Menu Plan Monday...something old, something new

I really knocked it out of the park on Saturday & Sunday this week...I hope that doesn't mean it can only go downhill from here!

Saturday: fish fry--yummy,lightly breaded talapia, fresh-cut fries, and coleslaw

Sunday: Chicken Manicotti (my friend's recipe...actually, it's more a process than a recipe--see below for more info) salad with feta cheese & homemade vinaigrette, toasted garlic baguette

Monday: I'm tired of being in the kitchen. There are 15 pounds of chicken pasta in the fridge. Help yourself.

Tuesday: I'm working, and The President has karate at 6:15. I'll put a pot roast with veggies in the crock pot, so dinner will be ready when we get home.

Wednesday: (Unless I change my mind) baked pork chops, rice pilaf, green beans...zzzzz

Thursday: Chicken Enchiladas...maybe

Friday: Something fun & easy, preferably not cooked by me!


Chicken Manicotti

Manicotti is a pain in the butt to stuff, so my friend just uses bow tie or spiral pasta instead...unless she's really trying to impress someone. I used rotini noodles, and it worked great!

*Fry & crumble 6-7 slices bacon, set aside
*Slice 5-6 chicken breasts in strips/ bite size pieces. Season with salt & pepper, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, etc. Saute in olive oil until browned. (I minced two cloves of fresh garlic and added that to the pan, as well.
*Boil noodles and drain.
*When chicken is cooked through, remove from pan. Melt down the following ingredients (in the pan with the chicken juices) until it "looks right." I didn't measure a single thing:
*1 can cream of chicken soup
*1 block cream cheese
*sour cream (some)
*shredded parmesan cheese
*thin and smooth with half & half, if needed

*Mix everything together, put in a casserole dish and top with more cheese. Even for my family of 5, we ate less than half of this. It's nice to have left-overs for tonight & lunch for work tomorrow.

We may save the chicken enchiladas for next week. Here's the recipe anyway:


· 1 ½ lb. flank steak OR 1 lb. Shrimp OR 3 c. shredded cooked chicken
· 2 c. shredded cheese (we use a Mexican blend)
· 1 8-oz. Can diced green chiles
· 1 c. sour cream
· ½ c. sliced green onions
· 1 small can sliced black olives (optional)
· 1 19-oz. Can enchilada sauce
· 1 package large corn or flour tortillas
Season flank steak to taste with salt & pepper. Bake in oven at 250° for 30 minutes (until thermometer reads 160°). Let stand for a few minutes, then slice across the grain into strips. (For shrimp enchiladas, we buy the shrimp steamed, then just peel & add to dish.) Combine beef, chicken, or shrimp with sour cream, diced chiles, onion, black olives, and 1 ½ c. of shredded cheese. Mix well. Place about 1/3 c. of the meat mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll to enclose filling and place enchiladas seam side down in 9x13 dish (sprayed with non-stick cooking spray). Pour sauce over the enchiladas. Cover the pan with foil and bake covered at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove cover, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake uncovered until cheese melts.

Don't forget to visit Organizing Junkie for more menus!