January 2023 - stirringlouisiana.com

January 27, 2023January 20, 2023

Chicken for Dinner Tonight: What to Cook

Chicken for dinner tonight? Sounds like a great idea!

Whether you’re in the mood for a classic comfort dish or something new and exciting, there are so many delicious options to choose from when it comes to chicken for dinner. From hearty soups and salads to quick and easy one-pan dinners, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Let’s explore some of the best recipes for chicken for dinner tonight.

Get the Week Started

This week you’re going to cook some chicken, once and you will have dinner for the rest of the week…and not eat the same thing every night.

Sunday, bake or grill a spatchcock chicken. If you don’t know how to spatchcock a chicken, don’t worry, it is easy. Watch how to do it here.

Once you have the chicken cut and flattened, bake it for 18-20 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Check the temperature of the chicken breasts with a meat thermometer to ensure they’ve reached 165°F (74°C). Add additional cooking time if needed. Allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes.

Once you have your chicken cooked, all the real work is done for the week. You are just putting things together the rest of the week. But, don’t worry, your family will not be bored or disappointed!

With a bit of creativity, you can come up with ideas that are delicious and interesting without breaking your budget. Here are some easy meal prep options that can help get you through the week without spending too much money.

Start by looking in your pantry to see what ingredients you already have on hand; these items can form the basis of your meal plan. Get creative with different combinations of spices and seasonings to give each dish its own unique flavor.

Now You Have Your Flat Chicken

Monday after work, take your chicken out of the fridge and reheat in the oven. Serve with roasted vegetables and roasted sweet or yellow potatoes.

The combination of roasted veggies and a small serving of potatoes will give you all the nutrition you need without breaking the bank.

Budget meal planning can also include frozen options that are nutritious and affordable. Stock up on frozen fruits, vegetables for easy meal prep throughout the week.

Frozen foods are often cheaper than fresh and provide similar nutritional benefits when cooked properly. Meal prepping on a budget doesn’t mean skimping on protein; look for larger cuts of meat such as whole chicken instead of pre-cut chicken breasts since they tend to be cheaper in bulk.

Doesn’t Everyone Love Chicken Spaghetti?

Tuesday, take some of your chicken and let’s make chicken spaghetti. You can serve with a tomato salad, in summer, or a bag salad in winter. You can also roast some vegetables, like carrots, green beans, brussel sprouts, zucchini sticks or blanched broccoli.

Cook the spaghetti per the package directions, except, cook it until it is just underdone. It will cook more in the oven.

Make the sauce by sauteing onion, celery and bell pepper in butter. Add flour. Mix in chicken broth and cheeses. Stir the whole time to make sure it is smooth. If your in a hurry, this recipe from Spend With Pennies has a shortcut sauce using cream of mushroom soup, Velveeta and Rotel.

Mix noodles and sauce, spread into a 9 x 13 baking pan. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees until bubbly.

You can save time by prepping some of these vegetables in advance. A great way to do this is by prepping. Ingredient prepping involves slicing or chopping the fruit and vegetables you need then storing them in the refrigerator or freezer so you have healthy options ready-to-go throughout the week.

There are plenty of easy options available that will make sure you never have to go without a delicious and nutritious dinner again.

How About Some Chicken Enchiladas?

Wednesday, take some chicken and make chicken enchiladas. Serve with grilled corn salad and pinto beans. This is a great option for a cheap and healthy meal that is also easy and fast to prepare.

Pillsbury always has good recipes, try their enchilada recipe. Just make a rue with flour and butter, add the cream cheese for a sauce. Place a bit of sauce in the bottom of an 8×8 baking pan or iron skillet.

Put some chicken in a tortilla, add cheese and diced chilies if you like or green onions if that is your favorite…whatever you like.

Roll up the tortillas and place them in the pan. Cover with the sauce. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

You can take a can of corn and saute it in a pan until you get some browning, add some lime chili seasoning or whatever seasoning you want. Then take a can of pinto beans and do the same. If you like your beans creamier, add some butter and mash a few while heating them up.

