Weekly Meal Plan // Feb 23-28

SUNDAY

We have a full Sunday of confirmation class, National Charity League and tutoring. So much for a day of rest! Let’s make a one-pot wonder: Whiskey and lime skirt steak fajitas will be just the thing. To make it easy on yourself, stock up on store bought guacamole, pico de gallo, hot sauce and pickled jalapeños.

MONDAY

One of my absolute favorite meatless Monday dinners is slightly spicy sesame noodles packed with tons of veggies. I use udon noodles, but gluten-free rice noodles work well too.

TUESDAY

Chicken Tortilla-less Soup. Make this on the stove top, in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. Also, my oldest gets her braces off today! She’s had them so long it feels like she was born with them. So we’re celebrating!

WEDNESDAY

Slow cooker beef stew will cook low and slow all day. Tuck this recipe away for Spring Break ski vacation dinners.

THURSDAY

Chicken pot pie with puff pastry crust and a big green salad. You can also make this as chicken pot pie “stew” in a pot on the stove without the puff pastry crust.

Chicken Pot Pie

• 1 tablespoons butter or ghee
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups diced red potato (about 1 pound)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms (about 8 ounces)
• 2 celery stalks, de-ribbed and diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour or arrowroot powder
• 2 1/2 cups milk, plus 1 tablespoon for egg wash, or dairy-free milk
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken (about 12 ounces – from a rotisserie chicken or a whole poached chicken breast)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 sheets puff pastry dough, thawed
• 1 egg for pastry wash

Preheat oven to 375°

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add oil. Add potatoes and next 6 ingredients (through thyme), and sauté for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; sprinkle flour over vegetables. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in milk and broth. Increase heat to medium-high. When liquid starts to bubble, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken, peas, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.

Spoon mixture into a 3-quart baking dish. Place puff pastry sheets on a flour-dusted work surface (cover remaining dough with a damp towel to keep from drying). Use a rolling pin to gently roll out the dough and smooth out the seams. Place the dough over the chicken pot pie filling and tuck it around the edges of the baking dish.

Crack the egg in a small bowl and whisk to scramble. Add 1 tablespoon milk or cream and whisk to combine. Use a pastry brush to apply egg wash on the crust.

Place chicken pot pie on a sheet pan. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.

FRIDAY

On Fridays, I like to inventory what I have left to use up in the refrigerator and either reinvent leftovers or cull together something from the pantry. (Alternately on Fridays, I like to just convince my family to take me out to dinner!). Here are a few quick and easy pantry dinners to get you through the weekend without a trip to the store.