(L)Oven Monday 30-Minute Meals for Sunday

March 6, 2017March 6, 2017 RefreshHer3 Comments

Happy Monday and Post #4 about Successful Sunday Dinners!

I’m posting late today because I got home from Michigan very late last night and couldn’t finish this post until today! I can’t wait to tell you about my special weekend, but let’s move on with Sunday dinner!

Today I’m going to give you some 30-minute meal ideas for Sunday’s. Sometimes having a meal in the oven or crock pot isn’t feasible, so these menus are a great option!

Things to remember when making 30-minute meals:

As with any other menu, you should still prep anything ahead of time that you can. You may even reduce the time to under 30 minutes!
- Marinate meat
- Chop veggies
- Get ingredients together so you can grab them easily
Set the table ahead of time.
Find make-ahead sides
Make a dessert before-hand, if that’s part of the menu

Here are some ideas to get you thinking…

Stir Fry – Stir-fry is cooked very quickly, making it great any time you’re in a hurry. This recipe for Orange Chicken was new to me and we loved it! I used her Original recipe she mentions, because I wanted lots of orange flavor! It was super good! This picture does NOT do it justice, so please try it anyway!!!

Brunch foods
- Waffles – How about making these waffles up ahead and freezing them. Then after church, toast as many as needed and having all kinds of fruit toppings for them! Add a side of bacon and you have a great meal!
German Pancakes – These are a nice twist on regular pancakes and they are soooo good!
- Roasted Vegetable Fritatta – This egg dish is full of great flavors and would be another good make-ahead kind of Brunch dish!

So, step out of the traditional Sunday dinner mold and fix a new kind of menu for your family after church. This could become a family tradition that everyone prefers! It’s certainly one they’ll all enjoy! Who doesn’t love waffles and pancakes?!

I hope these dinner ideas are helpful for you. Let me know if I’m aiding your abilities, or if I still need to address other areas for Successful Sunday dinner!

Lovingly,

Denise Signature 150 px f

Crock Pot · Dinner · main dish · Make-Ahead

(L)Oven Monday – Successful Sunday Dinner with Delicious Sides!

February 27, 2017February 28, 2017 RefreshHer4 Comments

Yankee pot roast a.jpg

Welcome back to the Successful Sunday dinner series! Today I want to address two more questions/problems people mentioned in regards to Sunday dinner –

How can I have everything done at the same time?
What sides can you make that will be ready for a Sunday meal after church?

An easy way to answer both of those issues is to make a dish where the meat and the veggies are one dish in themselves. They are baked/roasted together, so they’re finished at the same time. That doesn’t mean it has to be a casserole! Here are a few suggestions of those kinds of meals:
- Lemon Greek Chicken – Chicken, Potato wedges and Red onions make up this delicious meal – all in one dish!
- Baked Chicken Fajitas – No grilling needed – the chicken, peppers and onions are all cooked together and are ready to get wrapped in a tortilla shell!
- Yankee Pot Roast – What would a Sunday menu be without a Pot Roast recipe? This one is so delicious with not only vegetables, but also a gravy that is effortless!
- Short Ribs and Limas – Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it! I don’t like limas unless they’re in this dish! There’s a scrumptious gravy that covers the meat and the beans, making it so savory!

The main idea with the recipes above, and ones like them, is that all you need to add is a salad and perhaps bread. If the salad is made ahead of time, your meal is ready within minutes of your arrival home!

If you have a meat in the oven, but also need a potato, you could make your baked potatoes in the crock pot. Here’s how:

Spray the inside of your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Clean potatoes really well, rub with olive oil and then coat with kosher salt. Place in slow cooker. Cook on high for about 4-6 hours.

Another suggestion I would make is, find a couple recipes like these that you can master. Stick with them until you get the hang of getting it all ready ahead of time, then move on to more challenging menus. Find one your family loves and that you do well. It will be your signature dish!

If you missed any of the other posts for Successful Sunday Dinner, you can find them here and here.

My menu yesterday was:

Beef Enchiladas ( All done the night before and baked once I got home),
Refried Beans – Done in the crock pot during church
Banana – Pineapple Salad

Who’s attempting Sunday dinner? I’d love to hear what you made yesterday!

With love from my country kitchen,

Denise Signature 150 px

Dinner · dinner in 30 minutes · Make-Ahead · Sunday Dinner

(L)Oven Monday – Three Steps to a Successful Sunday Dinner

February 13, 2017February 12, 2017 RefreshHer5 Comments

Sunday dinner table 1.jpg

Happy Monday, friends, and welcome to the beginning of the posts to help get you ready to prepare a Sunday dinner that provides for the needs of your guests, is delicious, and ready in a hurry! Thank you to so many of you who shared your Sunday dinner struggles with me! I’m going to try to help you solve those difficulties as we touch on this subject for the next several Monday’s.