With a few ingredients from the grocery store, you can whip up a delicious and nutritious meal in no time. Meal prepping is a great way to plan ahead and make sure that you’re getting a balanced diet while sticking to a budget.

Stuffed Peppers are Easy

Thursday, take some chicken to make Caprese Chicken Stuffed Peppers. Serve with cucumber and chopped red onion salad.

Buy as many red, yellow or orange bell peppers as you need. Slice the top off and clean out the peppers.

Saute a chopped onion and a teaspoon of minced garlic in butter. Deglaze the pan with chicken broth and balsamic vinegar…use the cooking balsamic, it should say on the bottle…you don’t want it too sweet. Cook down for a few minutes.

Buy some cherry tomatoes and cut into quarters. Add the chicken and mozzarella pearls…small balls of mozzarella. Cut both into smaller pieces as needed. Mix the tomatoes, chicken and mozzarella in a bowl with the sauce and either fresh or dry basil.

Stuff the peppers, top with shredded mozzarella and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Chop the cucumber and onions and top with your favorite Italian salad dressing.

Again, dinner is done!

Friday is Pizza Day!

Friday, take some chicken, chop it up and let’s make BBQ pizza. Add the toppings you like, such as peppers, mushrooms, green onions, red onions. Or you can use the rest of the roasted vegetables from Monday. Serve the rest of the salad tonight.

This pizza will be easy. Either buy pre-made pizza dough and roll it out or you can buy a pre-cooked pizza crust. If you have the time or just want to try Bobby Flays’ pizza dough recipe, you can do that.

Get a can of pizza sauce and spread over the crust. Mix your chicken with your favorite BBQ sauce and spread over the crust. Add whatever vegetables you want to use and bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes. If you do not want to go it alone, try this recipe.

Toss the salad, adding whatever extra vegetables you like. Dinner is done.

Chicken Gumbo for Every Week

Saturday morning, take the rest of the chicken and add smoked sausage to make gumbo. I like to serve mine with potato salad.

Saute sausage and drain. Leave the drippings in the pan. Saute the chicken and drain and again leave the drippings in the pan.

Always start a gumbo with a roux.

Add enough oil to the remaining drippings to get 1/2 cup. Add 3/4 flour, and cook over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring constantly. You want the roux to be the color of light chocolate.

You can add this to a crock pot.

Saute a chopped onion, a chopped bell pepper and 2 ribs of chopped celery. Add 2 quarts of chicken stock, 3 tablespoons minced garlic, 2 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons creole seasoning…I use Tony’s. Finally, add 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme and 1 teaspoon hot sauce, if you like hot sauce. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes and add all this to the crock pot as well.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Make rice…I use a rice cooker to get perfect rice every time!

If you want potato salad to put on top of your gumbo, boil about 2 pounds of potatoes for potato salad. Potato salad for gumbo does not generally have eggs or pickles; however, you can include them if you like.

Once the potatoes are boiled pull some out and mash them…you want gumbo potato salad a bit creamier than regular potato salad. Add them back to the bowl.

Finely chop 1/2 an onion and 1 large rib of celery. Slice a green onion. Add 1/2 tablespoon dry parsley, 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon creole mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix with potatoes.

Serve the gumbo over rice and place a scoop of potato salad on top. If you have been looking for an authentic Louisiana gumbo recipe, try this one. It takes a bit more time and does not use a crock pot, but it is good!

This meal is a bit more complicated and hands-on than the other recipes this week; however, you will thank yourself for making it.

Conclusion

You are done!

If you don’t think one chicken will feed your family for the week, cook two or three…you can cook them all at once and the rest of the week, use your time to put the meals together.

I love cooking a lot once and putting things together the rest of the week. It makes life much easier.

Let me know if you try any of the recipes I recommended or if you cooked the whole week’s recipes.

