January 10-16, 2016

Sunday:  Lunch – Leftover White Chicken Chili

                 Dinner – Chicken Tenders, Roasted Broccoli, Macaroni & Cheese

  For lunch after church, we had chili leftover from the night before (see last week’s menu).  For dinner that night, Chad and I had a date night with friends, so our niece Addy came to stay with our kids.  I baked some chicken tenders, roasted broccoli, and made macaroni & cheese for the kids’ fun night with one of their favorite people  J

Monday:  Stir Fry

  A very simply, healthy, and quick meal is stir fry.  I almost always have some sort of cooked, shredded chicken in my freezer (either from a rotisserie chicken or diced from grilling when we’ve prepared more than we needed to eat).  Having cooked chicken in the freezer can make a meal come together very quickly.  I set it out a few hours before dinner to thaw a bit. 

  When I was ready to cook, I warmed a little avocado oil in a skillet on the stove and then tossed in the chicken to reheat it.  When the chicken was warmed through, I scooted it around the sides and tossed in some frozen stir fry veggies and cooked those.  I added in soy sauce and a little rice vinegar I had.  Then I seasoned it with salt and pepper to taste.  I added a small amount of Sriracha sauce, but not much so it wouldn’t be too spicy for the kids.  (Chad and I always add more to our portions when we dish it out.) While all that was cooking, I made brown rice in my rice cooker.  That’s all!  Dinner was ready in no time at all, and it included our protein, veggies, and whole grains.

Tuesday:  Turkey, Cheese, Pear, & Blackberry Preserve Paninis with Kale Salad & Fruit

  Chad was out of town, and my mom was over for dinner.  The kids and I had been gone all afternoon for various activities, so I needed to make us a quick, kid-friendly dinner.  Adding thin-sliced pears and a little layer of blackberry preserves makes an ordinary grilled cheese just a little bit more special.  J

Wednesday:  Chad’s Venison Chili Frito Pie

  We hosted small group, so Chad wanted to make venison chili for our group.  Chili is a great way to feed a large group of people!  I added a fresh veggie tray with hummus and some mini corn dogs for the non-chili-eating kids.

Thursday:  Chicken & Waffle Skewers with Eggs

  Just a little change on chicken!  My kids love eating food off of a stick!  We had done a good job on our fruits and veggies during the day, so I didn’t even add any to our dinner.  I made the chicken nuggets myself and whole wheat waffles, and even that didn’t require much work on my part.  But, this meal could be thrown together completely homemade or with frozen chicken and waffles.  Whatever works for you!

Friday:  Pizza Night with Nonnie!

  The kids stayed the night with my mom so Chad and I could go to dinner with the other adults from our small group.  J

Saturday:  Honey BBQ Turkey Meatloaf with Carrot & Zucchini Sauté

  This is a family fave that we haven’t had in a while!  It comes together so quickly, and we all enjoy it.  I usually top the kids’ portion with a little ketchup rather than the spicier BBQ sauce.  I sautéed diced zucchini and carrots in a little olive oil with pepper and season salt to round out our meal.  There was also enough meatloaf leftover for Chad and I to have for lunch after church the next day.  But, my kids are small, so if you have more kids, older kids, or bigger eaters, you will likely go through the whole meatloaf.  You might even make two! 

Honey Barbecue Meatloaf

1 – 1.25 lb lean ground turkey

2/3 cup oatmeal (old fashioned or instant is fine)

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard

1/2 cup smoky barbecue sauce, divided

2 tablespoons honey, divided

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, use your hands to mix together the ground turkey, oatmeal, 1 tablespoon of the Worcestershire sauce, the spicy brown mustard, 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, egg, salt, and black pepper.

Shape the mixture into a long, thick log and place in an oiled baking dish. Be careful not to pack the meat too tightly or you’ll end up with a very dense, tough loaf.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, and 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce. Spread half of this mixture evenly all over the meatloaf. Reserve the other half for serving.

Bake for 45 minutes. Slice and drizzle with reserved honey barbecue sauce.