Weekly Meal Plan ~ Week of Oct. 31-Nov. 4th

Wow, it's hard to believe tomorrow is Halloween already!  And Halloween on a Monday??  That's got to be the worst day!  I know for me, the last thing I'll probably feel like doing when I get home from work tomorrow is getting ready for trick-or-treating!  Luckily the hubby is taking my kiddos and I get to stay home to pass out candy.  But still, it will mean a night out of our routine which always has the potential to make things difficult.  Halloween on Monday also means that Tuesday will be fun with a classroom full of over tired, over-sugared little firsties.  We had our Fall Party on Friday but I'm sure the kids will still be pretty pumped for the holiday tomorrow. 

Anyway, I have a bunch of new recipes to try this week and I'm really excited about that! As usual, the ones that are share worthy I will post in the next week or so. 

Saturday- BBQ Chicken Calzones (did not get to last week), macaroni and cheese.
Sunday- BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches (this is an old recipe), tater tots, corn (planned leftovers for Thursday)
Monday- Sweet and Sour Chicken, rice
Tuesday- Three Cheese Pasta Bake, garlic bread, salad
Wednesday- Tater Tot Casserole, sides unknown
Thursday- Tacos (using leftover pulled pork from Sunday), spanish rice

Hope you all have a fantastic week!

Linking up to orgjunkie.com

BBQ Chicken Calzones

I love bbq chicken pizza and these have all the same flavors!  They were easy to make and were delicious.  Rolling out the dough was a bit time consuming but otherwise these little calzones were pretty quick to throw together.  I used a can of Kirkland brand canned chicken from Costco but you could cook up a couple chicken breasts or even use a rotisserie chicken.

BBQ Chicken Calzones
Inspired by Life as a Lofthouse
Ingredients:

1 can (16oz) Pillsbury Grand's Homestyle Biscuit dough

1 can chicken or 1 large boneless skinless Chicken breast, cooked and diced

1/2 cup Barbecue Sauce

1/2 cup Bacon, cooked and crumbled ( I used Oscar Mayers pkg of  Real Bacon bits)

1/2 cup chopped Red Onion

Cilantro

Fresh Mozzarella, cubed

Shredded Mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together the cooked chicken and barbecue sauce.

Remove biscuit dough from can. Take one dough piece and lay out on a clean surface. Roll out flat into a 6 inch circle. Repeat with all dough circles.

In the center of a flattened dough circle, place 1/4 cup of barbecue chicken. Top with desired amount of red onion, bacon, cilantro and mozzarella.  Fold dough over filling.  Seal the edges by pressing them together. I also used a fork and gently pressed all around the edges. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. You will have 8 calzones total.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately!

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Ree Drummond's blog, a.k.a. The Pioneer Woman was one of the first food blogs I discovered.  Her blog has been around for a long time and I have been reading it for a long time.  Not only is she hilarious, but her recipes are so good!

When her first cookbook came out in 2009 I had to have it.  Then when I found out she was going to be at a local bookstore I had to be there!  It was so exciting to see her in person!

This cake is to. die. for.  It is moist and chocolaty and I could seriously eat my way out of a tub of the frosting!  This isn't exactly what I would consider a "quick" cake to make because there are quite a few steps involved, but boy is it worth it! 

I definitely think you should make this cake for your next gathering (or your next chocolate craving).  Your family and friends will bow down at your feet and will love you forever!

The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake.  Ever.
via The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 2 cups Flour
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1 cup Boiling Water
• 1/2 cup Buttermilk
• 2 whole Beaten Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• _____
• FOR FROSTING:
• 1/2 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
• 1-3/4 stick Butter
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
• 6 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Note: I use an 18x13 sheet cake pan.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Chili Mac Casserole

I threw together this casserole the other night for dinner.  It was quick, it was easy, it uses only a few simple ingredients and it was quite tasty!  I had the leftovers the next day for lunch and was very happy with how well it reheats. 

This recipe is made simple (great weeknight dinner) by using these two convenience items:

This

and

This

Chili Mac Casserole

1 box Hamburger Helper Chili Macaroni

1 box Jiffy Cornbread mix (plus ingredients to make)

1 lb. ground beef
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (optional)
1 cup canned or frozen corn (optional)

Prepare chili macaroni adding beans and corn at the end.  Prepare cornbread mix as directed on package.  Pour chili macaroni into an 8 x 8 inch baking dish.  Top with cheese then cornbread batter.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until cornbread is fully baked.