January 20, 2023January 18, 2023

GET YOUR BEEF FIX FOR DINNER TONIGHT!

Are you in the mood for beef for dinner tonight, but don’t want to eat the same thing every night? If so, you’re in luck! In this blog post, we’ll explore some delicious and easy beef recipes that you can try, so that you can enjoy the flavor of beef without eating the same dish over and over.

Whether you are a beginner in the kitchen or an experienced chef, you will find something here that you can make for dinner tonight. So, let’s get cooking!

Meal Prepping Can Be Repetitive

So many people love to meal prep on the weekend and eat all week. BUT few like to eat the same thing all week…which is what usually happens when meal prepping.

When meal prepping, you likely would buy protein, starch and vegetables in bulk to save money. Hunt a recipe that you liked and made it. You generally always had several meals and packed some up for lunches and dinners and froze the rest.

It works for a while…until you get tired of eating the same thing for lunch and dinner…and lunch and dinner.

Don’t do that type of meal prepping anymore. You don’t have to. Each recipe below has its list of ingredients; however, remember that your meat selections are coming from the meatloaf you have cooked.

This gives you some more options than just beef burgers. Any of these dinner ideas will be sure to hit the spot tonight!

A New Way to Meal Prep

Pick a protein, cook a meal with that protein…add the sides. Then, use that meal, adding to it…making some changes…and eat something different every night of the week.

First, do like most people do…find a recipe. Look on Pinterest or Google a recipe using your protein.

But, don’t look for just any recipe, look for one that you can add to or make slight changes to throughout the week to make other things as well.

With a little bit of creativity and planning ahead, you can have delicious meals without eating the same thing every night!

Start The Week Right with Meatloaf

Sunday, cook meatloaf with mashed potatoes for Monday’s dinner. Cook some green peas Monday when you get in from work and done!

While not all that exciting, very tasty, and who doesn’t love meatloaf! Meatloaf gets better over time. So, cooking it and putting it in the refrigerator will be perfect!

Actually, make two meatloaves and twice as much mashed potatoes as you need…since you’re cooking anyway. You might like to try this meatloaf recipe from Simply Recipes.

Besides the taste and ease of making meatloaf, you also have something for Tuesday night.

Make sure to save leftovers of your dinner ideas for tonight because they can be transformed into a whole new dish. There are a lot of things you can do with meatloaf.

If you want something light, why not consider a beef salad? Take your leftover slices of meatloaf and mix them into a large salad bowl with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, etc., and top it off with your favorite dressing.

Another great suggestion is to make a beef quesadilla or burrito. All you need to do is take your leftovers and add it to a tortilla along with cheese, beans, sour cream, etc., then fold it up and heat it in a pan or oven until golden brown.

Lastly, don’t forget about tacos! Take some ground beef (or leftovers) along with taco seasoning and make it into tacos or nachos. Top it off with your favorite condiments such as salsa or guacamole and enjoy your supper ideas for tonight.

OR you could keep reading and see what else you can make with the rest of your meatloaf!

Take Half the Meatloaf

Take half of one of the meatloaves and make shepherd’s pie, try this recipe from Spruce Eats, with the rest of the mashed potatoes and peas…adding some chopped carrots and some cheese on top of the potatoes.

The great thing about using leftovers for dinner ideas is that they can be easily modified to your tastes. Surely you created your meatloaf based on your family’s taste to start with. Now you can add whatever seasonings or vegetables that your family loves to each of these meals.

Take Another Half of the Meatloaf

Wednesday night, take the other half of a meatloaf and make spaghetti, with this recipe from Taste of Home, add a salad and you’re halfway through the week!

Enjoy your beef fix without eating the same thing every night! Don’t forget to add your favorite shredded cheese and even sour cream if you like it.

Dinner will be ready in less than 30 minutes! There are endless options when it comes to what’s for dinner tonight.

Take the Rest of the Meatloaf, But You’re Not Done!

