My menu plan is now sponsored by the great people over at Better Batter Flour. The menus will also be published at Start Gluten Free, an online resource made to welcome people into the gluten free living community and help them not feel overwhelmed by new dietary restrictions. I am honored to be a small part of this vibrant community! Stop by and say “Hi!”
This past week my big kids finished off semester finals for high school, so we are now enjoying day four of a four day weekend. Ah… I don’t know about you, but extra days off with now holiday tied to them are wonderful. Granted, I am still working, but having less driving to extra activities is fabulous! 🙂 Who has high school kiddos and know what I am talking about? Oh, yeah – I know you get it…
This week I am thrilled to be hosting the Gluten Free Menu Swap over at Angela’s Kitchen. The week’s theme is cabbages. Let’s face it, as least in my neck of the woods, fresh produce that hasn’t travelled far is scarce. Never fear, though, cabbages come to the rescue filling my fresh produce desires during the long winter. I like to make generous use of all sorts of cabbages, red, green, Napa, you name it. Some dishes using cabbage that I like are Mongolian Chicken and Veggies,Fish Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw, Cilantro Cashew Salad, Apple Slaw, Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole (awesome comfort food and it freezes wonderfully), Napa Cabbage Slaw, Potstickers, as a topping for Slow Cooker Moo Shu Chicken, Slow Cooker Pork Lo Mein, in Corn Relish, Honey-Orange Bean and Vegetable Slaw (this can be a side or a main dish vegetarian salad), and in my beloved kimchi. How do you like to use cabbage?
Freezer cooking plan for the week: Chicken Apple Bacon Sliders are making their way into my freezer this week. I am pre-making these for Superbowl Sunday. Mmmm… I will also be making a second Southwestern Spagetti Pie. This is a great kid-friendly meal to have on hand for busy school nights. I am also making Dye Free Ganache Filled Red Velvet Cupcakes (dairy free) this weekend from Better Batter Flour. These are ridiculously beautiful and I MUST make them. I’ll put half into the freezer for my family for Valentine’s Day and half will be for a Super Bowl game day treat. 🙂
On to the menu plan!
The week’s breakfast options: Fruit-on-the-bottom Dairy Free Coconut Yogurt, Cinnamon Raisin French Toast (done dairy free), and various fruits.
The week’s lunch options: Nut butter or roasted chicken sandwiches on Texas Roadhouse Road Clones (made dairy free), Pizza Muffins, hard boiled eggs, and various fruits and veggie sticks.
Tuesday: Jazz band/orchestra (elementary)/XC ski practice/mom works/piano/early college meeting at school
Chicken Apple Bacon Sliders on Gluten & Dairy Free Hamburger Buns with Broccoli Salad
For the freezer: Make a double batch of Chicken Apple Bacon Sliders. While cooking the burgers for tonight’s dinner, place the second batch of patties (before cooking) on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper or plastic wrap. Put baking sheet in the coldest part of your freezer. After dinner or when patties are frozen, place patties into a freezer bag separated by waxed paper. Remove as much air as possible, seal, label and freeze.
Wednesday: orchestra (high school)/mom works/XC ski practice/youth group
Thick Crust Sicilian Pizza, a romaine salad with Thousand Island Dressing
Thursday: jazz band/mom works/xc ski meet
Southwestern Spaghetti Pie with salad topped with Basic Vinaigrette
For the freezer: Make a second Southwestern Spaghetti Pie while assembling the one for dinner. Do not bake the one for the freezer. Wrap well, removing as much air as possible, seal, label and freeze.
Friday: XC ski practice
Mongolian Chicken & Veggies over Quinoa
What is on everyone else’s plate?
Kimberlee at The Peaceful Mom will be serving up Crockpot Ribs with baked beans and homemade coleslaw (hello, cabbage!), Rosemary Roasted Chicken with steamed green beans, Chicken Quesadillas, Scrambled eggs and bacon (I love breakfast for dinner!), and London Broil with mashed potatoes and steamed green beans. Sounds delicious!
Emily at Our Frugal Happy Life is cooking up Chicken Marsala with boiled potatoes and veggies, Quesadillas (with leftover taco meat), Chicken and Rice with Homemade Cheese Sauce, Pork in the crockpot with twice-baked potatoes, and veggies, Breakfast for dinner (again with the breakfast love! Mmmm….), Homemade Pizza Burgers with Cheesy Vegetable Casserole and Salsa chicken and Easy Roasted Potatoes & Carrots. Yum-o-licious!
Heather of Celiac Family doesn’t get too excited about cabbage, but she is still up for working it into her menu in side salads and egg rolls. Yum! This week she is serving Rotisserie Chicken with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Rainbow Salad (with grapes instead of apples), Beef Stew with cabbage, carrots, potatoes, etc., Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork with The W.H.O.L.E. Gang’s Spicy Slaw, Pizza with Spinach Salad, Fish Tacos with Avocado Salsa and Angela’s Red Cabbage Slaw, and Egg Rolls with Ground Pork and Cabbage. Mmmm… I think I need to get those egg rolls on my next freezer plan. I would love having those on hand. 🙂
Renee of Beyond Rice and Tofu pre-prepped several meals due to her busy schedule this week. That’s my kind of cooking! She has been on a cabbage kick lately with spicy slaw and even has a couple cabbage recipes planned for this week. Yay! This week Renee is serving Perfect Hominy White Bean Chili with Raw Kale with Lime-Sriracha Vinaigrette Salad, Dilled Cabbage Soup with Rice and possibly veggie burgers, Cauliflower Crust Pizza (I have to try this!) and Salad, Buffalo “Wing” Chickpea Salad, Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Kale Tacos with Spicy Slaw, and Homemade Black Bean Tamales. Sounds like a tasty week!
Samantha of Awkward Girl Gets Fit (can I just say how much I LOVE the name of her blog? Big puffy heart LOVE!) is using cabbage in an awesome way- as the noodle replacement of her Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein. Brilliant! For the rest of the week she is cooking Slow Cooker Shredded Beef with salad and guacamole, the best chicken you’ll ever eat (I gotta try that one!) with sweet potato fries and Pressure Cooker Braised Kale and Carrots, Easy Peasy Pancakes with bacon and scrambled eggs, Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein on cabbage for her and on rice (cooked in bone broth) for the family, Butter Chicken with cauliflower rice (me) or white rice (the kids) and steamed broccoli, and fajitas with salad and guacamole. Sounds wonderful!
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Need more menu planning inspiration? Head over for Menu Plan Monday at Organized Junkie. For an awesome month long gluten free money saving menu, see Melissa’s December GF menu plan at Stockpiling Moms.
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