And we are up and running with a new meal plan! It’s October. We are well into fall. Time to break out the slow cooker and dutch oven’s because it is all about comfort food!
Cooking for two different sets of eaters in this household definitely presents some challenges when meal planning week to week. So, often you will see I switch off between a meat protein and a vegetarian meal night to night with the intention that there are leftovers.
Weekly Meal Plan, Vol.10
For a link to all recipes click here
Monday
Chicken & Wild Rice Soup. I crave this soup every fall! It’s rich, it’s satisfying, it’s simple and it is so good! It is also great for left over turkey when Thanksgiving comes around!
Tuesday
Spinach and Quinoa Patties. We were getting a little tired of making black bean burgers this summer so I switched it up with these instead! They are super easy to make and really good but they definitely need an addition of a condiment such as tzatziki or green goddess dressing.
Wednesday
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken. Is fall even fall without a meal cooking in the crockpot? LOL! It doesn’t get easier then this! Serve with rice, broccoli and use leftovers for sandwiches the next day!
Thursday
Trader Joe’s Freezer Favorites. I did a whole post on my Trader Joe’s grocery haul which you can fine here. I need to update it with a few more favorites we have grown to love! Stocking up on items for the freezer is always a good idea. By Thursday, I am sometimes tired of being in the kitchen so pulling open the freezer drawer and having an assortment of good dinner options for the family makes life easy! It is always great to have a well stocked freezer for weekends on the go too!
Anywho, for any fish lovers out there, the boys love the Frozen Mahi Mahi Burgers. We simply throw them on the grill and serve on a toasted bun! For a vegetarian option, we love the falafel! I used to make homemade falafel but it is time consuming and TJ’s frozen falafal taste just as good if not better. Simply heat and serve! We stuff them in pitas or have over rice!
Sunday
Hazelnut Crusted Chicken Cutlets w/ Arugula Salad. I am always looking for a fresh spin on cooking chicken. And I always trust anything coming out of Milk Street. Adapted out of Christopher Kimball’s Tuesday Night’s cookbook, this is a 30 minute meal from start to finish!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup hazelnuts finely chopped
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Four 5-6-ounce chicken breast cutlets, pounded to an even 1/4 inch thickness
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh tarragon, chopped, divided
1/3 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
6 cups baby arugula (5 ounce container)
1 medium shallot, halved and thinly sliced
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Shaved parmesan (optional)
Directions:
In a wide shallow dish, stir together the hazelnuts, panko and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Season the cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of the tarragon, pressing it into the chicken to adhere. One at a time, add the cutlers to the hazelnut-panko mixture, pressing into the mixture and coating both sides. Place the cutlets on a large plate.
In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat the grapeseed oil until shimmering. Add the cutlets in a single layer and cook until golden brown, about two minutes. Flip the cutlets and cook until until second sides are golden, about another two minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, remaining tarragon and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the arugula, shallot, shaved parmesan and toss. Serve the cutlets with the salad and lemon wedges on the side!
Side of the Week
Easy Parmesan Truffle Fries. Anyone else order these anytime they are on the menu when eating out? They can easily be made at home too! They would make a great side to this week’s quinoa and spinach patties or the chicken cutlets!
Snack of the Week
Everything Ranch Cheese & Pretzel Snack Mix. A great snack to have on hand for the kids hanging out at the house or for game days on the weekend!
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Buon Appetit!
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Thanks for stopping by!
L, M