Thursday night, take the rest of the meatloaf, add sloppy joe mix from a jar, try this recipe from Taste of Home, add buns and roast some potatoes and carrots…done again! The sloppy joe recipe is for 36 sloppy joes, you will likely need to cut the recipe in 1/2 or even 1/4 of what it calls for…unless you need 36!

Recipes from Tast of Home are great! I am not sure why anyone would need 36 sloppy joes unless they were for a kid’s party! If you do make the whole recipe, have a party!

This recipe can be made in no time at all. There are so many great dinner ideas that don’t have to be boring – get creative and have fun with it! Add sliced or shredded cheese, some chopped olives, shredded cooked purple cabbage, bacon bits…we could go on forever!

Back Up and Take the Rest of the Shephard’s Pie

Friday, take whatever is left of the shepherd’s pie, add some gravy mix from a jar or packet, some more chopped vegetables and a can of biscuits. No recipe for this one, it is too easy! Press the biscuits into a muffin tin, fill with meat mixture, top with cheese and bake. Add a platter of celery and carrot sticks with salad dressing. Another quick meal on the table for dinner!

If you don’t want biscuit cups, roll the meat mixture in a tortilla, add cheese and bake for 20 minutes. Or heat the meat mixture up and put it into pita bread with lettuce, tomato and cheese.

Don’t forget to add a delicious dessert, maybe a quick berry cobbler or something chocolatey (ice cream anyone?) for those with a sweet tooth.

Take Another Step Back, You’re Nearly Done!

Saturday, take the rest of the sloppy joe mix, add more chopped bell pepper and onion, spread it in an 8 x 8 pan, top with cornbread mix and bake. Here is a recipe for that from I Wash You Dry. Add the rest of the salad and another meal done.

But wait, you don’t have to eat your beefy dinner with just salad. You can dress it up with some other ideas too. How about some roasted potatoes with olive oil and rosemary? You can also serve it with a side of roasted vegetables. If you’re feeling adventurous, why not make some homemade french fries? With a little bit of creativity, you can create a delicious and healthy meal.

Rest and Do It Again!

Sunday, rest a bit…you did good! No slaving over the stove for an hour or more in the evening after work, no wasted food and no trips to the grocery store on the way home! What a win!

You should have some leftovers for lunches…not as much as you normally do but enough. If you want more leftovers or want to fill your freezer, cook an extra or two meat loaves on Sunday.

Next week we will do it again with chicken. There is a lot that can be done with chicken, but we only need 6 dinners to get through the week. Why six? Because, one night you deserve to go out to dinner! OR at the very least, you deserve to have someone else cook for YOU!

Get Creative for Dinner!

One thing cooking like this does is it lets you be more creative. You could add some rolls Monday, a pickle and olive plate for Tuesday’s dinner, make a special salad on Wednesday or make deviled eggs for Thursday. Even make cupcakes or that berry cobbler for dessert one night, maybe on Monday when all you have to do is boil peas and your baking rolls anyway right?!

The possibilities are endless and can keep you from getting bored with your meals. So, if you’re looking for creative dinner ideas for tonight, don’t forget to include some beef!

If you like to cook like this, let us know what you do.

January 14, 2023January 13, 2023

Organizing Christmas Cleanup

Thinking about organizing after Christmas does not enter your mind when decorating for Christmas. The holiday season is a wonderful time of year, but it can also leave your home feeling like a chaotic mess! After all the decorations have been taken down, the presents unwrapped, and the holiday festivities come to an end, it’s time to get back to normal. To help you get your home back in order after Christmas, here are 9 simple organizing tips that will help you create an organized space in no time.

Save This Year’s Work

Taking pictures can be handy when you decorate the house next year. If you’ve found the perfect spot, take a picture so there’s less to decide next year.

To help your home look neat and organized after the holiday season, here are some quick organizing tips:

Start by decluttering as much as you can. Give everyone a bag or basket to collect their old stuff they want to get rid of…more about that later.

