Well, looks like I haven’t shared a menu in a few weeks. Disappointing, especially since I remember to take some pictures. lol So here are some of the pictures I took over the last couple of weeks. In no particular order.

 

I made a big pan of brownies. Again. The family loves brownies. Now that most of my kids have flown the coop now, this is a lot of brownies. lol I put them in a freezer container between layers of waxed paper. Then we can take out brownies whenever we want, or need, them. Yes, sometimes brownies are a need. lol This time, I put some of the caramel sauce on half the pan before baking. So good! If you look close, you can see the squiggly lines in the brownies. Next time, lol, I’ll do larger sections of caramel.

 

 

These Cheesy Ranch Pork Chops are a family favorite. They are soooo good!

 

 

We’ve cooked out a few times since the weather is still nice here in Kentucky. Cheeseburgers are always a winner. I even made caramelized onions to go on them! Served with my stuffed (deviled) eggs, grilled zucchini, and homemade potato salad. Yum!

 

 

And because they turned out so pretty, another picture of my stuffed (deviled) eggs. With bacon and chives from my herb garden on top. Eggs don’t last long around here!

 

 

When I make baked potatoes, I always make extra. They are great for making easy side dishes later in the week. Like these fried potatoes.

 

 

I bought several pounds of hamburger on sale, put most of it in the freezer. I used some for spaghetti one night, kept some for tacos the next night. I put 3 bags in the freezer, one with spaghetti sauce.

 

 

With the rest of the hamburger I got on sale, I made meatloaf. Once pan for dinner that night, and 2 more for the freezer.

 

 

We even stopped for ice cream one night while we were already in town!

 

 

This is not the most flattering picture, but it tasted much better than it looks. lol I had some extra oranges that weren’t getting eaten, so I sliced them and put them on top of the salmon before cooking.  They gave the salmon a lovely orange flavor.  I’ll be doing that again. As well as remembering to turn the oven temperature down so I don’t get all that white fat on the salmon!

 

 

Ok, this is a kitchen fail. Yes, I have them right along with everyone else. lol I didn’t hear the beep on the pressure cooker and left the eggs sitting there too long. They tasted fine, just looked horrible. My husband used these for snacks, and he doesn’t care if they look pretty. lol So they didn’t go to waste.

 

 

And I am now setting another timer to be sure I hear the pressure cooker timer. lol

 

 

 

In The Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Cheeseburgers on the grill, stuffed eggs, fries, peas

Monday – chicken or turkey –  Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken, rice, green beans

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Spaghetti with meat sauce, green beans

Wednesday – Taco Night- Taco salad with all the fixings, homemade taco sauce, baked potato for my mother

Thursday – pork or chicken – Smoked sausage, peppers, onions on the grill, Mac & Cheese,

Friday – Quick & Easy  – leftovers

Saturday – Quick & Easy or Husbands Choice – I can’t decide! Guess I’ll let him pick that day lol

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

I remembered to take pictures last week! lol

 

This Chicken Pasta Salad has been a family favorite for years. It’s that good!

 

 

 

I didn’t feel like cooking one night, so I was rummaging for something easy. lol I found a package of pre made hamburgers that I had got on clearance. Perfect! We had a very simple meal for burgers and zucchini on the grill. The family didn’t seem to care that I picked easy that night. lol

 

 

Sausage Pasta Skillet Dinner is another family favorite. It’s easy, too. I love it when family favorites are easy on me. lol

 

 

So…. don’t hate me for making easy meals last week. lol Here’s another one. I got the starter on sale at the grocery store for 99 cents. I added chicken, some rice, corn, and beans to the mexican style sauce.

 

 

Another one pot wonder that my family loved. I served it with cheese and sour cream. Even my picky 20 year old ate it, and had seconds. And no, I don’t cater to him. He usually has leftovers or makes his own food (that he buys) if he doesn’t like what I made.

 

 

While grocery shopping this past Saturday, my husband and I saw this weird looking thing in the produce department. Turns out it’s a Jackfruit. I’d heart of it before, but never seen one in person. This one was huge. That’s my husbands large hand in the picture. this fruit was at least 15-18 inches long. I didn’t pull out my measuring tape. lol

 

 

We didn’t buy it. After reading the tag, and all the steps involved in getting it ready to eat, it sounded like too much work. lol

 

Have you ever tried a Jackfruit? Is it worth all the prep required?

