Menu Monday {2}

Week 2 of Menu Monday has arrived!

If you missed week 1 or are wondering why I am doing this click here.

I guess I should also mention how I menu plan. Every week I try to:

1. Prepare 5-7 dinners at home that my family (me, the hubby a 3 year old and perhaps the pickiest 17 month old on the planet) will enjoy
2. Balance a variety of protein (chicken, beef, venison, fish, pork) entrees throughout the week
3. Introduce new recipes/techniques/foods for the kids' benefit
4. Cook relatively quick meals, simply, in order to maintain my sanity
5. Remain flexible to the fact that "life happens" and sometimes we abandon the plan and go out, drive thru or do whatever is needed to feed everyone at dinnertime. 

I'll be sharing my menu plans here every Monday and will try to include recipes here as well. From time to time I'll try new things that don't work for our family and I will be sure to share that as well.

Now, on to the menu-

Traditional Tacos (Taco Kit prepared with Ground Chicken)
Pepper Steak
Pork Chops, Roasted Cabbage, Biscuits and Apple Butter
Salmon and Salad
Burgers, Baby
Apple BBQ Chicken (Mix N Match Mama)
Stuffed Peppers

This week's Stuffed Pepper night is super simple because the last time I made stuffed peppers, I froze half of the filling. The filling I make is just like my Mom's and could probably fill 12-15 peppers. Here's the scoop--

Stuffed Peppers
1 pound ground beef
1 grated onion
1/2-1 tsp garlic salt (or to taste)
2 T Worcestershire
1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can sweet corn partially drained
1 pkg Yellow Rice prepared according to package directions
Velveeta to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
Bell Peppers (any color) 

In a large (8-10 quart) pot, brown beef (I use lean), add onion, garlic salt, Worcestershire. Cook over medium heat to soften onion and crumble meat. Add tomatoes, corn, rice, simmer on medium-low 30 minutes or more, stirring often. While simmering and stirring use wooden spoon or spatula to burst tomatoes and mash them up a bit. Add Velveeta, salt and pepper to taste. Heat through.

Cut bell peppers in half and remove stem and seeds. You'll want to remove most of the inner membrane too, as it will be in your way while stuffing.

Place pepper halves in a casserole or baking dish, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes while filling cools.

Remove peppers from oven and spoon filling onto pepper halves. (I would leave them in the casserole dish and not try to handle them). Top with a thin slice of Velveeta and 1-2 tablespoons of tomato sauce or Dressed Up Ketchup (recipe follows) bake uncovered at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

Dressed Up Ketchup
I use this as the "sauce" for my stuffed peppers, topping for meatloaf and base for cocktail sauce.

Ketchup (approx. 1/2 cup)
Worcestershire (approx. 2 tsp)
Garlic Salt (approx. 1/2 tsp)
Black Pepper (A few grinds)

Whisk the above ingredients in a bowl. Tinker with it until you get the taste that pleases you. For cocktail sauce squeeze half a lemon over the bowl and spoon in ground horseradish to taste.

That's what we're having this week. Share with us what's on your menu by commenting below, we couls all use all of the inspiration we can get!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin