This Could Be Meat Free Monday

So many people are doing the whole "theme" meals every day of the week. Meat Free Monday, Taco Thursday, Pizza Friday...just to name a few. And if that works in your family, I say go for it. 

For me, while meal planning is a must, those certain constraints on days don't work. Sometimes our meal plans end up with a few of them here and there, but it isn't something I set out to do. For us, having the same theme on certain nights is almost like getting into a rut, and believe me, I find myself in enough food ruts on my own without planning them on purpose. But like I said, if it is something that works in your life, I am all for it. 

So today for a lot of you is Meat Free Monday, and I am here with something new and yummy that you could use. As long as you change one tiny thing. Swap out one can of soup. That's it. Do that and you are home! And maybe if you aren't all about following the rules exactly, that one little can of chicken soup would be okay...be a rebel! Rules were meant to be broken!

Either way, or whatever day of the week you decide to make this, you are getting a tasty casserole that is hearty and filling too. Perfect after a long day when you just want to sit down, eat and warm up because oh, by the way, it is still freezing outside. 

I hear from so many fans they would love to meal plan, but don't know where to start. If you fall into that group, maybe these theme days would be an easy way for you to begin. At least if you have a category to work with, you can come up with ideas easier. Meat Free Monday it is.

Creamy Vegetable Noodle Casserole

1 lb. egg noodles, cooked and drained

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of broccoli soup

1 1/2 c. milk

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

12 oz. frozen California blend vegetables, thawed

12 oz. frozen corn, thawed

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 TBS dried parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 baking dish. In a large bowl combine soups and milk. Add in rest of ingredients, reserving 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Stir well to combine. Transfer to baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, or until heated through. 

 

Christmas, New Years, Snow, Ice, and COLD

Wow. I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post. I apologize. What can I say? The almost 17 month old and the 13 year old keep me jumping! Plus there is the husband, and the house, and well, life. 

That title pretty much sums up the last 4 weeks though. We had a magical Christmas with plenty of love and presents to go around! Max is really old enough to enjoy it this year, and it was extra special because of him. His "Bruh Bruh" adores Christmas time, but to share it with him takes that love to a whole new level. Max spent the entire season pointing out every "Danta" (Santa) he saw, nibbling on sweet treats, finding our Elf, Winslow, every morning, shrieking with delight, and totally getting into ripping presents open! 

We had a nice quiet New Year's here at home. I made our annual appetizer buffet, my parents came over and we ate until we couldn't eat another bite. 

During this time we also had an Arctic blast, like so much of this country. Here in Fort Wayne we went 13 straight days of never hitting 20, most of them staying in the below zero windchill range. Last Tuesday it was -31 with the windchill when I got up. Yeah, we didn't go anywhere that day! 

But with all the snow and cold, soup has been our BFF. Something has to warm you up after you make the 30 feet trek from the car to the door and are FROZEN!

I love this for a busy day. You can literally throw it all together in the morning, it cooks all day and you come home to dinner. Add some crusty bread on the side like I did and it's time to eat! You could easily add some of your favorite veggies too! 

It's warming up to 30, 40 and even 50 this week! (I know, tropical!) But those cold temps are sure to come back anytime, so I think this will be showing up on our table again and again! 

Slow Cooker Veggie Bean Soup

1 1/2 cups dry navy beans

1 lb. diced ham

3 large carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 envelope Onion Soup Mix

1 envelope Knorr Vegetable Mix

1 dry bay leaf

8 cups water

Salt and Pepper to taste
Dried Parsley 

Mix all ingredients except parsley in slow cooker. Stir well.  Cook on LOW for 9-10 hours until beans are tender. Remove bay leaf. Garnish with parsley.  

Shared at Weekend Potluck