 

 

 

 

Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

 

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Steak on the grill, homemade cole slaw, yams – Husband picked the steaks lol

Monday – chicken or turkey –  Salmon, baked potatoes, squash

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Spaghetti with meat sauce, green beans

Wednesday – Taco Night- Taco salad with all the fixings, homemade taco sauce, baked potato for my mother

Thursday – pork or chicken – Cheesey ranch pork chops, rice, beets

Friday – Quick & Easy  – leftovers

Saturday – Quick & Easy or Husbands Choice – Going to a housewarming party, peoples choice if they want to eat before we go

 

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

 

*This post contains an affiliate link

 

When I went to download my pictures, I found that I only took one food related picture last week.  Guess I need to hang sticky notes in the kitchen to remind me. lol

I made a large batch of taco meat and sloppy joes last Wednesday. We had some of each for supper, and put the rest in the freezer.

2 meals size bags of each.

 

 

They are both on the menu again this week. lol

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

 

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Cheeseburgers with all the fixings, carrots

Monday – chicken or turkey –  Chicken tenders, fried potatoes, green beans

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Chicken & Spinach Stroganoff in the slow cooker, broccoli

Wednesday – Taco Night- Sloppy joes, and taco salad with all the fixings, homemade taco sauce, for my husband who doesn’t like sloppy joes

Thursday – pork or chicken – Kielbasa with peppers & onions, homemade mac & cheese, peas

Friday – Quick & Easy  –This day is shaping up to be a busy one, so I’m planning on leftovers, as I think there will be plenty

Saturday – Quick & Easy or Husbands Choice – Going to our daughters we’ll buy dinner out

 

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

*This post contains an affiliate link. If you click the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission.

 

*This post contains an affiliate link

 

I deviated from last weeks menu just a little bit. I ended up making several of my daughters favorite meals. She left yesterday to move out of state for grad school. She’s been home since March, when her college moved to online because of the virus. That’s the longest she’s been home since her sophomore year of college. Man, I’m going to miss her!

One of the dishes she requested was cheeseburger macaroni. Made with homemade mac and cheese. Some like to put ketchup on it. I’m in the ketchup club. lol

 

 

It’s always a good morning when you get a double yoke egg!

 

 

Since we had such a busy schedule, with getting her packed, getting her car in the shop to be checked out, and trying to watch as many episodes of Bones together as we could, I needed easy meals.

The day her car was in the shop and I had to drive to town multiple times, I made the Chicken Alfredo that she requested.

I started the night before by grilling the chicken when make burgers that night for supper.  I squeezed making pasta and alfredo sauce in between trips to town. I then put the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. Topped it with the hot spaghetti and hot Alfredo sauce. And turned it on warm so it’d be ready for dinner.

 

 

Doesn’t look particularly appetizing sitting in the slow cooker, does it? When I served it, it was perfect, though!

I dished out the spaghetti and sauce first, then I was down to the chicken and placed it on top.

 

 

While I didn’t cook the whole thing in the slow cooker, I used the slow cooker to help me get dinner on the table in a timely manner.

And that’s what having kitchen helpers, like the slow cooker, is all about!

 

What’s your favorite kitchen helper?

 

 

 

Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

 

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Cheeseburgers with all the fixings

Monday – chicken or turkey –  Baked chicken, baked potatoes, zucchini

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – spaghetti with meat sauce, green beans

Wednesday – Taco Night- Sloppy joes, and taco salad with all the fixings, homemade taco sauce, for my husband who doesn’t like sloppy joes

Thursday – pork or chicken – Chicken Pasta Salad

Friday – Quick & Easy  – Leftovers this week, as I think there will be plenty

 

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

*This post contains an affiliate link. If you click the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission.

 

 

Last week, our youngest had his 20th birthday.  Hard to believe, but true!

I ended up going out of town that day. I hurried and made the cake before I left, and made the frosting when I returned at about 8 pm. I got the frosting made, and the cake frosted by 8:30 when he got off work.

Then I went to get the candles. And discovered that I had only 2 PINK candles in the house. lol

Oh well, he didn’t seem too upset about the candles. lol

 

 

I worked on getting the freezer stocked with snacks. The family love snacks. And I don’t like the expense of store bought snacks. Not to mention all the garbage in most of them. While the snacks I made this week have sugar, they don’t have a lot of the other bad stuff.  So while not perfect, they are better and cheaper than store bought versions.

