Club Week Five Elisa Prout Onceaweekcooking.com
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Welcome to your fifth week of the Once a Week Cooking Club! We are into 5 weeks now and I hope that you are getting into a pattern. Are there little tips that would help others? Feel free to stop by the site and leave a comment on the blog. Or if you have questions at any time about freezer cooking and the meals, please email me right away at menus@onceaweekcooking.com. Preparation The meal plans are made to use again and again for years to come. I print off the meal plans and put them in plastic sleeves in a large binder. Now to save even more money I shop the meat sales. I know that many meals will have ground beef (or substitute ground turkey), so if that goes on sale I will stock up and save in one pound packages. But when other meats go on sale I will either stock up and freeze or I will go and pull up those meal plans and plan that weeks meals according to the sale. Since meat is the most expensive part of the meal you can really cut down on your grocery bill by shopping the sales. Also, keep your bacon in the freezer. Use the few slices you need for recipes, then put it in Ziploc freezer bags and freezer in smaller portions for later use. You ll be less apt to cook it up and munch on it, plus you will have it at the ready for future recipes. I know in my house if the package is opened or I cook it, then you can count it as gone. I love to cook with bacon, but I don t want my family eating it all the time. 2018 Elisa Prout - All Rights Reserved. Page 3 onceaweekcooking.com
Menu Italian Garlic Roast Bacon Cheeseburger Quiche Beef and Eggplant Casserole Cheddar Chicken Sweet Chili Chicken Veggie Stuffed Shells 2018 Elisa Prout - All Rights Reserved. Page 4 onceaweekcooking.com
Shopping List Meats 2-1/2 lbs. very lean hamburger 4 slices bacon 3 lbs. Lean pork or beef roast 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 4 chicken breasts with skin on Fresh Vegetables 1 small and 1 medium onion 2 large eggplants 14 garlic cloves Fresh Parsley Limes 8 oz fresh mushrooms 12 oz box extra firm tofu Asparagus Mixed greens & toppings of your choice (i.e. tomato, cucumber, etc) Fresh ginger or Gourmet Garden Ginger in the Tube (produce section) Fresh Basil Frozen Dinner rolls (2 dinner servings) Broccoli California blend vegetables Stir fry vegetables 10 oz package of Spinach Dry Goods Brown Rice 12 oz box of large pasta shells 2018 Elisa Prout - All Rights Reserved. Page 5 onceaweekcooking.com
Canned/Jarred Products 3.8 oz can of sliced black olives 1 jar prepared spaghetti sauce 1 small can of chili sauce Dairy 3 eggs Mayonnaise I use olive oil mayo ½ and ½ 24 oz shredded cheddar cheese OR 16 oz shredded cheddar and 8 oz shredded Swiss cheese Butter Milk 8 oz shredded Gruyere Grated parmesan cheese Note: It is much more economical to shred your own cheese the Pampered Chef Microplane Course Grater makes this super easy Pantry Items Garlic powder White pepper Salt Black pepper Flour Olive oil Non-stick cooking spray Salad dressings of choice Dry oregano Lemon juice Granulated garlic Honey 2018 Elisa Prout - All Rights Reserved. Page 6 onceaweekcooking.com
Getting Started Before beginning cooking, remember to have your kitchen cleaned and all cooking utensils like your mixing bowls, cutting and mixing utensils and pots and pans cleaned and readily accessible. I have put the Roast Meal first because it will take the longest to cook. Follow all the directions to the last paragraph, which is the freezing and reheating section. The baking can be done while you prepare the ground beef recipes. You can then use the same large skillet you seared the roast to cook the ground beef. Cook the ground beef or turkey in a large skillet. Drain and take out just a little over half of the meat and set aside for the eggplant casserole. You will then cook the small onion with the ground meat and proceed with beef meal number one. This is a pretty quick cooking day. Estimated time is around 4 hours from start to finish. If you have helpers, I bet you could get this completed in under 3 hours. Gotta love that right?! 2018 Elisa Prout - All Rights Reserved. Page 7 onceaweekcooking.com
