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Weekly Meal Plan 162: Do You Have a Plan for Dinner

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Have you created your meal plan this week?

Do you know what you’re cooking?

Have you already been grocery shopping? Did you shop in your pantry first?

There are five simple steps to meal planning. I can teach you how to do it. It is so much easier than you think!

Here are the easy recipes I am feeding my family this week.

beefy rice recipe

Beefy Mexican Rice– served with tortilla chips.

Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs– served with salad and french bread.

Pesto Honey Salmon– over the weekend I tasted this sauce that had pesto and honey mixed together. It was amazing! I want to try it on fish. Yum! I will share the recipe with you soon. Served with brown rice and a steamed veggie.

Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup– this stuff is so good and very filling.   Served with rolls.

Crockpot Candy Chicken–  served over steamed rice and a veggie.

Leftover Buffet– use ’em up!

More Recipes:

Chicken Recipes

Beef Recipes

Crockpot Recipes

Want more meal planning inspiration? Check out OrgJunkie where hundreds of bloggers share their meal plans every week.

Also, don’t forget your printable coupons to save even more on your grocery bill.

Weekly Meal Plan 107

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We have been meal planning here on Crystal & Co., for 107 weeks.

That is a long time!

Do you struggle with meal planning? Do you find it difficult to get dinner on the table each night? I would love to help you get started and streamline the process. Really, it is pretty simple. Here are a few things I suggest you do to get started.

How to Meal Plan

  • develop a recipe criteria- what makes a recipe great to you and what makes it a deal breaker
  • find recipes that meet your criteria- if you have 21 recipes on your list, then you will have 3 weeks worth of meals without repeating (here is a list of my easy recipes)
  • make a grocery list
  • display your menu plan– I have a list of fancy ideas and simple ideas, find one that works for you

If you will implement these basic steps, you will be on your way to getting dinner on the table. If you have any questions, I would love to help you through it.

Here is what I am feeding my kiddos this week.

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup– super easy. I will make cornbread as a side.

Chicken Enchilada Quesadillas– drain the leftovers from the soup and grill up quesadillas on the stove. Served with a side of rice and a dinner salad.

Crockpot BBQ Chicken– served with mac and cheese, applesauce and a dinner salad.

Puerto Rican Stew– served over steamed rice and red kidney beans.This is a winter favorite at our house.

Super Easy Chicken and Noddles– this is a very inexpensive meal and I am really excited to try it. Served with steamed green veggie and fresh fruit.

Leftover Buffet– use ’em up!

Looking for more easy recipes? Check out the step by step recipes here on my site. You can also check out Org Junkie where 300+ bloggers share their meal plan every week.

Weekly Meal Plan 106

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Did you eat tons of turkey and ham over the past few days? Baked or fried? Do you have leftovers you need to utilize?

This year we spent Thanksgiving with my in-laws, therefore I have no leftover turkey or ham that needs to be used up. (And I did not want to transport leftovers 300 miles.) However,  I do want to share a couple of great resources with you guys for using up that leftover turkey in case you have some.

Now, on to our menu. Here is what I will be feeding my family this week.

Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs– I have frozen meatballs coming out of my ears thanks to some before Thanksgiving entertaining. I will serve this with a dinner salad and dressed up canned biscuits. I will share my yummy trick to transforming biscuits later this week. (This is an easy night for me to eat my Nutrisystem Spaghetti and Meat Sauce.)

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Casserole– yum! Served with a salad and some fresh fruit.If you’re wanting to use up leftover turkey, this is a recipe you could switch the chicken out for turkey and it will taste just as amazing!

Honey Garlic Chicken in the Crockpot– we made this using thighs a couple of months ago. It was very good. This time I will be using breasts or tenders, because that is what I have on hand.   I’m sure it will taste just as amazing. Served over steamed rice and a green veggie on the side.

Soup and Grilled Cheese- easy peasy.

Homemade Pizza– this is a request from Anthony recently. I think we will go for the individual pizzas. I will eat my yummy Nutrisystem pizza.

Leftover Buffet– use ’em up!

 

Remember, Crystal & Co., has a collection of quick and easy recipes that can help busy moms get dinner on the table each night.

