menu plan.

hey everyone. hope you all had an amazing weekend. we celebrated j's birthday in chicago. so much fun! 

today i thought i would share my meal plan for the week with some easy and delicious dinner ideas, in case you need some menu inspiration. 

artichoke crusted chicken (served with rice and veggies)

 

recipe found here.

ingredients

2 chicken breasts, pounded thin

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (canned or frozen that have been thawed are both fine)

1/3 cup grated white cheddar cheese 

salt & pepper

directions

Salt and pepper the chicken and then sauté each chicken breast in 1 tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat, for about 8-10 minutes, flipping once, or until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork.  Set aside. Mix together the mayonnaise, artichoke hearts and cheddar cheese until evenly distributed.  Spread the mixture over the sauteed chicken breasts, and then broil at 400 degrees for about 3 minutes.  Do not take your eyes off them — broiling can lead to burning faster than you can imagine.  When the cheese is melted and bubbling and the tops are golden, remove and serve.

jambalaya with turkey sausage and shrimp 

get ready, this meal is so easy.

ingredients

2 boxes of zatarain's jambalaya mix with cheese

bell pepper/onion (any color pepper will do)

 1 package of turkey sausage (like the picture on the box, not ground sausage)

1 package of shrimp (i use frozen)

olive oil

salt & pepper

garlic powder

directions

cut up the turkey sausage into slices and thaw the shrimp. chop the peppers and onions. sautee the peppers, onions and turkey sausage in a skillet with olive oil, salt, pepper and a dash of garlic powder. cook the 2 boxes of rice together in a pot as directed on the package and add in the turkey sausage and peppers/onions while it's cooking. finally, add the shrimp for the last five minutes of cooking time. (overcooked shrimp is yuck.) enjoy!

erica's twist on spaghetti (served with salad and garlic bread)

ingredients 

box of spaghetti noodles

1 pound ground turkey

1 package of pepperoni

1 onion, chopped

2 jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce (red)

parmesan cheese

sour cream

sugar

italian seasoning

garlic powder

salt & pepper

directions 

cook the noodles as directed. brown the ground turkey and chopped onion in seasonings. add the pepperoni. (believe me, it adds SO much more flavor). add both jars of sauce and simmer. sprinkle with sugar too taste (this cuts out some of the acidity of the tomato sauce). combine the sauce and the noodles and stir until they are fully coated. add approx. 2 heaping spoonfuls of sour cream and 2 handfuls of parmesan cheese and stir. (the sour cream adds a great consistency to the sauce!) enjoy! 

chicken pesto pizza (served with salad)

ingredients

store bought pizza dough (i like to use the dough in the freezer section)

or make your own dough, directions found here

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into pieces

garlic powder

salt & pepper

olive oil

pesto (store bought or make your own, directions found here)

parmesan cheese

mozzarella cheese

pine nuts

directions

toast the pine nuts. sautee the chicken breast in olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. cut into pieces. spread the pesto on the dough. top with the chicken, pine nuts, and parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. bake as directed on the package or approx 400 degrees for 8-12 minutes (until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbly).  

what's on your menu this week?

♥erica