One week into my family's test drive of the Kraft/Sam's Club Two Week Dinner Planner, things are going well. It's been a pleasure to have the ingredients for dinner already in my freezer/cabinets/fridge, and the recipes have all gone over well with my family, even my picky four-year-old.
Here are a couple of the recipes we have tried, and our opinions.
Cheesy Salsa Mini Meatloaves
This recipe was incredibly easy to prep, especially since the cheese was pre-shredded. I substituted whole wheat crackers to increase the amount of fiber. Cooking the meatloaves in muffin cups decreases the cooking time by 15-20 minutes. If you're using really lean meat, make sure to coat the muffin cups well. I used canola oil, but I also used lean ground beef and had a hard time getting the loaves out of the cups without leaving half the meat behind. This meal was delicious, but next time I will probably cook it in a traditional loaf pan and increase the cooking time. Both my kids ate this meatloaf, never suspecting that there was salsa/tomatoes mixed in. I used a mild salsa. You can leave the additional cheese off the top for kids who don't like their food touching. I served it with green beans and salads.
Crispy Santa Fe Chicken
This recipe made use of frozen chicken breasts, which were supposed to be thawed ahead of time. I forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer the night before, so I defrosted them partially using my microwave, and then prepared the recipe with the chicken still a little frozen. It worked well this way! I also subbed whole grain crackers for the Saltines. Keep an eye on the coating to make sure it doesn't get too brown, I set off the smoke alarm when I pulled the baking pan out to add the salsa and cheese, even though nothing was burning. I served this with steamed edamame, sliced melon and tomato and mozzarella salad.
South-of-the-Border Chicken And Pasta Skillet
I took the ingredients for this recipe to the beach for a short family vacation and tripled it to feed seventeen people. I also served salad, sliced watermelon, steamed mixed veggies and strawberry lemonade (below). Every person thought it was delicious and ate heartily and there were still plenty of leftovers for dinner the following day. It was fast, easy and tasty. My dish didn't look much like the picture on my printout, but that might have something to do with my printer cartridge. You can vary the intensity of the salsa you use to suit the tastes of your family. I used whole grain pasta to make this dish a little healthier.
Berry Lemonade Coolers
This drink was incredibly refreshing after a long day on the beach! Using a lemonade mix makes the prep fast and easy. The recipe calls for strawberries, water and drink mix to be mixed in a blender, but I wasn't about to take a blender to the beach. Instead, I microwaved the frozen berries until soft, then used a wire whisk to mash them before adding the water and drink mix. This chunky version worked well and was well received by my dinner companions. I also made these drinks to go with our Fourth of July steaks and corn on the cob. If you're looking for a yummy drink to serve a crowd, I'd definitely recommend this.
Overall, we've been very happy with the program so far. I do have to say that having ingredients for two weeks worth of meals in the house and ready to go has been a big plus, planning wise, but it also hasn't kept me out of the store. Sam's doesn't carry the kind of cereal bars my kids eat, and we've had to pop in for milk too. We go through a lot of milk, but any more than two gallons at a time in the fridge is a squeeze, plus I had to buy fresh fruit and produce to get us through the weekend, and certain kinds of summer fruit only stay fresh for a few days.
While my kids have eaten the meals happily, my husband flipped through the meal planner and wondered if there was a southwest theme to the meals. Six of the fourteen meals are titled as southwest or fiesta or santa fe, etc, and families that don't like Mexican cheese and salsa might not be as pleased with the meals as we are.
I've also found it easy to tweak the meals to make them healthier, such as swapping Saltines for whole wheat crackers, using whole-grain pasta, and replacing some cream cheese with plain fat-free yogurt. However, I found Sam's to be a little short on options when it came to healthier or lighter foods. For example, the price on the Philadelphia cream cheese was great, but it only came in the full fat version. We always use light or fat-free cream cheese.
In addition, I feel the meal planner is a little light on fresh produce, especially since Sam's has a produce section. The meal planner doesn't provide for side dishes either, so I supplemented with additional steamed vegetables and fresh fruit or salads. Serving additional foods alongside the main dish can also stretch how far it goes. The pasta dish I made at the beach originally feeds 4 people, I tripled it, added salads and two sides and fed 17 people with leftovers.
Interested in trying out the Kraft Foods/Sam's Club Two Week Meal Planner?
WHAT TO DO:
1. If you're not already a Sam's Club member, use the store locator to find a location near you. Sam's Club Locator
2. Get the meals here. This download will provide you with recipes for all fourteen recipes and a complete shopping list to take to the store with you. Sam's Club members can also create a personalized cookbook by clicking on the link on this page.
3. Take a look at the shopping list provided, make any notes to personalize the menu for your family, then head out to shop!
If you missed Part One, my introduction to the Two Week Meal Planner, you can read the details and get some tips here.
Questions? Leave a comment! Don't forget to stay tuned for some fun prizes coming soon.
I was one of five bloggers selected by Kraft Foods to work on the Kraft Foods and Sam’s Club Two Week Dinner Planner program. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program which includes my trip to Sam’s Club, my interactions/experience with the two week dinner planner and my posts about my experience. I have also been compensated for the food purchased for the two week dinner planner. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.
Here are a couple of the recipes we have tried, and our opinions.
