Meal Plan Monday {Week of May 9}

Meal Plan Monday is BACK - out of great necessity.  My life is so much easier when I know what I'm making for dinner and the grocery shopping is done at the beginning of the week.  I have been in a bit of a meal idea slump for a while, but I'm hoping planning this week will help.  We did manage to grill three times last week -- steak, fajitas, and chicken breasts -- the last few days have been nice with little wind.  Here's what's for dinner this week:

Monday - Baked Chicken, Steamed English Peas, Angel Hair with Olive Oil and Lemon Pepper
Tuesday - Breakfast Bake (this is an old stand-by that I make often -- I use low fat crescent rolls, skim milk and 2% cheeses to lighten it up), Fruit
Wednesday - Homemade Pioneer Woman's Pizza Crust recipe (for ours:  Tomato Basil Pizza, Cheese Pizza and Canadian Bacon/Pepperoni)
Thursday - Baked Tilapia, Steamed Carrots with Brown Sugar,
Friday -  Green Enchiladas*, Green Salad, Black Beans
Saturday - Lasagna*, Steamed Broccoli, Garlic Bread

* Green Enchilada Casserole

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 t. salt
1 t. oregano
1 t. garlic powder
1 can cream of celery soup
1 c. chopped green chiles
12 flour tortillas, cut into small pieces
1 c. grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large saute pan, brown meat with onion and spices.  Add soup and chiles and mix well.  Cover the bottom of a greased 9x13 dish with a layer of tortilla pieces.  Spread about 1/3 of meat mixture over tortilla pieces.  Cover with another layer of  tortilla slices, then meat mixture.  Repeat, ending with meat mixture.  Sprinkle cheese evenly over meat mixture.  Bake for 30 minutes.  (NOTE:  I plan to "lighten" this recipe by using low fat/whole wheat tortillas, 2% cheese, and, if I can find it, low fat soup.  The cream of celery soup is important to the flavor -- and I haven't tried finding it in a low fat version)

* Here's how I make my Lasagna....

1/2 # lean ground beef
1/2 # Italian sausage
1 jar favorite spaghetti sauce
1 can Italian style diced tomatoes (usually diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano)
1-16 oz. container ricotta cheese
3/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 t. dried parsley
3 c. shredded mozarella cheese
9-12 no cook lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large saute pan, brown ground beef and Italian sausage; drain.  Add spaghetti sauce and diced tomatoes and heat through.  In a bowl, combine egg, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and parsley.  Place 3-4 lasagna noodles in bottom of a greased 9x13 dish; do not overlap.  Spread one-third of sauce mixture over noodles.  Spoon about one third of ricotta cheese mixture over sauce mixture.  Sprinkle 1 c. mozarella cheese.  Layer (in same order) 3-4 more lasagna noodles, sauce mixture, cheese mixture and cheese.  Repeat, ending with mozarella cheese.  Cover with foil  (make sure there is a gap between the foil and the cheese so that the foil does not touch the cheese) and bake 1 hour.  Remove foil and bake additional 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.