This is my quick and easy version of a classic sandwich. I skip the sauce and just use a spicy mustard, ham and swiss cheese. So easy to do serve with a salad and you have meal to be savored.

Croque Monsieur
prep time 5-10 min
cooking time 2-3 min

Ingredients
2-4 slices ham
1 English muffin toasted or 2 slices of bread toasted
1 tsp spicy mustard
2 slices swiss cheese

Pre-heat broiler. Take toasted bread add the ham on each piece of bread. Spread spicy mustard on top of ham. Add a slice of cheese on each. Place on a baking sheet and put 4-6″ from heat of broiler for 1-2 minutes or until cheese begins to bubble. Keep watch the entire time. Remove from broiler and serve.

This week you can find a spiral cut ham in stores for under $2.00 a pound. They are a great buy. Ham is versatile and can be used in many dishes. It also freezes well so the dollars spent get stretched out. I have 5 meals this week with ham but all have very different flavors and it doesn’ seem like you are eating that much ham. Save the bone and ham  for next week where we make a a tasty bean soup. In the future we will use more of this ham for split pea soup. Divide this one ham by the number of meals and you start to see how economical it becomes. I like the spiral cut ham because its ease of use. Butternut squash is plentiful and cheap at this time of year. The recipe I post is fast, easy and tasty. You can top with a dollop of sour cream if you like.

SUNDAY
Brunch Breakfast hash, toast w/ jam, orange juice
Dinner Butternut Squash Soup, salad, fresh fruit

MONDAY
Breakfast Cereal, orange juice
Lunch egg salad sandwiches, carrot sticks
Dinner  Broiled Salmon, salad greens, fresh fruit

TUESDAY
Breakfast cereal, orange juice
Lunch Butternut Squash Soup Soup, fresh fruit
Dinner Scalloped Potatoes and Ham, frozen vegetable, fruit

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast cereal, orange juice
Lunch ham sandwich, carrots
Dinner Hamburger, salad greens, fresh fruit

THURSDAY
Breakfast Breakfast sandwich, orange juice
Lunch  scalloped potatoes, carrots
Dinner Chef Salad, fresh fruit

FRIDAY
Breakfast cereal, orange juice
Lunch egg salad  sandwich, carrots, fresh fruit
Dinner croque monsieur, salad greens  (make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie)

SATURDAY
Brunch Breakfast sandwich, orange juice
Dinner Pasta in cream sauce with ham and peas, salad greens, fresh fruit

SHOPPING LIST

ground hamburger, spiral cut ham, butternut squash , carrot sticks, eggs, cereal, pasta, frozen peas, potatoes, onions, tomato, chicken broth, grated and sliced swiss cheese, head of lettuce, bread or english muffins, orange juice, milk, half and half, canned pineapple, fresh fruit

This is my version of a quick and easy breakfast. English muffins are great for toasting and holding this together.

Breakfast Sandwich
prep time 5 min
cooking time 5 min

Ingredients
1-2 slices ham
1 English muffin toasted
1 egg
salt/pepper to taste

In a small frying pan heat ham until desired cooking temperature. The longer you heat the ham the more caramelized it will come. Remove and set on top of toasted English muffin. Add butter to pan and add egg. Cook until desired hardness of yolk. I like mine runny. Place egg on top of ham. Top with second half of muffin and enjoy.

This is not your mothers recipe, where there might have been a can of a cream soup in the dish. If you are going to make something rich and flavorful I say go for it with cream, butter and cheese. It will make anything taste better. Just don’t do it every day. The added surprise in this dish is the topping of a very thin sliced apple on top to add a subtle background flavor. I use a Japanese slicer to make the slices of potatoes, onions and apple all uniform cooking. While the finished product isn’t as colorful as the uncooked dish you and your guests will enjoy every bite.

