Meal Idea: Spinach salad, Sautéed chicken strips, Biscuits, Whipped honey, Mixed fruit

I have been giving it some thought and it is time to step up a little.  When I come to look at my blog, which I created for me, but am happy to share with everyone else, I made it to make menu planning easier.  What are we going to eat?  I have chicken... so I click on chicken and VOILÀ!  I have several chicken recipes.  I have potatoes... so I click on potatoes and... well, yeah.  But then, I have a recipe and no clue what to put with it.  On the days that the meal seems balanced, I am going to start sharing... then when I am fretting over a menu, I can click on meal ideas and fill in my chart!

Today's menu?
Spinach salad - baby spinach leaves raw, cherry tomatoes from our garden, a skiff of grated sharp cheese, a drizzle of ranch dressing.  I sautéed the chicken strips with a tablespoon of olive oil.  When chicken is cooked in strips, it goes so. quickly.  The olive oil is good for you, and the simple salt and pepper make the chicken so yummy.

Biscuits - I used my mom's recipe for Baking Powder Biscuits.  They. are. so. good.  Especially when topped with a spoonful of whipped honey. 

Mixed fruit - We bought a watermelon, I cut and chilled it.  I served a spoonful of watermelon pieces and a half spoonful of canned fruit salad.  That was the preferred item of the meal for the kids, with the biscuits coming in a very close second.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Another one from my mom!

Preheat: --
Category:

1/2 c. Butter
1 whole large onion, chopped
2 c. Chicken broth
2 c. Milk or Cream
1 T. Garlic powder
1 lb. Processed cheese
2/3 c. Cornstarch
1 c. Water
2 c. Frozen broccoli, thawed, OR 3 broccoli crowns

Grilled Cheese Classic

I know everybody knows how to make grilled cheese, but if I didn't have this notecard in my recipe list, I would forget about this yummy basic. :)


Preheat: --
Category: Sandwich, Cheese

Per Sandwich:
2 slices Bread
Butter
Cheese, cut into thin slices, enough to cover the surface of a slice of bread

1. Preheat the pan to a medium-high heat.

2. Butter each slice of bread on one side. Place the butter side of one slice down on the hot pan, layer the cheese and put the top slice of bread on top, butter-side up.

3. Grill both sides of the sandwich until bread is golden brown and cheese has melted.

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

I've been looking for a good, simple, easy recipe for Mac & Cheese and this is it. I'm reviewing Jessica Seinfeld's book where you sneak vegetables into kid-friendly recipes... Once I get throuh that I'll have another, more healthy, Mac & Cheese, I hope! :)


Preheat: 400*
Category: Cheese, Pasta

1 lb. Shell macaroni
3/4 t. Salt
Pepper
4 c. Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (4c. is about 1 lb.)
2 T. Butter, melted
4 c. Milk

1. Cook shells until al dente and drain well.


2. Grease a 9x13 baking dish and layer ingredients three times each:

Layer 1: Shells
Layer 2: Mix: Cheese, Salt & Pepper, Milk, Butter

Allie's Delicious Mac'n'Cheese

You need to start early--here's the breakdown of the time I spent on this dish!
* 20 multitasking minutes: Boiling water, macaroni noodles, greasing 8x13 pan, measuring & shredding cheeses and dicing ham.

* 2 minutes accepting a care package from my mom (from the post man!)

* about 5 minutes chasing my kids away from the cheese

* about 15 minutes thickening up the milk, flour and butter mixture

* about 5 minutes answering the phone.

So... the prep time is 35 uninterrupted minutes... :)  Don't forget to add in BAKE time, which is at least one hour (that should be plenty to get the mixture hot, bubbly and thickened) AND 20 minutes set time after baking.  That's a grand total of just shy of two hours.  The hour baking time is what I'm using to update this recipe, and it'll be used to get a salad ready, dishes washed and put away. ;)

Preheat: 350*
Group: Pasta

1 8-ounce package Macaroni noodles

5 Tablespoons Butter
5 Tablespoons Flour

1 Quart (4 Cups) Milk, warmed  (warming is important to keep your sauce from clumping!)
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1 Pinch Cayenne pepper

1/4 pound Ham, cooked & cubed
5 ounces Cheddar cheese, cubed
5 ounces Mozzarella, cubed
5 ounces Monterrey jack, cubed

Paprika, to taste, for garnish

1. Cook pasta to al dente and drain. It's important not to get it too cooked because it'll spend more yummy, sauce-absorbing time in the oven.


2. Melt butter and add flour. Whisk in the warm milk. Simmer until thick (5 minutes on low, gentle boil), then add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper seasonings.


3. Remove from heat and add the cheeses, ham.  If you want it meatless, leave out the ham.  I actually doubled the ham to a full half-pound.


4. Mix in the noodles


5. Pour into a greased baking dish, topping with paprika.


6. Bake at 350* for 45-60 minutes. I think I ended up leaving mine in for the full hour. But I got all of my dishes done, so what do you do. :)

7. Let dish rest for 20 minutes before serving.