Need more meal planning inspiration? Check out Org Junkie where hundreds of bloggers share their menu plans every Monday.

Weekly Meal Plan 105

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This weekend I did something I’ve never done before.   I set up a booth at a local craft fair and shared my mommy resource site with locals.

Let me just say, way fun!

I met a lot of new people. Lenny and I set up a few crockpots to give passerby’s an idea of easy recipes you can create in the crockpot. It was tons of fun! I talked with moms and gave them a tour of my site and shared what they can expect to see when they visit me online. I shared my give thanks printable and showed them how easy it is to convert the printable into blocks. I begged them to check out my site.

Oh, and I gave away a crockpot.

If you are a new reader, I am so glad you are here. If you have an easy recipe you would like to share with me, I would love to give it a try!

Every Monday I share my meal plan for the week. Without a meal plan and a crockpot, my kids would be really hungry. (I have been meal planning for 105 weeks now!)

Here is what I am feeding my family this week.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup– this looks simple and yummy. Really excited to try it later in the week when it is supposed to get cold again.

BBQ Salmon– I am not sure if I will make this in the oven, on the grill or try it in the crockpot, but I have BBQ galore I need to use up. I will serve over rice with a steamed veggie on the side.

Crockpot Ravioli– this is always a hit at my house. I like to serve it with roll, a dinner salad and fresh fruit.

Lentil Nachos– for real. Sounds different, I know. Remember last week I made Lentil Tacos? Well, it made plenty. So I froze the leftovers and I am going to top the mixture over tortilla chips in the oven and top with cheese. Then load them up with lettuce, tomatoes, etc when they come out of the oven. I am certain it will be a hit. (The Lentil Taco really were good. The twins helped me make them and they were very excited to eat them. No one said this is weird. Inexpensive meal indeed!

Crockpot Candy Chicken– family favorite and if you have never made it, what are you waiting for? This is a regular on my meal plan. Served over rice with dinner salad and fresh fruit.

Leftover Buffet– use ’em up!

What are you serving your family? Do you need some inspiration or new recipe ideas to add to your dinner rotation? Make sure you check out all of my easy recipes, and also hop over to Org Junkie where over 300 people share their menu plans and link to recipes every single Monday!

 

Each of the sites listed below are offering Crystal & Co.,  readers a holiday discount code!

Tanner's Touch Thirty-One TLC Woodcrafters
Full Discount Code List

Two Ingredient Honey Catalina Chicken in the Crockpot

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I’ve told you guys about my good friend Tiffany before. Real life friend not online friend.

She and I have known each other since we were in the 6th grade. I adore her.

She is very creative when feeding her large family. We love bouncing recipe ideas off of each other. Especially inexpensive meal ideas.

Well back when the twins were babies I remember being at her house one afternoon and she was making Baked Catalina Chicken.

I had used salad dressing before to cook or marinate chicken, but I had only used Italian dressing. Nothing adventurous like Catalina.

This chicken had amazing flavor.

Recently I was thinking about that chicken she made and I knew it could be recreated in the crockpot. Now there are a few Catalina varieties on the shelves at the supermarket. I grabbed a Honey Catalina flavor. It has poppy seeds in it. Yum!

Dinner does not get any easier than this- two ingredients.

Ingredients:

  • 4-6 chicken breasts (or desired chicken parts)
  • 1  16 oz bottle Honey Catalina salad dressing

Place your chicken in the crockpot.

As usual I threw mine in there frozen.

Pour the bottle of dressing over top.

Coat it evenly and then pop a lid on it.

Cook it on high for about 6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours.

(You could certainly bake it in the oven at 350 for about 30-45 minutes depending on the size of your chicken breasts.)

Is your mouth watering?

This has amazing flavor to it. A little sweet, a little tangy. A lot good!

I served it with macaroni and cheese, dinner salad and baby carrots.

Let me know when you make it. I know you are going to love it.