Roast Meal Italian Garlic Roast 3 lb lean pork or beef roast, fat removed 6-8 cloves garlic, peeled (or chopped equivalent) 1 tsp dry oregano 1 tsp salt ¼ cup olive oil fresh ground pepper water In a large skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil on high heat. Sear sides of roast. Place roast into a shallow baking dish. Using a small food processor or a sharp knife and cutting board, minced cloves, salt and oregano. If using cutting board and knife to mince garlic, place garlic into a bowl once minced. Pour olive oil into bowl or into food processor, and mix well to make a paste. Spread half of mixture over the top of the roast, pepper as desired. Add about one inch of water into the baking dish and place in oven uncovered. Bake for 45 minutes at 325 degrees. Remove roast from oven, and turn roast. Top the roast with the rest of the garlic/oil paste. Add a bit more water to the pan so it still contains about an inch of water, and place back in oven for another 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to sit for about 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife or electric slicer, slice meat into half inch thick pieces. Place the pieces into an aluminum baking dish. Once all of the meat is sliced, pour the juice over the top. Allow to cool completely and cover securely with aluminum foil. Freeze. Remove from freezer the night before you are ready to cook the meat to allow it to thaw. Place in oven at 325 degrees and heat until warmed through. Serve. While the meat is reheating, prepare a small dinner salad for each person. Also, place fresh asparagus into a steamer or shallow pot of boiling water to steam and cook until tender. 2018 Elisa Prout - All Rights Reserved. Page 8 onceaweekcooking.com
Bacon Cheeseburger Quiche Ground Beef Meal Number One 1 lb very lean hamburger 1 small onion, chopped 4 slices crisp cooked bacon, chopped in bits 3 eggs ½ cup mayonnaise ½ cup ½ and ½ 8 oz shredded cheddar or Swiss cheese garlic powder to taste, optional white pepper Take the 1 pound of browned ground meat and add the chopped onion. Once the onion is translucent, pour the beef and onion mixture into a large bowl with the bacon pieces. Using a pastry blender or a fork, break up the meat mixture until it s very fine. Place into a colander, and press with paper towels too remove any grease residue. Pour the meat mixture into a deep, dish pie plate and press firmly. In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients and whip with a whisk or on low with an electric blender. Pour the well whipped mixture over the beef. Cover with aluminum foil and freeze. When ready to cook, remove from freezer and allow to thaw. Let thaw in fridge for food safeness because of the raw ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until the top is browned. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before slicing to serve. While the quiche is cooling, bake a tray of frozen dinner rolls in the oven according to directions on package. On the stove or in the microwave, cook a bag of the frozen broccoli to round out the meal. 2018 Elisa Prout - All Rights Reserved. Page 9 onceaweekcooking.com
Beef and Eggplant Casserole Ground Beef Meal Number Two 2 large eggplants, cut into ¼-inch thick slices salt 5 Tbsp butter 1/3 cup flour 1 tsp salt (or to taste) for sauce mix 3 ½ cups milk 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (8 oz) 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (8 oz) 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided ¼ cup olive oil 1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef Place a double layer of paper towels on a large plate. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt. Place eggplant slices on paper towels and sprinkle tops with a little more salt. Place another double layer of towels on top of the eggplant and press down. Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium size saucepan, melt butter over low heat so it does not burn. Blend in flour and salt to create a doughy consistency, about 4 minutes. Add your milk and stir constantly. Cook until the mixture is thick and beginning to bubble. Add Gruyere and cheddar cheese as well as ½ cup of parmesan cheese. Stir until well melted. Remove eggplant slices from paper towels and rinse in cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium to high heat. Fry eggplant slices for 2-3 minutes on each side until they are golden brown. Remove slices and place on plate. In a 9x13 baking dish, layer about half of eggplant slices. Spoon all of the ground beef mixture over top, then pour half of the cheese over the meat. Layer the rest of the eggplant over the top of the cheese, then pour the rest of the cheese mixture over the top. Sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan cheese. Cover firmly with the aluminum foil and freeze. When you are ready to serve, remove from freezer the night before and allow to thaw. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, until the top of the casserole is golden brown. To complete the meal, serve with a dinner salad with your choice of toppings and cook a tray of frozen dinner rolls accordingly to the directions on the package. 2018 Elisa Prout - All Rights Reserved. Page 10 onceaweekcooking.com
