Menu for Oct 4-10th

I consider myself lucky that my mom bought me one of those Ronce Rotisseries... I use it ALL THE TIME! Now I realize that there's probably not a whole lot of you out there that have one of these, so I will give you an alternative way of cooking a roast for this week! We also have a smoker which my hubby likes to use as well, but large pieces of meat can also be done on the BBQ and still taste wonderful!

Pork Roast
(Pork Roasts were on sale a while back so I stocked up on them. I have a 7lb. Boston Butt roast and a 9lb. Picnic Roast. Both are very good!!)

Rub the roast with a layer of oil. Do not trim any access fat off, this will add more flavor to the meat. Grill Mates has a selection of meat rubs that I enjoy using, find one that your family will like. OR... if you live in Fresno, pick up a bottle of Pappy's Seasoning, you can't go wrong with this stuff!! Generously rub seasonings over roast and place in a deep roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer in center of roast. Set oven to 400F. Place in oven uncovered for 30 min. This will give you a nice crust on the outer part of the roast. After that, pour 1 C. Apple Juice in the pan and cover roast with foil. You can remove thermometer and insert again through the foil. This way, you will not have to uncover the roast to check the temp. of the meat. Periodically check the moisture in the bottom of the pan and add more if needed. If you have a good size roast, it will feed your household for a couple of days.


Chicken Pillows

1lb. cooked & chopped chicken
1 lb. softened cream cheese
3 green onions chopped
1-2 tsp. Garlic Salt
2-3 cans Croissants
1 packet Chicken Gravy

Cook whatever chicken you choose until well done and chop up. Add in cream cheese, onions and garlic salt. Mix together well. Carefully open croissants. DO NOT SEPARATE INTO TRIANGLES!! You will want to keep them in the rectangle shape. There are 2 ways of doing this. 1) Place a decent spoonful of chicken mixture in the middle of the croissant rectangle; fold the dough over and seal edges. 2) Place 2 spoonfuls of chicken mixture into middle of croissant rectangle, place a 2nd rectangle over that one and seal edges. Which one you choose will depend on how big you want these pillows. Bake according to directions for croissants. Top off with chicken gravy or eat by themselves. We love them with mashed potatoes and fresh salad.


SAUSAGE & PASTA

2 Boxes of your favorite Pasta Roni
1 lb. Bratwurst
1/2 package frozen broccoli

Cook the bratwurst according to the package directions. when finished, slice each link and set aside. Begin directions for Pasta Roni. Cook your broccoli however you like. We like to steam ours in the microwave. When pasta is almost done, add in your sausage and broccoli and mix well. Sauce will thicken as it sits. Good on its own or with a fresh veggie or fruit side.


OMELETS

We LOVE having breakfast for dinner!! My 6 year old is an egg fiend so he will be way excited for this meal! These can be made without directions. Be creative, I love ham, spinach, onions and garlic. The key is to use no more than 2 eggs per person.


CREATIVE MACARONI & CHEESE

I sometimes get tired of making just plain mac & cheese, or putting hot dogs in it. Tried this once and it was a hit. I added cooked peas and crumbled bacon into it. The kids got their mac & cheese AND veggies all in one serving! This is also a good meal to cook for the kids when YOU plan on having a more "adult meal," or a night out with girls or hubby!