Menu Plan Monday ~ Week of September 26th

Although we didn't get to all of the meals planned, last week's menu plan went well.   
We tried three new recipes last week and really love the way they all turned out!  Whew!  I'm always nervous about trying new recipes.  I worry that we won't like them or that I'll screw it up somehow.  So, planning three new recipes in one menu plan was pretty daring for me!  (Yes, my life is so boring that the most exciting and daring thing I do, is try new recipes!) 

The first of the three new recipes was Hearty Un-Stuffed Cabbage Soup which was inspired by Katie's Beef Cabbage Soup.  This was my favorite meal of the week.

Next up, we enjoyed a very filling, slow-cooked, Vegetarian Lentil Chili.  I followed this recipe as close as possible, making a few adjustments here and there.  I really liked this recipe a lot and have plenty left over to store in the freezer for future meals. 

Another new recipe we made this week, was Zesty Chicken and Vegetables in the Crock Pot.  This recipe was so simple!  I made a few changes to the original recipe, mainly because I was trying to use up the last of the veggies in the bin and the dressing on the fridge door!  I'll definitely be making this again! 

This week, I'll be cooking from the freezer and pantry as much as possible.  I'm low on fresh veggies, so we'll have to pick a few things up from the store...but since we're there twice a week for milk, that won't be a problem.  I'll just stick to the list and try really hard not to add anything else to the shopping cart! 

Here are some of the things we'll be eating this week: 

• Rotisserie Chicken.  Grace loves chicken!  And while we do love the convenience of picking one up from the deli, it's no where near as good as the chickens we cook in our Set It and Forget It Rotisserie Oven by Ronco (it makes great hot dogs, too)!  I'll be serving this with Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes and steamed carrots. 

• Zesty Chicken Salsa Muffins.  Not to be confused with last week's Zesty Chicken recipe.  I'm really looking forward to trying this recipe for a savory muffin using leftover chicken, corn bread stuffing mix & salsa (and a few other ingredients as well)!  I'll be serving this alongside a bowl of leftover Weight Watchers Zero Point Vegetable Soup in place of our usual grilled cheese sandwiches. 
• DiGiorno Pizza.  I've been hooked on DiGiorno ever since I hosted a DiGiorno Pizza & Hoops House Party!  When digging around in the basement freezer, I discovered a frozen pizza and knew immediately that I wanted to add it to this week's menu.  I'll also make some oven fries and a salad to serve with the pizza.  Fast food on a budget! 

• Asian-Style Pepper Steak.  This is my favorite Pepper Steak recipe!  I plan to serve this over rice with a side of steamed broccoli.  Depending on how well we do on keeping the grocery budget low, I may have Joe pick up some egg rolls on his way home from work. 

• Tuna Noodle Casserole.  This is one of the meals that we skipped last week.  I have most of the ingredients on hand for this recipe (we'll have to pick up peas) so it makes sense to include it in this week's plan....hopefully, I'll get to it this week! 

• Blueberry Pancakes, Fruit Salad, yogurt.  In addition to macaroni 'n' cheese, chicken, & spaghetti, Grace we can sometimes get her to eat pancakes, waffles or frech toast...if she's in the mood.  So, I'll whip up a batch of pancakes this week and hope she'll eat 'em! 

So, that's what will be cooking at our house this week!  What's on your menu?  Let us know in the comments or follow me over to I'm an Organizing Junkie and link up your weekly menu on Menu Plan Monday!