It's almost Christmas!!!!

So this weeks meal plan comes with help from my Mum and Sister, who will be here tomorrow!!! Obviously it will be unique, due to traditions and well, Christmas!

Monday - From Picky Palate http://picky-palate.com/ - Broccoli Cheddar, Chicken and Tater Tot Casserole 

6 servings

2 small cans cream of chicken soup
2 small cans cheddar cheese soup
1 1/2 Cups milk
8-10 Cups broccoli florets
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (bake or I throw mine in the pressure cooker)
1 teaspoon hot sauce (Tabasco or Chalula)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/8 teaspoon Lawrys Garlic Salt with Parsley
1/2 bag Ore Ida Seasoned Tater Tots, frozen
1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.Place soup and milk into a large pot over medium heat. Whisk until smooth and heated through, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in broccoli and cook for 5 additional minutes to soften slightly. Stir in chicken, hot sauce, salt, pepper and garlic seasoning.

5.Pour mixture into 11 by 7 inch baking dish that's been sprayed with cooking spray. Top evenly with tater tots and cheese; bake for 20 minutes then cover with foil.

6.Bake for an additional 15 minutes with dish covered with foil. Remove from oven and serve.



Tuesday Mum's Chicken Lasagna and Caesar salad 

For those who don't have a tried and true recipe I like this one:
Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (28 ounce) jar sausage flavored spaghetti sauce
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 (8 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 ounces provolone cheese, shredded
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
9 lasagna noodles
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. In a skillet over medium heat season ground beef with garlic powder and oregano. Brown the meat and drain.

3. In a large sauce pan add spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, and oregano; set aside. In a skillet heat olive oil. Saute garlic and onions for about 5 minutes. Mix sauteed onions and garlic with meat into the sauce and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Combine mozzarella and provolone cheeses in a medium bowl. In a medium bowl mix ricotta cheese, eggs, milk, and oregano.

5. Layer a 9x13 inch baking pan with just enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Lay three lasagna noodles in the pan. Cover with sauce, then with ricotta mixture then sprinkle with mozzarella/provolone mixture; repeat layering. Finish with a layer of noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

6. Bake covered in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes.

Wednesday - My sister is cooking something I have NO IDEA how to make....Tom Yum soup and Red Curry . I did find this recipe on All Recipies, sounds YUMMY!


Ingredients

1/2 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
12 mushrooms, halved
1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained
4 cups water
2 lemon grass
4 kaffir lime leaves
4 slices galangal
4 chile padi (bird's eye chiles)
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 limes, juiced
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon hot chile paste
1 tablespoon tom yum soup paste (optional)

Directions
1. Trim lemongrass and cut into matchstick size pieces.

2. To make stock: Add the shrimp heads and shells to water, then cook for 20 minutes. Turn the fire off. Soak the heads and shells for further 20 minutes before discarding.

3. Trim lemongrass and cut into matchstick size pieces.

4. Add stock, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, chili padi, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chili paste to a pot and bring to a boil. After boiling for 5 minutes, add shrimps and both mushrooms. Cook for further 10 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Thursday - Our traditional Christmas Eve appies: Roasted garlic, antipasto, meat and cheese, smokes oysters

Friday - Christmas Dinner! Turkey, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, steamed veggies

Stuffing 

Ingredients

1 (7.5 ounce) package dry cornbread mix
1 cup butter
2 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped
1 pound pork sausage
16 slices white bread
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 eggs
4 cups chicken stock

Directions

1. Prepare corn bread as directed on package. Cool, and crumble.

2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic, onions, bell pepper, and celery in butter until tender, but not brown. In another pan, cook sausage over medium-high heat until evenly browned.

3. Place corn bread and bread slices in a food processor. Pulse until they turn into a crumbly mixture. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Season with sage, thyme, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix in chopped parsley, cooked vegetables, and sausage with drippings. Stir in eggs and chicken stock. This mixture should be a bit mushy. Transfer to a greased 9x13 inch pan.

4. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 1 hour.

Saturday - Leftovers

Sunday - Amazing Turkey Tortilla Soup 

Amazing Turkey Tortilla Soup Recipe
30 min | 20 min prep

SERVES 6 -8

cooked turkey (leftover roasted or rotisserie)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes & chilies
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 inches piece Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
8 corn tortillas
oil
sour cream (optional)

Ingredients
1. Put turkey, skin bones and all, into a pot with 2 quarts of lightly salted water, and bring to boil. Important: the skin and bones make the broth taste great. that's where the flavor is. this wont work using skinless, boneless turkey breasts.

2. Reduce heat and simmer until turkey is starting to loosen from the bones and broth looks. well. like broth. (about 20 minutes).

3. Carefully, remove turkey from broth making sure to get any little bones that may be on the bottom of the pot. Set turkey aside to let cool.

4. Add onion, Rotel, cumin, garlic, chili powder, and black pepper to the pot. Add 1/2 tsp crushed pepper for medium heat, less if you like it mild, or more if you like it spicy. I use 1 teaspoons.

5. Stir, and let simmer until turkey is cool enough to handle.

6. Tear off turkey meat and place back into pot discarding skin and bones.

7. Cut off about a 2 inch section from a log of Velveeta cheese, then cut into cubes.

8. Add cheese, and cilantro to soup and stir over low heat until cheese is melted into the soup. Let simmer stirring often.

9. Stack corn tortillas and slice into thin shreds with a sharp knife. Cook tortilla shreds in a small amount of hot oil until crisp. Drain on paper towels.

10. To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream (optional) and the tortilla strips.

Happy eating! And Merry Christmas!