Grocery Bag

Welcome back, Grocery Bag!  And welcome to 2011!  May menu planning continue to help us get through our weeks with healthy, home-cooked meals.

Day One

Individual Meatloaf Wellingtons -- T's own idea!

with mixed green salad

T has jokingly requested beef wellington for dinner for months. We decide to come up with a simplified HEJ original version, and here it is.  This recipe is budget and weeknight worthy, but creative and impressive enough for guests!

Individual Meatloaf Wellingtons by T&B Johnson

Makes 12 

1 Tbs olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

3/4 cup minced carrot

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs finely chopped fresh oregano

2 lbs extra lean grass-fed ground beef

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 steak sauce, such as A1

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

2 Tbs dijon mustard

1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 packages large crescent rolls (enough for 12 crescents)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat oil in a medium skillet over med-high heat.  Saute onion, carrot, garlic and oregano until softened, about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  

2.  In a large bowl, combine onion mixture with next 7 ingredients and mix well to combine.

3.  Spoon meat mixture into 12 large muffin cups coated with cooking spray.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.

4.  Remove muffins from oven.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare a large jelly roll pan with a sheet of parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.

Wrap the cooked meat muffins in the crescent roll dough.

5.  Unroll uncooked crescent roll triangles.  Working one at a time, carefully remove a meatloaf muffin from the muffin pan and place it in the center of a single unrolled piece of crescent roll dough.   Wrap the meat in the dough by pinching the sides of the dough together around the meat muffin.  Repeat with remaining meat muffins and crescent roll dough.  Place wrapped wellingtons on prepared jellyroll pan.  

6.  Bake wellingtons at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from pan and serve warm.

Yum!  We love them!

Day Two

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce from Pioneer Woman

with Spinach, pomegranate and orange salad

Yum.  Delicious comfort food.  We add 1 cup of chopped, cooked leftover chicken to the sauce sometimes.  The salad is made by adding chopped orange slices and pomegranate seeds to fresh spinach.  Toss the salad with a raspberry vinaigrette.

Photo and recipe by Ree at The Pioneer Woman

Day Three

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup from Slow Cooker Recipes
with toasted mozzarella sandwich squares
Here is a great slow cooker squash soup--perfect for afternoon prep and an easy dinner.  I find that pureed soups are a great way to get veggies into my kiddos.


Butternut Squash and Apple Soup for the Slow Cooker


4 1/2 cups steamed, mashed butternut squash
3-4 cups chicken broth
1-2 medium granny smith apples, peeled and chopped
2 Tbs minced onion
1 Tbs packed light brown sugar
1tsp minced fresh sage or 1/2 tsp ground sage
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup half&half

1.  Combine all ingredients except half&half in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on High for 3 hours or LOW for 6 hours.

2. Transfer soup to a blender or food processor and puree, being careful with the hot liquid.  Return soup to slow cooker, keep warm, and stir in half&half just before serving.

Day Four
Beef Stroganoff from Cooking Light Magazine
with steamed green beans 
and Orange Brown Sugar Cranberry Sauce from Take Back Your Table

Photo and recipe from MyRecipes.com

Day Five
Rice with Mozzarella, Prosciutto and Peas from Food & Wine Magazine
with fresh pears

Recipe and photo from MyRecipes.com

Blessings on your kitchen this week!