Cheesy Salsa Mini Meatloaves
This recipe was incredibly easy to prep, especially since the cheese was pre-shredded. I substituted whole wheat crackers to increase the amount of fiber. Cooking the meatloaves in muffin cups decreases the cooking time by 15-20 minutes. If you're using really lean meat, make sure to coat the muffin cups well. I used canola oil, but I also used lean ground beef and had a hard time getting the loaves out of the cups without leaving half the meat behind. This meal was delicious, but next time I will probably cook it in a traditional loaf pan and increase the cooking time. Both my kids ate this meatloaf, never suspecting that there was salsa/tomatoes mixed in. I used a mild salsa. You can leave the additional cheese off the top for kids who don't like their food touching. I served it with green beans and salads.
Crispy Santa Fe Chicken
This recipe made use of frozen chicken breasts, which were supposed to be thawed ahead of time. I forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer the night before, so I defrosted them partially using my microwave, and then prepared the recipe with the chicken still a little frozen. It worked well this way! I also subbed whole grain crackers for the Saltines. Keep an eye on the coating to make sure it doesn't get too brown, I set off the smoke alarm when I pulled the baking pan out to add the salsa and cheese, even though nothing was burning. I served this with steamed edamame, sliced melon and tomato and mozzarella salad.
South-of-the-Border Chicken And Pasta Skillet
I took the ingredients for this recipe to the beach for a short family vacation and tripled it to feed seventeen people. I also served salad, sliced watermelon, steamed mixed veggies and strawberry lemonade (below). Every person thought it was delicious and ate heartily and there were still plenty of leftovers for dinner the following day. It was fast, easy and tasty. My dish didn't look much like the picture on my printout, but that might have something to do with my printer cartridge. You can vary the intensity of the salsa you use to suit the tastes of your family. I used whole grain pasta to make this dish a little healthier.
Berry Lemonade Coolers
This drink was incredibly refreshing after a long day on the beach! Using a lemonade mix makes the prep fast and easy. The recipe calls for strawberries, water and drink mix to be mixed in a blender, but I wasn't about to take a blender to the beach. Instead, I microwaved the frozen berries until soft, then used a wire whisk to mash them before adding the water and drink mix. This chunky version worked well and was well received by my dinner companions. I also made these drinks to go with our Fourth of July steaks and corn on the cob. If you're looking for a yummy drink to serve a crowd, I'd definitely recommend this.
Overall, we've been very happy with the program so far. I do have to say that having ingredients for two weeks worth of meals in the house and ready to go has been a big plus, planning wise, but it also hasn't kept me out of the store. Sam's doesn't carry the kind of cereal bars my kids eat, and we've had to pop in for milk too. We go through a lot of milk, but any more than two gallons at a time in the fridge is a squeeze, plus I had to buy fresh fruit and produce to get us through the weekend, and certain kinds of summer fruit only stay fresh for a few days.
While my kids have eaten the meals happily, my husband flipped through the meal planner and wondered if there was a southwest theme to the meals. Six of the fourteen meals are titled as southwest or fiesta or santa fe, etc, and families that don't like Mexican cheese and salsa might not be as pleased with the meals as we are.
I've also found it easy to tweak the meals to make them healthier, such as swapping Saltines for whole wheat crackers, using whole-grain pasta, and replacing some cream cheese with plain fat-free yogurt. However, I found Sam's to be a little short on options when it came to healthier or lighter foods. For example, the price on the Philadelphia cream cheese was great, but it only came in the full fat version. We always use light or fat-free cream cheese.
In addition, I feel the meal planner is a little light on fresh produce, especially since Sam's has a produce section. The meal planner doesn't provide for side dishes either, so I supplemented with additional steamed vegetables and fresh fruit or salads. Serving additional foods alongside the main dish can also stretch how far it goes. The pasta dish I made at the beach originally feeds 4 people, I tripled it, added salads and two sides and fed 17 people with leftovers.
Interested in trying out the Kraft Foods/Sam's Club Two Week Meal Planner?
WHAT TO DO:
1. If you're not already a Sam's Club member, use the store locator to find a location near you. Sam's Club Locator
2. Get the meals here. This download will provide you with recipes for all fourteen recipes and a complete shopping list to take to the store with you. Sam's Club members can also create a personalized cookbook by clicking on the link on this page.
3. Take a look at the shopping list provided, make any notes to personalize the menu for your family, then head out to shop!
If you missed Part One, my introduction to the Two Week Meal Planner, you can read the details and get some tips here.
Questions? Leave a comment! Don't forget to stay tuned for some fun prizes coming soon.
I was one of five bloggers selected by Kraft Foods to work on the Kraft Foods and Sam’s Club Two Week Dinner Planner program. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program which includes my trip to Sam’s Club, my interactions/experience with the two week dinner planner and my posts about my experience. I have also been compensated for the food purchased for the two week dinner planner. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.
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3 comments:
I started a few weeks ago doing a similar program (posted it on MWFD) it's one week at a time and it does plan for side dishes, etc.
Does the one you are doing have a price estimate they keep within for the 2 weeks?
The list provided is supposed to cost about 200 dollars. Each meal feeds 4-6 people. However, because it's Sam's Club, you're buying in bulk and won't use up all the groceries in two weeks. So although that initial outlay is 200 dollars, you're set for quite awhile for some of the items, like pasta, crackers etc, and the next time you shop, you should need less stuff.
Gotcha. The one I'm doing quotes $65-85/week (dinners only, but for the complete meal including sides) for 4-6 people. For one week I spent $62, but used a lot from my pantry/garden rather than purchasing it.
I think I really like the idea of someone else planning the meals for me, thinking of what to make is one of my biggest cooking challenges.
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