Meal Planning Monday 1/11-17 and Southwestern Stroganoff

I've decided to join a community of weekly meal planners at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Breakfasts:
Cereal, Yogurt, Fruit, Oatmeal

Lunches:
Leftovers, sandwiches, frozen soup, instant meals

Dinners:
Monday - Chicken and broccoli stir fry over rice (just not feeling it) - instead: Coconut crusted chicken, scalloped potatoes, green beans, Cinnamon Rolls
Tuesday - Spaghetti and garlic bread
Wednesday - dinner at our meeting in VA - Mark is cooking :)
Thursday - Chicken Chow Mein (enough to freeze for 2 more meals)
Friday - Sky Line Chili Night with MACU staff (maybe I'll bring a dessert...)
Saturday - Hoppin John over white rice
Sunday - Probably some kind of leftovers since there is an event at MACU that night (or Little Ceasars Pizza)

If you notice a little repetition, I'll explain. Things didn't go completely as planned last week (by things, I mean meals and appetites), so a few meals from last week have been moved to this week.


I have an idea to add to my meal planning day. I am going to share and review a recipe from the previous week. Hopefully, it will be a first time recipe for me, but occasionally just one that I really like. So this week, I'll talk about last weeks:
 
Southwestern Stroganoff
This was not the first time we've had this, but since it is different and crazy easy I wanted to share it. It's only the second time I've made it.  I found this recipe this Betty Crocker cookbook. It's a 20 minute meal!
 
1 lb ground beef
1 c water
1 jar (16 oz) thick and chunky salsa
2 c uncooked wagon wheel pasta
1/2 t salt
1/2 c sour cream
 
Brown beef and drain. Stir water, salsa, uncooked pasta, and salt into beef. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Cover, simmer 10-15 min. Stir occassionaly. Stir in sour cream and heat just long enough to be warm all the way through.
 

My thoughts:
I really like this recipe. It made enough for us (2 adults, 1 great appetite toddler) to eat for dinner one night and for me and Ariel to eat for lunch 2-3 days in the week (definitely would have been enough to serve for company). We ate it all - not even a noodle was thrown out. No taste complaints from any one.

As if it wasn't fast enough, I used previously browned beef from the freezer which worked just fine - though it may have been a little more than 1 lb. As a result, I added a little extra salsa and sour cream. Speaking of the sour cream, I used frozen sour cream and I'm not sure I would do that again since it ended up more runny than creamy. It didn't effect the taste though - still great. I didn't have wagon wheel pasta so I substituted extra wide egg noodles. I'll probably always do this with this meal because we always have egg noodles on hand and I really like them - I didn't measure though something like 2 handfuls uncooked. When I served it, I topped with crushed tortillas and shredded cheese which I think added just the right stuff. The book suggests topping with cilantro which I may try sometime when I have it.

Overall, great easy meal with plenty of flavor and versatility. You could make with any kind of ground meat, pretty much any thicker pasta, and control heat with hot, med, or mild salsa. We'll have it again and again.
 
What are you having this week?