5.0 from 4 reviews
Print
Honey Catalina Chicken in the Crockpot
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: Dinner
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: 6+
 
Ingredients
  • 4-6 chicken breasts (or desired chicken parts)
  • 1 16 oz bottle Honey Catalina salad dressing
Instructions
  1. Place your chicken in the crockpot.
  2. Pour the bottle of dressing over top.
  3. Coat it evenly and then pop a lid on it.
  4. Cook it on high for about 6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours.
  5. Enjoy!
Notes
You could certainly bake it at 350 for about 30-45 minutes depending on the size of your chicken breasts.
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I am sharing this recipe on these delicious sites: i heart naptime,  the girl creative,  C.R.A.F.T. craftomatic,  crafts keep me sane,   skip to my lou,  making the world cuter, a southern fairytale,  sumos sweet stuff,  mad in crafts, tip junkie, tasty tuesday, tempt my tummy tuesday,  craft edition,  hope studios, todays creative blog, sew much ado,  someday crafts,  we are that family,  blue cricket designs,  somewhat simple,  paisley passions, house of hepworths,  fun to craft,  fingerprints on the fridge, tidy mom,  a few of my favorite things and  it’s a hodge podge life.   Looking for a more copious list? Here are over 50 sites to search for and share projects  and tutorials.

Weekly Meal Plan 104

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If you are struggling with meal planning or recipe ideas for your family, make sure you check out my current giveaway:  E-licious! This is a downloadable cookbook that includes 45 recipes. I am not only giving away one copy, but I also have a discount code for 20% off. (The cookbook sells for $4.99 at full price.) Make sure you check it out.

Here is what I am feeding my family this week.

4 Bean Goulash– I made this name up. Last winter my mother-in-law emailed me a recipe with taco seasoning, 4 different beans, elbow noodles and hamburger meat. It is a recipe her cousin in Florida makes and she says it is amazing. We love beans. I have a feeling this is going to be delicious. I will take photos and share the recipe tutorial soon.

Autumn Chicken– we went to a bridal shower this weekend and guess what I gave her? A beautiful crockpot and a crockpot cookbook. I honestly had to convince myself that I needed to give this cookbook as a gift and not keep it for myself. It is a cookbook put out by the Crockpot company and full of amazing recipes! This Autumn Chicken was one of them. I will share step by step pictures with an easy recipe tutorial for this soon. And I think I am going to go and get myself a copy of this cookbook.

Easy Italian Pasta Casserole– this was yummy!

Girl Scout Stew– five ingredients, one of which is rice. My kids could eat rice every day.   Sounds delicious.

Lentil Tacos– I have never made lentils before, but I have had a bag of them in my pantry for at least 6 months. Well, if I am going to try a new food I want to use a recipe from someone I trust. So I am trying a these tacos from my online friend Tiffany over at Eat at Home. I am going to use crispy shells instead of flour because I already have them in my pantry.

Leftover Buffet– use ’em up!

 

Are you looking for more meal planning inspiration. Hop over to Org Junkie and check out the menus of over 300 bloggers every week. And, for more easy recipes make sure you check out my recipe tutorials right here on Crystal & Co.

Weekly Meal Plan 102

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I made two recipes last week that were awesome.

The Crockpot Apple Butter Pork Chops were awesome! I will be sharing that recipe later this week.

My version of the Pepperoni Bake ended up being an Italian Pasta Casserole with ground sausage instead of pepperoni. My kids licked their plates clean.

Catalina Chicken– easy peasy recipe using salad dressing. I am going to make it in the crockpot- imagine that. I will share the recipe as soon as I make it this week. Served with steamed veggies and rice.

White Spaghetti with Chicken– this is a recipe I have been making for years. Three awesome things about it- uses chicken, has a white sauce and you bake it. I will share the recipe in depth once I make it this week and take pictures. Serve with bread and salad.

Crockpot Taco Soup–  it is going to get cool again later this week and soup is sure to warm us up.

Crockpot BBQ on a Bun– served with baked beans ans tater tots. This is a recipe I shared recently on another blog- check it out.

Leftover Buffet– use ’em up!

 

What is for dinner at your house this week?

Need some meal planning inspiration? Check out Org Junkie where hundreds of bloggers share their menu for the week and recipes.

