SUNDAY: Serve the family Honey-Orange Glazed Ham today. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place a 2- to 3-pound fully cooked boneless ham on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast, uncovered, 30 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees. Meanwhile, mix together 1 tablespoon orange juice, ¼ cup honey, 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves.
Baste ham with mixture the last 10 minutes of roasting.
Let stand for 5 minutes; slice and serve. To accompany the family favorite, make your own scalloped potatoes and steam fresh broccoli. Enjoy apple cobbler (heat-and-serve) for dessert and top it with vanilla ice cream.
Plan ahead: Save enough ham and cobbler for Monday. Save enough ice cream for Tuesday.
MONDAY: Make Georgia-Style Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwiches for an easy meal.
Mix 2 tablespoons mayonnaise with 3 tablespoons peach preserves. Spread mixture evenly on one side of 8 rye bread slices. Place 1 slice each leftover ham on 4 slices bread; sprinkle each ham slice with 2 tablespoons shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Top with remaining bread slices; coat with cooking spray. Cook sandwiches in a large skillet on medium-low heat until cheese melts and bread is lightly browned. Serve sandwiches with a romaine salad. Warm the leftover apple cobbler for dessert.
TUESDAY: You can prepare Tomato Soup With Spinach and Corn in no time. Prepare 2 (10 ¾ -ounce) cans condensed tomato soup using skim milk according to package directions. Add 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach (thawed) and 1 cup frozen corn (thawed). Heat through. Serve with a lettuce wedge and cheese toast. Top the leftover ice cream with chocolate syrup.
Plan ahead: Save enough chocolate syrup for Thursday.
WEDNESDAY: This Baked Eggplant and Polenta (see recipe) was a hit and went into our permanent collection of recipes. Serve with steamed spinach and a romaine salad with red onion rings. Add whole-grain bread. For dessert, plums are perfect.
THURSDAY: There’s nothing like a good meatloaf to perk up your purse, and Barbecue Meatloaf (see recipe) fills the bill. Serve with oven fries, green beans and cornbread. For dessert, enjoy chocolate swirl pudding.
Prepare instant vanilla pudding and swirl leftover chocolate syrup into the pudding. Top with whipped cream.
Plan ahead: Save enough meatloaf for Friday.
FRIDAY: Show the kids how you can use magic to redesign the leftover meatloaf into Barbecue Roll-Ups. Crumble the heated leftover meatloaf and spoon into warmed whole-grain tortillas;
top with shredded lettuce and any shredded cheese.
Serve with celery sticks and baked beans. Leapin’ Lizard Crunch Bars are what dessert is all about to a kid - green, but not a vegetable! Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Combine 1 (12-ounce) package miniature marshmallows and ½ cup peanut butter in a saucepan.
Cook on low 10 minutes or until marshmallows melt, stirring constantly. Add 6 drops green food coloring (add more if you want it to look really gross);mix well. Add 6 cups crisp rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies); mix well. Remove from heat and spoon mixture into prepared dish; spread evenly and press down with back of spoon.
Refrigerate 1 hour. Cut into 8 long, thin strips, then in half.
Remove strips from pan. Press 2 chocolate chips into end of each strip to make eyes. Be brave and eat a lizard.
SATURDAY: Any guest would enjoy Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic (see recipe). Serve with mashed potatoes, petite green peas, a bibb lettuce salad and sourdough bread. Make or buy cheesecake for dessert.
THE RECIPES
Baked Eggplant and Polenta
1 (1½ -pound) eggplant, peeled and cut lengthwise into 8 slices
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce, divided use
2 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese, divided use
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided use
1 (17- to 18-ounce) tube ready-to-eat polenta, cut into 20 slices
Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Coat eggplant slices with cooking spray on both sides.
Place on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until tender.
Reduce oven to 375 degrees.
Place 4 slices eggplant in bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread with 1 cup marinara sauce; sprinkle with 2/3 cup mozzarella and 1 tablespoon parmesan. Repeat once. Top with polenta slices, remaining sauce and both cheeses. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes or until bubbly and cheese melts.
Makes 6 servings.
Barbecue Meatloaf
½ cup onion, chopped
1 pound ground turkey breast
½ pound lean ground beef
½ cup dry bread crumbs
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce, divided use
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Microwave onion 1 minute on high (100 percent power); drain.
Combine cooked onion, turkey, beef, bread crumbs, ½ cup barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic and thyme; mix. Spoon into a 9-by-4-inch loaf pan. Brush with remaining barbecue sauce.
Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees. Drain fat. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Cut into 10 slices and serve.
Makes 1 loaf.
Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic
2 medium onions, chopped
4 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
8 skinless bone-in chicken thighs (about 2¾ pounds total)
8 skinless chicken legs (about 1¾ pounds total)
3 tablespoons olive oil
¾ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup dry vermouth, dry sherry or dry white wine
40 cloves garlic, separated, not peeled
Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Combine onions, celery, tarragon and parsley in the baking dish.
Rub chicken pieces with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place chicken on top of onions and celery. Drizzle with vermouth and tuck the garlic in and around the chicken. Cover with foil. Bake 1½ hours or until internal temperature of chicken is 165 degrees.
Makes 8 servings.
Recipe adapted from The Casserole Queens Make-a-Meal Cookbook by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock (Clarkson Potter, 2013) Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and registered dietitian. She can be reached by email: [email protected]
Food, Pages 33 on 10/30/2013