Help me plan my menu for the week... without needing to shop!

[swd12422]

Help! I have an overloaded pantry and freezer, and no dinner ideas for the week. I'm not at all creative and apparently not at all inspired right now either. Here's what I have on hand:

Fresh green beans

Fresh carrots

Onions (a few yellow and some green)

Potatoes (russet and red)

Eggs

Milk

Fruit (apples, pears, a couple of persimmons, tons of pomegranates, maybe a banana)

Frozen blueberries

Frozen green beans

Frozen peas

Frozen spinach

Dried and canned beans (black, pinto, garbanzo)

Canned crushed tomatoes

Frozen ground beef (1 lb)

No other meat or chicken, but tons of frozen homemade broth

2-3 cans of tuna, maybe some canned salmon

Barley

Brown rice

Quinoa

Rice noodles

Whole wheat pasta

Tortillas

Cheddar, mozzarella, and monterey jack cheese

Whole wheat bread

Olive oil, spices, and other staples like sugar and flour

We had homemade pizza last night, and I'm trying to avoid pasta (just had a week of pasta/tomato sauce and mac-n-cheese).

I'm thinking tuna noodle casserole one night, but probably later in the week b/c we just had a disastrous mac-n-cheese night that we're trying to forget. (Not sure what went wrong!)

In this list I see fruit salad, but that's a side/dessert. I can't get away with rice and beans only for dinner, (although maybe rice and beans and fruit salad might fly... but only once!)

Any other ideas? I know I'm really short on protein and veggies. And creativity! Thanks!

Edited by swd12422 - 11/15/10 at 2:36pm

[zinemama]

I'm seeing chili with your tomatoes,onions, beef and beans.
A fritatta with the eggs and potatoes; heck, steam the green beans and throw 'em in, too.

[SpuglyRoo]

-Potatoes, Eggs, Spinach, Onions, & Cheese for a breakfast for dinner scramble

-"various staples" and fruits- Pancakes w/fruit add ins or on the side

-Green Beans & Carrots & Peas, sauteed together alongside a Meatloaf

-Rice & Beans in tortillas, topped with Cheddar?  I know you said no just rice and beans, but that's a but different? Especially if you add in some of the onions or spinach if you don't use them all in the egg scramble

-Salmon/Tuna patties (bread 'em and fry 'em) topped with Crushed Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella, possibly w/pasta

-Milk, Eggs, Bread, & Fruit =French Toast (Sorry, I'm seeing a lot of breakfast for dinner potential here, maybe that's just what I'm in the mood for!)

-Cook either the rice or Quinoa in broth instead of water, along with some peas.  Serve with some Tuna sauteed in some olive oil and spices (or add some salad dressing, or lemon juice, etc.)

That's all I've got now, hope it helps!

[MAMom]

I made a chicken stock-based soup last night with many of the things you have on hand.

Mine was:

- Chicken stock

- red beans

- sauteed onions

- scallions

- carrots

- celery (you could throw in peas or green beans)

- cooked brown rice

- dried herbs

- salt & pepper

With the items you have, I would also make:

- quesadillas with beans & cheese

- chili with beef & beans OR Shepards Pie with the beef & potatoes

- french toast with blueberry & pomegranate sauce (or homemade crepes with the sauce)

- a barley & rice or quinoa & rice salad (served room temp, with white or green onions, chopped apples, pomegranates, peas, nuts or seeds if you have them & homemade vingarette)

- barley soup, esp. if you have beef stock

- apple/pear pie or crumble with homemade crust

- fruit smoothies with the persimmons & banana (with milk, ice and a little juice if you have it, otherwise some honey)

[swd12422]

Wow, thanks! I did come up with a few ideas, but thanks to you all I have nearly TWO weeks' worth of dinners I can make. I can't believe I never thought of chili, especially when I have a huge pot of beans and collards that didn't turn out so flavorful. I'm going to use those in the chili and spice it up, and hope DH doesn't notice the greens in there!

[onlyzombiecat]

quesadillas

make refried beans and have burritos and Spanish rice

potato soup

grilled cheese sandwiches & vegetable soup

meatball sandwich

sloppy joes and homemade fries or baked potato

make bread or pizza dough and fold it around cheese and other ingredients for hot stuffed buns

pancakes with fruit

curry with the garbanzo beans and potatoes

I like pasta with peanut sauce, onion and carrot.

scrambled eggs or omelets, hashbrowns, fruit

[swd12422]

Can you elaborate on the "make bread or pizza dough and fold it around cheese.... for hot stuffed buns"??? That sounds heavenly, but I'm a newbie at breadmaking.... How big should each be? Do you roll it out after it rises? How long/at what temp do you bake them?

[onlyzombiecat]

I generally don't make individual stuffed buns but take the whole pizza or bread dough and roll it out to about 11"x13". I would then place meat or cheese, etc on the center of the dough or to one side and fold the dough over all of it. I sometimes brush some egg white on top. I would then bake it at 350F for 25-30 minutes. When it is cooked I slice it and serve.

Some actual recipes-

http://notwithoutsalt.com/2009/

http://www.food.com/recipe/dinner-stuffed-bread-buns-401773

http://www.yankeemagazine.com/recipes/search/onerecipe.php?number=319

http://www.chow.com/recipes/12855-castilian-bacon-and-sausage-stuffed-bread

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Spinach-Stuffed-Bread

[swd12422]

Fantastic! Thank you!