Weekly Meal Plan 100

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I have been meal planning for 100 weeks. Oh my! The majority of my meal plans feature crockpot recipes. If you ‘re needing meal planning inspiration, you should rummage through my posts.

 

Here is what I am serving my family this week…

Pepperoni Roll Ups– found this recipe on Pinterest and it looks so easy. And, I already have everything on hand. I will serve fresh fruit and a salad.

Crockpot Chicken and Wild Rice– I am on the hunt for a chicken and rice crockpot recipe that allows me to dump it in the crockpot (rice and all) and it come out cooked 100%. So far every recipe I’ve tried gets all of the rice done, except the rice in the middle of the crockpot. I am wondering if it is because I am using a 6 qt instead of a 4 qt. I am so frustrated because I know there is a solution… I just have not found it yet. This week I am going to try this recipe from Southern Plate. It looks good, but it requires cooking the rice separately, which makes me sad because that defeats my purpose. But it does look tasty!

Pork Chops and Apple Butter in the Crockpot– I purchased some apple butter last week at the apple orchard. I reached out to my Facebook readers and asked for some recipe ideas. This sounds yummy. Served with a steamed veggie and dinner rolls.

Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs-this is such an easy recipe. Served with toast and fruit.

Salmon with Lime Butter in the Crockpot–  my family loves salmon. Served with steamed rice and a dinner salad.

Leftover Buffet– use ’em up!

 

If you have a recipe you want to share with me I would love to give it a try. Easy and crockpotable are ideal.

What is on your menu this week? Need more inspiration? Hop over to Org Junkie where hundreds of bloggers share their plans and recipes.

Weekly Meal Plan 98

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I have two awesome giveaways that are ending this week!

Ending TODAY– Simply Sugar and Gluten Free Cookbook . Such an awesome cookbook with practical ways to change your eating and make a positive impact on your health and body!

Ending 9/30/11– Personalized Name Puzzle. This would be an excellent personalized gift for the holidays!

Now, on to what I am feeding my family this week.

Angel Chicken– this is a crockpot recipe from my sweet blogging friend over at Eat at Home. Simple and yummy. I will make a salad and garlic bread as sides.

Italian Crockpot Chicken–  easy peasy. I will share the recipe with you later this week. Served with a steamed veggie, fresh fruit and pasta.

Eggs, Bacon and Biscuits–  It is always fun to serve breakfast for dinner.

Grilled Asian Salmon– easy and delish! Served with steamed rice and a steamed veggie.

Crockpot Sloppy Joe’s– served with tater tots and baked beans.

Leftover Buffet– use ’em up!

 Recipe Request

Last week we made chicken and rice in the crockpot using a recipe I found online. Not 100% happy with the way it turned out. It was over done around the edges and then there was al dente rice throughout the middle.   Any chicken and rice recipes that have worked for you in the crockpot in the past that you want to share would rock!

I am sharing my meal plan over on Org Junkie where hundreds of women share recipes and meal planning solutions.

Weekly Meal Plan 97

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Don’t miss the Simply Sugar and Gluten Free cookbook giveaway that I am running right now! Have you entered for a chance to win? Lots of excellent recipes.

Crockpot Taco Soup– we are going to pretend that fall has arrived. The weather is less brutal right now in Texas, but it really is not soup weather yet. A gal can dream, right?

Taco Soup Tostadas– this is an excellent way to re-purpose taco soup as a leftover and totally reinvent it. My kids really liked this! Served with rice.

Crockpot Chicken and Rice– so, I’ve been searching for some chicken and rice recipes for the crockpot. I found three online. I am going to adapt and create my own, using this recipe as a base. I want to add mixed veggies to the rice. I will share the recipe if it turns out great. Served with salad.

Crockpot Applesauce Chicken– my kids will eat this I am certain. They love applesauce. Served with salad and a steamed veggie.

Crockpot Ravioli– easy recipes are what made the world go ’round. Served with carrots and ranch and some dinner rolls.

Leftover Buffet- use ’em up!

 

Looking for more easy recipes? I have a recipe section you’ll want to check out!

Also, check out OrgJunkie where 300+ bloggers share recipes and meal plans every Monday.

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Crystal VanTassel