Use baskets and bins to store all those small items that tend to end up scattered around your home. Give the little ones their own basket so they can pick up the pieces that go with their new toys.

Make sure that everyone has picked up and put away their new stuff so it does not get caught up with the old stuff you will be getting rid of…shortly.

Break it down into categories.

Separate the breakables. This saves time and space because these need to be wrapped and placed in divided boxes. If you decorate with stuffed animals, they can be thrown into a box alone since they don’t need to be wrapped.

Experts advise to “Fill a box with only lights, or only books,” however, next year I will make different bins for different areas of the house; a box for mantle decorations, one for tree decorations, one for the front door…etc. You can still categorize boxes or bins into tree ornaments, miscellaneous ornaments, wreaths, stockings, tinsel and other garlands until you find that perfect spot for something.

Make a note. Put notes in your boxes detailing what is in the box, if things are broken, or if you need to buy more of something. If you need to buy more, jot that down in your calendar in October or November OR better yet, go out and catch the after-Christmas sales this year and pack it in the box now.

Give Away Some christmas cheer

Everything that is broken, old, worn out or simply disgusting should be tossed without any hesitation. If it needs replacing, catch the after-Christmas sales this year or again, note it in your calendar in October or November.

Wrap your fairy lights around a coat hanger or wrapping paper tube so they’re easier to unravel next year. You can pack them in the light box or in the mantle box or front door box; whichever way you are going to organize.

Clean up the messes

Messy situations might’ve been signs of fun at the time, but that doesn’t make them any less annoying. Check for stains immediately because the longer they go undetected, the harder they’ll be to remove.

Open and scrub the windows and doors clean to let fresh air inside and the strange ham smell out. Even better, simmer a pot of water with cinnamon sticks and halved lemons for a quick, sweet fragrance.

decorations are not the only thing to organize

If you and your family will not be able to consume all of the extra food, you might as well store it and eat it later on. Many desserts can freeze beautifully and can be reheated and eaten when your craving that cherry pie mid-January.

make next year easier

Sort and store away Christmas things, always in the same location, so they are always easy to find and just before and after Christmas will be less stressful. The last thing you’ll want to do is figure out where you put all of your decorations next year. Make sure you have a designated space to store your things – either in the basement, garage or somewhere else.

Buy some storage containers with lids. Putting away decorations is much easier when you have containers with lids. Not only does this keep your decorations from getting damaged in storage, but when you want to decorate for Christmas next year, you will find the whole process straightforward. If you store all your decorations in transparent bins, it’ll be a breeze! If not, simply attach a label on the outside of the container.

don’t shy away from the big project

When you’re trying to clean and organize your living room after Christmas, the tree occupies a large amount of space. When storing an artificial tree, wipe the branches gently with a slightly damp microfiber cloth. Let the branches dry completely before storing. Some people get a tree bag and wrap the tree and store it…if they have a place for it.

Search online for a composting site in your area if you’ve decorated with a real tree. It’s a useful and sustainable alternative. Some people will take their tree outside and tie pinecones covered in peanut butter and seeds for the birds. I would be afraid of attracting mice, if your not afraid, it is nice for the birds.

An important point to remember is that the more care you put into cleaning and storing your decorations, the easier next year will be.

don’t become a hoarder after christmas

Your older children will know what toys can be donated. Bag up toys that your children don’t use and place them in a donation pile. In terms of younger babies, you’ll have a better idea of what they can play with and wear.

As for clothing, if your child has outgrown it or doesn’t wear it anymore, throw it in the donation pile as well. That way, you’ll have more room for new things later.

is that pink bunny suit the suit of dreams or nightmares?

Once everyone’s finished opening their gifts, it’s a good idea to separate them into two piles, one for gifts that can be exchanged, and one for gifts to be returned to the store. Don’t forget to find all the receipts!

After that, allow your entire family to independently assemble their own piles of gifts, if it hasn’t already been done. You may have to help your toddler, just take the time to explain and point them to where the toys are meant to be placed.