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
prep time 15 min
cooking time 1.5 hours

Ingredients
6 slices of spiral cut ham cut in half or thirds
4 medium sized russet or red potatoes rounds thin sliced
salt/pepper to taste
1 medium onion sliced thin
2 cups half and half
2 cups swiss cheese grated
1 TBS butter
1 small to medium apple sliced very thin (optional)
Take a 9 x 13 casserole and butter all sides. Start layering with the potatoes salt and pepper to taste. Next a layer of the onions then the ham and finally the  1/3 cheese. Repeat the process for two full layers. On the second layer before you add the cheese place the thin sliced apples on top.  Dot the dish with remaining butter. Pour half and half over and cover with foil or lid. Put in 325 degree oven. Bake for one hour and remove covering. Add the final 1/3 of the cheese finish cooking for 30 minutes.

This soup is so tasty and the secret is simmering the chicken and it’s bones for 4-5 hours for a rich full flavor. This takes time but the end result is worth the effort. I use the leftover roasted chicken. You can also start with an uncooked chicken as well. If you do add more seasoning to taste.

Chicken Soup
prep time 15 min
cooking time 5 hours

Ingredients
1 left over roasted chicken
salt free season blend
salt/pepper to taste
1 medium onion
1/2 bag baby carrots
5 stalks celery
1 cup instant brown rice
Take leftover roasted chicken and remove the skin. Place in pot with 1/2 of the onion, a few carrots and the tops of the celery stalks. Fill the pot with water to cover chicken. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the salt free seasoning to your taste. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low simmer for 4-5 hours. The longer you simmer the more flavor in the broth. This extra time makes a huge difference in the final outcome and is worth the wait. After 4-5 hours remove all chicken and bones along with celery carrots and onion. You can strain the broth at this point or just leave as is for a more rustic soup. Skim off any excess fat. to the broth add the other half of the onion diced, the rest of the carrots cut in half, the celery cut in bite size pieces. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. After 10 minutes add brown rice. Remove cooled chicken from the bones and add to soup pot. Stir thru to heat and simmer for 10 minutes more. Serve in bowls and enjoy.

Pork Roast with Spicy Mustard Crust
prep time 5 min
cooking time 1 1/2 hours (90 minutes) 

Ingredients
1 2-3 lb pork roast
salt free season blend
salt/pepper to taste
1 tbs spicy mustard
Coat the outside of the pork roast with the spicy mustard. (I use one that has horseradish in it. Sprinkle season blend over mustard coating to taste. place on baking sheet and put into a 325 degree oven for one hour and a half. This is enough time to cook a baked potato as well.

This week we start off with Chicken soup made from the left over roasted chicken we had last week. It is on the menu three times once for lunch and twice for dinner. Soup is great for stretching your dollars and taking the time to make home made soup is so worth the effort. You just can’t get anything like it in a can. I will post my chicken soup recipe this week for you. I find that simmering the chicken bones for 5 hours makes all the difference. It’s why I posted it for Sunday. If you have leftovers freeze the soup for a meal later on. I find frozen wild salmon fillets a great buy. Easy to thaw overnight and quick to broil for a great meal during the week.

SUNDAY
Brunch Breakfast hash, toast w/ jam, orange juice
Dinner Chicken Soup, salad, fresh fruit

MONDAY
Breakfast Cereal, orange juice
Lunch egg salad sandwiches, carrot sticks
Dinner  Broiled Salmon, salad greens, fresh fruit

TUESDAY
Breakfast cereal, orange juice
Lunch Chicken Soup, fresh fruit
Dinner Pork Roast, baked potato, frozen vegetable, fruit

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast cereal, orange juice
Lunch pb&j sandwich, carrots
Dinner Cheeseburger, salad greens, fresh fruit

THURSDAY
Breakfast egg sandwich, orange juice
Lunch  sliced pork sandwich, carrots
Dinner Salmon Salad, fresh fruit

FRIDAY
Breakfast cereal, orange juice
Lunch egg salad  sandwich, carrots, fresh fruit
Dinner Chicken Soup, Grilled Cheese Sandwich, fresh fruit (make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie)

SATURDAY
Brunch omelet, toast w/ jam, orange juice
Dinner roasted chicken and vegetables, salad greens, fresh fruit

SHOPPING LIST

ground hamburger, frozen salmon fillet, pork sirloin tip roast , chicken, carrot sticks, eggs, cereal, frozen vegetable, small red potatoes, onion, Roma tomato. sliced cheese, head of lettuce, bread, orange juice, milk, fresh fruit

This is so easy to make with the leftover red beans and rice. (see recipe) The red beans and rice that have been made the day before work nicely and have more flavor. I heat mine up in a microwave, but using and oven works just as well or cook them on the stove top in a skillet and turn them until heated thru.