Today I want to lay out the three steps that are crucial for your Sunday meal to be a success. What constitutes success? I believe it’s the three things listed in the previous paragraph – a meal that

meets needs,

is delicious,

and on the table quickly.

But that doesn’t happen all by itself, of course! I need to start by saying, anything that is worth doing, is going to take effort and it’s going to take being intentional. There is work involved, but it’s so worth the efforts! Here are the three crucial things you need to consider so that your Sunday dinner will be a success:

Ponder the needs – That simply means that you must consider what the needs of the day are, your budget and what your guests will need.
1. Is there a time constraint?
2. Do you only have xxx amount of dollars to feed a crowd?
3. Is there a dietary need – ie. Gluten-free?
  Consider whatever needs are necessary – A baby that will need to be fed, a child will need a nap very soon, someone with low-blood sugar will be shaky at this point, etc. Then, considering those needs, you move to #2.
Plan the menu – Considering your needs, you can now pull out this blog’s Recipe page, your Pinterest boards, your cookbooks – whatever will help you find a menu to meet those needs.
Determine how extensive you want the menu for Sunday to be. If you’re not into the routine of fixing a fresh meal for Sunday, I’d encourage you to start with a simple menu – a Taco Soup in the crock pot, some tortilla chips, and a dessert like the pie linked here, or go with something super easy like a purchased Angel food cake and fresh strawberries. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Take baby steps.
My recipe page has a list of 30-Minute meals, but if you wait until you get home from church to even prep those things, you are going to be frustrated, so stay tuned for #3.

sunday-dinner-prep-1
3. Prepare ahead – I can’t tell you how important this step is! As early in the week as possible, start preparing. The earlier you start, the less stressful it will be! Consider doing these things ahead of time:

Prepare the table. Set the table – The family will know that something good is on the way! Even if you can only do it after breakfast on Sunday, do it before you leave for church. If everyone can eat breakfast at the kitchen island, set the table on Saturday night.
Prepare Foods. Make ahead anything that can be made ahead of time!
1. Salad – I love frozen salads for this purpose, also green salads without the dressing can be made the day before.
2. Dessert – If you were serving Angel Food cake and berries, make the sure the berries are washed, sliced and ready ( or thawed from their frozen state) on Saturday night.
3. Vegetables – Peeling potatoes and putting them in water overnight will make them ready for the crock pot. If you’ll need onions, get them sliced and put into a ziplock bag.
4. Dishes and pans – On Saturday night, set out the crock pot you’ll need, or the pan for the roast chicken. Have them out on the counter and ready.
Prepare an hors d’oevre – Make something ahead of time that everyone can snack (lightly) on as soon as you get home. This is especially wise if you have little children that are fussy and need something to eat right away! Make life easier for you and them and make something they can munch on while you get dinner on the table. It could be something as simple as crackers and peanut butter, celery and peanut butter, apple slices, tortilla chips and salsa. Set out little plates and limit the little ones, so they’ll be ready to eat dinner, of course, but this will make them much happier while they wait.

So, there you have it – Ponder the needs, Plan the menu and Prepare ahead. These three steps will get you on your way to Sunday dinner success!

Can I give you a challenge for next Sunday? Do one thing ahead of time – perhaps set the table, or prepare an hors d’oevre, or get the vegetables prepped on Saturday, and see how much smoother Sunday dinner is next week!

Next Monday we’ll talk about some specific meals that are doable for prepping ahead and eating very soon after getting home! This will include Crock Pot entree’s and sides! Be sure to come back so you don’t miss any tips!

Which of these three steps of success is the most difficult for you?

With love from my country kitchen,

Denise Signature 150 px

baking · dessert · entertaining · Make-Ahead

(L)Oven Monday – Cutie Pies!

November 14, 2016November 14, 2016 RefreshHer11 Comments

Okay, so the title for these recipe Monday’s came into my head last week when I was writing my husband a note about his breakfast being in the (L)oven! You do get it, right, or is it just my crazy mind? I love to bake and cook, so I thought an appropriate title would be “(L)Oven Monday” =) My mind works words over like that. You can vote yes or no at the end of this post!

Anyway, while I was in the kitchen last week getting ready for my Apples of Gold ladies to come, I came across the adorable idea of baking pies in Mason Jar lids. How genius is that?

mason jar pie.jpg

They make individual pies that are so stinking cute! It’s the perfect size and they are so easy to put together. It’s much less intimidating to make a three-inch crust than an eight or ten inch one! You could make any number of fillings, of course. I made apple and Kentucky Derby pies with mine.

