November 1-7, 2015

Sunday:  Venison Chili

Venison Chili

  Callen had been requesting Chad’s venison chili for a few weeks, so it was time for that to happen.  The kids love to have them inside big scoop chips.  This recipe is really so good!  It would be great with beef, turkey, chicken, or whatever other meat you have on hand.

  Since I haven’t had much sleep the past few days because of a sick little one, taking a picture of the recipe in Chad’s recipe book is the best I can do.

Monday:  Baked Chicken Tenders with Steamed Broccoli & Brown Sugar Carrots

Baked Chicken Tenders

  We were supposed to have a 6:00pm baseball game, so I planned an easy, kid-friendly meal.  However, it rained, but I stuck to the plan.  Breading and baking chicken tenders really isn’t hard…just a little messy!  I mix milk and egg together in one shallow dish, and in another dish I mix parmesan cheese, panko bread crumbs, and spices.  (This time is was garlic salt, pepper, and paprika.)  Then, I make a little assembly line.  I use one hand to put the chicken in the egg mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture, then on to the lined baking sheet.  If you use one hand, you still have the other clean hand.  You can also use a fork or tongs if you don’t want to use your hands.  J

  Bake them at 400 degrees for 12 minutes, then turn them over and bake for another 10-12, until everything is done.  Chicken tenders don’t take long at all!  I made 2 packages, so it took 2 baking pans in my oven.

  I served ours with steamed broccoli and steamed carrots that I added some butter and a little brown sugar to right at the end.  My kids love these!

Tuesday:  Ommy Noms Chicken Spaghetti with Caesar Salad & Bread

Ommy Noms Chicken Spaghetti

  We had a friend coming for dinner, and this chicken spaghetti is usually a dish everyone likes.  I like it because it is made from scratch, but it’s also simple to make.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 lb. thin spaghetti

3 tablespoons butter

1 yellow onion, diced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup milk

1/2 lb cheddar cheese, shredded

1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies, drained (use mild if you don’t like a little spice)

1/2 teaspoon cumin

salt & pepper, to taste

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I used rotisserie)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350.  Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook spaghetti to al dente and drain.

Meanwhile, melt butter and sauté onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in chicken broth and milk to prevent lumps. Increase heat to medium high.  Allow to bubble until sauce thickens.

Reduce heat to medium low.  Sprinkle in shredded cheese a bit at a time, stirring continuously until melted into sauce. Stir in cumin, salt, pepper, Rotel, chicken, and cooked spaghetti. Toss to coat everything evenly in sauce.

Pour into greased 9 X 13 glass dish.  Bake 30 minutes.

Wednesday:  Dinner with Small Group

Thursday:  Dinner Out

  Chad was leaving on Friday for a hunting trip, so he wanted to take us out to dinner as a treat before he left.  I’ll take it!

Friday:  Breakfast Burritos

  So, Payton got sick…really sick.  That means Friday night (and remember no Chad) was easy-to-make breakfast for dinner.  I just asked the boys what they would eat, and they said breakfast, so that’s what I made. 

Saturday:  Dinner at Mom’s  J

  My mom took pity on me and invited us over for the day and also for dinner.  Payton still wasn’t eating, but she wasn’t quite as sick, so being out of our house and having an adult conversation was a welcome change!