb.
Cut slats into the top crust.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
While the pot pie bakes, toss the salad ingredients together with ¼ cup of salad dressing.

Photo: Joshua M. Neff