Meun Plan Monday 3/30

Thanks to everyone who made great comments on last week's Menu Plan Monday. I have to admit that the calzones would have been easier to prep had I used Pillsbury pizza dough like the original recipe called for. My homemade dough is much healthier and much stickier! It kind of stuck to my lightly-floured countertop! I'll try it again some other time and see if I can find a way to get it on the pan quicker.

On to this week's menu plan....

Monday - Crock Pot Chicken & Beans (recipe below)

Tuesday - Leftover Crock Pot Chicken & Beans

Wednesday - Beef fajitas with peppers
Thursday - Salsa Chicken (that I didn't get to last week) with microwave potatoes
Friday - Homemade Pizza
Saturday - Fish, oven fries, some type of frozen veggie (tip below)
Sunday - Mystery dinner - If hubby gets to clean off our grill this week, we'll probably be grilling some BBQ chicken... the first of this grilling season! YUM!

Crock Pot Chicken & Beans

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 c. thinly sliced carrots
1 small onion, thinly sliced
16 oz. baked beans - any flavor
2 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard (or 1 T. regular mustard if you don't have dry)
1/2 c. ketchup
1 T. vinegar
2 c. frozen green beans

Mix it all in the crock pot. Cook on low 6-8 hours until chicken is no longer pink.

I confess, I thought the green beans mixed in would be gross. I don't like my veggies mixed in with my main dish/casseroles, but this was actually good. If you can't stand the idea of mixing in the green beans, feel free to just leave them out!

Fish Coating Tip

We like to buy the frozen fish fillets from Kroger (their brand). They come individually wrapped, so they don't stick together or get freezer burn. They also do not have to be thawed before use. However, I have found that going straight from the freezer to the oven causes there to be A LOT of liquid released on the pan. Here are my tips for dealing with this and not ending up with soggy fish (ick!):

• Line your pan with foil for easier cleanup. Spray foil with cooking spray.


• Cook the fish for 1/2 the cooking time, remove from the oven, and drain off as much liquid as possible. Scoot the fish around the pan and re-spray with cooking spray. Then add the topping and cook for the remainder of the cook time.


• I make a very simple, recipe-less topping. I crunch up crackers (Kashi, saltines, Ritz, whatever is on-hand) in a bowl. Then I mix in some Parmesan cheese and seasonings (Italian, parsley, basil, season salt, whatever you like). Once the liquid has been drained and the pan re-sprayed, I sprinkle the topping mix on the fish. Then I spray the topping mix with cooking spray to help it brown. Return the fish to the oven and cook until done.

For more great menu planning ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie!