menu planning monday is crucial

i went a week without 'formal' menu planning and although we survived, it wasn't easy. from about 3-5pm i was a total stress ball, ripping through my pantry and freezer like a madwoman, scouring the internet for recipes, Googling "angel hair, canned mushrooms and ketchup," and making sure i had the pizza man's phone number handy just in case. it was exhausting.

what did i learn from that week? well, first of all, not everything is good with ketchup on it. and second? menu planning is crucial. for me.

here is this week's dinner menu & recipes:

monday: Meatball Hashbrown Bake (orgjunkie's recipe)
tuesday: Slow Cooker Honey Chicken (from eatathomecooks.com)
wednesday: Stromboli (Kraft's recipe)
thursday: family night, dining out
friday: French Onion Soup (also from Kraft. never made this before but it's hubby's favorite so i'm gonna try!)

Meatball Hashbrown Bake
2 eggs

3/4 cup crushed saltines (about 20 crackers)
6 to 8 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp salt, divided
1 1/2 tsp pepper, divided
1 pound ground beef
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 large onion, chopped
1 package (30 oz) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
In a bowl, lightly beat eggs. Stir in cracker crumbs, garlic, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Crumble beef over mixture; mix well. Shape into 1-in balls. In a covered skillet over low heat, cook the meatballs in a small amount of water until browned; drain.
In a bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, cheese, onion and remaining salt and pepper. With paper towels, pat hash browns dry. Stir into the soup mixture. Transfer to a greased 13″x9″x2″ baking dish. Arrange meatballs over top pressing into mixture. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 minutes longer or until meat is no longer pink and potatoes are tender. Yield: 8 servings
Source: Taste of Home Casseroles Volume 9, 2004

Honey Hoisin Chicken in the Slowcooker
4-6 boneless chicken breasts

1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
Put the chicken in the crockpot. Mix the other ingredients together and pour over the chicken. Coook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours

Kraft's Easy Stromboli
1 can (10 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust
1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup chopped green or red peppers
1 pkg. (9 oz.) Ham and Turkey (or toppings of choice- we like fresh chopped veggies)


Preheat oven to 425°F. Unroll pizza crust on lightly greased baking sheet. Pat out dough with fingers to form 15x10-inch rectangle; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Layer remaining ingredients lengthwise down center of dough. Fold dough in half over filling; pinch all edges together tightly to seal. Make small cuts in top of dough to vent. Bake 12 min. or until golden brown. Cool slightly before cutting into 4 slices to serve.