Kitchen Notes January 26 th - January 30 th Unless otherwise noted at the top of the recipe, every lunch meal is for a single serving. Ingredients in the shopping list reflect the servings for that particular meal. Meal 1: Cook pasta the night before, and this menu item will come together quickly in the morning. Meal 2: Prep these ahead of time in the evening for a quick morning. Take out of fridge, it will be room temperature by lunch. These freeze well for emergency mornings. To prevent bagel from drying, wrap sandwich inside a moist paper towel. Meal 3: You can make pinwheels ahead of time and store in refrigerator up to 3 days with a moist paper towel (prevents tortilla from drying). Bigger kids may need two or a burrito sized tortillas. Family Sized 1: Assembly for this meal can come together very quickly while you are cooking dinner and your kitchen is already a mess. Grill or cook sausage and prep and cut veggies in the evening for a quick morning. Family Sized 2: This recipe freezes very well. Along with some warm whole-wheat rolls this is a fantastic dinner recipe! Freeze extras, warm in the morning and insert in pre-heated thermos. Inside the Lunchbox: Meal 1- Spaghetti Alfredo with Peas Meal 2- Cream Cheese Mini Bagelwich Meal 3- Ham & Cheese Pinwheels Family Sized 1- Sausage Kebobs Family Sized 2- Black Bean Turkey Chili COPYRIGHT MOMables
Spaghetti Alfredo with Peas ½-1 cup cooked spaghetti 2 Tablespoons Alfredo sauce 3 Tablespoons frozen peas Parmesan cheese 1. Cook pasta according to package (I suggest the night before). 2. Warm pasta, Alfredo sauce and peas. Mix. 3. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 4. Serve with fruit and veggies of choice. MOM Tip: Cook pasta the night before, and this menu item will come together quickly in the morning. This can also be easily be made into a family sized meal. Pack leftovers in a thermos for lunches. Gluten-Free Option: Use gluten free pasta. MOMables
Cream Cheese Mini Bagelwich I found myself having nothing to stick inside a sandwich one morning and used what I had. My kids were perfectly content and this became a I-have-nothing-in-the-fridge staple. These mini bagels are great if you have a variety of ages in your kids. One mini bagelwich is perfect for a younger kid, while the older ones can take 2. 1-2 Tablespoons cream cheese 1-2 mini bagels (or bread of choice) 1. Lightly toast bagel. 2. Spread cream cheese on bagel. 3. Serve with fresh fruit, veggies & treat of choice. MOM Tip: Prep these ahead of time in the evening for a quick morning. Take out of fridge, it will be room temperature by lunch. These freeze well for emergency mornings. To prevent bagel from drying, wrap sandwich inside a moist paper towel. Gluten-Free Option: Use gluten-free bread/bagels or see resource guide for recipe.
Ham & Cheese Pinwheels 2-3 slices of deli ham 2 slices cheese 1 teaspoon mustard 2 teaspoons mayonnaise 1 flour tortilla (whole wheat or any variety) 1. Lay tortilla on a cutting board and spread mustard and mayonnaise. Lay ham slices covering most of flour tortilla. 2. Roll tortilla from one end to the next. 3. Cut roll in half. Then cut in ½ inch thick round sections. Serve with fresh fruit, veggies & snack or treat. MOM Tip: You can make pinwheels ahead of time and store in refrigerator up to 3 days with a moist paper towel (prevents tortilla from drying). Bigger kids may need two or a burrito sized tortillas. Gluten-Free Option: Use gluten-free tortillas or see resource guide for recipe. Vegetarian Option: Spread hummus and add lettuce to replace the ham.
Sausage Kebobs Makes 8-10 kebobs 1lb smoked sausage (or Italian sausage) 1 red pepper, cut into chunks 1 green pepper, cut into chunks 1 pint cherry tomatoes 1. Grill or cook sausage on a pan over medium heat while cooking dinner. Set aside and refrigerate. 2. Slice sausage into bite sized pieces (smaller for younger kids) and poke through a rounded pick, or popsicle stick. 3. Alternate poking sausage, peppers and tomatoes through the sticks. Alternatively, you can put the veggies and sausage pieces in a lunch container along with the rounded picks and let your child build their own "swords." MOM Tip: Assembly for this meal can come together very quickly while you are cooking dinner and your kitchen is already a mess. Grill or cook sausage and prep and cut veggies in the evening for a quick morning. Vegetarian Option: Use meat-less/vegetarian sausage.
