Winter Menu Week 3

I have been intrigued by the concept of Once a Month cooking, but when I tried it, my kitchen ending up being a huge mess and I was exhausted for days. So, I have modified this marathon cooking day for myself several times and instead focused on cooking all chicken meals one day, beef another day, etc. That has worked well, but I haven’t kept up with the process. What works for me is Once a Week Cooking. I can cook all of my meals for one week on a Sunday, and have meals in the freezer ready to go. I keep Fridays as a leftover day or eat-out night, because my boys all love pizza and think of Friday as “pizza day”. If you do not want to eat out or cannot afford to at this time, feel free to make a fresh meal that night, make your own pizzas using this Freezer-Friendly Pizza Dough recipe, or experiment with your leftovers to make a creative repurposed meal.

On soup days, I match it with a fresh salad and bread or dinner rolls. Many of the recipes do not include a side dish, so be creative and add your own.

I also like to make a double batch of some of our favorite recipes, so that I have a dinner ready for Sunday cooking days, in case of unexpected illness, or to bring to a potluck. Try our Once a Week Cooking Menus and see which recipes become your favorites. Enjoy! 

World’s Best Chicken

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Tater Tot Casserole

Pork Chops & Apples

Tilapia with Lemony Spinach and Mushrooms

Homemade Chicken & Dumplings

Shopping List:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 2lbs boneless skinless thighs

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

7lbs very lean ground beef

2lbs pork chops, boneless

24oz tilapia fillets

15 green bell peppers

5 onions

1 cup chopped fresh carrots

4 whole apples, peeled and cored

2 cloves garlic

4 cups fresh spinach

16oz package of fresh mushrooms

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

4 cups chicken broth

3 jars chunky salsa (16oz each)

46oz tomato juice

2 cans low sodium Cream of Chicken soup

1 can reduced fat & sodium Cream of Mushroom soup

2 cups uncooked long grain rice

½ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 cup white cooking wine

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules

½ cup brown sugar

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup milk

4 Tablespoons butter

1 cup reduced fat sour cream

5 cups shredded cheddar cheese

16oz package frozen mixed vegetables

1 package frozen tater tots

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Rosemary

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Cumin

Oregano