Here’s the Derby pie getting ready for the oven. How good does this look…

mason-pies

Here’s the baked pie…

pie-bite

The Mason jar lids make a little spring form pan! After they’re baked, you simply push up on the bottom of the lid and they pop right out. Like I said – GENIUS!

Here’s a picture tutorial on how I made them:

My Pampered Chef Crimper is a little larger than the lid, which is what you want. Find a bowl or glass that’s about a half inch bigger than the lids and cut circles in your crust. I made mine, but you could also purchase dough.

pie-collage

I sprayed the lids with cooking spray to ensure they’d pop out easily. Don’t over-fill the pie – two or three tablespoons of filling will do, especially if you top it with crumb topping or dough. I also sprinkle sugar over the crust to make it pretty and delicious!

These would be great for Thanksgiving! No need to slice pie! Everyone can help themselves to their own individual pie. Pumpkin, apple, peach – whatever kind you want – just portion the filling into the crusts.

I made up extras and put them in the freezer. All I have to do is take it out and bake it when I need a dessert. I also freeze my large pie crusts in Ziploc bags.

mason-pies-1

I cover the crust with Syran wrap, then put it into the freezer bags.

I hope you’ll make up a whole bunch of these Cutie Pies for your Thanksgiving dinner. I think everyone will be talking about them and copying your idea!!! Bake up a cute little treat from your (L)oven!

What do you think…do you like”(L)Oven Monday” for these Monday posts? Or is it like, Huh???????????????????????

With love from my country kitchen,

Denise Signature 150 px

Bread · Make-Ahead

Make-Ahead Parkerhouse Rolls

December 21, 2015December 27, 2015 RefreshHer8 Comments

For years I have made these Make-Ahead Butterhorns, and I still love them. They’re super delicious and you do most of the work ahead of time. You just have to let them rise for about five hours when they’re in their frozen state. They are perfect for when I can plan ahead, but at other times when I need a bread for dinner on a moment’s notice, they are so convenient.

At Thanksgiving I tried Ree Drummonds Parkerhouse Rolls. These are also make-ahead rolls, but they are completely ready to pop into the oven for a quick ten – twelve minute browning and they’re ready for the table! They’re like the old Brown and Serve kind of rolls, only ten times tastier! They are so delicious, and the fact that they require no major time when you need them make them a great staple to keep in the freezer!

Here’s the recipe from Food Network: This recipe yields 72 rolls. I halved the recipe, but if you need rolls for a huge crowd, make the whole batch!

Parkerhouse Rolls

Stage 1: Combine the milk, sugar and 2 sticks butter in a large pot. Bring to a simmer and when the mixture is hot (but not boiling), turn off the heat and allow to cool to warmer than lukewarm, 30 to 45 minutes.

Stage 2: Sprinkle in the yeast and add 8 cups of flour. Stir to combine, then cover and allow to rise for 1 hour.

Stage 3: After 1 hour, add the salt, baking powder, baking soda and remaining 1 cup flour and stir to combine. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes, then form into a ball, cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes.

Stage 4: Melt 2 sticks butter in a saucepan.

Roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thick. Cut circles with a 2 1/2-inch cutter. Dunk each circle in the melted butter, then immediately fold in half and place on a baking sheet. Press lightly to encourage sealing. Cover with a towel and allow the rolls to rise 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Stage 5: To par bake the rolls before freezing, bake until the rolls are risen and set but not brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Freeze the rolls separately, then store them in batches in freezer bags. (If you’re not freezing the rolls and want to serve them right away, bake at 400 degrees F until risen, set and golden brown, about 15 minutes total.)

When ready to cook and serve the frozen rolls, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the remaining stick of butter in a saucepan.

Place the frozen rolls on baking sheets and brush them with the melted butter. Bake until golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes. Brush them with additional melted butter if you like and let them sit for 1 minute. Serve while still warm.

Pictured below are the four “stages.” It may seem like a lot of work, but it’s mostly just letting the dough rest or rise. These are easy and worth the effort!

Just bake them the first time until they’re lightly browned, as pictured.

I have these rolls ready in my freezer for Christmas dinner at my parent’s house. All the work is done – the easy part is all that’s left! Last Monday’s recipe was also a make-ahead one – can you tell I like to be ahead of the game when I cook?!

What do you do to work ahead in meal prep?

With love from my country kitchen,

8E63C63AC0BC189BF1C68B03C74DBB5F