I made brownies using my Brownies for a Crowd recipe. I gave half away, and individually wrapped the rest, then froze in a bag.

 

 

I also made chocolate chip cookie bars. I can’t believe I haven’t shared my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe yet! I’ll have to do that soon!

I cut the bars into squares, wrapped individually, and froze in a bag.

 

 

Individually wrapped, they defrost quickly when you remove them from the freezer. You can take them out one at a time, as needed, or how ever many you need. So convenient. And they taste like they were just made. I think the brownies come out fudgier then they went in.

If you like your cookies or brownies warm, simply remove the plastic wrap, and heat in the microwave for a few seconds. It takes very little time to warm, so don’t over cook them!

 

 

 

 

Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

 

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – pizza

Monday – chicken or turkey –  Burgers with all the fixings, squash from my daughters garden

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Chicken Alfredo, green beans

Wednesday – Taco Night- taco salad with all the fixings, homemade taco sauce

Thursday – pork or venison – Jag

Friday – venison  – Cookout – hot dogs, baked beans, homemade potato salad

 

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

*This post contains an affiliate link

 

Here’e a few pictures from the last week or so of some of our dinners. The ones I remembered to take pictures of. lol

I made a Frittata to use up the left over veggies in the fridge.

 

 

I recently got this hand held meat chopper. This was the first time I used it. It worked so good to chop up the sausage I used in the frittata. I should have bought one sooner!

 

https://amzn.to/2Xh4oPR

My family loves the Easy Chicken Parmesan that I make. I had some leftover chicken breasts in the fridge, so I used those to make Lazy Chicken Parmesan. lol I cut the chicken breasts to the size I wanted, and warmed it in the sauce. Then spooned it over the spaghetti. And added copious amounts of parmesan cheese.

If you think you can’t get any easier than easy, I just proved you can. lol

 

I don’t miss the breaded coating that is usually on chicken parm, and my family doesn’t, either. If you would, then you probably don’t want to try this.

 

Last night, we had “homemade” meatball subs. In this case homemade means I assembled at home. lol Frozen meatballs, jarred sauce in the slow cooker. When your ready to eat, spoon into sub rolls with your cheese of choice. We like provolone with ours. And Parm.

 

 

Yes, we go through a lot of parmesan cheese at our house. lol

 

 

 

Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

 

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Homemade Meatball subs, homemade cole slaw

Monday – chicken or turkey –  Herb Chicken Tenders, stuffing, corn

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Spaghetti with meat sauce, green beans

Wednesday – Taco Night- taco salad with all the fixings, homemade taco sauce

Thursday – pork or venison – Kielbasa with peppers and onions, rice, peas

Friday – venison  – Cookout – hot dogs, baked beans, homemade potato salad

 

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

*Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. If you click the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission.

 

 

My family loves tacos. So everyone once in a while, I experiment with tacos in another form. Taco Soup, Taco Pasta Salad, Taco Roll Ups, and even making my own taco sauce.

This Easy Taco Casserole is a new family favorite. I love it because it’s so quick and easy. It can be prepped ahead of time and baked when your ready. Or baked ahead of time and everyone can reheat their own when they are ready. Have the veggies prepped in the fridge, and everyone can help themselves.

 

 

 

 

Easy Taco Casserole Recipe

 

1 pound taco meat*

1 can black beans or your bean of choice

1 can of seasoned dice tomatoes or salsa

1 can corn

3/4 cup sour cream

2 cups crushed tortilla chips, divided

2 cups cheese, divided

 

 

Mix ingredients in large bowl.

 

I used a can of seasoned diced tomatoes, because that’s what I had. I had originally planned on using salsa, but found this in the pantry, so I used it.

 

 

Put half the meat mixture in the bottom of a 13×9 pan.

Top with half the chips and half the cheese.

Repeat layers.

 

 

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and cheese is slightly browned.

 

 

 

Serve with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and more sour cream.

 

 

*I try to keep cooked taco meat in the freezer, so that’s what I used in this recipe. If you don’t, cook your hamburger with whatever taco seasoning you use, store bought or homemade, then proceed with the recipe.