Seven-Day Menu Planner

Serve with your own MASHED POTATOES, GREEN BEANS and MIXED GREENS. For dessert, this CINNAMON APPLE TART (see recipe) is hard to resist.

PLAN AHEAD: Save enough steak and sauce for Monday; save enough tart for Wednesday.

12/ 2

Kids Monday

It’s HOAGIE SANDWICHES for the kids tonight. Chop and heat leftover steak and sauce and spoon onto sliced, toasted hoagies (or any sandwich rolls). Serve with CURLY FRIES (frozen). Add deli CARROT SALAD on the side. Make dessert simple with fat-free STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM.

PLAN AHEAD: Save enough ice cream for Saturday.

12/ 3

Meatless Tuesday

How about a no-meat PIZZA WITH PEPPERS tonight? Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place 1 (12-inch) ready-to-heat whole-grain pizza crust on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1 cup (2 cups total) shredded reduced-fat cheese blend, half of (1-pound) bag frozen (thawed and drained) pepper stir-fry mix (green, red, yellow peppers and onions) and the other 1 cup cheese. Bake 15 minutes or until crust is crisp and cheese is melted and bubbly. Slice and serve with a SPINACH SALAD. How about PEACHES for an easy dessert?

PLAN AHEAD: If time permits, assemble Wednesday’s meatloaf tonight.

12/ 4

Budget Wednesday

Easy, unique and affordable, CHICKEN PARMIGIANA-STYLE MEATLOAF (see recipe) has lots of flavor. Serve with BAKED POTATOES, BROCCOLI and a MIXED GREEN SALAD. Add WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. For dessert, warm the leftover TART.

PLAN AHEAD: Save enough meatloaf for Thursday.

12/ 5

Heat-and-Eat Thursday

Make MEATLOAF SANDWICHES on dense white bread for a quick meal. Top with LETTUCE. Alongside, add deli COLESLAW. For dessert, enjoy PINEAPPLE CHUNKS.

PLAN AHEAD: Buy enough coleslaw for Friday.

12/ 6

Express Friday

You could go to a fast-food place, but make your own FISH ‘N’ CHIPS for a quick meal instead. Prepare frozen fish fillets and frozen potato wedges according to package directions. Place fish into heated taco shells and spoon leftover coleslaw over fish. Now, cool down with ORANGE SHERBET for dessert.

12/ 7

Easy Entertaining Saturday

Our guests enjoyed CHICKEN WITH HERBS AND VEGETABLES (see recipe) and so will yours. Serve with RICE to catch all the juices from the chicken. Add steamed sliced ZUCCHINI, a GREEN SALAD and WHOLE-GRAIN ROLLS. Buy a CHOCOLATE CAKE for dessert and serve it with leftover ICE CREAM.

SHOPPING LIST: Italian-style bread crumbs with cheese, boneless skinless chicken breasts, olive oil, packaged crimini mushrooms, green bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic, coarse salt, fresh basil, dried oregano, rice, zucchini, salad greens, whole-grain rolls, chocolate cake.

THE RECIPES

CINNAMON APPLE TART (Sunday)

Makes 10 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes; baking time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 refrigerated pie crust

2 (10- to 12-ounce) packages frozen cinnamon apples, partially thawed

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg white, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons sugar

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Unfold crust and place on nonstick foil and then onto a baking sheet; press out folds. In a large bowl, combine apples and lemon. Spoon onto crust, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border; sprinkle apples with cinnamon. Fold edges over filling, making pleats as you go. Brush edges of pastry with egg; sprinkle apples with sugar. Bake 30 minutes or until crust is golden. Use a spatula and transfer to a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Per serving: 150 calories, 1 gram protein, 6 grams fat (35 percent calories from fat), 2.5 grams saturated fat, 24 grams carbohydrate, 21 milligrams cholesterol, 117 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.

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CHICKEN PARMIGIANA-STYLE MEATLOAF (Wednesday)

Makes 6 or 8 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 8 hours on low

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground chicken (or turkey breast)

1 medium onion, finely diced

2 eggs

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

2 to 3 teaspoons garlic powder

1 cup no-salt-added marinara sauce, divided

1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken or turkey, onion, eggs, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, 1/2 cup marinara sauce and 1/2 cup cheese. Mix lightly but well (I used my hands) and press into a 9-by-5-by-3-inch baking dish. Place loaf pan in an oval (4-quart or 6-quart) slow cooker. Spread the remaining marinara sauce on top; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover; cook on low 8 hours or until internal temperature is 165 degrees. (Adapted from “365 Slow Cooker Suppers,” Stephanie O’Dea; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.)

NOTE: If you don’t have a 4-quart or 6-quart slow cooker, make a loaf “pan” from double layers of heavy-duty foil to fit your cooker.

Per serving: 242 calories, 27 grams protein, 9 grams fat (34 percent calories from fat), 3.9 grams saturated fat, 13 grams carbohydrate, 129 milligrams cholesterol, 388 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.

** ** **

CHICKEN WITH HERBS AND VEGETABLES (Saturday)

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: less than 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Italian-style bread crumbs with cheese

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (8-ounce) package crimini mushrooms, halved

1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced

3 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 large clove garlic, pressed

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Pour crumbs into a pie plate. Coat chicken in crumbs. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet; cook chicken on medium-high 4 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove chicken from skillet. Add mushrooms and bell pepper to skillet; cook 3 minutes on medium. Add tomatoes, garlic and salt; return chicken to skillet. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in basil and oregano. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 263 calories, 30 grams protein, 8 grams fat (26 percent calories from fat), 1.5 grams saturated fat, 20 grams carbohydrate, 73 milligrams cholesterol, 618 milligrams sodium, 4 gram fiber.