End of September Mealplan

I was able to make it to the store yesterday for a very quick grab of the ‘on-sale-stuff’, and probably won’t be able to get back until the first of the month. I grabbed a head of bok choy, an acorn squash, fresh mozzarella and ricotta cheeses, bell peppers, a loaf of bread, deli meat and cheese, and a bag of white potatoes. So… I’ve come up with a few meals using those items to get us through until October.
*Tarragon Chicken Potato ‘Lasagna’
I’m going to thinly slice some white potatoes on my mandolin and layer them to use in place of lasagna noodles in this casserole. The filling will be a creamy tarragon chicken mixture using the ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. (The chicken is from my freezer).
*Egg Foo Young
My mom used to order this dish whenever we got Chinese takeout in my house. When I was a kid I thought it looked yucky and didn’t understand it. I’ve since changed my mind. It’s essentially a Chinese omelet served with a brown sauce and is very easy to make. I’ll make a vegetarian version using the bok choy, some mushrooms and green onions. I’ll also probably cook up some brown rice and we will definitely be using chop sticks. “When in Rome,” I can hear my mother saying..
*Rice ‘n’ Chez
So I came up with this very cool idea while I was leaning against the fridge, eating rice pudding right out of the plastic container. (Man, is that good stuff). I thought, ‘why not make this savory instead of sweet and bake it up like macaroni and cheese?’ Wouldn’t that be amazing? I think so, so I’m going to give it a try. It will be a cross between a baked risotto and mac ‘n’ cheese, two of my absolute favorite things in the world. I haven’t decided yet whether this will serve as the main course or a side kick to some chicken…
*Meat and Potato Stuffed Peppers
I’ll make a hash with the potatoes and some ground meat from my freezer, (sausage would work great here too), and stuff them into some red and yellow bell peppers, top with some cheddar, then bake them until the peppers are soft and cheese is melted.
*Monte Cristo Sandwiches
I discovered the Monte Cristo when I was in college and frequented a big, chain restaurant around the corner. Their sandwich was utterly delicious, if not a bit too rich. So I’ve made my own lighter version at home over the years and it’s just as good…probably even better. It’s a ham, turkey and cheese sandwich that is treated like french toast and dipped in a batter then pan-fried. A lot of times you see it dusted with powdered sugar and served with fruit preserves for dipping. We’ll have ours with something vegetable…but at the moment I have no idea what.
*Fall Vegetable Pot Pie in Gorgonzola Pastry
This is where I’m using the acorn squash. (Anyone who knows me knows that I love winter squash). I have some sweet potatoes and lots more of those white potatoes that will be paired with onions and a ton of sage to make the creamy filling. (Anyone who knows me also knows that I love sage and use it in any way possible during the colder months). The crust will be homemade using gorgonzola cheese and dried thyme and sage. (See, I told you).
That’s it for September. Happy Eating Everyone!