Month of Meal Plans, Week 3

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Des Moines Moms Blog is excited to bring you a series of posts this month meant to inspire and equip you in your meal planning and cooking endeavors! Throughout the month, four of our team members will each share a post with five great dinner recipes. Use these posts in their entirety as new weekly menus, or incorporate into your own menus those select recipes which suit your tastes. Either way, we hope you will find DMMB’s Month of Meal Plans series to be a helpful (and tasty!) resource!

Day 1: Chicken and Rice Casserole

chicken and rice

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (cooked and cubed)
2 cups of white or brown rice (uncooked)
1 can chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
1 package shredded cheddar cheese
Salt, pepper and minced onion, to taste

Preheat oven 350°. Combine cooked chicken, rice, chicken broth, cream of soup, pepper, salt, minced onion, and half the package of cheese in a big mixing bowl. Mix well and transfer to a greased 9×13 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Take out and cover with the rest of the shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.


Day 2: Homemade Meatballs

1 lb hamburger
2 eggs
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt, pepper, oregano, parsley flakes and garlic salt, all to taste

Mix all together to form meatballs. Bake at 350° for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

These meatballs are really versatile. I love serving these with pasta and sauce or using them to make meatball sub sandwiches. They are so good that sometimes we just eat them alone!


Day 3: Crockpot Pizza

1/2 lb italian sausage
3/4 package pepperoni
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 bag egg noodles
Onion, mushroom, black olives (optional)
Shredded cheese (1/2 package mozzarella and 1/2 package of sharp cheddar)

Brown meat (sausage) and add sauce and any optional ingredients. Boil egg noodles. Spray crockpot and layer noodles – meat  – pepperoni – cheese. Repeat. Cook on low for 3 hours.

This is the perfect recipe to take to new moms. Just layer the ingredients in a disposable foil pan and bake in the oven at 350° for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 


Day 4: Chicken and Hummus Pizza on Homemade Dough

Homemade Pizza Dough (from KitchenAid Stand Mixer Recipe Book)

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
2 1/2 – 3 1/2 cups flour
1 TBS cornmeal (optional)

Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add salt, olive oil and 2 1/2 cups flour. Mix (use dough hook on stand mixer if you have one, otherwise mix by hand). Add remaining flour until dough forms into a ball. Place dough in greased bowl and cover. Let rise in warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size. Brush 14-inch pan with oil and sprinkle with cornmeal (optional). Press dough around pan and add toppings.

Chicken and Hummus Pizza

Hummus (we love the 3 layer hummus dip from Trader Joe’s for this)
Chicken breast, cooked and cut into strips or bites
Sun dried tomatoes
Black olives
Jalapeños
Sliced avocados
Shredded cheese (Parmesan and mozzarella are great for this)

Spread hummus over pizza dough. Add chicken, tomatoes and olives. Top with cheese. Add jalapeños. Bake at 450° for 15-20 minutes. Top with sliced avocados.

Busy Mom Tip – Running short on time? Did you know that you can get a pre-made pizza crust from the Hy-Vee Italian Express for just $2.00? Perfect for those night when you are crazing homemade pizza but do not have time to make the dough.


Day 5: Taco Casserole

1 lb hamburger
1 small can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 small can of water (use empty tomato sauce can)
Taco seasoning (1/2 of package)
3-4 big handfuls of crumbled tortilla chips
Shredded cheese (Mexican blend is perfect for this)

Brown hamburger and drain. Mix hamburger, tomato sauce, can of water and taco seasoning. Crumble chips into the hamburger mixture and stir. Pour into a greased baking dish. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Top with cheese and bake 15 more minutes. Serve with sour cream, olives, salsa and guacamole.


Bonus Dessert Recipe – Grandma’s Apple Cake

apple cake 1/2 cup margarine (can substitute 1/2 cup applesauce & 1 TBS oil)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
2 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 cups apples, chopped and peeled

Cream margarine and sugars, add beaten eggs and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture alternately dry ingredients and milk. Add apples last. Bake at 350° for 35-40 min in 9×13 greased pan. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

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