Chicken Meal Number One Cheddar Chicken 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs 1 ½ cup milk ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp granulated garlic 1 tsp fresh chopped parsley (dried may be substituted) In a medium mixing bowl, mix together your milk, garlic and parsley. Set to the side. Coat a large baking dish that has a deep lip thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken into the baking dish in a single layer, making sure the pieces do not overlap. Pour the milk mixture over top of the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with lemon juice and bake in the oven on 375 degrees for 35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and has reached an internal temperature of at least 180 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Cover with aluminum foil and freeze. To prepare, remove chicken from freezer the night before cooking to thaw. Place entire covered dish into oven, heat at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until heated through. Remove from oven, remove foil cover and sprinkle the top of the chicken with cheddar cheese. Return to oven for additional 10 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbly. While the chicken is heating, prepare a small pot of brown rice according to the directions on package. Also cook the California blend vegetables to serve with the meal. 2018 Elisa Prout - All Rights Reserved. Page 11 onceaweekcooking.com
Chicken Meal Number Two Sweet Chili Chicken 3-4 Tbsp chili sauce 2 Tbsp honey 2 Tbsp olive oil 4 chicken breasts, skin on 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger lime wedges to serve In a small mixing bowl, mix together your chili sauce, olive oil, honey and ginger. Set to the side. Lay chicken breasts on a cutting board and with a sharp knife make 3-4 slits across the top of each chicken breast. Tuck in a few of the thin garlic slices into the slits you have just made in the chicken. Then using a pastry brush, brush some of the chili sauce glaze liberally over each chicken breast. Cook the chicken on a griddle pan for 6-8 minutes on each side until crispy, basting the chicken with any leftover glaze you have left. Allow to cool, then place into an aluminum baking dish and cover securely with aluminum foil and freeze. Remove from freezer the night before cooking to thaw. Heat through in over on 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes. While the chicken is heating, prepare a bag of stir fry vegetables to serve with the meal. Side note: If you would like a little more kick use 2 Tbsp chili sauce and 2 Tbsp. Sriracha hot chili sauce (many call it rooster sauce because of the logo on the bottle). 2018 Elisa Prout - All Rights Reserved. Page 12 onceaweekcooking.com
Vegetable Stuffed Shells 12 oz box large pasta shells 10 oz package frozen spinach 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, crushed 8 oz mushrooms, sliced 12.3 oz box extra firm Silken Tofu, drained 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice 3.8 oz can sliced black olives, drained ½ cup basil, chopped ½ tsp salt 1/8 tsp coarse ground black pepper 2 ½ cups prepared spaghetti sauce Cook pasta shells in a large pot of salted water according to the directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside. While the shells are cooking, place spinach in a microwave safe bowl and cook in microwave (making sure to cover with lid) for 3-5 minutes. Remove from microwave and allow to cool. In a large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Place onion in skillet and sauté the onion for 2-3 minutes until it is starting to turn clear in the center and brown on the edges. Reduce the heat to low and stir in garlic and mushrooms. Cover the skillet and let simmer on low heat for 10 minutes until vegetables are tender. While the mushrooms are cooking, place the tofu in a medium sized mixing bowl and sprinkle the top with lemon juice. Stir in well with a fork and break into small curds that resemble the size of ricotta cheese curds. Let the tofu marinate in the lemon juice. While the tofu is marinating, drain the spinach by placing it into a colander and pressing with a paper towel to remove all liquid. By now, the mushrooms should be tender. Stir the tofu, olives, spinach, basil, salt and pepper into the skillet with the mushrooms. Replace lid and let simmer for 10-15 more minutes. While simmering, preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large 12x8 baking dish, spread 1/3 of spaghetti sauce into the bottom of the pan. Using a small spoon or a pastry bag, fill the shells carefully with the vegetable/tofu filing. As you fill the shells, place them into the pan on top of the spaghetti sauce, forming tight rows. Top shells with more sauce. Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes on the middle rack of the stove. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Cover securely with aluminum foil and freeze. Remove from freezer before cooking to allow to thaw. When ready to cook, place in the oven on 350 degrees to reheat for 15-20 minutes until heated through and sauce is bubbly. Serve with small dinner salads. 2018 Elisa Prout - All Rights Reserved. Page 13 onceaweekcooking.com