We’re what, four days into January and already my kid accidentally threw a white-supremacist hand signal in his class picture and oh yeah, we’re starting a war. I thought 2019 was a doozy, but hoo-boy I am not prepared for this. Let’s skip the preamble and just start cooking…
Unless you’re new here. There’s been a rather large influx of new subscribers over the last few days and the curiosity is killing me. I have to ask: How did you hear about The Family Plan? If you’d be so kind, respond to this email and let me know.
Sunday
Cook the Pot Roast (and possibly bake some potatoes)
Whether you’re going with Oven-Braised Beef with Tomatoes and Garlic or vegetarian Portobello Pot Roast, your home is going to smell ah-mazing this afternoon. (Unless you follow the Instant Pot instructions—the one drawback of that gizmo is that it holds in all the aromas.) Before you start, set aside one raw garlic clove to use on Friday.
Vegetarians: Use all five portobellos—the recipe is flexible enough to accommodate that—and skip the potatoes.
Optional:
If you know that you won’t have time to bake potatoes tomorrow evening, bake all eight now. Refrigerate everything. (Don’t slice the meat. It’s easier when it’s cold.)
Monday
Pot Roast with Baked Potatoes
Reheat the pot roast however you prefer, in the microwave or oven. Defat the sauce and slice the beef before reheating. Set aside 6-8 ounces of meat and pop it back in the fridge for Thursday. Reheat four of the baked potatoes using your preferred method.
Vegetarians: You’ll have leftover portobello. Refrigerate it for Thursday.
Tuesday
Soba Edamame Noodle Bowl
If you’ve got picky kids, tonight’s dinner is ideal for serving salad bar-style. If you’re adding rotisserie chicken to the mix, don’t forget to pick one up on the way home! For the tofu option, cut the block into thin strips.
Wednesday
Twice-Baked Potatoes with a big salad
Having those pre-baked potatoes makes tonight a breeze. I find that like pot roast, baked potatoes are easier to work with cold. But because they’re cold, plan on the twice-baked spuds taking a little longer to heat through. While they’re in the oven, make a salad with any of the following: chopped romaine hearts, carrot, chives or scallions, a cucumber, half of the grape tomatoes, red bell pepper, radishes, and celery. Toss with a mild-tasting oil, rice vinegar, and salt & pepper.
Thursday
Quick Beef (or Mushroom) & Barley Soup with crusty bread
Forgive me: I should’ve mentioned, if you’re buying the bread from the bakery this weekend, you’ll want to wrap it in foil and freeze it until Thursday. Pop the frozen, wrapped loaf into a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes to thaw and heat. For the soup, use Monday’s set-aside beef (or mushroom, if you’re vegetarian) instead of the steak, dicing it and adding during step 3.
Friday
Sheet-Pan Pizza with another big salad
The best thing about sheet-pan pizza: It’s incredibly forgiving as far as dough goes. Start at step 3 with store-bought dough. Since it’s Friday, let the kids handle this! With your supervision, of course, especially during the food processor portion in step 5. While they’re pizza-ing, you can make another salad using a different combination of vegetables from Wednesday—this time tossing with oil and red wine vinegar.
And look at that, you’re done! You made it through the first full week of 2020. Go take a nap; you deserve it.
Until Thursday,
Debbie