Shopping List: Lemony Chicken (or Tofu), Crunchy-Topped Mac & Cheese, and Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
The Family Plan #29
I was wrong. Two days upstate was not enough. I returned calm and happy on Monday as expected, but just a few days later that bone-crushing exhaustion has returned. It’s the strangest thing, since most days I don’t actually do anything but sit at my desk.
And still, dinner insists on being made. Every. Freaking. Night. Meal plans help, but y’know, the food still has to get cooked. How are you coping?
Here’s next week’s menu:
MONDAY:
photo courtesy Epicurious
Chicken Piccata from Epicurious or Tofu Piccata from Glue and Glitter, with artichoke hearts and rice. Lemons and capers ftw, people. Piccata is one of the easiest, most flavorful sauces I can think of. Add artichoke hearts, either canned or frozen, to the pan while it’s simmering, and cook a triple-batch of rice to use later in the week.
TUESDAY: Baking Sheet Mac & Cheese from Food 52, with frozen vegetables or salad. Spreading your mac & cheese onto a rimmed baking sheet means you’ve got more crunchy topping than anything, and we all know that’s the best part. This recipe is so easy, you don’t even make a cheese sauce—it all gets tossed together.
WEDNESDAY:
photo courtesy Food Network
Mexican Bean, Rice, and Corn Bake from Food Network uses some of Monday’s rice and a whole bunch of pantry ingredients.
THURSDAY: Stuffed Sweet Potatoes from Love & Lemons. This recipe gives you four different options to top your sweet potatoes, inspired by Greece, Mexico, India, and America. Note that the ingredients list only includes the potatoes—check the recipe to see which version you’d like to make.
FRIDAY: Red Beans and Rice with Fried Eggs from MyRecipes uses the rest of Monday’s rice. The recipe calls for frozen vegetables, pre-cooked rice, and a bunch of other pantry staples, and it’s ready in less than half an hour.
Here’s the shopping list:
Use this to see which recipes you’ve got enough ingredients to make. Don’t forget to check the recipe for Thursday’s stuffed sweet potatoes. And remember, an asterisk * indicates an ingredient for vegetarian meals.
Produce
6 cloves garlic (M, F)
1 bunch parsley (M)
Salad fixings OR frozen vegetables (T)
4 sweet potatoes (Th)
1 bell pepper, 1 onion, and 2 ribs celery OR frozen seasoning blend (F)
1-4* lemons (M)
1 package extra-firm tofu* (M)
Pantry
1/2 cup flour (M)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (M, F)
2 tablespoons vinegar, white wine OR apple cider OR red wine (W, F)
1/3 cup chicken broth OR dry white wine (M)
1 tablespoon capers (M)
1/2 cup mayonnaise* (M)
1 cup panko* (M)
1 cup vegetable broth* (M)
2 teaspoons potato starch or cornstarch* (M)
1 can artichoke hearts OR frozen artichoke hearts (M)
3 cups rice (M, W, F)
1 lb. pasta spirals or other small shape (T)
1 teaspoon cayenne (T, F)
1 tablespoon chili powder (W)
1 (14.5-oz.) can tomatoes, preferably diced (W)
1 chipotle in adobo (W)
8 cups corn tortilla chips (W)
1 (15-oz.) can black beans (W)
2 (15-oz.) cans red kidney beans (F)
1 (11-oz.) can corn niblets OR frozen corn kernels (W)
1 (8.5-oz.) can creamed corn OR more frozen corn kernels (W)
1 cup salsa (W)
1/2 cup sliced pickled jalapenos (W)
1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce (such as Crystal) (F)
Meat Counter
2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts (M)
Dairy
5 tablespoons unsalted butter (M, T)
12 oz. extra-sharp cheddar (T)
12 oz. sharp cheddar (T)
2/3 cup milk, preferably whole (T)
4 large eggs (F)
Freezer Case
1 package artichoke hearts OR canned artichoke hearts (M)
1 package vegetables of your choice OR salad (T)
2 1/4 cups frozen corn kernels OR canned corn (W)
1 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen seasoning blend vegetables OR fresh bell pepper, onion, and celery (F)
Liquor Store
1/3 cup dry white wine OR chicken broth (M)
Stay safe, be kind, and wash your hands.
Debbie