Take leftover red beans and rice or make a new batch to use when feeding a crowd or freezing burritos for future meals. Take a heaping tablespoon or two and place in the middle of a flour tortilla. Sprinkle cheese on top and fold over and tuck in sides. Heat thru and enjoy. You can top with cheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, etc…. If you microwave a minute or two per burrito, in the oven 10-15 minutes at 325 or in a skillet keep turning till tortilla is lightly browned on both sides and heated thru.

This dish is hearty with or without and meat added to it. It is fast, easy and a one pot meal. I use an 8 oz. package of a red beans and rice mix for ease. I don’t use the  packet of spices included because of its high sodium content. Rather I get the flavor and spices from the chili beans and chili tomatoes. While this recipe resembles the 4 can chili recipe it has a different flavor and texture. One batch makes a number of meals and it reheats well. I use leftovers to make burritos. I do not cook the beans and rice according to the package. The liquid I use comes from the beans and tomatoes. If it gets a little too dry you can add some water but you do not want this dish to be watery. Add as much spice and heat to your taste with jalapenos,  cumin, red pepper flakes etc….

Red Beans and Rice
prep time 5 min
cooking time 35-45 minutes

Ingredients
1 8 oz package red beans and rice mix
1/2 -1 lb ground beef or turkey ( you can substitute the meat with more beans)
1 14 oz can tomatoes with chili seasoning
1 15 oz can  beans with chili seasoning
1 onion diced (optional)
salt/pepper to taste (be careful of the salt there is plenty in the canned beans and tomatoes)
shredded cheese for garnish

Brown the meat and onion (or just the onion) in a pot with a little oil. I use olive oil. Add the red beans and rice mix. Stir to coat and cook til warm. Add canned tomatoes and beans. stir and bring to a boil. Cover and turn down heat to a medium simmer for 25-35 minutes until rice is cooked. Serve and top with shredded cheese. Refrigerate leftovers to use for making burritos.

This is a good meal to serve when you have all day to cook it. Chuck is a great cut of meat to grind into hamburger and to make stew with and to put into a heavy pot and cook it slow and low all day. The more time you have to cook this dish the better. I have had it in the oven for a lot longer than I had intended like the time I was planting trees and it took a lot longer to accomplish that task. The pay off was when I came in dinner was ready and so delicious to feed not only myself but a few friends. I usually buy smaller roasts because this site is about feeding one to two people on $25 a week. I will show in future weeks how spending a little more can stretch that to 3-4 people. Back to the roast save the leftovers to make a good hash.

All Day Pot Roast
prep time 15 min
cooking time minimum of 3-4 hours using a low temp 

Ingredients
 2 medium potatoes or 4 small new red potatoes cut to pieces the size of you carrots
1 small onion cut to same size pieces
1/2 bag baby carrots (substitute regular sized just cut to same size as potatoes and onions)
seasoned salt/pepper
Worcestershire sauce to taste
fresh herbs to taste
1 2-3 lb chuck roast

Put the vegetables in a heavy oven proof pot with a good tight fitting lid. This is critical so that the moisture does not evaporate. If the lid is not heavy seal the top of the pot with tin foil before placing the lid on the pot. Lay roast on top of vegetables add seasonings and fresh herbs. Seal the lid and place in a 225-235 degree oven for a minimum of 3-4 hours. Turn the heat up to 300-325 for the last 45 minutes to an hour.  You can also put the roast and vegetables in a slow cooker and let it cook all day. Remove the roast and put on a platter and serve the vegetables along side. Strain the fat from the juices and serve with the roast or use them to make a nice gravy.