Menu Plan: Week of May 18

As usual, my evening schedule is a bit rushed this week which will call for a menu plan including some crock pot or make-ahead meals. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday I have 15, 30 and 60 minutes respectively between the end of my lessons and when I have to walk out the door for my evening commitments. Plus my parents are arriving Thursday evening for a visit, and I'm not sure exactly when they're arriving. Friday we're planning to camp again so I'll be cooking on a camp stove…just don't know what I'll me making yet.

Here's what's on the menu plan for this week:

• MONDAY: Wet burritos. I can prep these ahead of time and have Jaden put them in the oven during my lessons. Everyone else can eat buffet style whenever the burritos are done, and since I eat lightning-fast, 15 minutes is plenty of time for me to scarf down a burrito before heading out the door.
• TUESDAY: Easy Cheesy Lasagna & Breadsticks (recipes below). Joely likes to make this, so we'll make it together earlier in the day and then pop it in the oven during my lessons.
• WEDNESDAY: Crock pot chicken (made with chicken, Italian dressing, red potatoes, and carrots).
  
• THURSDAY: Taco Salad.
  
• FRIDAY & SATURDAY: Camp food of some kind.

For hundreds more recipes, visit Organizing Junkie.

Easy Cheesy Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 large can/jar of spaghetti sauce
• 16 ounces cottage cheese
• 8 ounces shredded mozarella cheese
• 6 lasagna noodles
• Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and drain the grease.
3. Spoon 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce across the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish.
4. Mix the remaining spaghetti sauce into the beef and heat the mixture thoroughly over medium heat.
5. Place 2 lasagna noodles (uncooked) over the sauce layer in the casserole dish.
6. Layer the rest of the ingredients in this order:
   • 1/3 of the beef mixture.
   • 1/2 the cottage cheese
   • 1/3 of the mozarella
   • 2 lasagna noodles
   • 1/3 of the beef mixture
   • The rest of the cottage cheese
   • 1/3 of the mozarella
   • 2 lasagna noodles
   • The rest of the beef mixture
   • The remaining mozarella
7. (optional) Sprinkle some grated parmesan over the last layer of mozarella
8. Cover the dish with a lid or foil and bake for 1 hour.
9. Remove from oven and let it sit covered for 15 minutes before serving.

Dinner Breadsticks

Ingredients

• 1 T yeast
• 2 T sugar
• 3 1?2 cups flour
• 1?2 tsp salt
• 1 1?2 cup warm water
• 2-3 T extra-virgin olive oil for the pan

Directions

1. Mix yeast (instant), sugar, and flour together.
2. Add warm water and stir.
3. Knead for 3 minutes, then let stand 10 minutes.
4. Pour olive oil in 9×13 baking dish, and press the dough into the dish. Cut into strips.
5. OPTIONAL: sprinkle with garlic salt and Parmesan cheese.
6. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes
7. Bake 20 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven.