7 Day Menu

Plan ahead: Save enough cobbler for Monday.

4/30

Wild Card Monday

Everyone at our house liked the sloppy-Joe vibe of Barbecue Turkey and Beans for Slow Cooker Night. Place 2 pounds bone-in skinless turkey thighs in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Separately, combine 1 (28-ounce) can baked beans, 1 1/2 cups chopped onion, 1 cup barbecue sauce, 1 tablespoon spicy brown or other mustard, 1 teaspoon cumin and 1 teaspoon coarse salt; mix well. Pour over turkey. Cook 8 hours on low or 5 to 6 hours on high. Remove turkey and shred with 2 forks. Discard bones. Return meat to cooker and mix well. Serve open-faced over toasted whole-grain buns. Add sweet potato fries (from frozen) and celery sticks. Leftover cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream makes a good dessert.

Plan ahead: Save enough ice cream for Friday.

Tips: Most turkey thighs are sold with skin on, but it's easy to remove with a slight tug. Adults might want to add sliced jalapeno peppers to their sandwiches.

5/1

Express Tuesday

Buy and heat bratwurst for a fast meal. Smear it with spicy brown mustard. Serve with roasted or steamed red potato wedges and rinsed sauerkraut tossed with caraway seeds (refrigerated). Add pumpernickel bread. How about pears for dessert?

Plan ahead: If time permits, assemble tomorrow's lasagna tonight; cover and refrigerate.

5/2

Meatless Wednesday

This Lazy Lasagna (see recipe) is an easy entree. Serve with a mixed green salad and Italian bread. Have some peaches for dessert.

Plan ahead: Save half the lasagna for Thursday night.

Tip: If the lasagna has been refrigerated, add 10 minutes to the cooking time.

5/2

Heat-and-Eat Thursday

You've done the work, now relax and reheat the leftover Lasagna for an easy dinner. Serve with a bagged Italian salad and garlic bread. Add refreshing lemon sherbet for dessert.

5/3

Budget Friday

It's easy and inexpensive, so naturally 10-Minute Tuscan Soup was on my "to-make" list. In a blender or food processor, combine 1 (24- to 26-ounce) jar red pasta sauce, 1 (16-ounce) can rinsed reduced-sodium cannellini beans, 1 (7-ounce) jar drained roasted red peppers, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and 1 clove garlic; process until smooth. Pour into medium saucepan along with 1 3/4 cups unsalted chicken broth. Stirring often, bring to a simmer on medium-high. Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips. Ladle into bowls and top with freshly ground pepper to taste. We like the soup with tuna salad sandwiches on whole-grain bread and your choice of pickles on the side. Make hot fudge sundaes by spooning warmed low-fat hot fudge sauce over leftover ice cream.

5/4

Easy Entertaining Saturday

For your lucky guests, prepare Lamb Loin Chops With Madeira and Cherries (see recipe). Serve the delicious chops with Consomme Rice With Mushrooms (see recipe), roasted asparagus spears, a Boston lettuce salad and sourdough bread. For dessert, accompany peach sorbet with chocolate wafer cookies.

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THE RECIPES

Lazy Lasagna (Wednesday)

2 (15-ounce) containers reduced-fat ricotta cheese

4 beaten egg whites

2 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

4 cups red pasta sauce, divided

12 cooked lasagna noodles, divided

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine ricotta cheese, egg whites, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese; mix well. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup pasta sauce. Layer 4 noodles, 1 cup pasta sauce and half the ricotta mixture. Repeat layers, ending with remaining 4 noodles and 1 cup sauce. Cover with foil; bake 1 hour. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake 10 more minutes; let stand 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve. Makes 10 servings.

Per serving: 357 calories (percent calories from fat, 29), 20 grams protein, 41 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber, 11 grams fat (5.6 grams saturated fat), 39 milligrams cholesterol, 786 milligrams sodium.

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Lamb Loin Chops With Madeira and Cherries (Saturday)

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon, divided

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 lamb loin chops, cut 1 1/4 inches thick, trimmed (about 1 pound)

2/3 cup Madeira (or dry port, Marsala or sherry) or red grape juice

2/3 cup finely chopped dried cherries

1 cup unsalted chicken broth

2 tablespoons lemon zest (yellow part only), plus extra for garnish

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, halved

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons tarragon, garlic, salt and pepper. Place chops in resealable plastic bag and pour in marinade; turn to coat. Remove chops and discard marinade. Pat chops dry with paper towels. In a large nonstick skillet with cover, heat remaining oil on medium-high. Brown chops for 2 minutes on each side. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 2 to 6 minutes, turning twice or until desired doneness. Remove from pan, cover and let stand for 10 minutes; pour off liquid from skillet. Add Madeira and cherries to skillet; stir and cook 3 to 4 minutes, scraping browned bits from skillet, until liquid is almost absorbed. Stir in broth, remaining 1 teaspoon tarragon and lemon zest; cook another 2 minutes. Mix in butter and stir until sauce looks shiny. Spoon sauce onto plates and top each plate with a chop. Garnish with grated lemon zest. Serves 4.

Per serving: 306 calories (percent calories from fat, 41), 14 grams protein, 22 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 13 grams fat (5.6 grams saturated fat), 56 milligrams cholesterol, 411 milligrams sodium.

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Consomme Rice With Mushrooms (Saturday)

1 cup uncooked white rice

2 ounces (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 1/2 cups chopped button mushrooms

2 (10-ounce) cans beef consomme

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1/3 cup chopped flatleaf parsley

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse rice under cold running water; drain. Melt butter in a medium skillet on medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until softened. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until tender. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in the consomme and soy sauce. Transfer to a 2-quart casserole dish; cover and bake about 1 hour or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. (Adapted from “What Can I Bring?” by Elizabeth Heiskell, Time Inc. Books.) Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 165 calories (percent calories from fat, 33), 5 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 6 grams fat (3.7 grams saturated fat), 15 milligrams cholesterol, 529 milligrams sodium.