Black Bean Turkey Chili Yields 6 servings 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil 1 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1lb ground turkey 3 (15oz) cans black beans, drained, rinsed ¾ cup water 1 (14.5oz) can crushed tomatoes 1 1/2 Tablespoons chili powder 1 Tablespoon dried oregano 1 Tablespoon dried basil leaves 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar 1. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat; cook onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Add turkey and cook, stirring, until meat is brown. 2. Stir in beans, tomatoes, water, chili powder, oregano, basil and vinegar. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes or more, until flavors are well blended. MOM Tip: This recipe freezes very well. Along with some warm whole-wheat rolls this is a fantastic dinner recipe! Freeze extras, warm in the morning and insert in pre-heated thermos. Vegetarian Option: Omit turkey and add an extra can of black beans if needed. MOMables
Weekly Menu Lunch item Ingredients Directions ½-1 cup cooked spaghetti 2 Tablespoons Alfredo sauce 3 Tablespoons frozen peas Parmesan cheese Spaghetti Alfredo with Peas Cream Cheese Mini Bagelwich Ham & Cheese Pinwheels Sausage Kebobs 1-2 Tablespoons cream cheese 1-2 mini bagels (or bread of choice) 2-3 slices of deli ham 2 slices cheese 1 teaspoon mustard 2 teaspoons mayonnaise 1 flour tortilla (whole wheat or any variety) 1lb smoked sausage (or Italian sausage) 1 red pepper, cut into chunks 1 green pepper, cut into chunks 1 pint cherry tomatoes 1. Cook pasta according to package (I suggest the night before). 2. Warm pasta, Alfredo sauce and peas. Mix. 3. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 4. Serve with fruit and veggies of choice. 1. Lightly toast bagel. 2. Spread cream cheese on bagel. 3. Serve with fresh fruit, veggies & treat of choice. 1. Lay tortilla on a cutting board and spread mustard and mayonnaise. Lay ham slices covering most of flour tortilla. 2. Roll tortilla from one end to the next. 3. Cut roll in half. Then cut in ½ inch thick round sections. Serve with fresh fruit, veggies & snack or treat. 1. Grill or cook sausage on a pan over medium heat while cooking dinner. Set aside and refrigerate. 2. Slice sausage into bite sized pieces (smaller for younger kids) and poke through a rounded pick, or popsicle stick. 3. Alternate poking sausage, peppers and tomatoes through the sticks. Alternatively, you can put the veggies and sausage pieces in a lunch container along with the rounded picks and let your child build their own "swords." Black Bean Turkey Chili 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil 1 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1lb ground turkey 3 (15oz) cans black beans, drained, rinsed ¾ cup water 1 (14.5oz) can crushed tomatoes 1 1/2 Tablespoons chili powder 1 Tablespoon dried oregano 1 Tablespoon dried basil leaves 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar 1. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat; cook onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Add turkey and cook, stirring, until meat is brown. 2. Stir in beans, tomatoes, water, chili powder, oregano, basil and vinegar. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes or more, until flavors are well blended. Printer Friendly Menu
Shopping List Lunch # Grocery Item Other Groceries Fresh Produce 1- Fresh fruit for the lunch box 1- Fresh lunchbox veggies F1 1 red pepper F1 1 green pepper F1 1 pint cherry tomaotoes 1 onion 2 cloves garlic Deli/Meats 3 2-3 slices deli ham F1 1lb smoked sausage (or Italian sausage) 1lb ground turkey Bakery 2 1-2 mini bagels 3 1 flour tortilla Dairy & Refrigerated 1 Parmesan cheese 2 1-2 T. cream cheese 3 2 slices cheese Frozen 1 3 T. frozen peas Canned/Bottled/Packaged 1 1/2-1 c. spaghetti 1 2 T. Alfredo sauce 3 1 t. mustard 3 2 t. mayonnaise 3 (15oz) cans black beans 1 (14.5oz) can crushed tomatoes Staples 1 T. vegetable oil 1 ½ T. chili powder 1 T. oregano 1 T. basil leaves 1 T. red wine vinegar